Tory co-chairwoman Baroness Sayeeda Warsi resigns whip after claiming party's 'move to far right'

Former Conservative Party co-chairwoman Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has resigned the party’s whip in the House of Lords, as she said the party is 'hypocritical' and 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 minister.

In response, the Conservative Party said she was the subject of an investigation inside the party over alleged 'divisive language'.

READ MORE A pram, a gran and a shameful family day out in Newton Heath

Announcing her resignation in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, 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.

“This is a sad day for me. I am a Conservative and remain so but sadly the current party are far removed from the party I joined and served in Cabinet.

“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.”

She said she was prompted to resign over comments from some in the Conservative Party over the acquittal of Marieha Hussain, who was found not guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence on September 13.

She said: “I will not be gagged on a point of principle. And I am not prepared to play games behind closed doors. If Rishi Sunak’s party wants to retry and replay the ‘coconut trial’ despite the acquittal of Marieha Hussain, the clear legal findings and the overwhelming expert witness testimonies then I wish to do so publicly and transparently.

“It