Who is Baroness Warsi, why did she resign from government, who’s her husband and what’s her foundation?
Baroness Warsi is a former Tory party chairman and was the first Muslim woman to serve in the cabinet
BARONESS Sayeeda Warsi was the first Muslim woman to serve in the cabinet, and now runs a prominent charity.
But why did she resign, who is she married to, and what does her foundation do? Here's our lowdown...
Who is Baroness Warsi?
Baroness Warsi is a former Tory party chairman and was the first Muslim woman to serve in the cabinet.
She was born in Yorkshire on March 28th 1971, to Pakistani immigrants as the second of five daughters.
In 2004 she gave up her £130,000 salary as a solicitor to stand for parliament.
Despite losing, she was sworn in as Baroness Warse of Dewsbury, allowing her to ascend to the shadow cabinet and become Tory party Chairman.
Why did Baroness Warsi resign from government?
She resigned from government in 2014, describing David Cameron's position on the Israel-Gaza policy as "morally indefensible".
She claimed that Britain cold only play a role in Middle East peace if it acted as an "honest broker", which she claimed it had refused to.
After resigning she demanded that the government impose an arms embargo on Israel, claiming that it killed 2,000 people in just four weeks.
Her resignation highlited cabinet rifts over foreign policy, and was considered a bitter blow to David Cameron.
Who is Baroness Warsi's husband?
She is married to Iftikhar Azam, and lives with him in Wakefield with their five children.
She married Iftikhar in 2009 in a traditional Muslim ceremony at her parents' house in Dewsbury.
She divorced her previous husband in 2007 after 17 years of arranged marriage.
In December 2016 the pair appeared for a camero role in the BBC One sitcom Citizen Khan.
What is Baroness Warsi's foundation?
The Baroness Warsi Foundation is a grant-making charity that aims to make more inclusive communities.
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It doles out grants to help young people network and secure internships.
It primarily aims to help women and those who didn't go to the right schools.
The charity's launch was seen as an attack on the Eton-led Tory cabinet she resigned from.
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