Shama Tatler, Baroness Shah

The Baroness Shah
Member of the House of Lords
Life peerage
9 January 2026
Personal details
BornShama Shilesh Shah
c. 1983 (age 42–43)
Barnet, London, England
PartyLabour

Shama Shilesh Tatler, Baroness Shah (née Shah; born c. 1983) is a British politician and teacher.

Career

Tatler was head of the Labour Group Office at the Local Government Association.[1] She is a member of Brent London Borough Council for Kingsbury ward.[2] She was first elected in 2014.[3] Tatler is co-chair of the Labour To Win group.[4] She was the Labour candidate in Chingford and Woodford Green at the 2024 United Kingdom general election against Iain Duncan Smith and Faiza Shaheen.[5][6] She was given a life peerage as a part of the 2025 Political Peerages and was created Baroness Shah, of Wembley in the London Borough of Brent, on 9 January 2026.[7][8][9] Her appointment made her the first Jain appointed to the House of Lords.[10]

Personal life

Tatler is a schoolteacher and married her husband, a fellow schoolteacher named Richard, with whom she had one daughter; Richard died at age 36 in April 2016 from complications due to cancer.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Shama TATLER". Foundation for European Progressive Studies. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  2. ^ "Councillor details - Councillor Shama Tatler". democracy.brent.gov.uk. 2025-09-11. Retrieved 2025-09-11.
  3. ^ "Fryent councillor Shama Tatler named as new Brent Council cabinet member". Brent & Kilburn Times. 2016-12-19. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  4. ^ "What election candidate selections tell us about Keir Starmer's Labour". BBC News. 2024-06-02. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  5. ^ Forest, Waltham (2024-06-28). "Shama Tatler: 'I'm a Labour moderate but I'm still left-wing'". Waltham Forest Echo. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  6. ^ Belger, Tom (2024-07-05). "Chingford: Labour and Shaheen 79 votes apart as split left lets IDS clings on". LabourList. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  7. ^ "House of Lords welcomes five new Asian peers". asian-voice.com. 18 December 2025.
  8. ^ "Political Peerages December 2025". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  9. ^ "No. 64964". The London Gazette. 15 January 2026. p. 562.
  10. ^ "First Jain Appointed to the UK Parliament". Institute of Jainology. 15 December 2025.
  11. ^ "Interview: Shama Tatler, Labour candidate for Chingford & Woodford Green". On London. 13 June 2024.