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- Archive 2019
- 2015 Elections: 11 new BME MP’s make history
- 70th Anniversary of the Partition of India
- Black Church Manifesto Questionnaire
- Brett Bailey: Exhibit B
- Briefing Paper: Ethnic Minorities in Politics and Public Life
- Civil Rights Leader Ratna Lachman dies
- ELLE Magazine: Young, Gifted, and Black
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- Gary Younge Book Sale
- George Osborne's budget increases racial disadvantage
- Goldsmiths Students' Union External Trustee
- Iqbal Wahhab OBE empowers Togo prisoners
- Job Vacancy: Head of Campaigns and Communications
- Media and Public Relations Officer for Jean Lambert MEP (full-time)
- Number 10 statement - race disparity unit
- Pathway to Success 2022
- Please donate £10 or more
- Rashan Charles had no Illegal Drugs
- Serena Williams: Black women should demand equal pay
- Thank you for your donation
- The Colour of Power 2021
- The Power of Poetry
- The UK election voter registration countdown begins now
- Volunteering roles at Community Alliance Lewisham (CAL)
Sam Gyimah: The PM’s right hand man
Next time you watch Prime Minister’s Questions - every midday on Wednesdays - have a look at the man behind the PM passing him notes and other relevant files. That man will be Sam Gyimah MP and Private Personal Secretary to the nation's Prime Minister. Gyimah’s role is to ensure that the PM has every base covered. Whether it’s a Cabinet meeting with a historic visit by the Queen, or negotiating with other Heads of State around EU treaties. Sam’s your man.
It is an incredible story for a young man born in Beconsfield, brought up by his mother who raised Sam and two siblings on her own on a nurse's salary.
It was clear that Sam was bright at school, but, as he told an OBV audience a few years ago he did receive mentoring which helped him focus on what he might need to do to get a place at Oxford. At Oxford he became the first Black President of it’s Union, thereafter he did a spell of investment banking before setting up his own company. What’s interesting about Sam is that whilst it is true that he had many of the educational trappings of someone extremely privileged, however, his real life experiences enable him to have greater empathy with many more people than the ‘privileged elite’.
For example, in the aftermath of the 2011 civil disturbances across the country he was one of the few BME MPs who readily responded to the call for a cross bench conversation with activists, and others about how the Black community should collectively respond.
Now after only a few years in Parliament, Sam Gyimah is now on the international political stage at the highest level. No doubt he will learn a great deal, and who knows he may be the one to become the UK’s first Black Prime Minister. He's certainly demonstrating all the tools.
But right now Sam is a good role model for young Black men and women who, like Sam, despite the limited hand they are dealt with, they can still aspire to do great things.
Well done Sam!
Simon Woolley
Archived Comments
We've changed to a new commenting system - comments below are preserved for archive purposes
Cosmetic Showing.
Sam Gyimah looks very comfortable sitting in his position behind the Prime Minister. Does anyone want to know why? The reason is because he is not a threat. If they can pay me the national minimum wage to sit behind David Cameron and pass him some papers during Parliamentary Debates, I'll gladly do it.
The true and real test for the Prime Minister will be whether he promotes Mr. Gyimah to a Cabinet position if the Conservative Party is victorious at the next General Election.
Black PR
This is a PR stunt. Both sides are putting more female and/or black MPs near the prime minister/opposition leader, within the TV camera frame, during his question time. Tories did this during their last Conference too by putting Helen Grant, the first black female minister beside Sam Cameron.
Until any of the Tory ethnic minority MPs speaks about issues concerning the minorities, we know that they are still in the mindset of pretending to be white so not to offend some of their own party members/voters. Very sad indeed.