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Muslim Tory 'advised not to run' Muslim Tory 'advised not to run'
(about 7 hours later)
Conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi says she was advised not to stand as an MP by her local party as voters were "not ready for two ethnic candidates". Tory frontbencher Sayeeda Warsi says she was advised not to stand as an MP by her local party as voters were "not ready for two ethnic candidates".
Baroness Warsi stood in the 2005 general election, when she was beaten by Labour's Shahid Malik. Ms Warsi stood in the 2005 general election, when she was beaten by Labour's Shahid Malik.
But party officials in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, told her voters needed a "bit of time" before two Muslims ran again, she told The Yorkshire Post.But party officials in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, told her voters needed a "bit of time" before two Muslims ran again, she told The Yorkshire Post.
She was made a peer in David Cameron's July reshuffle. She was made a shadow minister in David Cameron's July reshuffle.
The Tory leader promoted her to the role of shadow community cohesion minister, making her the first Muslim woman to sit on the front bench of a political party in the UK.The Tory leader promoted her to the role of shadow community cohesion minister, making her the first Muslim woman to sit on the front bench of a political party in the UK.
She is expected to be given a peerage soon allowing her to sit on the Conservative benches in the House of Lords.
Mr Cameron has made recruiting more female and ethnic minority candidates to winnable seats central to his efforts to modernise the Conservative Party.Mr Cameron has made recruiting more female and ethnic minority candidates to winnable seats central to his efforts to modernise the Conservative Party.
But in an interview with The Yorkshire Post, Baroness Warsi describes how an interview with local Conservative officials made her reconsider her plans to stand again. But in an interview with The Yorkshire Post, Ms Warsi describes how an interview with local Conservative officials made her reconsider her plans to stand again.
'Long, hard look''Long, hard look'
She said: "The chairman said you're the best candidate we've ever had, you would have made a fantastic MP for this town but at the moment, maybe because of the way that this community is, it still needs a bit of time on both sides.She said: "The chairman said you're the best candidate we've ever had, you would have made a fantastic MP for this town but at the moment, maybe because of the way that this community is, it still needs a bit of time on both sides.
"Maybe the white community is not ready for two ethnic candidates again and also the Muslim community, which really needs to take a long, hard look at itself.""Maybe the white community is not ready for two ethnic candidates again and also the Muslim community, which really needs to take a long, hard look at itself."
She said: "I'm still going to be a woman at the next election. I wasn't going to change. I was still going to be brown at the next election."She said: "I'm still going to be a woman at the next election. I wasn't going to change. I was still going to be brown at the next election."
I was too black for half of the community and too white for the other half Baroness WarsiI was too black for half of the community and too white for the other half Baroness Warsi
She dismissed allegations that she was given her current frontbench role in a display of "tokenism" by Tory leader David Cameron, adding: "I'm quite a proud person.She dismissed allegations that she was given her current frontbench role in a display of "tokenism" by Tory leader David Cameron, adding: "I'm quite a proud person.
"If someone ever gave me a job because I felt it made them look good, as some commentators have tried to put to David, I'd never do that.""If someone ever gave me a job because I felt it made them look good, as some commentators have tried to put to David, I'd never do that."
In the interview, she described the prejudice she faced from some Tory voters as she campaigned in Dewsbury in 2005.In the interview, she described the prejudice she faced from some Tory voters as she campaigned in Dewsbury in 2005.
'Blunt''Blunt'
"We had two quite extreme things working here. We had the BNP with the largest support in the country."We had two quite extreme things working here. We had the BNP with the largest support in the country.
"I had people who said they had voted Tory in the past slam the door in my face and told me to, 'F-off Paki, I ain't voting for you'. That was how blunt it was."I had people who said they had voted Tory in the past slam the door in my face and told me to, 'F-off Paki, I ain't voting for you'. That was how blunt it was.
"On the other hand, you had the community which I thought I knew well, in Savile Town and Ravensthorpe, the Muslim community, quite an orthodox community, who just had a real issue with a woman standing."On the other hand, you had the community which I thought I knew well, in Savile Town and Ravensthorpe, the Muslim community, quite an orthodox community, who just had a real issue with a woman standing.
"Suddenly people who you thought would be there to support you, it stuck in their throat."Suddenly people who you thought would be there to support you, it stuck in their throat.
"I always say that in the 2005 election, I was too black for half of the community and too white for the other half.""I always say that in the 2005 election, I was too black for half of the community and too white for the other half."
Baroness Warsi, formerly Sayeeda Warsi, lost by 4,615 votes to Mr Malik.