Former Conservative Party co-chairwoman Baroness Sayeeda Warsi of Dewsbury has resigned the party’s whip in the House of Lords, saying it is “hypocritical” and has 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 ministerafter being made Baroness of Dewsbury in 2007. In a punchy statement, Lady Warsi said: “They make us tough in Yorkshire.”

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.

Baroness Warsi of Dewsbury is a former chair of the Tory party.

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, on Thursday night, 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.

“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.”

Later, Lady Warsi posted a picture of herself at the British Podcast Awards in central London with comedian David Baddiel and Jemima Khan, whoseshe makes a podcast with.

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.”

Lady Warsi was raised in Dewsbury and educated at Kirklees College and the University of Leeds.

'They make us tough in Yorkshire': emotional Baroness Warsi quits Tories saying party has moved too far to the right

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