Progressive Realism
I’m David Lammy, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom. Welcome to my Substack. Here you will find an in-depth look at my approach to the UK’s foreign policy, and how it is shaped by the principle of progressive realism.
Progressive realism advocates using realist means to pursue progressive ends. It is the pursuit of ideals without the delusions about what is achievable. That requires us to be tough-minded and honest about the state of the world and the UK’s place in it. But it also requires us to use the logic of realism in the service of just goals – for example preventing climate change, defending democracy, and advancing the world’s economic development.
I set out the case for progressive realism in an article for Foreign Affairs magazine in April 2024 (you can read a shorter account in this article for the Guardian). As Foreign Secretary, my task now is to put the progressive realist approach into practice. That’s the best way to reconnect Britain with the world and promote our security and prosperity. This Substack is where you will find out how I’m getting on.
About me
I was born in Tottenham in North London, and my values are shaped by the working-class Caribbean community I grew up in. I am determined to make the UK’s foreign policy deliver for them and for working people across the UK. My family are from Guyana and I am the first UK Foreign Secretary who is a descendent of enslaved people.
I studied law at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and was the first Black Britain to go to Harvard Law School. I am proud to represent my community as a Member of Parliament for Tottenham, which I have done since 2000.
I am the author of two books: “Out of the ashes: Britain after the riots” on the causes of the London 2011 riots, and “Tribes: how our need to belong can make or break society”.
I love theatre and the cinema, and I’m a Tottenham Hotspur supporter. When I can, I will be sure to use this Substack to promote the latest bit of British culture that has caught my eye.
