Sayeeda Hussain Warsi

Baroness Warsi was born to Pakistani parents  in Yorkshire in 1971. She was educated at Birkdale High School, Dewsbury College, and the University of Leeds where she read Law (LLB). She attended the York College of Law to complete her Legal Practice Course and trained both with the Crown Prosecution Service and the Home Office Immigration Department. Sayeeda has always had a keen interest in racial justice issues.

She was instrumental in the launch of Operation Black Vote in West Yorkshire in 1996 and stood as a candidate in the 2005 general election and after the general election she became Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion, Social Action and was a member of David Cameron's Shadow Cabinet at the House of Lords until the coalition was formed in 2011.

 In 2007, Sayeeda participated in the successful mission to the Sudan to free UK teacher Gillian Gibbons and has been named the most influential Asian woman in politics by the BBC.  She was recently named the 2007 Asian Personality of the Year and has appeared on the Carter Anderson Asian Power 100 list.

Since 2012, she has been the Senior Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department of Communities and Local Governments, and Department of Faith and Communities.  

House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW

Tel: 020 7219 5353

warsis@parliament.uk