You Ask The Questions: Sayeeda Warsi, Tory spokesperson for community cohesion

David Cameron is a busted flush and the Tories look like losing their fourth election in a row. What do you think the party should do to avert this impending disaster?

DAVID SINCLAIR, Edinburgh

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Two by-elections don't equal a general election. In May, three months ago, the Conservative Party gained over 900 new council seats, achieved a real breakthrough in the North and blew Labour out of the water in the South-east. Of course there is more work to do and we can still do better in some cities but we are making progress. That Gordon Brown is so keen to show he has changed and distance himself from his 10 years at the centre of the Labour Government shows he is not happy with their record and is worried by the progress of the Conservatives.

Should David Cameron have cancelled his trip to Rwanda when his constituency was affected by the flooding?

BETH PRICE, Bristol

No. It was absolutely the right decision for him to go. David Cameron was the first party leader to visit the flood damage on Sunday while Gordon Brown was having a day off. He kept in regular contact with his constituency and local authorities for the two days that he was away. Those who say that the problems facing countries like Rwanda don't matter or don't affect us are wrong. Things that happen in other parts of the world affect us too. Unless we help these countries, then there is more pressure for migration. And dealing with climate change requires a global response.

What do you make of the disquiet in your party over David Cameron's leadership?

JOE PATRICK by email

You can always find one or two people who will moan but I meet party members all the time and I know that David has the overwhelming support of the party. A lot of what is being said at the moment is just the usual media hype. It doesn't actually mean there is disquiet. Now is not the time to change our strategy but to reaffirm it. Gordon Brown talks about change because he knows that the country wants change and the Conservative Party is offering it. Almost everything that Gordon Brown has done so far is an attempt to respond to the agenda that the Conservative Party under David Cameron has set.

Why did the Conservatives perform so badly at the Ealing by-election?

SUSAN WAUGH by email

I don't think we did "perform so badly". With Tony Lit we had a great candidate, he was determined to fight to win and had great connections with the local community. We fought an excellent campaign in Ealing and Southall and we did make progress. We engaged with the Asian community there and proved that we can make progress in a predominantly Asian area. It is disappointing we didn't get a better result. Some people say that by running a very vigorous campaign and putting lots of work in to meeting people in the constituency, expectations in the media became too high and that it would have been better not to bother too much to keep expectations down. I don't accept that.

After Brown's great start, are you relieved that he hasn't called an early election?

CARL NEWMAN, Hertfordshire

Gordon Brown does not have a mandate to be Prime Minister and should have called an election immediately. We have heard a lot from so-called "strategists" in the Labour Party talking about the date of an election. I say, "bring it on". Gordon Brown cannot be the change the country needs so let's give people the chance to vote for real change.

What makes you a Conservative?

JIM BREWER, Portsmouth

As a libertarian I am an instinctive Conservative, I don't believe the state has the answers and I believe in the family, enterprise, social responsibility and liberty under law make for a stronger society.

Amanda Platell, a recent Tory spin doctor, condemned your appointment and said you were just ambitious to be a celebrity. Doesn't this make you perfect to work alongside David Cameron?

LAURA HOPKINS, Manchester

I met Amanda briefly about three or four years ago, not a decade ago as she said in her column, so she starts from an inaccurate premise.If people don't know me they don't necessarily know my story and how it was my professional and voluntary work that led me to politics. I am not sure Amanda has been in the best place to comment on Conservative politics for the last six years. She was a failure when she worked for the Conservative Party. Rather than getting on with her job, it turned out that she was doing a video diary.

Was the invasion of Iraq a mistake?

JANE FRYER by email

I did not support going to war in Iraq and was on the anti-war march. What has followed showed mistakes were made right at the start, however I believe we should take responsibility for our actions and should now see the job through so that we leave the country in a stable position.

As the daughter of Pakistani parents, do you think we should have a cap on the number of immigrants to the UK?

AJAY DAMM, Southwark

At different times different levels of immigration are needed. Recently we have had an influx from eastern Europe. The situation is made worse because the Government have no idea where we are on this. We need different numbers of immigrants at different times. There should be an annual limit set by parliament which takes account of the skills needed but also the pressure put on services like the National Health Service and education, this should not be seen as racist.

