Supporting Virendra Sharma

Tuesday 02nd April 2019 17:00 EDT
 

Throughout his time as an MP I feel Virendra Sharma has represented his community to the best of his ability and deserves our full support especially considering what the country is currently facing with Brexit.

Virendra Sharma has been an MP since 2007 and is one of longest standing Asian MPs out of the thirty odd MPs representing the various Asian communities in the UK and was elected to represent Ealing Southall in the by-election, held on 19 July 2007 after the death of the late Labour MP, Piara Khabra.

In November 2008, the Labour government gave Sharma the role of Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State at the Treasury and Home Office who had responsibility for borders and immigration. He resigned from this post in January 2009 in opposition the Labour government's proposal to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport. But yes surprisingly in 2016, in a U-turn on his previous stance, Sharma announced that he now supported Heathrow expansion which I believe is going to benefit the local workforce especially if Surinder Arora receives the contract.

Sharma has been a member of the parliamentary select committees on Health, Human Rights and International Development and has made official overseas visits as an MP to Cyprus, Kenya, India, Mauritius and South Korea and is Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils.

In September 2011, Sharma was investigated 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 denied receiving the donation and was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing in December 2011.

In 2017, Sharma voted against the bill on triggering Article 50 in the House of Commons, justifying his position with concern over Brexit’s potential effects on the economy.

Lakshmi Sita Patel

By email


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