Back شايليش فارا Arabic شايليش ڤارا ARZ শৈলেশ ভারা Bengali/Bangla Shailesh Vara German Shailesh Vara Estonian Shailesh Vara French Shailesh Vara ID Shailesh Vara Polish Вара, Шайлеш Russian Shailesh Vara SIMPLE
Shailesh Vara | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2020 | |
| Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | |
| In office 7 July 2022 – 6 September 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson |
| Preceded by | Brandon Lewis |
| Succeeded by | Chris Heaton-Harris |
| Minister of State for Northern Ireland | |
| In office 9 January 2018 – 15 November 2018 | |
| Prime Minister | Theresa May |
| Preceded by | Chloe Smith |
| Succeeded by | John Penrose |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | |
| In office 8 May 2015 – 17 July 2016 | |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Caroline Nokes |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Courts and Legal Aid | |
| In office 7 October 2013 – 13 July 2016 | |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Helen Grant |
| Succeeded by | Sam Gyimah |
| Member of Parliament for North West Cambridgeshire | |
| In office 5 May 2005 – 30 May 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Brian Mawhinney |
| Succeeded by | Sam Carling |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Shailesh Lakhman Vara 4 September 1960 Uganda Protectorate |
| Nationality | Ugandan British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | Brunel University |
| Profession | Solicitor |
| Website | www.shaileshvara.com |
Shailesh Lakhman Vara (born 4 September 1960) is a Ugandan-British Conservative former politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Cambridgeshire from 2005 until he lost his seat in 2024. He also served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from July to September 2022.
In 2006 he was appointed to the shadow ministerial post of Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons by David Cameron. Vara served in the Cameron government as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Courts and Legal Aid from 2013 to 2016 and as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2015 to 2016. He returned to the backbenches in July 2016, having been removed from his positions by the new Prime Minister Theresa May. In the January 2018 reshuffle, he re-entered government as Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), serving under Karen Bradley. In November 2018, Vara resigned from this role in opposition to May's draft Brexit withdrawal agreement. During the July 2022 United Kingdom government crisis, Vara was appointed by Boris Johnson as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland but was dismissed by Liz Truss on 6 September 2022.[1]
- ^ "Liz Truss - live updates: Truss outlines three priorities as PM - as Raab and Shapps confirm departure". Sky News. Retrieved 6 September 2022.