1. Virendra Sharma served as the Member of Parliament for Ealing Southall from 2007 to 2024.
18 Facts About Virendra Sharma
1. 2.
Virendra Sharma was born on 5 April 1947 in Mandhali, Nawanshahr in the Punjab Province of British India into a Punjabi Hindu Brahmin family.
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Virendra Sharma went to university at the London School of Economics on a trade union scholarship.
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Virendra Sharma began his political career by joining the Liberal Party, then switched to Labour.
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Virendra Sharma was Race Equalities Officer to the Labour Party nationally.
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Virendra Sharma was a councillor in the London Borough of Ealing from 1982 to 2010 and became Mayor.
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In September 2008, Virendra Sharma signed a letter drafted by Keith Vaz on behalf of the disgraced lawyer Shahrokh Mireskandari, for which Vaz was criticised for not declaring his relationship with him.
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Virendra Sharma said that Vaz had not informed him of the relationship and that he would "be more questioning before I sign a letter in future".
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In November 2008, Virendra Sharma was appointed as Parliamentary private secretary to the Minister of State at the Treasury and Home Office, Phil Woolas.
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Virendra Sharma resigned from this post in January 2009 in opposition to the Labour government's proposal to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
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Virendra Sharma supported David Miliband in the 2010 Labour leadership election.
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In 2016, in a reversal of his previous stance, Virendra Sharma announced that he now supported Heathrow expansion.
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In July 2017, Virendra Sharma voted against the bill on triggering Article 50 in the House of Commons, expressing his concern over Brexit's potential effects on the economy.
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Virendra Sharma is vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British-Hindus.
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On 27 May 2024, Virendra Sharma announced his retirement at the 2024 general election.
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Virendra Sharma has been married to Nirmala Sharma since 1968.
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Virendra Sharma has been the vice-chair of APPG for British-Hindus.
18.
Virendra Sharma was given the living legend at the India UK Achievers Honours.