19 Facts About Virendra Sharma

Virendra Sharma has been the Member of Parliament for Ealing Southall since winning the seat at a by-election in 2007.

Virendra Kumar Sharma was born on 5 April 1947 in Mandhali, Nawanshahr in the Punjab Province of British India into a Punjabi Hindu Brahmin family and received his education at the London School of Economics on a trade union scholarship.

Virendra Sharma came to Hanwell, Ealing, West London 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.

Virendra Sharma began his political career by joining the Liberal Party, then switched to Labour.

Virendra Sharma was Race Equalities Officer to the Labour Party nationally.

Virendra Sharma was a councillor in the London Borough of Ealing from 1982 to 2010 and became Mayor.

Virendra Sharma was criticised for his low attendance and stood down as a councillor at the 2010 local elections.

Virendra Sharma was elected as MP in the Ealing Southall by-election, held on 19 July 2007.

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".

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.

Virendra Sharma is a member of the parliamentary select committees on Health, Human Rights and International Development.

Virendra Sharma has made official overseas visits as an MP to Cyprus, Kenya, regions of India, Mauritius and South Korea.

Virendra Sharma is vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British-Hindus.

Virendra Sharma supported David Miliband in the 2010 Labour leadership election.

In 2016, in a reversal of his previous stance, Virendra Sharma announced that he now supported Heathrow expansion.

In 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.

Virendra Sharma has been married to Nirmala Sharma since 1968.

Virendra Sharma has been the vice-chair of APPG for British-Hindus.

Virendra Sharma is currently a school governor at the Three Bridges and Wolf Fields schools.