Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, the first Muslim woman to serve in a British Cabinet, has resigned from the Conservative Party in the House of Lords, citing concerns over the party’s shift towards the “far right” and its “hypocrisy and double standards” in its treatment of different communities. Her resignation comes just ahead of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.
Baroness Warsi, who served as Conservative Party chairwoman during David Cameron’s premiership, has been a vocal critic of the party’s handling of issues related to race and Islamophobia. She announced her resignation in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that she could no longer take the party whip due to her concerns about its direction.
In her resignation, Warsi expressed dismay over what she sees as a drastic change in the party she once served: “This is a sad day for me. I am a Conservative and remain so but sadly the current party is far removed from the party I joined and served in cabinet.”
The Conservative Party, however, has responded by indicating that an investigation into Baroness Warsi was imminent. A party spokesperson stated, “Baroness Warsi was informed an investigation was about to begin earlier this week.” The investigation reportedly relates to complaints regarding her support for Marieha Hussain, who was recently acquitted of a racially aggravated public order offence after displaying a placard at a pro-Palestine protest that depicted Conservative leader Rishi Sunak and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman in a controversial manner.
Baroness Warsi had congratulated Hussain on her acquittal, leading to complaints against her. The peer has previously criticised Conservative leadership figures, including Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch, and has spoken out against what she perceives as Islamophobic rhetoric within the party.
In her resignation statement, Warsi indicated that she will continue to raise these issues and will address them in her forthcoming book, Muslims Don’t Matter.