Do you find the tone of the debate over Muslim integration profoundly depressing and faintly racist?

V SINGH, Ealing

People are coming at cohesion, and not just Muslim integration, from a tabloid perspective. For example Sharia law and whether it should be used in this country is often badly misrepresented. But Sharia law is not about chopping off hands. Muslim women should not be at the behest of unscrupulous Sharia councils; they should have the same protection as non-Muslim women. People should also think about the language they are using, terms used can create misunderstanding and have a negative impact on community cohesion.

How do we engage with the angry young men on the streets and prevent them turning to extremist and terror groups?

BARRY HAMILTON, Harpenden

We need to inspire people to feel part of Britain, so we need to explain its institutions and democratic process. We need to explain to people that there is room for dissent, by lobbying Parliament, signing petitions, demonstrating in the streets or even living in a shack outside Parliament. What we need to make clear is that we don't do bombs. We have learnt from Northern Ireland that progress can be made if you get people round the table talking.

Isn't the Conservative Party still the same old nasty party?

MARTYN JACKSON, Northumberland

The Conservative Party is the only major party to have taken on the big challenge of today - social breakdown. The Conservative Party has always been a practical party based around core values, we believe in substantial change not change for change's sake.

What is the relevance of the Conservative Party when Labour has taken on so many right-wing policies?

MARCUS WILLIAMSON by email

There are big differences between us and Labour, despite what some might say. We believe in local decision-making with power devolved to the people, Labour still cling on to a top-down, Whitehall knows best approach. Labour's policies are both ineffective and authoritarian, such as ID cards.

Do you regard Margaret Thatcher as a heroine?

PATRICIA BROUGHTON, Sheffield

Yes

You appeared upset by the Government's repeal of Section 28 and the lowering of the age of consent for gay people. How can someone so anti-gay be a leading figure in the cuddly Cameron Conservatives?

BEN WILLIAMS, Brighton

I am not anti-gay, I am a strong defender of civil liberties. I have strong views on sex education, whether heterosexual or homosexual, and believe parental choice takes precedent. It should be the parents' decision whether their child receives sex education at school. Personally I believe the parent is the best person to educate their child on this issue.Britain's got the highest number of teenage pregnancies in Europe, this doesn't suggest to me our current approach is working.

Do you find it difficult to stick to the Tory policies on issues of personal morality such as homosexuality and sex education in schools?

MARGARET THOMAS, Ipswich

No, I don't think there is a particular prescription that the Conservative Party demands people sign up to. We are a broad church and it is important and beneficial for individuals to hold different personal views on certain issues.

What is your position regarding grammar schools?

PABLO EHRENS by email

While I support the grammar schools we have, I think the way to improve social mobility is by expanding the city academies programme which was started under the last Conservative government and by focusing on improving standards in all of our schools.

Are you flying off on holiday soon, and how have you changed your lifestyle to help combat global warming?

DECLAN KELLY, London NW6

At the moment I am overwhelmed with work so there is no chance of flying off anywhere! I do hope to have some time off to spend with my family in the next few weeks. I try to use public transport as much as possible, especially with all my travel from Yorkshire to London.

Have you ever used cannabis or any other illegal drugs?

STEPHEN O'BRIEN, Hackney

No, I don't even drink!

Is there anyone in the Labour Party that you admire?

PHIL THOMPSON, Reading

Robin Cook, who resigned on principle over the war. I think he is much admired and sadly missed.

Do you approve of arranged marriages?

ROGER HARRIS, Cambridge

Too often I think people confuse arranged marriages with forced marriages. Forced marriages are a very different thing and I have done a lot of work to bring them to an end.

Do you disapprove of sex before marriage?

ANNE TREMLETT, Corby

Individuals are free to live by their own moral codes.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

WILL GEORGE by email

Elizabeth Peacock, who used to be MP for Batley and Spen, told me: "Always tell the truth in politics and be true to yourself".