With the 2024 UK General Election set to take place on July 4, more British Tamils than ever before have been named as candidates with a range of Britain’s political parties. The Tamil Guardian interviewed the candidates who are hoping to become one of the UK’s first-ever British Tamil parliamentarians.
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Gavin Haran, Conservative Party
Candidate for Southend East and Rochford
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself, your journey into politics and the Conservative Party?
I was born in the UK. My father is from Jaffna and came to Britain in the late 1970s. My mother is English and was an NHS nurse. I was the first of my family to go to university and on to a business career.
I am a financial and legal expert. During the financial crisis, I worked in government on stabilising the British economy. Later I worked for global companies such as JP Morgan and a City law firm.
My Conservative politics emerged from my family’s values. At a young age I was taught the value of hard work, aspiration, and patriotism. I first stood for Parliament in 2019 in Lewisham Deptford, an opposition held seat. Now, I’m running to be the next MP for Southend East and Rochford, hoping to replace the current Conservative MP Sir James Duddridge. I could become the first Conservative MP of Tamil heritage.
Q: Why do you want to be the next MP for your constituency?
Southend East and Rochford is unique. It is close to London and on the sea. It has a growing airport and great transport links, beautiful nature and farmlands, and centuries of history and heritage. There are significant numbers of Tamils in the constituency. The late murdered Conservative MP Sir David Ames campaigned for Southend to gain City status, which happened almost three years ago.
The constituency has some problems, like increasing anti-social behaviour and businesses facing challenges. But it also has a huge potential. My practical, problem solving nature, knowledge of business and how government works, is the right fit for here. This is reflected in my plan for the area that is already underway: over £100m investment to be delivered into local healthcare, 83 new police officers being trained up, and protecting the local green belt that Labour wishes to build on.
Q: To date, very few British Tamils have run for office - why do you think that is?
I’m glad to see that this is changing and we have more Tamils involved in British politics and standing for election. For example, the British Tamil Conservatives are an increasingly important organisation.
I think the reasons this hasn’t happened more quickly are varied. There have been barriers to selecting candidates for office. The legacy of the civil war in Sri Lanka, and the treatment of Tamils in Sri Lanka, are felt throughout the diaspora. From the loss of security, status and wealth to a sense that Tamil concerns are overlooked or rejected.
I’m proud that David Cameron was the first British Prime Minister to visit Jaffna, and many MPs in my party support Tamil interests. There remains a lot for us to do.
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Q: There are lots of issues the Tamils care about, including both domestic and foreign policy. Several UN reports and senior British parliamentarians have called for Sri Lanka to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC). What tangible steps would you take to ensure Sri Lanka is taken to the ICC?
There were many appalling acts committed during the war and justice must be achieved. Practically, though, Sri Lanka is not a party to the Rome Statue and so the ICC does not have jurisdiction there. If the UN Security Council can agree a resolution, a referral can be made to the ICC. Diplomatic means are necessary.
Q: Canada’s parliament has recognised May 18 as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day. How would you push for recognition of the Tamil genocide in the UK?
The British Foreign Secretary made a statement on 18th May to mark 15 years since the end of the war. In the UK, the judicial system rather than politicians make a determination of genocide. But MPs can and should speak on, and publicly remember, what happened. Also, we must work with other countries to ensure that victims in Sri Lanka can freely exercise their rights, including remembrance.
Q: Sri Lankan war criminals are yet to be sanctioned in the UK but have been in Canada and the United States. What steps would you take to ensure that they are?
There must be justice for the atrocities that were committed. The British Government has a sanctions regime and I will advocate for its use to punish human rights abuses. Diplomatic measures are necessary too. My colleague Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Minister for Indo-Pacific, has raised these issues directly with the Sri Lankan government.
Q: In the long run, tackling the underlying issues on the island are key. Senior British leaders have spoken on Tamil self-determination in the past. How would you go about ensuring that the right to self-determination is exercised? Last month, a US Congress resolution, which has support from both Republicans and Democrats, was introduced calling for a peaceful and democratic solution through an independence referendum. Would you support a similar push for that from the UK?
I believe that a referendum could be a fair and peaceful mechanism to resolve Tamil self-determination. The UK’s governments have held that sovereignty questions, whether in Sri Lanka or Spain, should be decided by the people involved. MPs can make the case.
The British government can also pursue initiatives to resolve the underlying issues in Sri Lanka, such as £11m committed to address the legacy of the war.
Q: Looking domestically - Tamil asylum seekers are still facing deportation, from the UK and territories such as Diego Garcia. How would you ensure that Tamils fleeing persecution are not deported back to danger in Sri Lanka?
My dad came here in the 1970s, partly to escape persecution. Legitimate asylum seekers deserve our support. The UK judges asylum on a case-by-case basis and I will do everything possible to help these individuals.
Q: Thousands of British Tamils work in the NHS. In your opinion, what are the causes behind so many of the issues it faces and how will a Conservative government fix them?
Virtually all Britons rely on the NHS and rightly admire the people that work in it. Some problems seem to be due to organisation and funding. For example, when my mum became a nurse she was a cadet that received on-the-job training. Then, she went into a hierarchical organisation in which frontline staff, such as ward matrons, oversaw how things worked. We seem to have moved away from some of those arrangements to a more managerial structure, and nurses must now complete a self-funded degree before beginning work.
The Conservatives have invested record amounts in the NHS. But there are still challenges with a growing and ageing population, and retaining staff and their morale. The Conservatives will maintain an NHS budget that grows above inflation, and we have the first Long Term Workforce Plan that will hire almost 100,000 new nurses and 30,000 new doctors. The money has been fully calculated and will be achieved through reducing management, consultancy spending, and closing the £6bn tax gap.
Ultimately, it will be necessary to ensure that the NHS and its staff have a viable funding plan for the long term.
Q: The economy has been faltering with soaring inflation and a cost of living crisis. How would a Conservative-led government fix it?
COVID and the spike in energy costs caused by the conflict in Ukraine caused serious economic problems. Inflation is back to target at 2%, and we will focus on rebuilding a dynamic, innovative economy with more money in people’s pockets. That means reducing taxes, restraint in public spending, making laws and regulations that make life easier, and pursuing international trade agreements that we can now do after Brexit. The other parties are currently proposing large unfunded spending or tax pledges without specifying how they will be paid for.
Personally, I would like to see us cut VAT. Businesses constantly tell me this would help them reduce prices (and with it inflation and interest rates), employ more people, grow, and it would make a huge improvement to the cost of living for everyone.
Q: What would be your message to young British Tamils looking to get involved in politics?
First, contact me. Whatever your political beliefs, I want to help. Also, work out what matters to you. That might be a specific issue or area of expertise. Or it might be your values. British Tamils have a unique contribution to make, as well as sharing core British values.
Q: And a final message to British Tamils who will be heading to the ballot boxes on July 4th?
I’m grateful to the many Tamils in Britain and elsewhere that have been kind and supportive to me. I hope to become the first Conservative MP of Tamil heritage and to open doors for others. More generally, I hope we can demonstrate that the great initiative and drive of Tamils, seen not least in the suffering and achievements of the diaspora, will make a great contribution to British political life in the years to come, and are a demonstration of some of the traits that Conservatives most admire.
