Priti Patel

Dame Priti Sushil Patel^[2] DBE (born 29 March 1972) is a British politician who served as Home Secretary from 2019 to 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, she was Secretary of State for International Development from 2016 to 2017. Patel has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Witham since 2010. She is ideologically on the right wing of the Conservative Party; she considers herself to be a Thatcherite and has attracted attention for her socially conservative stances.

The Right Honourable Dame Priti Patel DBE MP
Official portrait, 2021
Home Secretary
In office 24 July 2019 – 6 September 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Sajid Javid
Succeeded by	Suella Braverman
Secretary of State for International Development
In office 14 July 2016 – 8 November 2017
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Justine Greening
Succeeded by	Penny Mordaunt
Junior ministerial offices Minister of State for Employment In office 11 May 2015 – 14 July 2016 Prime Minister David Cameron Preceded by Esther McVey Succeeded by Damian Hinds Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury In office 15 July 2014 – 11 May 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron Preceded by David Gauke Succeeded by Damian Hinds
Member of Parliament for Witham
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 May 2010
Preceded by	Constituency established
Majority	24,082 (48.8%)^[1]
Personal details
Born	Priti Sushil Patel (1972-03-29) 29 March 1972 (age 51) London, England
Political party	Conservative (1991–1995; since 1997)
Other political affiliations	Referendum (1995–1997)
Spouse	Alex Sawyer ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	1
Alma mater	University of Keele (BA) University of Essex (MPP)
Signature
Priti Patel's voice Patel explains the Rwanda asylum plan Recorded 14 April 2022

Patel was born in London to a Ugandan-Indian family. She was educated at Keele University and the University of Essex. Inspired to get involved in politics by the Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, she was involved with the Referendum Party before switching allegiance to the Conservatives. She worked for the public relations consultancy firm Weber Shandwick for several years before seeking a political career. After she unsuccessfully contested Nottingham North at the 2005 general election, the new Conservative leader David Cameron recommended Patel for the party's "A-List" of prospective parliamentary candidates. She was elected MP for Witham, a new seat in Essex, at the 2010 general election, and was then re-elected in 2015, 2017, and 2019. As a backbencher, Patel was vice-chair of the Conservative Friends of Israel and co-wrote a number of papers and books, including After the Coalition (2011) and Britannia Unchained (2012).^[3] Under the coalition government of Cameron, she served as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury from 2014 to 2015. After the 2015 general election, Cameron promoted her to Minister of State for Employment, attending Cabinet.

A longstanding Eurosceptic, Patel was a leading figure in the Vote Leave campaign for Brexit during the 2016 referendum on UK membership of the European Union. Following Cameron's resignation, Patel supported Theresa May's bid to become Conservative leader; May subsequently appointed Patel Secretary of State for International Development. In 2017, Patel was involved in a political scandal involving unauthorised meetings with the Government of Israel which breached the Ministerial Code, causing May to request Patel's resignation as International Development Secretary.

Under Boris Johnson's premiership, she became Home Secretary in July 2019. In this role, she launched a points-based immigration system, an asylum deal with Rwanda to address the English Channel migrant crossings, advocated the passage of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, and approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States. She was also found to have breached the Ministerial Code in relation to incidents of bullying. Following the resignation of Johnson and subsequent election of Liz Truss as Prime Minister, Patel resigned as Home Secretary on 6 September 2022.^[4]

Early life

Patel was born on 29 March 1972 to Sushil and Anjana Patel in London.^[5][6] Her paternal grandparents were born in Gujarat, India, before emigrating to Uganda, and running a convenience store in Kampala.^[7] In the 1960s, her parents emigrated to the UK and settled in Hertfordshire.^[8][9] They established a chain of newsagents in London and the South East of England.^[10][11] She was raised in a Hindu household.^[12][13] Her father Sushil was a UKIP candidate for Hertfordshire in 2013.^[14]

Patel attended a comprehensive school in Watford before going on to study economics at Keele University. She then pursued postgraduate studies in British government and politics at the University of Essex.^[15][16][17]

The former Conservative leader and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher became her political heroine: according to Patel, she "had a unique ability to understand what made people tick, households tick and businesses tick. Managing the economy, balancing the books and making decisions—not purchasing things the country couldn't afford".^[10] She joined the Conservative Party in 1991, when John Major was prime minister.^[8]

