Tories accused of mounting a 'racially divisive' Election campaign

During the 2005 General Election campaign, Sayeeda Warsi distributed one set of leaflets bedecked in Union Jacks and seemingly aimed at white voters and another – stripped of 'British' images – allegedly aimed at Muslim voters.

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In the pamphlet apparently designed to appeal to Muslims, Mrs Warsi was shown in a headscarf and accompanied by pictures of her meeting non-white voters. The text congratulated a local councillor, Khizar Iqbal, and listed a series of policy pledges that would appeal to hardline members of the community.

These included claims that Labour had 'damaged the future of our children by scrapping Section 28 [the rule introduced by the Conservatives that stopped schools from teaching that homosexuality is an alternative life-style] and openly allowing homosexuality to be promoted in schools'.

She also accused the Government of 'damaging community relations by taking us into an illegal war' on Iraq – military action that was supported by the Tory leadership – and highlighted that she studied at the local madrassa.

The other leaflet showed her in casual clothes and carried pictures of white children, a decorated war veteran and a policeman, all next to a Union Jack.

Other pamphlets also apparently aimed at the white vote criticised Labour's 'chaotic' immigration system and demanded that the Government did more to defend British sovereignty against threats from the EU.

Labour's Shahid Malik won the seat at Dewsbury in Yorkshire with a majority of 4,615.

Mrs Warsi, 36, has denied that her leaflet distribution was determined by the ethnic make-up of the streets.

At the time, she was condemned by gay rights campaigners for her views on homosexuality, which are out of step with Mr Cameron's. Nine months ago he told his party that marriage 'means something whether you're a man and a woman, a woman and a woman or a man and another man'.

Mrs Warsi's appointment is part of Mr Cameron's attempt to reach new voters by remodelling the party as more tolerant and socially inclusive.

He hopes that her fluency in Punjabi, Urdu and Gujarati will help her to reach out to communities with low levels of Tory support.

Mrs Warsi, who served as a special adviser on community relations to previous leader Michael Howard, has been a vice-chairman of the party for two years. She gave up her job as a solicitor to stand for Parliament.

A spokesman for Conservative Central Office said Mrs Warsi's campaign had not been driven by racial considerations. 'The leaflets were distributed in every ward, so there is no question that they were tailored to different races,' he said.

'She accepts her comments about the promotion of homosexuality undermining family life were not well phrased, but has made it clear she is not anti-homosexual. Her objection was to sex education being placed in the hands of schools rather than parents.'