Virendra Sharma
Encyclopedia
Virendra Kumar Sharma (born 5 April 1947) is a British Labour Party
politician
and the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Ealing Southall since 2007
.
, held on 19 July 2007. The by-election was called following the death of the sitting Labour MP, Piara Khabra
on 19 June 2007. Sharma held on to the seat at the 2010 General Election.
In November 2008, the then Labour government gave Sharma the role of Parliamentary Private Secretary
to the Minister of State
at the Treasury
and Home Office
, Phil Woolas
MP, who had responsibility for borders and immigration
. Sharma resigned from this post in January 2009 in protest at the Labour government's proposal to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport
.
Sharma is a member of the parliamentary select committees on Health
, Human Rights
and International Development
. He has made official overseas visits as an MP to Cyprus
, Kenya
, India
and Mauritius
. He chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group
for Tamils
. He supported David Miliband
in the 2010 Labour leadership election
.
As of September 2011, Sharma is under investigation by the Electoral Commission
, over a £5,000 donation allegedly made by the Indian Tourist Board
and not declared in the Parliamentary register of members' interests. Sharma strenouously denies receiving the donation ""I have never received a donation from Indiatourism and have therefore never been liable to make a declaration in the Parliamentary register of members’ interests”.
in 1947 and educated at the London School of Economics
on a trade union
scholarship
. He speaks fluent Punjabi
, Hindi
and Urdu
. He is a high caste
Brahmin
Hindu
and is married with a grown-up son and daughter and three grandchildren.
Sharma came to Hanwell
from India in 1968 and became a bus conductor on the 207 route, later working as a day services manager for people with learning disabilities in Hillingdon
. He started his political career by joining the Liberal Democrats
, then switched to Labour in later years.
He was a local councillor in the London Borough of Ealing
from 1982–2010 and was Mayor
for part of his time as councillor. He was criticised by councillors from other political parties for his level of attendance at council meetings and stood down as a local councillor at the 2010 local elections
.
Sharma is currently also a school governor at the Three Bridges and Wolf Fields schools.
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Ealing Southall since 2007
Ealing Southall by-election, 2007
The Ealing Southall by-election, 2007 was a by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Ealing Southall, in west London. It was held on 19 July 2007....
.
Parliamentary career
Virendra Sharma was elected as MP in the Ealing Southall by-electionEaling Southall by-election, 2007
The Ealing Southall by-election, 2007 was a by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Ealing Southall, in west London. It was held on 19 July 2007....
, held on 19 July 2007. The by-election was called following the death of the sitting Labour MP, Piara Khabra
Piara Khabra
Piara Singh Khabra was a British politician who served as the Labour Member of Parliament for Ealing Southall from 1992 until his death. He was the fifth Asian, and the first Sikh, to become a British MP...
on 19 June 2007. Sharma held on to the seat at the 2010 General Election.
In November 2008, the then Labour government gave Sharma the role of Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to the Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
at the Treasury
Treasury
A treasury is either*A government department related to finance and taxation.*A place where currency or precious items is/are kept....
and Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
, Phil Woolas
Phil Woolas
Philip James Woolas was a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth from his election in 1997 to 2010. He was the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration in the Home Office, as well as being the Minister of State for the Treasury...
MP, who had responsibility for borders and immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
. Sharma resigned from this post in January 2009 in protest at the Labour government's proposal to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
.
Sharma is a member of the parliamentary select committees on Health
Health Select Committee
The Health Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the British House of Commons. It oversees the operations of the Department of Health and its associated bodies.-Membership:...
, Human Rights
Joint Committee on Human Rights
The Joint Committee on Human Rights is a select committee of both the House of Commons and House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
and International Development
International Development Committee
The International Development Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the Committee is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for International Development and its associated public...
. He has made official overseas visits as an MP to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. He chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group
All-Party Parliamentary Group
An all-party parliamentary group is a grouping in the UK parliament that is composed of politicians from all political parties.-All-party parliamentary groups:...
for Tamils
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
. He supported David Miliband
David Miliband
David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
in the 2010 Labour leadership election
Labour Party (UK) leadership election, 2010
The 2010 Labour Party leadership election was triggered by a general election which resulted in a hung parliament. On 10 May, Gordon Brown resigned as Leader of the Labour Party. The following day, he stepped down as Prime Minister....
.
