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The Conservative Party deliberately uses "dangerous" hatred of Muslims to win elections, its former chairwoman declared today.

Sayeeda Warsi said Tory Islamophobia goes "all the way to the top" because the attitude is "who cares" - as long as it gets votes.

And she sensationally blamed top Tory Michael Gove's "extreme views" for the "Ukipification" of her party, despite Mr Gove being tipped as a moderniser and future leader.

Baroness Warsi, who was the first female Muslim minister at Cabinet, has already been an outspoken critic of her party since her term as chair ended in 2012.

But her comments today appear to go further than criticism she has made before.

(Image: REUTERS)

The 47-year-old lawyer singled out the Tories' "dog-whistle" campaign against Sadiq Khan , who became London's first Muslim mayor in 2016.

Conservative Zac Goldsmithinfamously issued leaflets targeted at the Tamil community claiming Mr Khan would tax "family jewellery".

Baroness Warsi told Business Insider: "We specifically went out for Hindu voters saying Sadiq's after your jewellery and I love Modi and by the way, Sadiq is an extremist.

"It was really amateur dog whistle politics.

"I just feel that somebody in campaign took a decision that if we throw enough dirt at him tied to the fact that he's a Muslim then people will say this man can't be trusted and he won't vote for him."

(Image: AdamBienkov/Twitter)

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

She added: "There is a sense of only caring about what wins us the next election and if trashing the Muslim community wins us the next election then who cares."

The peer said Islamophobia is "very widespread" in her party and "exists right from the grassroots, all the way up to the top".

She pointed the finger at Aussie election guru Lynton Crosby, who masterminded Goldsmith's failed campaign and later the 2017 snap election.

She said: "It's saying 'these are the acceptable brown people and those are the unacceptable brown people' and I think that is really dangerous."

And she blamed Environment Secretary Michael Gove for the current attitude.

"I sometimes joke that Michael Gove radicalised David Cameron ," she said.

(Image: REUTERS)

"In private conversations [I know that David] had some concerns about some of the extreme views that Michael had but over time [Gove] influenced a lot of his views."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has previously demanded an inquiry into claims of Islamophobia in the Conservative Party.

The Labour leader - whose own party faces claims of anti-Semitism - spoke out after Home Secretary Sajid Javid brushed aside calls for a deeper probe.

Mr Javid rejected the plea by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), saying they did not represent all Muslims and "I would be very suspicious of anything that they've got to say".

But Mr Corbyn said: "I think if there are allegations made then an inquiry should be held and it should be addressed and it should be dealt with."

A string of Tory councillors have made allegedly Islamophobic posts online, including one who was suspended over tweets which appeared to back imprisoning Muslims.