BY ALEXIA JAMES

Last week, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi decided to bid farewell to the Conservative Party. To be frank, her resignation could have been announced at two in the morning, and it would have given everyone a chance for a good night’s sleep without missing a thing. For those of us who have watched Warsi navigate the Conservative ranks with all the grace of a drunken rhinoceros, it’s hard not to feel that her exit is less a tragedy and more a relief. Over the last decade Warsi has metamorphosed from Tory stalwart to Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, making even Michael Heseltine seem a benign force.

In her parting words, Warsi lamented the “hypocrisy and double standards” within the party, claiming it has strayed too far right. However, let’s unpack that. If anything, the party shifted way left under Cameron and has largely remained there, perpetuating the same unconservative values that brought Blair to power, culminating in the predictable thrashing of the Tories this summer at the polls against Blair wannabe Starmer.

It’s easy for Warsi to throw around terms like “far right” when her own perspective seems permanently skewed by discontent and frustration.

If we really want to discuss double standards, let’s consider someone who has spent years in a party, enjoying its perks, only to shed crocodile tears when things don’t go her way. And how about that infamous Twitter spat with likely next leader Robert Jenrick? Recently she called him a “tool” over his comments about arresting protesters who chant “Allahu Akbar.” Really? This is how we’re doing politics now? Throwing insults like confetti? How Rayneresque! Hardly the behaviour of a serious politician.

These confrontations reveal a disconnect between Warsi and the grassroots of the party, reflecting her own journey in politics. When you’re so far removed from the membership that you can’t even grasp their concerns – which include the boats, immigration and crowded public services – maybe it’s time to reconsider your place at the table.

Let’s get one thing straight: Warsi’s track record within the Conservative Party is a blend of ambition and misunderstanding. Having strutted into the spotlight during her time in the Coalition government, it’s puzzling that she now paints herself as a martyr for diversity—a concept she claims has been betrayed. If Warsi were genuinely passionate about promoting inclusive representation, surely she would have stayed within the party to work towards that. It’s a bit of a contradiction, isn’t it?

Warsi’s departure, far from being a nail in the coffin of party values, signals that those who can’t align with a popular and collective vision for Britain can step aside. The Conservative Party is stronger than such internal squabbles, and it will thrive without her kind of negativity dragging it down. There are plenty of Muslims in the party who recognise there is no significant “Islamophobia” problem in the party and are eager for the party to reform and rejuvenate to a point where it is electable again.

So, Baroness Warsi, thank you for your service, but don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Your absence may not be felt nearly as much as your constant commentary suggested it might. Given the current Government by Sixth Form from the Sausage Party, and Tories’ ambitions to reset, the future is bright for the Conservatives, and it’s clear that this is one departure we members won’t mourn. We’ve got big plans, and clearly, you weren’t on board for them. Thanks for finally moving on.