Muslims Don't Matter - her latest book

A lawyer, a businesswoman, and a Cabinet Minister, Sayeeda Warsi has had many roles, but she is best known for being Britain’s first Muslim Cabinet Minister.

One of five girls born to immigrant’s parents of Pakistani origin in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, Sayeeda studied law at Leeds University, going on to work for the Crown Prosecution Service before setting up her own legal practice, George Warsi Solicitors.

Her father, a former mill worker and bus driver, and her mother who set up their own business, instilled in her values of freedom, responsibility, and aspiration. Inspired, she got involved in the Conservative Party, and it was there that she became an advisor to the leader, Michael Howard, in 2004.

In 2005, Sayeeda stood as a Parliamentary candidate in Dewsbury.

In 2007, she was elevated to the House of Lords aged 36, making her the youngest peer in Parliament.

In 2010, she was appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron as Minister without Portfolio, becoming the first Muslim to serve as a Cabinet Minister. The iconic images of her on the steps of No 10 Downing Street in a shalwar kameez (a traditional ethnic outfit) were beamed around-the-world.

She was also appointed as Chairman of the Conservative Party – the first Asian to chair a major British political party. In 2012, Sayeeda was made Senior Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Minister for Faith and Communities.

Her business background and passion for manufacturing have made her a champion for British business at home and abroad. Sayeeda has been a major driver of four start-up businesses. In Government, she led the campaign to ensure that Britain became the first Western country to issue a Sukuk (Islamic bond), which was issued in 2014. She also Chaired the Global Islamic Finance & Investment Group.

She has written two books – one in 2017 entitled “The enemy within, a tale of Muslim Britain” and her most recent book in 2024 entitled “Muslims Don’t Matter”