Gagan Mohindra
MP
Official portrait, 2020
Assistant Government Whip
Assumed office
18 September 2023
Prime MinisterRishi Sunak
Preceded byJacob Young
Member of Parliament
for South West Hertfordshire
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded byDavid Gauke
Majority14,408 (23.5%)
Essex County Councillor
for Chigwell and Loughton Broadway
In office
4 May 2017 – 13 April 2021
Preceded byJohn Knapman
Succeeded byLee Scott
Personal details
Born
Gagan Mohindra

(1978-04-07) 7 April 1978 (age 45)
Political partyConservative
Alma materKing's College London
Websitegaganmohindra.org.uk

Gagan Mohindra (born 7 April 1978)[1] is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the member of Parliament (MP) for South West Hertfordshire since the 2019 general election. He has served as an Assistant Government Whip since September 2023.[2]

Early life

Mohindra was born into a Punjabi Hindu[3] family in 1978. Mohindra's parents were both from Punjab, India, and immigrated to the United Kingdom before Mohindra was born. His paternal grandfather served in the British Indian Army.[4][when?] Mohindra was raised as a Hindu.[3]

Mohindra read Mathematics at King's College London and worked in financial services, before founding the Chromex Group four years after graduating, where he worked until 2015. The last filed accounts of the company show liabilities of £1.4 million.[5]

Political career

Mohindra was elected as councillor for the Grange Hill Ward of the Epping Forest District Council in May 2006, and served as a councillor for the Chigwell and Loughton Broadway division on Essex County Council till 2021.[6] He continued in these roles, unpaid, after being elected to Parliament until 2021.[7] Former MP for Ilford North, Lee Scott, succeeded Mohindra in his council seat. Mohindra was also previously Chairman of Essex Conservatives.

He stood for the Conservative Party candidate in North Tyneside at the 2010 general election and finished third in a traditionally strong Labour seat.[8] He was also shortlisted to become MP for Brentwood and Ongar in 2017, but lost the nomination to Alex Burghart.[7]

Mohindra was chosen as the Conservative candidate for South West Hertfordshire after former Justice Secretary David Gauke lost the whip for voting to block a no-deal Brexit. Mohindra was one of 15 MPs of Indian origin elected at the 2019 general election.[3] He is a member of the Conservative Friends of India, a group within the Conservative Party.[9]

In 2020, Mohindra was appointed to the Public Accounts Committee.[10]

In October 2020, Mohindra voted against the opposition motion to provide free school meals to children during school holidays.[11]

On 13 June 2022, Mohindra was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Priti Patel, the home secretary.[12]

On 18 September 2023, Mohindra was appointed as an Assistant Government Whip.[13]

References

  1. ^ Brunskill, Ian (19 March 2020). The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election. p. 229. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1. OCLC 1129682574.
  2. ^ "https://twitter.com/PARLYapp/status/1703746934085759365?t=w4viBoSClDYAnlOManUqKQ&s=19". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 18 September 2023. ((cite web)): External link in |title= (help)
  3. ^ a b c "15 Indian-origin MPs in new UK Parliament". The Times of India.
  4. ^ "About Gagan Mohindra". Gagan Mohindra.
  5. ^ "Gagan Mohindra MP (Conservative)". obv.org.uk.
  6. ^ "Councillor Gagan Mohindra". Your council. Epping Forest District Council. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  7. ^ a b Meyler, Piers (6 January 2020). "New MP will keep Essex council seat - and monthly allowance". essexlive.
  8. ^ "Tories choose candidate to take place of Gauke". BBC News. 12 November 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  9. ^ "UK polls: 5 Punjab-origin MPs make it to House of Commons". Hindustan Times.
  10. ^ "New appointments this week in UK politics, the civil service and public affairs". Politics Home. 17 March 2020.
  11. ^ "Free School Meals During School Holidays, in line with the Conservative Party's stance that meals outside of term time were the responsibility of parents and not schools". They Work For You. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  12. ^ Heale, James [@JAHeale] (13 June 2022). "Some PPS changes for rising Tory stars: -Rob Butler to Liz Truss -Selaine Saxby to Simon Clarke -James Sunderland to George Eustice -Gagan Mohindra to Priti Patel" (Tweet). Retrieved 14 June 2022 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ "https://twitter.com/PARLYapp/status/1703746934085759365?t=w4viBoSClDYAnlOManUqKQ&s=19". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 18 September 2023. ((cite web)): External link in |title= (help)

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded byDavid Gauke Member of Parliamentfor South West Hertfordshire 2019–present Incumbent
Conservative Party MPs in the East of England
Categories