Valerie Vaz

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable

| name = Valerie Vaz

| image = Official portrait of Valerie Vaz MP crop 2, 2024.jpg

| caption = Official portrait, 2024

| honorific-suffix = MP

| office = Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

| leader = Jeremy Corbyn
Keir Starmer

| term_start = 6 October 2016

| term_end = 9 May 2021

| predecessor = Paul Flynn

| successor = Thangam Debbonaire

| office1 = Member of Parliament
for Walsall and Bloxwich
Walsall South (2010–2024)

| term_start1 = 6 May 2010

| term_end1 =

| predecessor1 = Bruce George

| successor1 =

| majority1 = 3,914 (8.1%)

| birth_name = Valerie Carol Marian Vaz

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|12|7|df=y}}

| birth_place = Aden Colony {{small|(now Yemen)}}

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater = Bedford College, University of London

| party = Labour

| spouse = Paul Townsend

| children = 1 daughter

| website = {{Official website|https://www.valerievazmp.co.uk/}}

| relations = Keith Vaz (brother)

}}

Valerie Carol Marian Vaz{{cite web | title = Profile: Valerie Carol Marian Vaz|url = http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U251368 | website = ukwhoswho.com | publisher = UK Who's Who | access-date = 12 May 2015 }} (born 7 December 1954) is a British Labour politician and former solicitor who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Walsall and Bloxwich, previously Walsall South, since 2010. She served as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons from 2016 to 2021 in the Shadow Cabinets of Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer.

Early life and career

Valerie Vaz was born on 7 December 1954 in Aden (now part of Yemen) to Anthony Xavier and Merlyn Verona Vaz.{{cite web|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-251368|title=Vaz, Valerie Carol Marian – WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO|website=Ukwhoswho.com|access-date=14 March 2019|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U251368|isbn=978-0-19-954088-4}} Her family originates from Goa, India, and settled in Twickenham and then East Sheen.{{cite web|url=http://www.valerievazmp.co.uk/about-valerie/|title=About Valerie | website = valerievazmp.co.uk | publisher = Valerie Vaz MP|access-date=12 August 2017}} Vaz is a distant relative of Saint Joseph Vaz, a 17th-century missionary.{{Cite web|url=http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2014/09/18/relative-of-british-mp-to-become-sri-lankas-first-saint/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140920010333/http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2014/09/18/relative-of-british-mp-to-become-sri-lankas-first-saint/|url-status=dead|title=Relative of British MP to become Sri Lanka's first saint | CatholicHerald.co.uk|archive-date=20 September 2014}} Her father, previously a correspondent for The Times of India,{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/sep/04/keith-vaz-one-scandal-too-many-for-the-publicity-seeking-mp|title=Keith Vaz: one scandal too many for the publicity-seeking MP|first=Helen Pidd North of England|last=editor|date=4 September 2016|access-date=14 March 2019|website=Theguardian.com}} worked in the airline industry, while her mother worked two jobs, as a teacher and for Marks & Spencer. Her father died by suicide when she was 16.{{cite news|last=Laville|first=Sandra |url= https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/jan/02/keith-vaz-jacintha-saldanha-children-this-could-be-me|title=Keith Vaz on Jacintha Saldanha's children: This could be me 42 years ago'|work=The Guardian|date=2 January 2013|access-date = 4 January 2013}}

Vaz was educated at Twickenham County Grammar School and later Bedford College. She attended the University of London, where she completed a BSc (Hons) degree in Biochemistry in 1978.{{cite web|url=http://www.rhul.ac.uk/messages/press/message.asp?ref_no=2210|title=Election highs for Royal Holloway alumni|work=www.rhul.ac.uk|access-date=24 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609085453/http://www.rhul.ac.uk/messages/press/message.asp?ref_no=2210|archive-date=9 June 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} The same year, she matriculated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge to do research, but did not take a degree.The Cambridge University List of Members up to 31 December 1991, Cambridge University Press, p. 1394{{cite web|url=https://www.valerievazmp.co.uk/about-valerie|title=Personal website autobiography|access-date=27 January 2019}}

In 1984 she qualified as a solicitor and subsequently worked on legal issues for local government in London. She set up her own law firm, Townsend Vaz Solicitors, and has sat as a Deputy District Judge in the County Court on the Midland and Oxford Circuit.

Vaz was a councillor in the London Borough of Ealing from 1986 to 1990, and the council's Deputy Leader from 1988 to 1989.

At the 1999 European Parliament elections, Vaz stood in the East Midlands, but was not elected.{{cite web |title=1999 Election candidates |url=http://www.europarl.org.uk/section/1999/1999-election-candidates |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828022854/http://www.europarl.org.uk/section/1999/1999-election-candidates |archive-date=28 August 2009 |access-date=4 June 2009 |work=UK Office of the European Parliament}}

In 2001, she joined the Government Legal Service, and worked at the Treasury Solicitors Department and the Ministry of Justice. She worked as a presenter and interviewer for the BBC TV programme Network East in 1987.

