Sayeeda Warsi became the first Muslim woman to sit on the front bench of a British political party in July 2007 at the age of 36.

Straight-talking and combative - she describes herself as a "northern, working-class-roots mum" - she gave up her job as a solicitor in 2004 to stand for Parliament in her home town of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, losing out to Labour's Shahid Malik.

She was also a special adviser on community relations to then Tory leader Michael Howard before becoming the party's vice-chairman.

Ms Warsi - who is married with a daughter - says her admiration for Conservative principles is inspired by her father, who went from working in a mill to running a £2m-a-year bed-manufacturing firm.