Keith Vaz

Biography

Keith Vaz was re-elected MP for Leicester East in May 2010 with a majority of 14,082 votes.

He was born in Aden, Yemen on November 26th 1956. His parents were from Goa, India, and the family arrived in Britain from Aden 1965.

On the 26th July 2007 Keith Vaz was elected Chairman of the influential Home Affairs Select Committee - the body charged with examining the expenditure, policy and administration of the Home Office and its associated public bodies.

He was educated at Latymer Upper School, Hammersmith and Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge University where he recieved a B.A. (1979) and an MA (1987). Keith Vaz's previous career involved being a Solicitor at Richmond Council (1982). Senior solicitor, London Borough of Islington (1982-1985). Solicitor at Highfields and Belgrave Law Centre in Leicester (1985-1987).

Keith has been a Member of Parliament for Leicester East since 1987. During this time he has held a number of Government posts: Minister of State for Europe (1999-2001); Parliamentary Secretary (Minister), Lord Chancellor's Dept (May-Oct 1999); Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Attorney General, John Morris and Solicitor General, Lord Falconer QC (June 1997-May 1999).

He has previously served as a Member of the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, as chair of the Sub-Committee for Courts and the Judiciary, and has previously been a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee (1987-1992).

Between 1993-1994 he was a Member of the Executive Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Keith is a member of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee. He is also Chair of the Labour Party's Ethnic Minority Taskforce.

He is married to Maria and they have two children, Luke aged 12 and Anjali aged 10.

Constituency

Leicester East

Twitter

Constituency Address

Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP 144 Uppingham Road Leicester LE5 0QF

Constituency Tel

0116 212 2028

Date of Birth

26 November 1956

Email

vazk@parliament.uk

Party

Labour

Personal Website

www.keithvazmp.com

Westminster Address

Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP House of Commons London SW1A 0AA

Westminster Tel

020 7219 4605

Keith Vaz latest news

Sketchy-wetch: Russell Brand meets the MPs

Russell Brand, the master politician

Ladies and gentlemen, we need look no further. In Russell Brand, Britain has just found its next prime minister.

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Police cuts force bobbies off the beat in South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire police's proposals would see CSOs take over on the beat

Moves to hand police community support officers (PCSOs) more responsibilities on the beat by South Yorkshire police are attracting a fierce backlash from opponents.

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Modern Warfare: Tom Watson takes on Keith Vaz in video game battle

Expect explosions: Vaz and Watson at loggerheads over Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Keith Vaz's latest campaign against video games has met unexpected resistance from fellow Labour MP Tom Watson.

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Vaz takes on Modern Warfare 3 for Tube carnage

Modern Warfare 3 broke world records upon its release

Keith Vaz's relentless campaign against violent video games continued this week with a motion against Modern Warfare 3.

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Riots grilling as-it-happened

MPs focus their questioning on police response to the riots

Boris Johnson and senior police figures faced questions from the Commons' home affairs committee over their decisions in response to rioting across the capital.

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UK wary of Turkish immigration wave

Turkey football fans at Euro 2008

Britain should push to prevent an influx of immigrants after Turkey joins the EU, MPs have said.

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Amy Winehouse death prompts MP inquiry

Amy Winehouse was considered a style icon and the leading voice of her generation.

MPs are to look into waiting times for drug treatment, following the speech given by Amy Winehouse's father at her funeral yesterday.

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MPs show no mercy in phone-hacking report

John Yates, the former assistant commissioner, was found "guilty" of a "serious misjudgement"

The Murdochs and the Metropolitan police face heavy criticism in a report on phone-hacking published by the home affairs committee this morning.

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Sketch: Gaping MPs meet the Met's 'dodgy geezer'

Met police officers past and present faced incredulity from open-mouthed MPs

After three-and-a-half incredulous hours of questioning, the Met’s finest left MPs' jaws on the floor.

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Festival of Social Sciences: 2 languages: 2 brains, 2 minds, 2 cultures?

As part of the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences, the Deafness Cognition And Language Research Centre (DCAL) hosted an event exploring the powerful benefits of bilingualism in spoken and sign languages, for hearing and deaf people alike - benefits that reach hearing and deaf people alike.

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