Baroness Warsi resigns from Conservative Party over ‘drift to the right’

Former Conservative Party co-chairwoman Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has resigned the party’s whip in the House of Lords, as she said the party is “hypocritical” and moved too far to the right.

Lady Warsi, who served in the cabinet during David Cameron’s premiership, said the party no longer resembled the one she represented in government. She was Britain’s first Muslim cabinet minister.

She claimed a Conservative Party investigation over alleged “divisive language” was because of her support for a teacher cleared of a racially aggravated public order offence during a pro-Palestine protest in November last year.

Marieha Hussain had been photographed holding a placard with Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman surrounded by coconuts.

Announcing her resignation in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Baroness Warsi said: “It is with a heavy heart that I have today informed my whip and decided for now to no longer take the Conservative whip.

“This is a sad day for me. I am a Conservative and remain so but sadly the current party are far removed from the party I joined and served in Cabinet.

“My decision is a reflection of how far right my party has moved and the hypocrisy and double standards in its treatment of different communities. A timely reminder of the issues that I raise in my book Muslims Don’t Matter.”

She said she was prompted to resign over comments from some in the Conservative Party over the acquittal of Ms Hussain, who was found not guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence on September 13.

She said: “I will not be gagged on a point of principle. And I am not prepared to play games behind closed doors.

“If Rishi Sunak’s party wants to retry and replay the ‘coconut trial’ despite the acquittal of Marieha Hussain, the clear legal findings and the overwhelming expert witness testimonies then I wish to do so publicly and transparently.

“It would be unfair to do this whilst continuing to take the Conservatives whip.

“I realise I have the privilege of platform and I have decided to exercise that privilege by speaking truth to power.”

She added: “A court of law found Marieha Hussain not guilty. Whatever Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman think of that decision, that is the rule of law and they are not above the law.

“I applaud the court’s decision and judgement of Judge Vanessa Lloyd, the overwhelming evidence of multiple academics and other expert witnesses. It was the right decision and I rightly congratulated Marieha on her acquittal. I was subsequently asked to delete my public support for Marieha – I refused to do so.

“That is the basis of the complaint. No other comments or language is the basis of the complaint. The case was due to be conducted in private behind closed doors, I was not told who the complainant was and this is material considering the detail of bad faith practice the court heard about during the trial. I was also told I could not discuss the matter with others. It was effectively to be a secret retrial of the ‘Coconut Trial’, I was not prepared to accept this.

“I felt it appropriate in the circumstances to resign my whip and look forward to dealing with these issues openly and transparently in the coming weeks and months.”

Later, Lady Warsi posted a picture of herself at the British Podcast Awards in central London with comedian David Baddiel and Jemima Khan, whose Instinct Productions produces the podcast A Muslim & A Jew Go There, presented by Warsi and Baddiel.

She said: “Thank you for all the lovely messages and the concern – I’m not taking calls tonight but genuinely I’m OK. They make us tough in #Yorkshire.”

A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “Complaints were received regarding divisive language by Baroness Sayeeda Warsi. Baroness Warsi was informed an investigation was about to begin earlier this week.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that all complaints are investigated without prejudice.”

Shadow housing secretary Kemi Badenoch told the Sun that complaints had been made to party officials about the peer.

Lady Warsi was appointed to the House of Lords in 2007. She first served in government as a Minister without Portfolio from 2010 until 2012. She later became a foreign minister and held a faith and communities brief until 2014.

She resigned in disagreement with the party’s policy on the Israel-Gaza war in August that year.

Lady Warsi later became a critic of the Conservative Party while representing the party in the Lords.

Earlier this year she told current Conservative leadership contender Robert Jenrick to “reflect on your language” after his comments during the riots in August.

Commenting on a social media video in which Mr Jenrick spoke of “sectarian gangs” in some cases “attacking white Britons”, Lady Warsi said: “Use this awful moment to reflect on your language and conduct and what impact it’s had on where the country finds itself.”