Sonia Sodha

Sonia Sodha is chief leader writer and columnist at the Observer and a political, economic and social commentator on TV and radio. She has worked across politics and policies for think tanks, in the charity sector and as a senior adviser to Ed Miliband when he was the leader of the Labour party.

Prior to her career in journalism, Sonia worked for two centre-left think tanks, IPPR and Demos, where she led programmes on education, families and social policy. After a stint working for the Labour party advising Ed Miliband, she then held a series of senior strategic roles for charities such as Which?, the Dartington Social Research Unit and Generation Change. As well as writing for the Observer she also covers stories for the Guardian and is a sought after media commentator, appearing regularly on news segments and BBC’s flagship politics shows and news segments. 

She is also passionate about social issues and has made Analysis documentaries for BBC Radio 4 on a diverse range of subjects from Brexit and immigration, to the future of work and the university system. Drawing on her work in the charity and policy sectors, in speeches she explores the rise in demand for socially responsible business practises and looks at how businesses can learn from other sectors to ensure that they are truly socially conscious. She is also an enthusiastic host and facilitator, bringing knowledge of both the big picture political issues and the current cultural questions to the table.

Away from journalism and broadcasting, Sonia is a trustee of the Trust for London and the Indigo Trust, and is also a former primary school governor.