Shivani Raja is the Conservative MP for Leicester East, having first been elected to parliament at the 2024 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Raja won 14,526 votes, representing 31.1% of the vote. The Labour candidate, Rajesh Agrawal, received 10,100 votes (21.6%), while the Liberal Democrat candidate, Zuffar Haq, secured 6,329 votes (13.5%). The incumbent MP Claudia Webbe, standing as an Independent after being suspended from Labour, received 5,532 votes (11.8%). In addition, former long-serving Labour MP Keith Vaz also stood under the One Leicester banner, polling 3,681 votes (7.9%).

Raja was duly elected with a majority of 4,426.

In her 2024 maiden speech, Raja said the campaign was a “testament to the vibrant political landscape of Leicester East.”

The Leicester East constituency is located in the East Midlands. The seat was held by the Labour Party from 1987 until 2024.

Leicester East was the sole seat gained by the Conservative Party across Britain in the 2024 general election. Raja herself was one of 26 new Conservative MPs that entered parliament in 2024.

Political Career

Raja currently serves as parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to the shadow women and equalities team on the Conservative frontbench appointed by Kemi Badenoch (since November 2024). A PPS acts as an unpaid parliamentary assistant, providing a link between the senior frontbencher and backbench MPs.

Raja describes herself as a “compassionate Conservative”. She voted for Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum. In an October 2024 interview with the House magazine, Raja said she would pick David Cameron over Margaret Thatcher. “He’s very charming, isn’t he? Every time I see him I get fangirl moments, he’s just so charismatic and so charming”, she said.

Raja has sat as a member of the women and equalities select committee (2024-2025).

Raja is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for British Hindus and Bulgaria.

Raja delivered her maiden speech on 21 October 2024 during a debate on the Employment Rights Bill.

In it, she said: “The Employment Rights Bill threatens to undermine that spirit before those entrepreneurs have even made their first £1. The additional costs and regulations proposed will act as a barrier to entry, discouraging the very innovation and hard work that has earned Leicester that title.

“We must be cautious not to stifle the ambition of small business owners, who are the backbone of our economy. Our journey is one of innovation and community – a story of people coming together across different sectors and backgrounds to build something truly remarkable.”

She added: “It is imperative that we approach these challenges in a spirit of collaboration, transcending partisan divides to serve the best interests of all our constituents.

“With our nation facing economic challenges, the bill risks raising costs for consumers and worsening the cost of living crisis, particularly in communities like Leicester East, where many are already struggling to make ends meet.”

Political Views

Leadership elections

Tory leadership 2024: Raja supported James Cleverly’s candidacy in the 2024 Conservative Party leadership election. The contest was triggered by the resignation of Rishi Sunak following the party’s defeat in the 2024 general election.

During the contest, Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, urged the party to “be more normal”. On 9 October, in a major upset, Cleverly was eliminated in the fourth ballot after his support dropped to 37 votes. The result was widely attributed to a failure of tactical voting by supporters who assumed his place in the final two was secure.

Brexit and Europe

Customs union vote (2025): In December 2025, Raja voted against the UK-EU Customs Union (Duty to Negotiate) Bill. The bill, introduced under the 10-minute rule procedure by Liberal Democrat Europe spokesperson Al Pinkerton, sought to mandate the government to enter into negotiations with the European Union to establish a bespoke customs union.

Assisted dying

Raja voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, better known as the assisted dying bill, at both second reading (November 2024) and third reading (June 2025).

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Raja voted against a backbench amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that sought to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales in June 2025. The amendment, which was passed by a majority of 242 votes, removed women from the threat of prosecution for ending a pregnancy at any stage. As an issue of conscience, MPs were allowed to vote according to their personal beliefs.

Before Politics

Shivani Rajnikant Raja was born on 21 July 1994, in Rushey Mead, Leicester.

Raja attended Herrick Primary School, Soar Valley College and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College.

Raja studied cosmetic science at De Montfort University, graduating in 2016.

Raja held roles at Superdrug, including as a product technologist, and the Body Shop as a product development manager.

At 22, Raja took part in the Miss India-UK beauty pageant.

Personal Life

Raja’s parents arrived in the UK from India and Kenya in the 1970s.

In her 2024 maiden speech, Raja told the House: “My story, like that of many in Leicester, is one of heritage, resilience and opportunity.

“My parents arrived in Leicester from Kenya and India in the late 1970s, bringing with them cultural and faith traditions and a remarkable work ethic. They made Rushey Mead their home, and I was born and raised there. From Herrick primary school to Soar Valley college and De Montfort University, Leicester has nurtured me every step of the way and for that I am deeply thankful.”

Trivia

Raja took the oath of allegiance on the Gita

Raja reportedly joined the Conservative Party in 2023.