Muslim peer 'humbled' to be in Cabinet

Britain's first female Muslim Cabinet minister said on Thursday it was "humbling" to join the government, after taking part in new Prime Minister David Cameron's first full ministerial meeting.

Sayeeda Warsi is the Conservative Party's chairwoman and minister without portfolio in Cameron's new coalition government, the first power-sharing administration since World War II.

"For anybody to serve in government is a privilege," said the 39-year-old of Pakistani origin, after Cameron held his first Cabinet meeting in 10 Downing Street, two days after being appointed premier by Queen Elizabeth II.

"But to be born the daughter of an immigrant mill-worker in a mill town in Yorkshire, to have the privilege of serving in Cabinet at such an important time in Britain's history I think is terribly humbling," she told the BBC.

Warsi -- who describes herself as a "northern, working-class-roots mum" -- says she joined the Conservative Party after being inspired by her father, who went from working in a mill to run a highly successful bed-making business.

The Tories came top in elections last week but failed to win an absolute majority. Cameron took office after five days of tense negotiations with the Liberal Democrats, the third-placed party which emerged as kingmaker.

The Baroness Warsi: Biography

Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion and Social Action

Sayeeda Warsi is Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion and Social Action and is a member of David Cameron’s Shadow Cabinet.  She is a former Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party and is the Shadow Member for the City of Sheffield.

Sayeeda has been politically active from her early college days and was subsequently instrumental in the launch of Operation Black Vote in West Yorkshire in 1996 and stood as a candidate in the 2005 General Election.

Education and Career

Sayeeda was born in Dewsbury in 1971.  She was educated at Birkdale High School and Dewsbury College, and the at the University of Leeds where she read Law (LLB).  She attended the York College of Law to complete the Legal Practice Course and then trained with the Crown Prosecution Service and then the Home Office Immigration Department.

After qualifying as a Solicitor, Sayeeda worked for John Whitfield, the last Conservative Member of Parliament for Dewsbury and at Whitfield Hallam Goodall Solicitors.  Sayeeda then went on to set up her own specialist practice, George Warsi Solicitors, in Dewsbury.

Campaigns and Areas of Interest

Sayeeda has always had a keen interest in racial justice issues.  For many years she was an executive member of the Kirklees Racial Equalities Council.  She is also a member of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust’s Racial Justice Committee and regularly represents them at national conference.

She has been a speaker on issues as varied as forced marriages, prison conditions and business network links at a national level.   She regularly shares a platform with leading Parliamentarians from both the House of Commons and House of Lords.

Sayeeda has worked overseas on a research project on forced marriages for the Ministry of Law in Pakistan and for the women’s empowerment charity  - -the Savayra Foundation.

Media Experience

Sayeeda regularly appears in the broadcast media, including the BBC’s Question Time and Radio Four’s Woman’s Hour.  Sayeeda has also written articles for the national and regional press.