Shailesh Vara
| Shailesh Vara | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 7 October 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Helen Grant |
| Member of Parliament for North West Cambridgeshire | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 5 May 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Brian Mawhinney |
| Majority | 16,677 (28.6%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 September 1960 Uganda |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | Brunel University |
| Profession | Solicitor |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Website | www.shaileshvara.com |
Shailesh Lakhman Vara (born 4 September 1960) is a British Conservative Party politician. He was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Cambridgeshire in the 2005 general election, succeeding Brian Mawhinney as the Conservative MP for the seat. Vara has previously been a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party. In 2006, he was appointed to the shadow ministerial post of Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons. Following the 2010 general election, he was appointed to the position of Assistant Whip in the coalition government. On 7 October 2013, he was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice.
Early life
Born in Uganda to Hindu Indian immigrants, Vara came to Britain with his family in 1964 when he was four. Educated at Aylesbury Grammar School and Brunel University, Vara qualified as a solicitor. He worked in the City and West End of London, and during 1989-1990, he worked in Hong Kong.[1] Vara has been a senior legal adviser and business consultant for London First, and is vice-president of the Small Business Bureau.[2]
Political career
Vara has been involved with the Conservative Party since the late 1980s and has held various posts at local, regional and national levels. As Vice Chairman of the Party, he had a broad range of responsibilities. These included advising Michael Howard, deputising for the Party Chairman, party spokesman with the media and looking after Conservative Future (which comprises the 10,000 or so people in the party under 30).
Vara was elected Member of Parliament for North West Cambridgeshire in May 2005. He had previously contested the Birmingham Ladywood seat at the 1997 general election, which Labour's Clare Short held on to, and Northampton South in the 2001 general election, which Vara failed to win by only 885 votes.
At the Conservative Party Conference in 2000, he was awarded the accolade of official "rising star" of the Party, with Lord Alexander of Weedon describing him as a "future Conservative Party leader".[3]
In the run up to the 2001 general election, Vara was a member of the Party's manifesto teams for Law and Order and Legal Affairs.
Breast Cancer Bill
The Breast Cancer Bill was Vara's chosen issue after he was one of 20 MPs who were selected at random to introduce a Private Members Bill to the House in 2006[4] He has campaigned to broaden the age of routine breast cancer screening for women from the present 50-70 age group to 45–75 years. The proposal was not supported by the government, which Vara claimed effectively blocked its progress by talking through to the end of the debate [5]
Vara has given his backing to Breast Cancer Campaign's (BCC) award winning national "wear it pink" day, and showed his support for breast cancer charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer at a meeting in the House of Commons.[6]
Personal life
Vara is married with two children. He has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ Grant shuffled out as PM names ex-City solicitor as new justice minister, Legal Futures, 7 October 2013
- ↑ House of Commons, Class of 2005, The Guardian, 10 October 2005
- ↑ 'Rising star' hopes for Westminster ascent, BBC News 28 May, 2001
- ↑ "Breast Cancer Bill". Shailesh Vara MP. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ↑ Vara, Shailesh. "Government Blocks Breast Cancer Bill". Retrieved 23 March 2015.
- ↑ Wear it pink for cancer campaign, Peterborough Telegraph, 24 October 2006
- ↑ New Model Tories: Tory tribes, The Independent, 24 September 2006
External links
- Official Site
- Conservative party - Shailesh Vara
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Shailesh Vara MP
- The Times : Election 2005
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Shailesh Vara MP
- Guardian - Class of 2005
- Telegraph - Vara Interview
- HearFromYourMp - Shailesh Vara
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Brian Mawhinney |
Member of Parliament for North West Cambridgeshire 2005–present |
Incumbent |