Tottenham was the seat of the late Labour MP Bernie Grant, who died in May 2000. He was replaced by David Lammy, who beat off candidates including Mr Grant’s wife, Sharon, to gain the Labour nomination.
Tottenham is quite a poor and deprived area and rich in ethnic diversity - including just under 40% non-whites, from a whole host of nationalities including Russians, Spaniards, Greek and Turkish Cypriots, Africans, Irish, Hasidic Jews, Asians, Caribbean islanders and, more recently, Kosovans and other people from eastern Europe. Afro-Caribbeans are by far the largest community.
The Broadwater farm estate, which became notorious after the riots in 1985, falls within the seat. The estate houses 3,500 people from 39 different nations, and is enjoying a £33m facelift. Famous landmarks here include White Hart Lane, home to Tottenham Hotspurs football club, and Finsbury Park.
This has over the years been one of Labour's safest London seats. One aberration was in 1959 when the Labour MP Alan Brown defected to the Conservatives. He was easily beaten by former Labour treasurer Norman Atkinson in 1964 who held the seat until 1987, when Mr Grant defeated him for the party nomination.
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