Deva was born in Sri Lanka into a politically active family and was raised in Britain. He was the fifth Asian-born person to be elected a Member of the House of Commons, and in 1999 became the second so-born to be elected as a Conservative to the European Parliament which operates via a party list system. In November 2011 Deva became the European Conservatives and Reformists Group's candidate for President of the European Parliament, following three UN-related roles, representing the European Union, in the 2005 to 2006 period.[1][2]
Family background and education
Deva was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to a leading family of Rajasthani (Indian) descent, and is a Roman Catholic.[3] His grandfather was a Senator in the first Sri Lankan (Ceylon) Parliament. Deva's father was Dr. Kingsley De Silva Deva Aditya, a prominent eye surgeon in Colombo, Sri Lanka. His mother Zita was the daughter of Dr. M. G. Perera, a member of the Senate in then Ceylon.[4] He spent his primary and secondary education at St. Joseph's College, a Catholic school in Colombo. He holds Sri Lankan and British citizenship, and speaks Sinhala and English.
Deva was chosen by the Conservatives to be one of their candidates for the South East England at the 1999 European Parliament election. This was to be the first European election in the UK to use the closedparty-list proportional representation electoral system and Deva was placed fifth amongst the eleven Conservatives candidates in South East England.[9] Following the election the Conservatives were entitled to five MEPs from South East England and therefore Deva was elected to the European Parliament.[10] Deva became the first Asian-born person to be elected as a Conservative member of the European Parliament.[citation needed] At the 2004 European Parliament election Deva was moved up to second place on the Conservatives' list of candidates for South East England.[11] After the election the Conservatives were entitled to four MEPs from South East England and therefore Deva was re-elected to the European Parliament.[12]
At the 2009 European Parliament election Deva was placed third on the Conservatives' list of candidates for South East England.[13] After the election the Conservatives were entitled to four MEPs from South East England and therefore Deva was re-elected to the European Parliament.[14]
At the 2014 European Parliament election Deva was ranked one spot higher for the same EU region.[17] After the election the Conservatives were entitled to three MEPs from South East England and therefore Deva was re-elected to the European Parliament.[18] After the election mainstream Sri Lankan media falsely reported Deva had increased "his share" of the vote: electors vote for the party, not the candidate, and Conservative votes and share of the vote decreased.[19][20]
Deva used an official European Parliament trip to Barbados in 2009 to promote Symphony Environmental Technologies, a company from which he received £33,000 a year for being its chairman.[25]
Deva lobbies extensively for the Sri Lankan government and founded the Friends of Sri Lanka group in the European Parliament.[26] He is regarded as an unofficial "Ambassador-at-Large for Sri Lanka".[27][28]
Business interests
Sri Lanka
Deva's family has extensive business interests in Sri Lanka including tea, rubber and coconut plantations as well as a distillery and residential property.[29] Deva is a director of Waulugalle Distilleries Limited, Serene Residencies (Private) Limited and the family trust.[30]
Deva holds directorships of a number of Sri Lanka's largest companies. He is a director of conglomerate Aitken Spence PLC.[31][32] He was appointed a non-executive director of Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC, a subsidiary of Aitken Spence PLC, with effect from 1 July 2010.[33][34] He was appointed to the board of directors of MTD Walkers PLC with effect from 29 February 2012.[35][36] He is a director of Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC and its subsidiary Melstacorp Limited.[37][38] He is also a director of The Kingsbury PLC (formerly Hotel Services (Ceylon) PLC), a subsidiary of Hayleys PLC.[39][40]
United Kingdom
Deva is a shareholder, director and chairman of Symphony Environmental Technologies PLC, a company listed on the Alternative Investment Market.[41] He received a salary of £42,000 in 2013 for being chairman.[42] He is also a director of two of the company's subsidiaries, Symphony Recycling Technologies Limited and Symphony Plastics (2010) Limited.[43][44] He is also currently director of Deva Imperial Limited, Monte Zita Limited and Stassen Teas Limited.[45][46][47] He had previously been director of Airlines of the World Limited,[48] Budget Hotels Limited,[49] CMB Technologies Limited,[50] Corporate and Public Affairs Strategy Limited,[51] First European Communications Corporation Limited,[52] Global Business Link Limited,[53] International Management Consulting Group Limited,[54] P.P.A.I. Limited,[55] Policy Research Centre for Business Limited,[56] Project Management (Balaton) Limited,[57] Serendib Business Investments Limited,[58] Speed Promotions Limited,[59] Winfotech Europe Limited[60] and World Corporate Travel Buyers Club Limited.[61]
Deva was appointed Chairman of the Department of Transport and National Consumer Council Committee on Deregulation of Air Transport, whose report was published by the UK Government in March 1986.[citation needed] This resulted in the low-fare airlines in Europe.
Since 2008 Deva has served as the President of the International Committee on Human Dignity for the Rome-based Dignitatis Humanae Institute,[68] and is also the Vice-President of the European Parliament's Working Group on Human Dignity since its launch in 2009.
Family life
Deva is married to Indra – a French-speaking Mauritian. Indra has worked as Deva's personal assistant since he was elected an MP in 1992.[69] As of 2009 Indra was earning a salary of £30,000-£39,999 for working as one of Deva's assistants in the European Parliament.[70]
^"2004 Election Candidates". European Parliament / Information Office in the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 2 June 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
