Shailesh Vara
Political Career
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. Shailesh 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 7th October 2013, he was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice.
Education
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. Vara has been a senior legal adviser and business consultant for London First, and is Vice-President of the Small Business Bureau. He also has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and set up his own club where he taught for a while. Vara is married with two children.
