Parmjit Dhanda, ex-MP

Parmjit Dhanda was a Labour MP for Gloucester from 2001 to 2010.

Parmjit was born in London in 1971 to parents of Sikh Punjabi descent. He attended Mellow Lane Comprehensive School before going on to gain a Bachelor in Electronic Engineering and an MSc in Information Technology at Nottingham University.

A year after leaving university, Parmjit was appointed as one of the Labour Party's organisers. His political experience included volunteering and campaigning for his local Labour Party branch.

In 1998, he went on to work for Connect - the union for professionals in communications - and became the Assistant National Organiser. From 1998-2002, he was elected as a councillor for the London borough of Hillingdon.

Parmjit was elected as MP in 2001 and was re-elected in 2005 with an increased majority - one of the few seats in the country to have a swing from Tory to Labour.

In Gordon Brown’s government, he was appointed as a Whip in the Department of Trade and Industry (from May 2005 to May 2006), as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children, Young People, and Families (May 2006 to June 2007) and as a Communities Minister with responsibility for Community Cohesion and for the Fire and Rescue Service (June 2007 to September 2008).
Parmjit lost his seat to the Conservatives in the 2010 General Election. Afterwards he became a non-executive director of Hanover Housing Association and a Parliamentary and Campaigns Officer for the Prospect Trade Union.
 

Parmjit is married to Rupi, a family lawyer, and they have two sons aged 7 and 3.

Website: www.parmjitdhanda.com