Salma Shah
Salma Shah | |
|---|---|
| Occupations | commentator, special adviser |
Ommasalma Shah (born July 1984) is a British political commentator and consultant known professionally as Salma Shah. She worked as special adviser to former Conservative Home Secretary Sajid Javid[1][2] for five years covering four different departments.
She has been a director of Kraken Strategy Limited since 2019, and is a Policy Fellow alumna of Centre for Science and Policy.[1][2] She is also a Trustee of the think tank Policy Exchange.[3][2]
Early life
[edit]Shah was born in July 1984 in the United Kingdom to parents who immigrated from Pakistan and India.
Career
[edit]Shah worked for Alan Duncan who was then a member of the Conservative Party Shadow Cabinet as an adviser[4] and then a press officer for the Conservative Party. From 2014, she was a producer at the BBC helping to produce the Today programme on Radio 4.[5] Shah worked as a special adviser in the Conservative government, specialising in public policy.[6][7]
She worked for Sajid Javid across four Government departments. She started working for him at the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport[5] The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government[8] She was a special adviser to Sajid Javid when he was in office as Home Secretary.[9]
She departed from government in 2019, when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister.[10][11]
She then worked in the private sector for Portland Communications.[12] In 2022, she joined Mitie as a non-executive director and as a media political commentator,[13] she has also been a commentator on police reform and English devolution.[14][15] Shah has been awarded for her role as a company board director winning the Sunday Times Non-Executive Director to Watch award in 2024[16] She is a fellow of the Centre for Science and Policy.[1]
In her post-Government career, Shah was a columnist for The Independent.[5]
Shah is a regular panellist on shows including Sophy Ridge on Sunday[17] Good Morning Britain,[18] Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg and BBC Politics Live.[19] She appeared on Have I Got News for You on 10 October 2025.[20]
Personal life
[edit]Her husband Andrew Smith served as lord mayor of Westminster from 2021 to 2022[8]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Salma Shah". CSaP – Centre for Science and Policy. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- 1 2 3 "Kraken Strategy Limited people". Companies House. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
- ↑ "Policy Exchange Ltd Trustees". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ↑ "Alan Duncan rants about 'idiot' parliamentary colleagues and Britain's waning influence". The Spectator.
- 1 2 3 "Salma Shah – Author page". The Independent. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ↑ "Ex-Tory adviser says relationship between ministers and civil servants is 'dysfunctional'". Sky News. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "The youth vote: 'If you don't do politics, politics will do you'". BBC News Online. 3 July 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- 1 2 "heylo's leadership team". Heylo Housing.
- ↑ Manji, Fatima (30 November 2019). "Former Conservative Special Adviser Salma Shah: 'People in politics playing the blame game' over attack". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "Home Office: business appointment rules advice, January to March 2021". Home Office. Retrieved 16 September 2025 – via Gov.uk.
- ↑ "salma shah". Retrieved 15 August 2022.
- ↑ "Britain's political power couples — ranked". Politico. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ Turner, Millie (29 March 2022). "Boardroom shuffle: Mitie ushers in BT executive and former government adviser". City A.M. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "Power to the people". Institute for Government. 21 December 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "'There is a problem with the Met Police' says Sajid Javid's former Special Adviser". Sky News. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "Storytelling is key to success for Mitie's special adviser". Sunday Times. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "The PM's cabinet meeting is 'exceptionally unusual' says Salma Shah, former Conservative special adviser". Sky News. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ Watson, Shivon (8 November 2024). "ITV GMB viewers 'switch off' as they're left frustrated by 'shouty' debate". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "BBC One - Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg - Previous Guests". BBC. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "BBC One - Have I Got News for You, Series 70, Episode 2". BBC. 10 October 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
