BARONESS Sayeeda Warsi has been appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bolton.

A lawyer, a businesswoman, and campaigner, The Right Hon Baroness Warsi PC has had many roles, but she is best known for being the first woman Muslim Cabinet Minister.

Educated at the University of Leeds, she gave up her job as a solicitor in 2004 to stand as a Parliamentary candidate in her home town of Dewsbury.

She served as a special adviser on community relations to Conservative leader Michael Howard and became a life peer in 2007 which then enabled her to enter the shadow cabinet.

In 2010 she was appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron as Minister without Portfolio.

Since then she has served in a variety of positions including as Chairman of the Conservative Party, Minister of State for Faith and Communities and Senior Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

Last year Baroness Warsi was awarded a Doctorate of Social Sciences by the University of Bolton for her outstanding contribution to Politics.

She said: "I’m delighted to join a fantastic team at the University of Bolton at an exciting time of unprecedented investment and growth.

"The University of Bolton’s commitment to widening access to Higher Education is something that associates with my own experience of growing up in a strong working class house and progressing to serving as a Cabinet Minister.

"Education is the opportunity that makes anything possible and I believe the University of Bolton is a key player in that."

Professor George Holmes,Vice Chancellor at the University, said: "I am delighted that Lady Warsi is joining us at this crucial time in our history. She is an inspiration and role model for thousands of our students, past, present and future.

"She is testimony to the power of education and the ability to seize opportunity."