Baroness Warsi's resignation citing that the fallout from the conflict in Gaza and Britain's response to it would be a basis for radicalisation comes as heaving blow for the Prime Minister, says Christopher Hope British minister Sayeeda Warsi resigned from her position as a senior foreign office minister this morning, saying she could no longer support the government's policy on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. "With deep regret I have this morning written to the Prime Minister (and) tendered my resignation. I can no longer support Govt policy on Gaza," Warsi said on her official Twitter feed. Her departure is a heavy blow to the Prime Minister David Cameron – both because of the way that it highlights divisions within the Tory ranks over Middle East policy and because it marks the loss of a woman minister at a time when he has been trying to promote more women in Government. It comes amid growing unease among Conservative MPs that the Government has failed to take a firmer line with Israel over its incursion into Gaza in the face of mounting Palestinian casualties. Lady Warsi has signalled her own concern about what was happening in a series of comments on her Twitter feed in recent days. In one she wrote: "Can people stop trying to justify the killing of children. Whatever our politics, there can never be justification, surely only regret." In her resignation letter, posted on her Twitter page, Lady Warsi expressed concern at the impact of changes in last month's Cabinet reshuffle on Government policy. She pointedly described William Hague, who was moved from the Foreign Office, as "one of the finest foreign secretaries this country has seen", before adding: "There is, however, great unease across the Foreign Office, amongst both ministers and senior officials, in the way recent decisions have been made." She also highlighted the departures of Cabinet veteran Ken Clarke and Dominic Grieve, the former Attorney General, both seen as strong upholders of international law. She pointed to evidence emerging from the Home Office suggesting the fallout from the conflict in Gaza and Britain's response to it would be a basis for radicalisation which "could have consequences for us for years to come". Lady Warsi became the first Muslim to sit in the Cabinet when she was made Conservative Party co-chairman by David Cameron following the 2010 general election. She was subsequently moved to the post of minister of state at the Foreign Office and minister for faith and communities in Mr Cameron's 2012 reshuffle in a move widely regarded as a demotion. Get the latest headlines http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Subscribe to The Telegraph http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=telegraphtv Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/telegraph.co.uk Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/telegraph Follow us on Google+ https://plus.google.com/102891355072777008500/ Telegraph.co.uk and YouTube.com/TelegraphTV are websites of The Daily Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.

• published: 05 Aug 2014
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