Shav Taj
Shav Taj | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2026 | |
| Member of the Senedd | |
| Assumed office 8 May 2026 | |
| Constituency | Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf |
| General Secretary of Wales TUC | |
| Assumed office February 2020 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1976 (age 49–50) |
| Party | Welsh Labour |
Shavanah Taj (born 1976)[1] is a Welsh trade unionist and Labour Party politician. She has been leader of the Wales TUC since 2020. She has served as a Member of the Senedd (MS) for Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf since May 2026.
Early life
[edit]Taj's father Mohamed Taj Khan came to the UK from Pakistan in 1958 and became a shop steward and health and safety representative in Port Talbot and Cardiff steelworks.[1] Her mother later ran a fabric shop.[1] Shavanah was born and grew up in Cardiff. She was a pupil at Cathays High School,[2] and when she was 14 years old organised an anti-racism campaign.[3] She went on to study at Coleg Glan Hafren, the University of Glamorgan and the University of the West of England.[2]
Trade union career
[edit]Taj had been Welsh Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) since 2013, before becoming acting General Secretary of the Wales TUC in February 2020.[4] She was the second woman to hold the position and the first BAME person to do so.[4]
She appeared on the BBC Question Time panel in December 2022 and April 2025.
Political career
[edit]Taj has been vice-chairwoman of Welsh Labour's BAME committee.[5]
In May 2025 Taj revealed she had had informal conversations about standing for election to the Senedd.[6] In December 2025 it was announced that Taj had won a Labour Party ballot to be placed top of the closed list of prospective candidates for the Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf constituency at the 2026 Senedd election.[2] She was subsequently elected to the Senedd in May 2026.[7]
On 19 May 2026 Taj was appointed as Labour's spokesperson in the Senedd for employment, equalities and economic transformation.[8]
Personal life
[edit]Taj lives in Cardiff. She is married and has two daughters.[4][9]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Ali, Taj (24 February 2023). "'Now more than ever, workers need the power of a union'". Hyphen. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 Shipton, Martin (1 December 2025). "Head of TUC Cymru wins ballot to top Labour list in Senedd election". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Nicholson, David (3 March 2020). "A woman in a hurry: meet Wales TUC's new leader". Morning Star. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 Barry, Sion (3 February 2020). "TUC Wales appoints new acting general secretary". Business Live. Reach plc. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ "General election 2019: Labour has no BAME candidates in Wales". BBC News. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Shipton, Martin (28 May 2025). "Head of TUC Cymru may seek by-election candidacy if Gething quits the Senedd early". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ "Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf". BBC News. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ Dominic McGrath (19 May 2026). "Ken Skates appoints new team with 'fresh energy and ideas' after Senedd election defeat". LabourList. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- ↑ "From trade unions to future wellbeing, Wales is quietly pioneering a different way of doing politics in the UK". theguardian.com. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
