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Salma Shah

Salma Shah was special adviser to Sajid Javid, from 2018 to 2019. She was also a special adviser at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

<p>There is of course an internal logic to these changes; it’s just not obvious what they are externally</p>
Voices

Rishi’s reshuffle: new labels, new bosses, same old mess?

<p>Hancock is now a public profile looking for a purpose</p>
Voices

Why Matt Hancock is such a willing victim of ‘gotcha!’ TV

<p>Sunak’s authority has been damaged, simply because he lacks institutional foresight </p>
Voices

The pitfalls of Rishi Sunak’s premiership

<p>If growth is today’s biggest challenge, Heseltine has a plan to supercharge the economy</p>
Voices

Michael Heseltine: 90, a fierce Remainer – and calling for revolution

<p>The speech wasn’t memorable, which is a problem in the run up to an election </p>
Voices

The real problem with Rishi Sunak’s speech – and why it will haunt him

<p>This isn’t about the right to strike. It’s about how these services will adapt in the face of change</p>
Voices

Picket lines shouldn’t be allowed to grind the country to a halt

<p>Christmas is actually one of the most inclusive holidays</p>
Voices

I’m a Muslim who loves Christmas – don’t rename it on my account

<p>If the Conservatives can’t create homeowners, they can’t win</p>
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If the Tories don’t build houses, they can kiss government goodbye

<p>Irina Karamanos, the first lady of Chile, has resigned from her duties</p>
Voices

There’s nothing shameful about being a first lady

<p>The lingering feeling that untruths are believed without challenge is unsettling</p>
Voices

Think twice before you repeat gossip from Westminster – I should know

<p>The process in the run up to a fiscal event is draining and arduous </p>
Voices

This is what it’s like on Budget day when you work at Westminster

<p>Gavin Williamson going to the back benches doesn’t fill the fiscal black hole, or deal with the small boats crisis</p>
Voices

Gavin Williamson isn’t a villain – it’s more complex than that

<p>Matt Hancock and former ‘I’m a Celebrity ... ’ contestant and MP Edwina Currie</p>
Voices

Matt Hancock shows how delusions of celebrity have derailed politics

Voices

Matt Hancock shows how delusions of celebrity have derailed politics

Head shot of Salma Shah
Salma Shah
<p>Matt Hancock and former ‘I’m a Celebrity ... ’ contestant and MP Edwina Currie</p>
<p>Politics has always been an old person’s game, so what he needs to do won’t be easy from an electoral vantage</p>
Voices

Rishi Sunak’s age is the most interesting thing about him

<p>Suella Braverman may not be your cup of tea, but she’s not without merit</p>
Voices

Why is Suella Braverman going after people who eat tofu now?

<p>Of course, Boris Johnson’s triumphant show was always destined for a lacklustre encore</p>
Voices

Truss is only talking to the room – and that doesn’t win elections

<p>Liz Truss has probably just lost the next election</p>
Voices

This is the shortest honeymoon of any prime minister in history

<p>Liz Truss has probably just lost the next election</p>
Voices

This is the shortest honeymoon of any prime minister in history

<p>The impartiality of the civil service has to be protected</p>
Voices

The Treasury can be irritating – but Liz Truss’s approach is all wrong

<p>There will be pressure on you from all corners</p>
Voices

An open letter to King Charles

<p>Liz Truss may come to regret putting together a Government Omitting Any Talent, the clear new meaning of GOATs</p>
Voices

Liz Truss’s cabinet selection favours loyalty over substance

<p>In one way or another, he’s responsible for deposing three British prime ministers – the last one being himself</p>
Voices

Boris departs without grace or imagination – but we’re still hooked

<p>Family does not always indicate a supportive and loving household, where children are safe and adults can be relied upon to be responsible</p>
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The government can – and must – consider how to strengthen the family

<p>The members didn’t make up the rules and bear no responsibility for the constitutional arrangements of the country</p>
Voices

Stop calling us ‘swivel-eyed loons’ – Tory members are decent people

<p>Truss during a hustings event in Darlington, County Durham</p>
Voices

Why Liz Truss’s remarks are bad policy followed by even worse politics

<p>Playing to a gallery is a weakness of leadership</p>
Voices

Liz Truss has just failed an important leadership test

<p>The members didn’t make up the rules and bear no responsibility for the constitutional arrangements of the country</p>
Voices

Stop calling us ‘swivel-eyed loons’ – Tory members are decent people

<p>Truss during a hustings event in Darlington, County Durham</p>
Voices

Why Liz Truss’s remarks are bad policy followed by even worse politics

<p>Playing to a gallery is a weakness of leadership</p>
Voices

Liz Truss has just failed an important leadership test

<p>So what if a Spice Girl is a Tory? </p>
Voices

Spice up your life: Why doesn’t Geri Halliwell run for PM?

