Valerie Vaz
| Valerie Vaz MP | |
|---|---|
 Official Parliamentary portrait, June 2017 | |
| Shadow Leader of the House of Commons | |
|
Assumed office 6 October 2016 | |
| Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Shadowing |
David Lidington Andrea Leadsom |
| Preceded by | Paul Flynn |
| Member of Parliament for Walsall South | |
|
Assumed office 6 May 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Bruce George |
| Majority | 8,892 (20.2%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Valerie Carol Marian Vaz 7 December 1954 |
| Website | Official website |
Valerie Carol Marian Vaz (born 7 December 1954) is a British politician and solicitor. She has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Walsall South since the 2010 general election. She currently serves in the shadow cabinet as the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons.
Political career
Vaz was a councillor in the London Borough of Ealing from 1986 to 1990, and the council's Deputy Leader from 1988 to 1989. She stood unsuccessfully as a parliamentary candidate in the constituency of Twickenham in the 1987 general election, and in the 1999 European elections in the East Midlands. She was a contender to be selected as the Labour candidate in the 2000 West Bromwich West by-election, however she failed in her attempt. She was elected in the 2010 general election, securing the Walsall South seat with a reduced Labour majority of 1,755 (8.2% swing to the Conservative Party).
In June 2010 she was selected as a Labour member of the Health Select Committee. She was also Vice Chairwoman of the Labour Parliamentary Party, having been elected by fellow Labour MPs.
In the 2015 general election, she was re-elected as the member of parliament for Walsall South, with an increased majority of 6,007 (5% swing to the Labour Party).
In the 2015-2017 parliament, she served on the Science and Technology Committee followed by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. In October 2016 she was appointed to Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet as the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons.
In the 2017 general election she was elected for a third time at Walsall South, with an increased majority of 8,892.