Celebrating Britain's 101 Most Influential Asians 2021

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Alok Sharma


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IF Boris Johnson wants something to be done, someone he can rely on, someone who defends what appears to be indefensible, chances are that he will turn to Alok Sharma.

What a year 2020 has been for the former business secretary. As the global economy went to hell in a handcart because of the pandemic, Sharma would often appear on the daily media round from dawn to dusk; from being interrogated on BBC Radio 4’s Today through to hosting the government’s daily press briefing.

He defended the government to such an extent you could hear the frustration in the voices of the journalists as they tried to land a telling blow. Their bullets bounced off his reinforced shield.

This January the prime minister tasked Sharma to dedicate his entire efforts on leading the COP26 (Conference of Parties), the climate change summit in Glasgow in November. Without being hyperbolic, the fate of our world could hang on Sharma’s deeds and powers of persuasion.

“He is clearly highly trusted by the prime minister, and he is seen as a safe pair of hands,” says a parliamentarian who did not wish to be named. “Alok gets things done without wanting to hog the limelight, therefore, I think his reward has been to be made full time president of COP26. Frankly, that is a hugely important role.

“It will propel him on to a global stage and funnily enough, if he does a good job, this is his ticket to greatness, because this is probably arguably the most important event of 2021. The whole world spotlight will be on Glasgow, and he will be at the helm. So, if he does a good job on this, he will become a household name around the world.

And Sharma is already making his presence felt.

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