Background
Vaz was born in Aden, Yemen. Her father worked in the airline industry, while her mother worked two jobs, as a teacher and for Marks & Spencer. Her father committed suicide when she was 16.
Vaz was born in Aden, Yemen. Her father worked in the airline industry, while her mother worked two jobs, as a teacher and for Marks & Spencer. Her father committed suicide when she was 16.
Vaz attended Twickenham County Grammar School before going on to Bedford College, University of London where she completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Biochemistry in 1978.
Her family originates from Goa, India, and settled in Twickenham and then East Sheen, London. In 1984 she qualified as a solicitor and subsequently worked as a lawyer in 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.
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 British Broadcasting Corporation television programme Network East in 1987. 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 (82% swing to the Conservative Party).
In the Labour leadership election in 2015, Vaz was one of the 68 MPs that nominated Andy Burnham. Burnham ultimately finished second in the election to Jeremy Corbyn. Vaz is married to Paul Townsend.
The couple have one teenage daughter.
Her hobbies include music and gardening. Her late mother Merlyn Vaz was formerly a Labour councillor in Leicester.
She is also Vice Chairwoman of the Labour Parliamentary Party, having been elected by fellow Labour MPs.
55th United Kingdom Parliament. 56th United Kingdom Parliament]
A member of the Labour Party, she has served as the Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for Walsall South since the 2010 general election. In June 2010 she was selected as a Labour member of the Health Select Committee.