Parliamentary career

Vaz stood as the Labour candidate in Twickenham at the 1987 general election, coming third with 8.4% of the vote behind the incumbent Conservative MP Toby Jessel and the Liberal Party candidate.{{Cite web |title=Election 1987 Results - Election Polling |url=https://www.electionpolling.co.uk/results/1987 |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=www.electionpolling.co.uk}}

At the 2010 general election, Vaz was elected to Parliament as MP for Walsall South with 39.7% of the vote and a majority of 1,755.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2010 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726162034/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt |archive-date=26 July 2013 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}{{cite news |title=BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Walsall South |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/election2010/results/constituency/e87.stm |work=BBC News}}

In June 2010 she was selected as a Labour member of the Health Select Committee.{{cite news | last = Pickard | first = Jim |url=http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2010/06/westminster-select-committees-labour-tory-membership/ |title=Westminster select committees: Labour & Tory membership |work=Financial Times |date=24 June 2010|access-date=29 June 2010}}

At the 2015 general election, Vaz was re-elected as MP for Walsall South with an increased vote share of 47.2% and an increased majority of 6,007.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2015 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-date=17 October 2015 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}

In October 2016 she was appointed to Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet as the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons.{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/valerie-vaz/4076|title=Valerie Vaz MP | website= parliament.uk | publisher =UK Parliament|language=en|access-date=2 July 2017}}

At the snap 2017 general election, Vaz was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 57.4% and an increased majority of 8,892.{{cite web |title=Walsall South Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14001012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808134004/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14001012 |archive-date=8 August 2017 |publisher=BBC Online}}

In October 2018, it was revealed that two former members of Vaz's parliamentary staff had alleged that they were bullied by her, but the complaints were not followed up by the party.{{cite web | url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2018/10/labour-refused-investigate-second-bullying-allegation-against-valerie-vaz | title=Labour refused to investigate second bullying allegation against Valerie Vaz | date=18 October 2018 }}

On 8 October 2019, Vaz was appointed as a member of the Privy Council, giving her the style of The Right Honourable for life.{{cite web |title=ORDERS APPROVED AND BUSINESS TRANSACTED AT THE PRIVY COUNCIL HELD BY THE QUEEN AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE ON 8TH OCTOBER 2019 |url=https://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2019-10-08-List-of-Business.pdf |access-date=10 July 2024 |pages=1,19 |language=en |date=8 October 2019}}

At the 2019 general election, Vaz was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 49.1% and a decreased majority of 3,456.{{cite news |title=Walsall South Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14001012 |access-date=1 December 2019 |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}

She continued in her role as Shadow Leader of the House after the election of Keir Starmer as the Leader of the Labour Party. In the 2021 British shadow cabinet reshuffle, she returned to the backbenches.

On 24 May 2021, Vaz was criticised after she suggested that the condition of Boris Johnson was exaggerated when he was in intensive care with COVID-19.{{cite news |last1=Merrick |first1=Rob |title=Labour MP claims Boris Johnson's Covid condition was exaggerated because he was 'not at death's door' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-covid-valerie-vaz-b1852863.html |access-date=25 May 2021 |work=The Independent |date=24 May 2021}}

Vaz is chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Epilepsy.{{cite web |title=Register Of All-Party Parliamentary Groups [as at 22 July 2022] |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/220722/epilepsy.htm |website=UK Parliament |publisher=The House of Commons and House of Lords |access-date=5 August 2022}}

Due to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Vaz's constituency of Walsall South was abolished, and replaced with Walsall and Bloxwich. At the 2024 general election, Vaz was elected to Parliament as MP for Walsall and Bloxwich with 33.5% of the vote and a majority of 4,914.{{Cite news |title=Walsall and Bloxwich - General election results 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001562 |access-date=2024-07-06 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{cite web |date=5 July 2024 |title=2024 General Election results for Walsall Borough |url=https://go.walsall.gov.uk/your-council/voting-and-elections/election-results-2024/2024-general-election-results-walsall |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709193724/https://go.walsall.gov.uk/your-council/voting-and-elections/election-results-2024/2024-general-election-results-walsall |archive-date=9 July 2024 |access-date=6 July 2024 |publisher=Walsall Council}}

Personal life

Vaz is married to Paul Townsend. The couple have one daughter. Her hobbies include music and gardening. Her younger brother Keith Vaz was the Labour MP for Leicester East from 1987 to 2019, while her sister Penny is a lawyer. Her late mother Merlyn Vaz was formerly a Labour councillor in Leicester.{{cite news | last = Walker | first = Tim |title= General Election 2010: Joanne Cash says every dog has its day |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7621107/General-Election-2010-Joanne-Cash-says-every-dog-has-its-day.html |work= Daily Telegraph |date= 22 April 2010 |access-date=26 May 2010}} She is a Catholic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/2380/fall-in-number-of-catholic-mps-in-the-house-of-commons-ahead-of-landmark-debate-on-assisted-dying|title=Fall in number of Catholic MPs in the House of Commons ahead of landmark debate on assisted dying|last=Lee|first=Ceridwen|website=The Tablet|language=en|access-date=13 January 2020|date=7 August 2015}}

References

External links

[http://www.valerievazmp.co.uk/ Valerie Vaz MP] official website
{{UK MP links | parliament = valerie-vaz/4076 | hansard = | guardian = 14237/valerie-vaz | publicwhip = Valerie_Vaz | theywork = valerie_vaz | record = Valerie-Vaz/Walsall-South/1361 | bbc = 84905.stm | journalisted = }}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120306092226/http://ukpolitics.telegraph.co.uk/Walsall+South/Valerie+Vaz Candidate Valerie Vaz] at the Daily Telegraph

{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament
for Walsall South|years=2010–present}}

{{s-ttl|title=Shadow Leader of the House of Commons|years=2016–2021}}

Category:1954 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of Bedford College, London

Category:British Roman Catholics

Category:Councillors in the London Borough of Ealing

Category:English people of Indian descent

Category:Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies

Category:People from Aden

Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors

Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies