- Monday, February 24, 2025
The 77-year-old parliamentarian for Ealing Southall, has been a vocal advocate of closer India-UK relations over the years.
By: Vivek Mishra
VETERAN British Indian Labour MP Virendra Sharma has announced his decision to step back from frontline politics and not seek re-election in general election of July 4.
The 77-year-old parliamentarian, who has represented the heavily Punjabi dominated Ealing Southall constituency since 2007, cited a desire for a new chapter in his life as a grandfather.
“As a British Indian and as a Hindu, as a Labour member, councillor and MP I have never struggled to reconcile those different, but complementary, identities,” Sharma said in a letter addressed to his party on Monday (27) evening.
“For over nearly 50 years, I have served the party in one form or another. Now I believe the time has come for another chapter to begin. I want to let you know that I will not be standing at the next election … This does not dim my desire for Labour to win, and win I am sure we will.”
He also said, “It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as the Member of Parliament for Ealing Southall. Across five elections I have been honoured to be re-elected each time, and to have had the support of the Labour Party to stand again now. It has been a pleasure to work for and with the many people of Ealing Southall, in Greenford, West Ealing, Hanwell, Northfields and Southall. I am proud of what we have achieved, the vibrancy of our community and its unity.
“It is clear to me that the country is crying out for change, and that Keir, Angela and the whole Labour Party represent the change this country needs. I was proud to nominate Keir for leader in 2020, and the promises he made then to rebuild this party have put us on the path to power and made me proud to serve as a Labour MP. We swept antisemitism from the Labour Party and we have gone from our worst result in a century, to the edge of Government.”
The veteran, who chairs the Indo-British All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and co-chairs the British Hindus APPG, has been a vocal advocate of closer India-UK relations over the years.
His election in the 2007 by-election followed the death of another long-serving Indian-origin veteran Labour MP from Ealing Southall, Piara Singh Khabra, and the constituency has remained a Labour stronghold ever since.
He was re-elected in 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Sharma praised the support of his wife Nirmala over the decades and pledged to continue supporting Labour’s bid for government with party leader Keir Starmer.
“It is clear to me that the country is crying out for change, and that Keir, [Deputy leader] Angela [Rayner] and the whole Labour Party represent the change this country needs,” he said.
“I was proud to nominate Keir for leader in 2020, and the promises he made then to rebuild this party have put us on the path to power and made me proud to serve as a Labour MP. We swept antisemitism from the Labour Party and we have gone from our worst result in a century, to the edge of government,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)
