Baroness Sayeeda Warsi served as Britain’s first Muslim Cabinet Minister and co-chair of the Conservative Party – the first Asian to chair a major British political party.

Her front row seat in British politics saw her appointed Senior Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Minister for Faith and Communities.

Baroness Warsi’s career in politics stretches back to 2004 when she was an advisor to leader Michael Howard. A year later she stood as a Parliamentary candidate in Dewsbury.

Aged just 36 she became the youngest peer in Parliament after being elevated to the House of Lords and travelled to Sudan to secure the release of British teacher Gillian Gibbons who was on trial for blasphemy.

As a racial justice campaigner Sayeeda was instrumental in the launch of Operation Black Vote and served six years at the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

At university as she studied law and worked for the Crown Prosecution Service before setting up her own legal practice and has never shied away from challenging issues many people avoid.

Sayeed led the government’s campaign to criminalise forced marriage and spoke out on the sexual grooming of children by gangs.

Her business background and passion for manufacturing also made her a champion for British business at home and abroad.

Sayeeda has been a major driver of four start-up businesses, two in the service sector and two in manufacturing, all of which have developed into vibrant and successful SMEs.

She also spearheaded the party’s Social Action agenda both domestically and internationally.