David Vance SubstackRead More
Let’s consider Baroness Sayeeda Warsi.
She is a British peer of Pakistani descent who finally resigned from the Conservative Party in September 2024. She had made claims over internal alleged racism and Islamophobia and undoubtedly has damaged that Party. Remarkably, she had been co-chairwoman of it from 2010-2012 . Her labelling of St. George’s flag flyers as “knuckle-dragging racists” tells you all you had to know about her but you might wonder how someone like this got to the one of the highest offices in the land.
Here’s the inside track.
Firstly, she was never elected. She was selected by “Call me Dave” Cameron in 2005 to stand for the Conservative Party and she promptly lost. That was the end of the elected route to power for her. Despite losing, in 2007 she was given the role of Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion (I kid you not!) and elevated to the Lords!
In 2010, Cameron appointed her Minister without Portfolio in Cabinet, when she succeeded Eric Pickles as Chairman of the Conservative Party, which she held jointly with Andrew Feldman. This appointment made Warsi the first Muslim woman to serve in the Cabinet.
So within 5 years of losing the only election she ever fought, she now reached one of the powerful roles in the Party. Why? What was it about her that caused such excitement? Why was the Conservative Party rewarding failure?
Her stellar career continued. She was appointed to the restyled post of Senior Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and to the post of 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.
At the Foreign and Commonwealth Office she was responsible for country-specific policies concerning Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh along with international organisations. So some of the most dysfunctional countries in the Muslim world were now under her influence.
This all came to an end in 2014 when she resigned over…Gaza. Yes, Gaza. She wanted to see an arms embargo imposed on Israel and the “State” of Palestine recognised.
Reminder – this was the FIRST Muslim to serve in any British Cabinet!
Warsi is a great example of why the Cameron Conservatives were so utterly useless. She had very little Conservative DNA in her political party. Her main interests seemed to helping Muslim countries and in cheer-leading for Gaza. Why was even IN the Conservative Party in the first place?
Calling patriots who display the English flag “knuckle dragging racists” gives you a glimpse of the hatred this woman appears to hold for our Country. Frankly, wouldn’t she be better off in Pakistan?
