A senior Labour MP visited shopkeepers and business owners today.

Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee Keith Vaz met Harrow East Labour candidate Uma Kumaran this morning to speak to traders in the Harrow East constituency about the election.

Mr Vaz, who is the UK’s longest serving Asian MP, joined the ongoing campaign to encourage Harrow residents to register to vote and ensure they are represented.

Uma Kumaran said: “Keith Vaz has been an outstanding representative of Asian and ethnic minorities, who are so often not equally represented in Westminster.”

“I’m proud to live in such a multi-ethnic community but the parliament we have doesn’t reflect our diversity.

“That’s why people need to ensure they’re registered to vote to make our parliament look more like the Britain we live in.”

Miss Kumaran is due to attend a debate on Friday, April 10, about what it means to be a woman of South Asian origin in British politics.

She will speak alongside Natasha Asghar, the Conservative candidate for Newport East and Liberal Democrat candidate for Ealing Southall Kavya Kaushik at the Nehur Centre, in South Audley Street, Mayfair, at 7pm.

For more details, or to attend the event, contact Poonam Joshi on joshipoonam@hotmail.com or 07920480453.