Voices

Spice up your life: Why doesn’t Geri Halliwell run for PM?

Head shot of Salma Shah
Salma Shah
<p>So what if a Spice Girl is a Tory? </p>
<p>Whoever forms the next cabinet is unlikely to take an open approach: only loyalists will be rewarded</p>
Voices

The Tory war of words will damage the party – and the UK

<p>Liz Truss appeared to channel Margaret Thatcher’s style</p>
Voices

Tory leadership candidates should be banned from evoking Thatcher

<p>Naturally, every candidate in the field has spoken of their integrity</p>
Voices

I worked for Theresa May – here’s what Tory candidates need to avoid

<p>In a world of grey areas, here was decisive action</p>
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I worked for Sajid Javid – I know what’s really behind his resignation

<p>In a world of grey areas, here was decisive action</p>
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I worked for Sajid Javid – I know what’s really behind his resignation

<p>Sunak is self-made, but does this really make him heartless by virtue of his success?</p>
Voices

We need to stop judging politicians for their ‘rags to riches’ success

<p>Just like the 1970s, Conservative principles today are fuzzy and blurred</p>
Voices

The Conservative Party is flailing – it’s time for Thatcher 2.0

<p>You may think this is nitpicking. It is. But come on, he really should be doing better than this</p>
Voices

I’m starting to think Keir Starmer doesn’t really watch Love Island

<p>The full scale of the rebellion is known but who was behind the 148 votes against the PM is going to remain difficult to list</p>
Voices

If the PM wants to go down in glory, he needs to do the unthinkable

<p>It is now about the whole operation and how it has been handled</p>
Voices

The PM filled a Brexit-shaped hole – what’s he doing now?

<p>We all share a single trait: we’re Twitter outcasts</p>
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I was unceremoniously banned from Twitter (and I still don’t know why)

<p>When it comes to international affairs, we mustn’t fall into the trap of believing that a hair shirt is proving something about our resilience</p>
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A £20m townhouse for diplomats is taxpayers’ money well spent

<p>The Prince of Wales has been undergoing this apprenticeship all his life</p>
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Prince Charles doing the Queen’s Speech? That’s how succession works

<p>It seems churlish and unsociable not to offer to make cups of tea for colleagues, but I’ve always found it an unproductive use of time</p>
Voices

Sorting out leaving cards and tea rounds at work? Women, just say no

<p>After the last few depressing and debilitating years, there’s nothing I want more than twee street parties</p>
Voices

The Queen’s platinum jubilee is exactly what Britain needs right now

<p>Of course, I will be binge watching the entire series this weekend despite its flaws</p>
Voices

Anatomy of a Scandal is a far cry from the reality of Westminster

Voices

Anatomy of a Scandal is a far cry from the reality of Westminster

Head shot of Salma Shah
Salma Shah
<p>Of course, I will be binge watching the entire series this weekend despite its flaws</p>
<p>Corruption comes in many guises when you live in a democratic society</p>
Voices

Shrewsbury, Partygate, Covid loans: Where is the accountability?

<p>Rishi Sunak is going to have to find a narrative that acknowledges his backstory isn’t as compelling as he might like</p>
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Lay off Rishi – being rich isn’t a crime

<p>To be fair to Sunak, he’s gone from Brexit to pandemic, straight into a European war</p>
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Sunak is right, it’s not his fault – he can’t solve every problem

<p>We should all respect the rule of law, it doesn’t change depending on our strength of feeling in current events</p>
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Spare a thought for the poor oligarchs and their ugly homes

<p>We should all respect the rule of law, it doesn’t change depending on our strength of feeling in current events</p>
Voices

Spare a thought for the poor oligarchs and their ugly homes

<p>Imran Khan risks overplaying his hand against nations that spend huge amounts on aid programmes to sustain economic stability</p>
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Imran Khan berates the west while enjoying its generosity

<p>We are lucky with our defence secretary, he has expertise and experience, and is doing an excellent job</p>
Voices

Ben Wallace is the Churchill of his generation – he deserves praise

<p>The prime minister has ordered an inquiry into Nusrat Ghani’s ‘Muslimness’ sacking claims </p>
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When I was in government, ethnic minorities had to endure indignities

<p>‘One can understand his personal worries of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but it doesn’t entitle them to special access to the services we all depend on’</p>
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The truth is that Harry and Meghan are no longer relevant to the state

<p>Cummings has raised an important point about accountability in the system</p>
Voices

For once, I agree with Dominic Cummings

<p>‘The year is jam-packed with potential pitfalls and the prime minister is going to have to change a few things’ </p>
Voices

The UK needs direction and discipline – instead it has Boris Johnson

<p>‘We’re all expected with our relative positions to make the required contributions to society, we do so because that’s ultimately fair’ </p>
Voices