As of September 2011, Sharma is under investigation by the Electoral Commission
Electoral Commission
An Electoral Commission or Election Commission is an election management body, in charge of overseeing the implementation of election procedures:*Albania: Komisioni Qendror i Zgjedhjeve*Australia: Australian Electoral Commission...
, over a £5,000 donation allegedly made by the Indian Tourist Board
Incredible India
Incredible India is the name of an international marketing campaign by the Government of India to promote tourism in India in 2002 to a global audience.- Origins of the phrase :...
and not declared in the Parliamentary register of members' interests. Sharma strenouously denies receiving the donation ""I have never received a donation from Indiatourism and have therefore never been liable to make a declaration in the Parliamentary register of members’ interests”.
Background
Virendra Sharma was born in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1947 and educated at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
on a trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
. He speaks fluent Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
. He is a high caste
Caste system in India
The Indian caste system is a system of social stratification and social restriction in India in which communities are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called Jātis....
Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and is married with a grown-up son and daughter and three grandchildren.
Sharma came to Hanwell
Hanwell
Hanwell is a town situated in the London Borough of Ealing in west London, between Ealing and Southall. The motto of Hanwell Urban District Council was Nec Aspera Terrent...
from India in 1968 and became a bus conductor on the 207 route, later working as a day services manager for people with learning disabilities in Hillingdon
Hillingdon
Hillingdon is a suburban area within the London Borough of Hillingdon, situated 14.2 miles west of Charing Cross.Much of Hillingdon is represented as the Hillingdon East ward within the local authority, Hillingdon Council...
. He started his political career by joining the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, then switched to Labour in later years.
He was a local councillor in the London Borough of Ealing
London Borough of Ealing
The London Borough of Ealing is a borough in west London.-Location:The London Borough of Ealing borders the London Borough of Hillingdon to the west, the London Borough of Harrow and the London Borough of Brent to the north, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham to the east and the London...
from 1982–2010 and was Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
for part of his time as councillor. He was criticised by councillors from other political parties for his level of attendance at council meetings and stood down as a local councillor at the 2010 local elections
United Kingdom local elections, 2010
The 2010 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 6 May 2010, when the 2010 general election also took place. Direct elections were held to all 32 London boroughs, all 36 metropolitan boroughs, 76 second-tier district authorities, 20 unitary authorities and various Mayoral posts, all in...
.
Sharma is currently also a school governor at the Three Bridges and Wolf Fields schools.
In the News
- Daily Telegraph: Sharma under investigation by Electoral Commission over donation by Indian Tourist Board 15/09/11
- Allegations against Sharma over £5,000 donation made by Indian Tourist BoardIncredible IndiaIncredible India is the name of an international marketing campaign by the Government of India to promote tourism in India in 2002 to a global audience.- Origins of the phrase :...
. Daily Telegraph. 28/08/11 - London Evening Standard article quoting Sharma on homelessness in Southall. 17/01/11
- Docklands 24 article on MPs including Sharma who tabled an Early Day MotionEarly day motionAn Early Day Motion , in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament for debate "on an early day" . Controversial EDMs are not signed by Government Ministers, PPS or the Speaker of the House of Commons and very few are debated on the floor...
in support of strikingStrike actionStrike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
London UndergroundLondon UndergroundThe London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
workers. 02/11/10 - Asian Tribune editorial about Sharma and his involvement with Keith VazKeith VazNigel Keith Anthony Standish Vaz, known as Keith Vaz, was born 26 November 1956 in Aden, Yemen.Keith Vaz is a British Labour Party politician and a Member of Parliament for Leicester East, He is the longest serving Asian MP and has been the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee since July...
and the TamilTamil peopleTamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
cause. 05/05/10 - Daily Mail article quoting Sharma on MPs' overseas travel. 01/08/09
- Guardian article quoting Sharma on his association with Keith Vaz. 21/09/08
- Daily Telegraph blog entry: Sharma's role as councillor 18/04/08
- Hinduism Today. Dharma: Has It Impacted The UK Political Scene? 03/04/95
General
- Virendra Sharma site
- UK Parliament Website: details of Sharma's parliamentary expenses
- 'Ealing Gazette' 2010 Election Website Sharma's posts 03/05/2010
- 'Ealing Gazette' newspaper column written by Sharma and other Ealing MPs
- 'Ealing Times' newspaper column written by Sharma and other Ealing MPs until 2008
- UK Polling Report: Ealing Southall profile including detail on Sharma