| David Lammy hails 20 years of ethnic minority representation. |
| Friday, 15 June 2007 |
Monday 11th June 2007 marked the twentieth anniversary of the first Members of ethnic minority background entered Parliament.
On Thursday 11 June 1987, having worked together to maximize their prospects, the four friends were successfully elected – Bernie Grant in Tottenham, Paul Boateng in Brent South, Diane Abbott in Hackney North and Stoke Newington, and Keith Vaz in Leicester East.
David Lammy, MP for Tottenham since 2000, commented, “Two decades have now passed since Bernie Grant, Paul Boateng, Diane Abbott and Keith Vaz were voted in to the joy of ethnic minority people across the nation, many of whom had long awaited the day when the House of Commons would begin to look a bit more like the country it represents.
David went on, “For me, as a teenager in the Tottenham of 1987, it was a life-changing moment. Finally, here were four people who would go on to change the face of the Labour Party. From Paul’s civil rights campaigning and selection as the first Black Cabinet minister, to Diane’s work with London and the Black Child conferences; from Keith’s key role chairing the Ethnic Minority Taskforce to the late, great Bernie Grant’s championing of the fight against racism, each of these pioneers has left an indelible mark on the politics of this country. They each continue to be an inspiration to me as a politician today.”
All four MPs lobbied for greater representation in the Houses of Parliament for people of ethnic minority groups over the years, a topic which David Lammy has recently forced back into mainstream debate. The Labour Party Deputy Leadership Hustings have been dominated by the discussion over the possibility of all ethnic minority shortlists, with all candidates agreeing that measures should be taken to increase the numbers of people from ethnic minority backgrounds at all levels across the political sphere.
David concluded, “Shortly before he died, Bernie wrote a strong letter to Tony Blair, urging him to ensure that he looked at ways of getting a more representative party in the House. Sadly, this is still an ongoing push, but I do have confidence that we will get there in the end.
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