Sayeeda is a leading campaigner for awareness and stronger legislation on issues like forced marriages, female genital mutilation and the chewing of Khat.
She has been politically involved from her early college days when she was elected as the Vice President of the Students Union at Dewsbury College. Sayeeda is a member of David Cameron's Shadow Cabinet, a former Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party and adviser to Michael Howard MP.
She has always had a keen interest in racial justice issues. She was instrumental in the launch of Operation Black Vote in West Yorkshire in 1996 and was for many years an executive member of the Kirklees Racial Equality Council. She is also a member of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust's Racial Justice Committee and regularly represents them at national conferences.
Sayeeda was born in Dewsbury in 1971. She was educated at Birkdale High School and Dewsbury College, and then the University of Leeds where she read Law (LLB). She attended the York College of Law to complete her Legal Practice Course and trained with both the Crown Prosecution Service and the Home Office Immigration Department.
After qualifying as a Solicitor, she worked for John Whitfield, the last Conservative Member of Parliament for Dewsbury, at Whitfield Hallam Goodall Solicitors and then went on to set up her own specialist practice, George Warsi Solicitors in Dewsbury.
Sayeeda has worked overseas on a research project for the Ministry of Law in Pakistan and is currently chair of the Savayra Foundation, a women’s empowerment charity based in Pakistan.
POSITIONS HELD:
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Community Relations Advisor to the Leader of the Opposition, June 2004 – June 2005
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Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party, June 2005 – July 2007
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Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion & Social Action, July 2007 –
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Shadow Minister for Sheffield, Aug 2007 –
PROUDEST POLITICAL ACHIEVEMENT:
In December 2007, Sayeeda successfully represented her country and secured the release of British teacher Gillian Gibbons in Sudan.
INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF POLITICS:
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Theatre
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Music
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Family
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Food
FAMILY LIFE: