He’s not yet completed a hundred days in his new job, but David Lammy finds himself overseeing the UK’s response to rising tensions in the Middle East.

Born to Guyanese parents in north London, and raised by his mother from the age of 12 after his father left them, the foreign secretary is known for his advocacy for social justice, equality, and human rights.

His journey to the top of British politics began with a legal career – becoming the first black Briton to study a masters in law at Harvard. At 27, David Lammy became Parliament’s youngest MP when he was elected in Tottenham, and he went on to become a junior minister under Sir Tony Blair.

In opposition, he spent some of his time on Labour’s back benches – though now finds himself front and centre, facing countless fast-moving global challenges.

Mark Coles meets some of the people who know David Lammy best - from childhood friends, to his beloved 'Aunty May'.

Contributors
Decca Aitkenhead - Chief Interviewer, The Sunday Times
Paul Waugh - Labour MP for Rochdale
Ben Rhodes - Political commentator
Mayfield Griffith - Godmother of David Lammy

Production team
Producers: Di Richardson, Michaela Graichen and Ben Cooper
Editor: Ben Mundy
Sound: Neil Churchill
Production Co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Janet Staples

Archive
United Nations General Assembly
Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, 11 May 2018
Channel 4 News