Naz Shah

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

Friday, 6 March 2026 - 1 hour 11 minutes

It's International Women's Day on Sunday 8 March, and our guest is the Labour Member of Parliament for Bradford West, Naz Shah. Naz tells Gyles her extraordinary story; about her father, who left the family when she was only six years old, leaving the children and their mother in poverty, insecurity and sometimes squalor. About her mother, who was abused by two men - first by her husband, and then by a neighbour who seemed to be offering help and support, but who actually wanted sex. Naz tells Gyles about being sent away to Pakistan as a 13 year-old, and forced into an arranged marriage with her first cousin. She talks about the concept of 'izzat', or honour, which runs so deeply through this traditional and conservative community. She talks about the dramatic events that happened when her mother finally snapped, and gave her abuser a fatal dinner which changed everything. This is a shocking story about the vulnerabilty, bravery and strength of women. Naz Shah's book, 'Honoured: Survival, Strength and My Path to Politics' is out now, and available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.