FEW politicians cry in public. Even fewer will say sorry and mean it. For Alok Sharma, the tears at COP26 in November 2021, not having slept for three nights, was a remarkable insight into the man charged with creating an agreement to stop global temperatures from rising.
Sharma is the man Boris Johnson turns to when he wants something to be done, someone he can rely on, someone who defends what appears to be indefensible, chances.
What a year 2021 turned out to be 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.
“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 propelled him on to a global stage and funnily enough this is his ticket to greatness, because this was probably arguably the most important event of 2021. The whole world spotlight was on Glasgow, and he was at the helm.”
He became a household name around the world.
And Sharma is already making his presence felt. On January 26, 2021, at the closing session of the Climate Adaptation Summit, hosted by the Netherlands and the World Economic Forum, he said, “I am encouraging governments to align their recovery packages with the Paris Agreement, and the sustainable development goals.
“We need to build resilience into our societies and economies. That requires action from us all, governments, cities, investors, business, and civil society. The human and economic case is absolutely overwhelming. We know that the most vulnerable are at the greatest risk from climate change.”
Sharma was not shy of highlighting unpalatable truths. “Time and again, we have seen the devastation and human misery wracked by storms, droughts and rising sea levels. We know that without sufficient action, millions will lose their lives and livelihoods.”
This tough talk is impressive says one Westminster insider. “We have to remember that not only was he the business secretary, but he was a foreign office minister, covering Asia,” they explain. “One of the key tasks of COP26 is climate diplomacy. So, the ability to get various countries on board and keep the peace, between the US coming back on to the scene and wanting to strut its stuff, and China, which is also equally critical, to be part of the COP process, is one of the key balancing acts. Interestingly, Alok is quite well equipped to do that.”
So, who is Alok Sharma? Sharma was born in Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal in 1967. His parents moved to the UK when he was five, and Sharma attended the private Reading Blue Coat School in Sonning. He read applied physics at the University of Salford before qualifying as a chartered accountant, pursuing a successful career in finance. It was during a job in Sweden that he met his wife, Ingela. They have two daughters, and Olly the family’s dog.
In 2010, he was selected as the Conservative candidate for Reading West, winning the seat from Labour with a 12 per cent swing in the year that David Cameron formed a coalition government. “Alok is exactly the type of son-in-law most Indian parents would wish to have,” says a source close to Sharma. “He’s got quite a dry sense of humour, and he doesn’t take himself too seriously. The power or positional status has not gone to his head, and Alok remains absolutely grounded.
“The opportunity of political office was to serve and not to expand his self-importance, he isn’t ego driven, but public service driven. Alok’s got a lovely Swedish wife and two daughters whom he adores.
It has not been all plain sailing for Sharma. Within less than 24 hours of being appointed housing minister the Grenfell Tower blaze happened, and Sharma was left exposed to the ire of the media and the House of Commons. He was visibly upset when he met the families of the 72 who perished that night. “I can tell you,” he has told Eastern Eye, “that speaking to the families of people who lost their lives – my heart absolutely goes out to them every time I think about that.You do wonder how they have coped.”
It is that sense of sincerity that the press, critics and his friends applauded, and two years later he was promoted to international development secretary and then surprisingly, given the business portfolio during the 2020 February cabinet reshuffle, right when the pandemic took hold. In June, during a Commons debate, days after MPs voted to return to physical sittings in parliament after the lock down, Sharma looked unwell at the despatch box. He was tested for Covid, but the results came back negative.
However, not everyone is happy with the way the business department operated during the pandemic. “Alok’s done incredibly well to lead COP26,” says Surinder Arora, the billionaire hotelier. “But during these tough times we just didn’t get enough contact, communication from the government. I know there’s lots going on, but then again, if you don’t talk to the real people, you’re not going to hear the real story. That’s the only thing I would say. You can’t just be sitting there and showcasing the FTSE 100 companies or the SMEs. You’ve got to get a mixture from everywhere, and that’s the only one thing I think was slightly missing that I haven’t come across personally.”
Yet, no one should underestimate Sharma. The Times of London reported he was “apoplectic” when his cabinet colleague, Robert Jenrick, communities’ secretary, decided not to intervene in a decision to allow a new deep coal mining project in Cumbria. Asked by the chair whether it was “embarrassing that we are starting a new coal power station” Sharma said, “The direction of travel for the UK is very clear, and I understand the point you are making.”
Quiet-spoken, deeply determined, and always with an answer. Never write off Alok Sharma.
