Sayeeda Hussain Warsi, Baroness Warsi, (; born 28 March 1971) is a British lawyer, politician, and member of the House of Lords who served as co-chairwoman of the Conservative Party from 2010 to 2012. She served in the Cameron–Clegg coalition, first as the Minister without portfolio between 2010 and 2012, then as the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (styled as "Senior Minister of State") and as the Minister of State for Faith and Communities, until her resignation citing her disagreement with the Government's policy relating to the Israel–Gaza conflict in August 2014.
Warsi grew up in a family of Pakistani Muslim immigrants living in West Yorkshire. She became a solicitor with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). In 2004, she left the CPS to stand, unsuccessfully, for election to the House of Commons. After being raised to the peerage in 2007, Warsi served as Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion and Social Action. She became the first Muslim to serve as a Cabinet Minister.
Early life and career
Warsi is the second of five daughters born in Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire, to Pakistani immigrants from Bewal, Gujar Khan. Her father is owner of a bed manufacturing company, who started life as a mill worker and a bus driver. Warsi has said that her father's success led her to adopting Conservative principles.
Warsi was educated at Birkdale High School, Dewsbury College (now Kirklees College), and the University of Leeds. She attended the College of Law, York (now the University of Law), and completed her professional legal training thereafter with both the Crown Prosecution Service and the Home Office Immigration Department. After qualifying as a solicitor in 1996, she worked for the Conservative MP for Dewsbury, John Whitfield, at Whitfield Hallam Goodall Solicitors, and then set up a practice in Dewsbury.
Political career
Warsi was the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Dewsbury at the 2005 general election, having been added to the Conservative Party A-List for priority candidates, and thereby becoming the first Muslim woman to be selected by the Conservatives. She placed second with Labour retaining the seat. Following the election, she served as a Special Adviser to Michael Howard for Community Relations and was appointed by David Cameron as Vice Chair of the Conservative Party with specific responsibility for cities.
House of Lords
On 2 July 2007, Warsi was appointed Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion. To enable her to fulfil this post, she was created a life peer as Baroness Warsi, of Dewsbury in the County of West Yorkshire, on 11 October 2007 and was introduced in the House of Lords on 15 October 2007. On joining the House of Lords, she became its youngest member.
On 1 December 2007, Warsi travelled to Khartoum with the Labour peer Lord Ahmed to mediate in the Sudanese teddy bear blasphemy case. Prime Minister Gordon Brown commended both peers for their efforts regarding the issue.
In government
Minister without Portfolio
On 12 May 2010, David Cameron appointed Warsi as Minister without Portfolio in Cabinet, when she succeeded Eric Pickles as Chairman of the Conservative Party. This appointment made Warsi the first Muslim woman to serve in the Cabinet. Warsi was sworn into the Privy Council the next day.
Cabinet reshuffle
Following David Cameron's first Cabinet reshuffle in September 2012, Warsi was appointed to the restyled post of "Senior Minister of State" in the Foreign Office and Minister for Faith and Communities in the Department of Communities and Local Government (a role created specifically for her in a ministry she had shadowed in Opposition). Warsi was replaced as Conservative Party chairman by Grant Shapps.
Minister in UK
Minister of State
At the Foreign Office she was responsible for country-specific policies concerning Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh along with international organisations and leading FCO business in the House of Lords
At the Department for Communities and Local Government Lady Warsi worked with religious and community leaders to promote faith, religious tolerance and stronger communities within the UK.
Islamic finance
Warsi established and co-chaired HM Government's first Ministerial Task Force on Islamic Finance. At the World Islamic Economic Forum, the UK Government announced that Warsi would chair a new Global Islamic Finance and Investment Group.
Persecution of Christians
In a public speech at Washington D.C. in 2013, Warsi highlighted persecution of Christians in parts of the world.