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May 18

Sayeeda Warsi: Evening Standard Interview

Published in the Evening Standard, Friday 18th May 2012  by Joe Murphy

Baroness Warsi: Father asked me ‘why be a leader if you don’t take the lead?’

Baroness Warsi may be a Cabinet minister with all the finely-honed minds of the civil service to call upon, but sometimes the adviser she trusts most is simply her dad.

So it was when the horrific details of the Rochdale sexual grooming scandal poured out in a shocking court case this month.

Five white girls, aged 13 to 15, were plied with alcohol, food and money and subjected to multiple sex attacks. The guilty men were Muslims of mainly Pakistani origin, some regarded as pillars of their community.

Shortly after nine men were convicted, Lady Warsi sat down to dinner at her parents’ house and her father asked what the Government was going to do about it. She did not know. The baroness recalled: “Dad then said, ‘Well, what are you doing about it?’ I said, ‘Oh, it’s not me, it’s a Home Office issue’.” At this her father, Safdar, gave her a remarkable lecture.

“He said to me: ‘Sayeeda, what is the point in being in a position of leadership if you don’t lead on issues that are so fundamental? This is so stomach churningly sick that you should have been out there condemning it as loudly as you could. Uniquely, you are in a position to show leadership on this.’

“I thought to myself, he’s absolutely right.” Today she has decided to use an interview with the Evening Standard to do as her father advised.

Read more

Apr 27

Chairman supports Mayoral candidate Tony with a visit to Liverpool

On Friday, Baroness Warsi travelled to Liverpool to support Conservative mayoral candidate Tony Caldeira.

Sayeeda was joined by MPs Graham Evans and Esther McVey, and MEP Jacqueline Foster, for a dinner held by the City of Liverpool Conservatives.

Addressing the dinner, Baroness Warsi said that she was delighted with the fighting spirit of the Conservatives on Merseyside, and wished Tony the best of luck with his campaign.

Sayeeda was presented with a Superlambanana in Tory blue to commemorate her visit.

 

Apr 23

Chairman visits Crawley ahead of local elections

Today, Sayeeda made a visit to Crawley to support the work of Conservatives in the area ahead of the local elections.

Joined by Crawley Chairman Liam Marshall-Ascough, Sayeeda met with community members and businesspeople at Broadfield Barton.

She was welcomed by Conservative candidate for Broadfield South Cllr Lee Gilroy before taking questions from the group and meeting with local media.

Apr 13

Chairman visits the North West ahead of local elections

On Friday, Sayeeda visited the North West for a full day of visits and meetings ahead of the local elections.

Kicking off in Salford, Sayeeda dropped in at The Greenhouse facility at MediaCityUK, a hub for creative talent. She then took a tour of MediaCityUK including BBC studios with Conservative mayoral candidate Karen Garrido.

After leaving Salford Sayeeda caught up with Cllr John Walsh, Leader of Conservative Group in Bolton, for a street stall with supporters and councillors to campaign on town centre regeneration.

She then travelled to Rochdale for a community meeting and to meet Conservative councillors recently defected from the Lib Dems, opening a new office in the area and meeting with local press.

Sayeeda joinied Conservatives for campaigning in Rawtenstall before moving on to the Intact community centre in Ingol, Preston where she was treated to scones and singing!

After a stop at Fulwood Conservative Club to talk with Conservative members in a Meet the Chairman event, Sayeeda met with candidates and activists for the City of Preston elections and discussed the campaign with Group Leader Cllr Ken Hudson and Damien Moore, Preston Chair. 

The day finished with a dinner in Pendle for MP Andrew Stephenson.

Apr 12

Party Chairman campaigns in Wales

Sayeeda this week visited Wales to support Conservatives there ahead of the local elections. Beginning the day in Newport, Sayeeda joined Andrew Davies AM, Cheryl Gillan MP & Cllr Bob Greenland (WCCA Chairman) at the Newport Dragons stadium for the launch of the Welsh local election manifesto.

She then travelled to Monmouth Shire Hall for a demonstration of the Monmouthpedia Project – a collaborative initiative with Wikipedia developing ground breaking local tourism. She was met by Council Leader Cllr Peter Fox, David Davies MP, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Enterprise Cllr Bob Greenland and Conservative candidates.

Sayeeda next stopped at Welsh Women’s Aid, a centre for women in Cardiff. Met by Children & Young Persons Manager Rebecca Burns, Sayeeda made a tour of the facility and discussed the important work of the centre.

After a drop in with the local media Sayeeda moved on to Barry, where Hot Diggidy Dog owner Simon Llewellyn  greeted her with a range of extra hot sauces to try. The business has grown from its site on a council-run enterprise park and has great plans for its new products.

Sayeeda rounded off the day with a Fundraiser for South Wales Central at Fynon Wen, Cardiff before journeying north for her next day of visits.

Apr 5

Chairman visits West Midlands on campaign tour

Continuing her tour this week, Sayeeda spent the morning campaigning with Redditch Conservatives in Matchborough, Church Hill and Winyates wards.

The Chairman launches the Birmingham local election campaign with Conservatives at the Council House

After a quick cuppa and time with the local press, Sayeeda travelled to central Birmingham where she was welcomed by the  Birmingham Patrons’ Club and answered members’ questions at the club’s lunch event.

Joined by Conservative candidates, Sayeeda then hosted the Birmingham Campaign Launch at the city’s Council House.

The Chairman also visited the Wyrley Birch Estate in Kingstanding ward with local candidate Gary Sambrook for litter picking in the area.

The Chairman ended the day with a fundraising event hosted by Nicky Morgan MP in Barrow upon Soar.

Apr 4

Chairman visits Oxford, Gloucester and Cheltenham on campaign tour

Leaving London early on Wednesday morning, Sayeeda was back on the road for two days of campaign tours beginning with Oxford, Gloucester and Cheltenham.

Sayeeda campaigns with Nicola Blackwood MP in Summertown

Arriving in Oxford and met by Nicola Blackwood MP, she was just in time for the 23 Pioneer Regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps homecoming parade.

Nicola and Sayeeda visited the Oxford Student Hub for a tour the hub’s facilities and to meet with staff there before campaigning in Summertown at a street stall set up by local Conservatives.

Bidding farewell to Oxford, Sayeeda moved on to Gloucester for a visit with the Gloucester Citizen ahead of the paper’s Apprenticeship Awards. The Chairman then held a community meeting in Barton with Cllr Sajid Patel and Conservative candidate Nasreen Akhtar to discuss local issues.

The Chairman visits Podsmead Dreamscheme, Gloucester

After some telephone canvassing with councillors for upcoming by-elections at the Gloucester Conservatives office, Sayeeda visited the Podsmead “Dreamscheme” – an initiative which has recently been awarded Big Local funding. The Chairman was welcomed by staff and young people – and was pleased to judge an anti-litter poster campaign.

Sayeeda completed the day in Cheltenham at a packed-out Meet the Chairman event.

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