Sharma was born in Agra, India, but moved to Reading with his parents when he was five years old and had a Hindu upbringing. His father Prem was involved in Conservative politics in Reading and became chairman of the Berkshire area of Conservatives and helped establish the Conservative Parliamentary Friends of India. Sharma was raised in the Reading suburbs of Earley and Whitley Wood and attended Presentation College, Reading Blue Coat School in Sonning and the University of Salford, from where he graduated with a BSc in Applied Physics with Electronics in 1988. Sharma subsequently qualified as a chartered accountant, training with Deloitte Haskins & Sells in Manchester before moving into corporate finance advisory with Nikko Securities and then Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, where he held senior roles based in London, Stockholm and Frankfurt. Sharma was an adviser to clients in the corporate and private-equity sector on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, listings and restructurings. Sharma is a governor of a local primary school in Reading. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Previously he served as a chairman of the political think-tank the Bow Group's economic affairs committee.
Political career
Member of Parliament
Sharma was selected as the Conservative Party candidate for the Reading West constituency in 2006. He was elected as the MP for Reading West in the 2010 general election, winning a majority of 6,004 after the retirement of the Labour MP Martin Salter. In the 2015 general election he was re-elected with an increased majority of 6,650. In the 2017 general election, he won his seat with a reduced margin, a majority of 2,876. On being re-elected, Sharma wrote on his website: "Having grown up locally in Reading and being very much a local Reading man, I am delighted to have been re-elected for a constituency in my home town." In the 2019 general election he increased his majority to 4,117.
Sharma was appointed Secretary of State for International Development by Boris Johnson following the resignation of Rory Stewart in July 2019. Upon ascending to the role, he said: "I am delighted... We will work across the whole of government to deliver Brexit and make sure UK aid is tackling global challenges that affect us all." In October, Sharma stated he wanted to use the UK's leverage over the World Bank to focus the use of the nineteenth International Development Association fund on fighting climate change, building sustainable economies and promoting women's rights.
Following the dismissal of Andrea Leadsom in the 2020 cabinet reshuffle, Sharma was appointed to the position of Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. He began in the role on 13 February. Five days later, Sharma was appointed president of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, following the abrupt dismissal of Claire Perry O'Neill. At that time the conference was planned for November 2020; in May 2020 it was rearranged for November 2021. As Secretary of State, Sharma has been one of the government's speakers at the daily coronavirus pandemic briefings from Downing Street. In June 2020, he appeared visibly unwell while delivering a statement in the House of Commons. Although he underwent a test for COVID-19 which came back negative, the situation led to questions being raised about the government's decision to end the use of the virtual parliament and make MPs return to the House of Commons chamber. Certain employees of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy were advised not to return to their work by the Public and Commercial Services Union, who said that there was a lack of evidence that the department had provided enough preventative measures against the virus.
Political positions
Free schools
Sharma supported the opening in his Reading West constituency of one of the first free schools in England: All Saints Junior School opened in September 2011 and received an 'outstanding' rating in its first Ofsted report. Sharma has also been appointed a patron of the Wren School, a new secondary free school opening in west Reading in September 2015. Sharma supported the West Reading Education Network in getting the new school approved and is helping the school to find an appropriate permanent site.
Sharma has been a vocal supporter of the expansion of Heathrow Airport and has spoken in support of increasing the number of airport runways in the South East of England, claiming that “a lack of hub capacity is costing the UK jobs and investment.” This is despite opposition in his own constituency; in 2009 he said: “A third runway at Heathrow would inflict huge damage to the environment and to the quality of life of millions of people. It is time for the Government to abandon its plans for a third runway and, if a Conservative Government is elected, we will certainly stop this environmental disaster.”
Road safety
Following the death of two cyclists in Purley, Sharma has campaigned for longer prison sentences for those convicted of death by dangerous driving. Sharma initiated a Parliamentary debate on the issue and backed a petition, started by the families of victims, which gained more than 55,000 signatures.
Rail policy
Sharma has campaigned to reduce the number of first-class carriages on trains operating on the Great Western route between Reading and London. In January 2015, he held a meeting with Rail Minister Claire Perry and First Great Western managing director Mark Hopwood to discuss proposals to increase Standard Class capacity to reduce overcrowding.
Flooding
In February 2014 Sharma criticised Labour leader Ed Miliband during the latter's visit to Purley which had been badly affected by flooding. Sharma claimed that the visit was merely a photo opportunity for Miliband. Miliband responded by saying that he had come "for the people of your constituency".
East West Leaders' Forum
Sharma set up the East West Leaders' Forum, a discussion forum between business leaders, to promote dialogue between Europe, India and China. Theresa May, then Home Secretary, gave the keynote speech at the inaugural event, held in London in September 2014.
Brexit
Sharma supported the UK remaining within the European Union prior to the 2016 referendum. He backed then Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit withdrawal agreement in early 2019, and also subsequently supported Prime Minister Boris Johnson's withdrawal agreement in October 2019.
Personal life
Sharma is married and lives in Caversham with his wife and two daughters. His wife is Swedish. Sharma took his oath in the House of Commons on the Bhagavad Gita in 2019.