Covid regulations affect the young, but ‘cash compensation’ is wrong

<p>Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s motivations are being questioned </p>
Voices

I wonder how noisy backbenchers would cope in the hot seat

<p>Liz Truss apparently has donors lined up to support her should she decide to take part in a leadership contest</p>
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A word of warning to those looking to topple Boris Johnson

<p>The PM’s authority is draining away after the Christmas party debacle </p>
Voices

Note to Boris – moral authority isn’t an optional extra for government

<p>Tony Hudgell, who uses prosthetic legs, takes the final steps in his fundraising walk in West Malling, Kent, with adoptive parents Paula and Mark</p>
Voices

Life sentences for child abusers are welcome – but detection is key

Voices

Life sentences for child abusers are welcome – but detection is key

Head shot of Salma Shah
Salma Shah
<p>Tony Hudgell, who uses prosthetic legs, takes the final steps in his fundraising walk in West Malling, Kent, with adoptive parents Paula and Mark</p>
<p>Holding his hands up: But was Boris Johnson’s blundering CBI speech really all his fault? </p>
Voices

Spare a thought for the political advisers who write speeches

<p>Azeem Rafiq gives evidence before the DCMS Select Committee</p>
Voices

I just want to be ‘one of us’ rather than just ‘one of them’

<p>The Paterson affair has put the PM under increasing pressure </p>
Voices

When to cut your losses: the art of the political U-turn

<p>Is going on holiday a way to support a struggling industry? </p>
Voices

Will discounted flights be enough to revive the travel industry?

<p>Is going on holiday a way to support a struggling industry? </p>
Voices

Will discounted flights be enough to revive the travel industry?

<p>The Queen greets guests including the PM at Windsor Castle earlier this month </p>
Voices

In times like these, it’s clear how much the Queen means to so many

<p>Tributes were paid to Sir David Amess in the Commons on Monday </p>
Voices

Backbench MPs don’t get enough praise for the hard work they do

<p>Downing Street has supported the business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng</p>
Voices

Spats and infighting could become a threat to Johnson’s government

<p>Boris Johnson at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester this week </p>
Voices

Tories are making a mistake with their ‘tough on business’ stance

<p>Boris Johnson, left, with Joe Biden </p>
Voices

Diplomatic gift-giving is a nightmare – it’s time to freshen things up

<p>The 18 year old A-level student managed to take her failure and let it power her through to a grand slam victory</p>
Voices

Emma Raducanu’s success makes me feel I’ve failed as a parent

<p>Billionaire Jeff Bezos has reportedly invested in an ‘age reversal’ company</p>
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Jeff Bezos seems to want to live forever. Be careful what you wish for

<p>Britain’s relationship with the US is increasingly fractious </p>
Voices

Afghanistan marks a turning point – the western alliance is at risk

<p>‘With hindsight, of course, I would have wanted to be back earlier’: Raab was on holiday as chaos unfolded in Afghanistan </p>
Voices

Cut Dominic Raab some slack, ministers make huge personal sacrifices

<p>Teaching Latin in state schools could help boost academic achievement in other subjects</p>
Voices

Want a working class prime minister? Then teach Latin to all students

<p>Migrants make their way up the beach after arriving on a small boat at Dungeness in Kent</p>
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It’s time for a grown-up conversation about the ‘small boat’ crisis

<p>‘Dominic Cummings repeating things that cannot be verified or checked’</p>
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Dominic Cummings is not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy

<p>Gareth Southgate applauds fans after the Euro 2020 final </p>
Voices

Failure is the key to progress – if only Whitehall could see it

<p>Chief medical officer Chris Whitty</p>
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No decision can prevent every Covid death – we must confront this fact

<p>The NHS has held strong amid the Covid crisis </p>
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No, the goal of Sajid Javid and the Tories isn’t to sell off the NHS

<p>Queen Elizabeth II at Royal Ascot earlier this month</p>
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Why there is still a place for the royal family in modern Britain

<p>Chief medical officer Chris Whitty</p>
Voices

No decision can prevent every Covid death – we must confront this fact

<p>The NHS has held strong amid the Covid crisis </p>
Voices

No, the goal of Sajid Javid and the Tories isn’t to sell off the NHS

<p>Queen Elizabeth II at Royal Ascot earlier this month</p>
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Why there is still a place for the royal family in modern Britain

<p>Boris Johnson and Joe Biden at the G7 summit in Cornwall last week</p>
Voices

The G7 summit was mere spectacle – Cop26 needs to be different

Amir Khan has said he will stick by his wife after a family feud broke out
Voices

The one good thing to come out of Khan family fued

Donald Trump, like a domineering husband in an arranged marriage, will end up isolated because of his behaviour
Voices

Donald Trump is like an abusive Pakistani husband – here's how to cope

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