Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP, one of Britain’s longest serving Indian-origin MPs, has been appointed Vice-Chairman of the Labour party by acting Leader of the Opposition Harriet Harman.
Vaz, 58, who was re-elected from his Leicester East stronghold at the 2015 general election, also serves as the chair of the influential Home Affairs Select Committee in the House of Commons.
Speaking about his appointment, Vaz said, “I am delighted to have been appointed as Vice-Chairman of the Labour Party. After coming through a difficult election, it is time for the party to regroup and bring fresh new ideas to the table. Playing a part in that process is a source of great pride for me.
“Having served on the National Executive Committee (NEC) for a number of years, I know that the Labour Party draws deep strength from its members. I will ensure by working with Harriet Harman that we will continue to energise the party and reach out to communities in a positive and constructive way.”
Speaking about UK-India relations and the increasing importance of Indians in the UK, in an exclusive interview Mr Vaz told Times of India that the Labour party can't take India's growing clout for granted and will get the new party leader to visit India as a top priority.
He also made an appearance and gave a speech at the House of Lords in a panel discussion organised by Lord Bhikhu Parekh and Asian Voice.
The NEC is the Labour party’s administrative authority which oversees the running of the party.
The Labour party is set to hold an election to choose a party leader in September. Meanwhile, Harman is in charge of the Opposition’s affairs in the British Parliament.
