Salma Shah

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Salma Shah
Occupation(s)commentator, special adviser

Ommasalma Shah (born July 1984) is a British political commentator and consultant known professionally as Salma Shah. She briefly acted as special adviser to former Tory Home Secretary Sajid Javid [1] [2] [3]

Contents

She has been a director of Kraken Strategy Limited since 2019, and is a Policy Fellow alumnus of Centre for Science and Policy. [2] [3]

Early life

Shah was born in July 1984 in the United Kingdom to immigrant parents from Pakistan. [4] [3]

Career

Shah has worked as a journalist for The Independent and, from 2014, at the BBC helping to produce Today programme on Radio 4. [5] Shah worked as a special adviser in the Conservative government, specialising in public policy. [6] [7] She held an important role as an adviser to Sajid Javid when he was in office as Home Secretary. [8] She has also advised at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. [9] [10]

She departed from government in 2019, when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister. [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 prominent political commentator in the media, [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 [16] She is a fellow of the Centre for Science and Policy. [17]

Shah is a regular panellist on shows including Sophy Ridge on Sunday [18] Good Morning Britain, [19] Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg and BBC Politics Live. [20] She appeared on Have I Got News for You on 10 October 2025. [21]

Personal life

Her husband Andrew Smith served as lord mayor of Westminster from 2021 to 2022 [22]

References

  1. "Salma Shah". CSaP – Centre for Science and Policy. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Salma Shah". Centre for Science and Policy. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  3. 1 2 3 "KRAKEN STRATEGY LTD people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  4. "Salma Shah – Leadership profile". Heylo Housing. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  5. "Salma Shah – Author page". The Independent. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  6. "Ex-Tory adviser says relationship between ministers and civil servants is 'dysfunctional'". Sky News. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  7. "The youth vote: 'If you don't do politics, politics will do you'". www.bbc.com. 2024-07-03. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  8. Manji, Fatima (2019-11-30). "Former Conservative Special Adviser Salma Shah: 'People in politics playing the blame game' over attack". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  9. "Salma Shah". The Independent. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  10. Singh, Arj (2020-02-13). "Exclusive: No.10 Tried To 'Neuter' Sajid Javid And He Was Right To Quit, His Ex-Adviser Says". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  11. "Home Office: business appointment rules advice, January to March 2021". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  12. "Britain's political power couples — ranked". POLITICO. 2022-02-14. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  13. Turner, Millie (2022-03-29). "Boardroom shuffle: Mitie ushers in BT executive and former government adviser". City AM. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  14. "Power to the people". Institute for Government. 2024-12-21. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  15. "'There is a problem with the Met Police' says Sajid Javid's former Special Adviser". Sky News. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  16. "Storytelling is key to success for Mitie's special adviser". Sunday Times. 2024-03-23. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  17. "Salma Shah". Centre for Science and Policy. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  18. "The PM's cabinet meeting is 'exceptionally unusual' says Salma Shah, former Conservative special adviser". Sky News. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  19. Watson, Shivon (2024-11-08). "ITV GMB viewers 'switch off' as they're left frustrated by 'shouty' debate". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  20. "BBC One - Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg - Previous Guests". BBC. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  21. "BBC One - Have I Got News for You, Series 70, Episode 2". BBC. 2025-10-10. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  22. "Salma Shah – Leadership profile". Heylo Housing. Retrieved 26 September 2025.