Virendra Sharma was elected as MP in the Ealing Southall by-election held on 19 July 2007.   The by-election was called following the death of the sitting Labour MP, Piara Khabra. Virendra Sharma’s arrival in Parliament was the end of one long chapter of public service and the beginning of another.

Virendra Sharma was born in India and speaks fluent Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. He is married with a grown-up son and daughter and 3 grandchildren.  He has served as a councillor in Ealing for the past 25 years including a term as Mayor.

The grandfather-of-three came to Hanwell from India in 1968 and started out as a conductor on the 207 route before studying at London School of Economics on a Trade Union Scholarship and eventually working as a day services manager for people with learning disabilities in Hillingdon. He is a local school governor at Three Bridges Primary school.

Virendra is a member of the International Development Select Committee and the Human Rights Committee.