Early career

After graduating, Patel became an intern at Conservative Central Office (now known as Conservative Campaign Headquarters), having been selected by Andrew Lansley (then Head of the Conservative Research Department).^[18] From 1995 to 1997, Patel headed the press office of the Referendum Party.^[17]

In 1997, Patel rejoined the Conservative Party having been offered a post to work for the new leader William Hague in his press office, dealing with media relations in London and the South East of England.^[19] In August 2003, the Financial Times (FT) published an article citing quotes from Patel and alleging that "racist attitudes" persisted in the Conservative Party, and that "there's a lot of bigotry around".^[20] Patel wrote to the FT countering its article stating that her comments had been misinterpreted to imply that she had been blocked as a party candidate because of her ethnicity.^[19]

Lobbying and corporate relations

In 2000, Patel left her job at the Conservative Party to work for Weber Shandwick, a PR consulting firm.^[21] According to an investigative article published by The Guardian in May 2015, Patel was one of seven Weber Shandwick employees who worked on British American Tobacco (BAT)—a major account. The team had been tasked with helping BAT manage the company's public image during the controversy around its Burma factory being used as source of funds by its military dictatorship and poor payment to factory workers. The crisis eventually ended with BAT pulling out of Burma in 2003. The article went on to quote BAT employees who felt that though a majority of Weber Shandwick employees were uncomfortable working with them, Patel's group was fairly relaxed. The article also quoted internal documents specifying that a part of Patel's job was also to lobby MEPs against EU tobacco regulations. She worked for Weber Shandwick for three years.^[22]

Patel then moved to the British multinational alcoholic beverages company, Diageo, and worked in corporate relations between 2003 and 2007.^[23] In 2007, she rejoined Weber Shandwick as Director of Corporate and Public Affairs practices. According to their press release, during her time at Diageo, Patel had "worked on international public policy issues related to the wider impact of alcohol in society."^[24]

Parliamentary career

Member of Parliament for Witham: 2010–present

 

Patel on the panel of Britannia Unchained

In the 2005 general election, Patel stood as the Conservative candidate for Nottingham North, losing to the incumbent Labour MP Graham Allen.^[25][26] Patel finished in second place and won 18.7% of the vote.^[27][28] After her unsuccessful election campaign, she was identified as a promising candidate by new party leader David Cameron, and was offered a place on the "A-List" of Conservative prospective parliamentary candidates (PPC).^[20] In November 2006, Patel was adopted as the PPC for the notionally safe Conservative seat of Witham, which was a new constituency in central Essex created after a boundary review.^[29] At the 2010 general election, Patel was elected to Parliament as MP for Witham, winning 52.2% of the vote and a majority of 15,196.^[30]

Along with fellow Conservative MPs Kwasi Kwarteng, Dominic Raab, Chris Skidmore and Liz Truss, Patel was considered one of the "Class of 2010" who represented the party's "new Right".^[31] Together, they co-authored Britannia Unchained, a book published in 2012.^[3] The book was critical of levels of workplace productivity in the UK, making the controversial statement that "once they enter the workplace, the British are among the worst idlers in the world".^[3] The authors suggested that to change this situation, the UK should reduce the size of the welfare state and seek to emulate the working conditions in countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea rather than those of other European nations.^[32][33] In the same year, Patel was elected on to the executive of the 1922 Committee.^[34]

In October 2013, Patel was drafted into the Number 10 Policy Unit,^[35] and was promoted as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury the following summer.^[36]

In October 2014, Patel criticised the plan of the Academies Enterprise Trust to merge the New Rickstones and Maltings Academies, claiming that to do so would be detrimental to school standards.^[37] Patel lodged a complaint with the BBC alleging one-sided coverage critical of Narendra Modi on the eve of his victory in 2014 Indian elections.^[38][39] In January 2015, Patel was presented with a "Jewels of Gujarat" award in Ahmedabad, India, and in the city she gave a keynote speech at the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce.^[40]

At the 2015 general election, Patel was re-elected with an increased vote share of 57.5% and an increased majority of 19,554.^[41] During the campaign, she had criticised Labour Party rival John Clarke for referring to her as a "sexy Bond villain" and a "village idiot" on social media; he apologised.^[42] After the election, Patel became Minister of State for Employment in the Department for Work and Pensions,^[43] and was sworn on to the Privy Council on 14 May 2015.

In October 2015, a junior employee at the Department for Work and Pensions was dismissed from her role. In response, the employee brought a formal complaint of bullying and harassment against the department, including Patel. In 2017, a settlement was reached for £25,000 after the member of staff threatened to bring a legal claim of bullying, harassment and discrimination on the grounds of race and disability against the department and Patel.^[44]

In December 2015, Patel voted to support Cameron's planned bombing of Islamic State targets in Syria.^[45]

Brexit campaign: 2015–2016

Following Cameron's announcement of a referendum on the UK's continuing membership of the European Union (EU), Patel was touted as a likely "poster girl" for the Vote Leave campaign.^[46] Patel said that the EU is "undemocratic and interferes too much in our daily lives". She publicly stated that immigration from elsewhere in the EU was overstretching the resources of UK schools.^[47] She helped to launch the Women for Britain campaign for anti-EU women; at their launch party, she compared their campaign with that of Emmeline Pankhurst and the Suffragettes, for which she was criticised by Emmeline's great-granddaughter Helen Pankhurst.^[48]

Following the success of the "Leave" vote in the EU referendum, Cameron resigned, resulting in a leadership contest within the party. Patel openly supported Theresa May as his successor, stating that she had the "strength and experience" for the job, while arguing that May's main challenger Andrea Leadsom would prove too divisive to win a general election.^[49] In November 2017, Patel was critical of the UK government Brexit negotiations and stated: "I would have told the EU in particular to sod off with their excessive financial demands".^[50]

Secretary of State for International Development: 2016–2017

 

Patel greeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Heathrow Airport on 12 November 2015

After becoming Prime Minister in July 2016, May appointed Patel to the position of Secretary of State for International Development.^[51] According to the New Statesman, some staff at the department were concerned about Patel's appointment, because of her support for Brexit and her longstanding scepticism regarding international development and aid spending.^[52]

On taking the position, Patel stated that too much UK aid was wasted or spent inappropriately, declaring that she would adopt an approach rooted in "core Conservative principles" and emphasise international development through trade as opposed to aid.^[53] In September, Patel announced that the UK would contribute £1.1 billion to a global aid fund used to combat malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, and added that any further aid deals would include "performance agreements" meaning that the British Government could reduce aid by 10% if specific criteria were not met by the recipient country.^[54]

In September 2016, she expressed opposition to the construction of 28 affordable homes at the Lakelands development in Stanway, referring to it as an "unacceptable loss of open space" and criticising Colchester Borough Council for permitting it.^[55] That same month, the council's chief executive Adrian Pritchard issued a complaint against Patel, claiming that she had acted "inappropriately" in urging Sajid Javid to approve the construction of an out-of-town retail park after it had already been rejected by Colchester Council.^[56]

Patel was critical of the UK's decision to invest DFID funds to support the Palestinian territories through UN agencies and the Palestinian Authority. In October 2016, she ordered a review of the funding procedure, temporarily freezing approximately a third of Britain's aid to the Palestinians during the review. In December 2016, DFID announced significant changes concerning future funding for the Palestinian Authority. DFID stated that future aid would go "solely to vital health and education services, in order to meet the immediate needs of the Palestinian people and maximise value for money." This move was widely supported by Jewish groups, including the Jewish Leadership Council and the Zionist Federation.^[57][58]

In January 2017, Patel and the Labour MEP Neena Gill were the two UK winners of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, the highest honour that the Indian government gives to non-resident Indians or people of Indian origin. She was given the award for her public service.^[59]

At the 2017 general election, Patel was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 64.3% and a decreased majority of 18,646 votes.^[1][60]

In March 2020, it was reported that while serving as International Development Secretary Patel was alleged to have "harassed and belittled" staff in her private office in 2017.^[61]

Meetings with Israeli officials and resignation

On 3 November 2017, it was revealed that Patel had held meetings in Israel in August 2017 without telling the Foreign Office. She was accompanied by Lord Polak, honorary president of Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI). The meetings, up to a dozen in number, took place while Patel was on a "private holiday". Patel met Yair Lapid, the leader of Israel's centrist Yesh Atid party, and reportedly made visits to several organisations where official departmental business was discussed. The BBC reported that "According to one source, at least one of the meetings was held at the suggestion of the Israeli ambassador to London. In contrast, British diplomats in Israel were not informed about Ms Patel's plans."^[62]

It was also reported that, following the meetings, Patel had recommended that the Department for International Development give international aid money to field hospitals run by the Israeli army in the Golan Heights.^[63]

On 4 November 2017, in an interview with The Guardian, Patel stated:

Boris [Johnson] knew about the visit. The point is that the Foreign Office did know about this, Boris knew about [the trip]. I went out there, I paid for it. And there is nothing else to this. It is quite extraordinary. It is for the Foreign Office to go away and explain themselves. The stuff that is out there is it, as far as I am concerned. I went on holiday and met with people and organisations. As far as I am concerned, the Foreign Office have known about this. It is not about who else I met; I have friends out there.^[64][65]

Patel faced calls to resign, with numerous political figures calling her actions a breach of the ministerial code, which states: "Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise".^[66]

On 6 November, Patel was summoned to meet May, who then said that Patel had been "reminded of her responsibilities" and announced plans for the ministerial code of conduct to be tightened.^[67] Patel released an apology for her actions, and corrected her remarks to The Guardian, which she said gave the false impression that the Foreign Secretary knew about the trip before it happened, and that the only meetings she had had were those then in the public domain.^[65] According to Downing Street, May learned of the meetings when the BBC broke the story on 3 November.^[68]

In the days after Patel's meeting with the Prime Minister and public apology, there were further revelations about her contacts with Israel, including details of two more undisclosed meetings with Israeli officials in Westminster and New York in September 2017,^[69] that Patel had not disclosed when she met the Prime Minister on 6th.^[70] As a result of these further revelations, Patel was summoned to Downing Street once more on 8 November, where she met with the Prime Minister and subsequently resigned from her cabinet position, after 16 months in the post.^[69] She was replaced by Penny Mordaunt the following day.^[71] Patel said that, following her resignation, she was "overwhelmed with support from colleagues across the political divide" and from her constituents.^[72][73]

Backbencher: 2017–2019

 

Patel visiting British troops in 2017

In May 2018, Patel questioned the impartiality of the Electoral Commission and called for it to investigate Britain Stronger in Europe or to end its inquiry into the Vote Leave campaign. Patel expressed concern that Britain Stronger in Europe had been provided with services by other remain campaigns without declaring the expenditure in the appropriate way.^[74] In August 2018, the Electoral Commission reported that there was no evidence that Britain Stronger in Europe had breached any laws on campaign spending.^[75]

In December 2018, during the UK's Brexit negotiations, a government report was leaked which indicated that food supplies and the economy in the Republic of Ireland could be adversely affected in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Following the report, Patel commented: "This paper appears to show the government were well aware Ireland will face significant issues in a no-deal scenario. Why hasn't this point been pressed home during negotiations?" Some sections of the media reported her comments as a suggestion that Britain should exploit Ireland's fear of damage to its economy and food shortages to advance its position with the EU. She was criticised for insensitivity by several other MPs in the light of Britain's part in Ireland's Great Famine in the 19th century, in which a million people died. Patel said her comments had been taken out of context.^[76][77] Journalist Eilis O'Hanlon criticised the media's characterisation of Patel's comments as a "manipulative, sinister media-manufactured campaign of character assassination", further elaborating that the "divide between fact and comment broke down entirely in response to Priti Patel's comments".^[78]

In March 2019, Patel backed a pamphlet published by the TaxPayers' Alliance which called for the international development budget to be reformed, and for the UK alone to decide what constitutes aid, rather than international organisations.^[79]

Home Secretary: 2019–2022

 

Patel as Home Secretary with Johnson in 2019

Patel was appointed Home Secretary by Johnson in July 2019.^[80] Shortly after her appointment, news transpired that, in May 2019, Patel began working for Viasat as a strategic adviser on a salary of £5,000 a month for five hours' work a month, without seeking prior approval from the government's Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, leading to accusations that she had broken the ministerial code for a second time.^[81] At the 2019 general election, Patel was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 66.6% and an increased majority of 24,082 votes.^[82]

Police and crime

In January 2020, a report by the Youth Empowerment and Innovation Project said that Patel's approach to tackling youth radicalisation was "madness" and the Home Office had been "disengaged".^[83]

After the murder of David Amess, Patel asked all police forces in the United Kingdom to review security arrangements for Members of Parliament.^[84]

Immigration

In February 2020, Patel launched a points-based immigration system, which took effect from 1 January 2021.^[85] The system aims to reduce the number of immigrants to the UK by requiring visa applicants to meet a set of criteria, such as a salary threshold, ability to speak English, academic qualifications and working in an understaffed industry.^[86] In Parliament on 13 July 2020, Patel said the system "will enable us to attract the brightest and best – a firmer and fairer system that will take back control of our borders, crack down on foreign criminals and unleash our country's true potential. We are building a brighter future for Britain and signalling to the world that we are open for business".^[87]

On 1 October 2021, Patel banned the use of EU Identity Cards as a travel document for entering the UK, stating that almost half of all false documents detected at the UK border the year previous were ID cards.^[88] In February 2022, Patel also scrapped the tier 1 investor visa for wealthy people outside of the EU who invest in the UK, in what was called the start of a "renewed crackdown on illicit finance and fraud".^[89]

As Home Secretary, Patel has actively sought to sign a number of returns agreements with countries to make it easier to remove foreign nationals who have no right to be in the UK to their country of origin. Such agreements were signed with Albania in July 2021 and Serbia in January 2022.^[90]

Asylum seekers

 

Patel meets with the French interior minister Christophe Castaner in 2019 to discuss the English Channel migrant crossings

In August 2020, Patel suggested that many migrants were seeking to cross the English Channel to Britain because they believed that France was a "racist country" where they may be "tortured". Patel said she did not share those views but it was a reason why many migrants were crossing the Channel.^[91] Patel has vowed to make the Channel "unviable" for migrant boats.^[92]

In September 2020, Patel suggested that Ascension Island, which is more than 4,000 miles (6,400 km) from the UK, could be used to build an asylum processing centre. Nick Thomas-Symonds, then–Shadow Secretary of State, said: "This ludicrous idea is inhumane, completely impractical and wildly expensive - so it seems entirely plausible this Tory government came up with it."^[93]

In March 2021, Patel published a New Plan for Immigration Policy Statement, which included proposals to reform the immigration system, including the possibility of offshore processing of undocumented immigrants.^[94] In April 2021, 192 refugee, human rights, legal and faith groups signed a letter which condemned a six-week consultation, organised by the Home Office, on these proposals. Signatories of the letter described the consultation as "vague, unworkable, cruel and potentially unlawful".^[95][96]

In May 2021, a high court judge criticised Patel in court and said he found it "extremely troubling" that one of her officials admitted the Home Office may have acted unlawfully in changing its asylum accommodation policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the judge's comments, a solicitor representing Patel apologised on her behalf.^[97]

In June 2021, a High Court judge ruled that the Home Office acted unlawfully by housing asylum seekers in an "unsafe" and "squalid" former army barracks. The judge found that the Home Office failed to look after vulnerable people and noted that a lack of safety measures had contributed to a "significant" risk of injury and death from fires or from coronavirus.^[98][99]

In November 2021, following the November 2021 English Channel disaster, the French government withdrew an invitation to Patel to attend a meeting about the Channel boats crisis, after Johnson called on France to take back people who crossed the Channel to the UK in small boats.^[100]

In March 2022, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said many Ukrainian refugees had been turned away by British officials in Calais and told to obtain visas at UK consulates in Paris or Brussels.^[101][102]

 

Patel meets with Rwandan foreign minister Vincent Biruta in 2022 to sign the Rwanda asylum plan

In April 2022, Patel visited the Rwandan capital of Kigali and signed the Rwanda asylum plan,^[103] to fly thousands of migrants who cross the English Channel in lorries or on boats more than 4,000 miles on chartered planes to the African country. The plan has been criticised by many charities, as well as opposition figures.^{[104][105][106]}

Review of Border Force

In February 2022, Patel commissioned Alex Downer, a former Minister for Foreign Affairs in Australia's Liberal Party, to conduct an independent review of Border Force. Downer's appointment was criticized by Border Force's trade unions because of his support for Australia's widely criticised immigration policies.^[107][108]

In July 2022, Downer published his review and concluded that Border Force's overall approach was "ineffective and possibly counterproductive". The report found that while Border Force was "largely delivering what is required of it on a day-to-day-basis" overall the organisation was performing at "a suboptimal level".^[109]

Patel welcomed the report's recommendations. Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, described the review as "incredibly damning" and accused Patel of failing "to get any grip of Britain's borders".^[109]

Evidence of bullying and breach of ministerial code

In February 2020, Patel came under scrutiny for trying to "force out" Sir Philip Rutnam, the most senior civil servant in her department.^[110][111] Rutnam resigned on 29 February, saying he would sue the government for constructive dismissal and that he did not believe Patel's assertion that she had been uninvolved in an alleged campaign briefing against him.^[112] Rutnam alleged that Patel had orchestrated a "vicious" campaign against him.^[113] Several days later, Patel sent an email to Home Office staff in which she expressed regret at Rutman's decision to resign and thanked him for his service.^[114] In April 2020, Rutnam announced that he would be making a claim of "protected disclosure" under whistleblowing laws.^[113] A ten-day employment tribunal hearing was scheduled for September 2021, at which it was expected Patel would be called to appear.^[115]

In November 2020, a Cabinet Office inquiry found evidence that Patel had breached the ministerial code following allegations of bullying in the three government departments in which she had served.^[116] It was reported that Patel "had not met the requirements of the ministerial code to treat civil servants with consideration and respect".^[117] On 20 November 2020, Alex Allan announced that he had resigned as the Prime Minister's chief advisor on the ministerial code after Johnson rejected the findings of the inquiry and stated that he had "full confidence" in Patel.^[118] The FDA union argued that Johnson's response has "undermined" disciplinary procedures.^[119] Patel said that she had "never set out to upset anyone" and that she was "absolutely sorry for anyone that I have upset".^[120]

Commenting on the allegations of bullying The Guardian published a cartoon depicting her as a cow with a ring in its nose. This was alleged by some to be a Hinduphobic, racist and misogynistic reference to her Hindu faith, since cows are considered sacred in Hinduism.^[12][121]

In February 2021, the FDA applied for a judicial review of Johnson's decision to support Patel. The union's general secretary, Dave Penman, told the High Court that "civil servants should expect to work with ministers without fear of being bullied or harassed". Penman argued that if Johnson's decision was not "corrected" by the court, "his interpretation of the Ministerial Code will result in that document failing to protect workplace standards across government".^[119] The case was heard in November 2021 and the application for judicial review was rejected in a decision published in December 2021.^[122][123]

In March 2021, the British Government and Rutnam reached a settlement. Rutnam received payment of £340,000 with a further £30,000 in costs. This arrangement meant that Patel would no longer be called to give evidence before a public tribunal which was due to be held in September 2021. Following the settlement a Home Office spokesman said that liability had not been accepted.^[124]

Protests and cultural issues

In June 2020, Patel urged the public not to partake in the UK protests brought along by the murder of George Floyd in the United States, due to the coronavirus outbreak.^[125] She criticised Black Lives Matter demonstrators in Bristol for toppling the statue of Edward Colston,^[126] calling it "utterly disgraceful".^[127] In February 2021, she described the Black Lives Matter protests that occurred in the UK in 2020 as "dreadful" and said she did not agree with the gesture of taking the knee.^[128]

In June 2021, Patel criticised the England national football team for kneeling against racism before their Euro 2020 games, describing it as "gesture politics". She further said that spectators had the "choice" to boo the players for doing so.^[129] In July 2021, after England lost the final match, Patel condemned the racist abuse of England players on social media as "vile" and called for police action. England player Tyrone Mings criticised Patel as having "stoke[d] the fire" with her earlier comment, and then said that she was "pretend[ing] to be disgusted when the very thing [the national team was] campaigning against happens."^[130]

In September 2020, in a speech at the annual conference of the Police Superintendents' Association, Patel described Extinction Rebellion protesters as "so-called eco-crusaders turned criminals" and said Extinction Rebellion was an "emerging threat" who were "attempting to thwart the media's right to publish without fear nor favour" and that the protests were a "shameful attack on our way of life, our economy and the livelihoods of the hard-working majority". She also called for a police crackdown, saying she "refuses point blank to allow that kind of anarchy on our streets" and "the very criminals who disrupt our free society must be stopped".^[131]

Comments on the legal profession

On 3 September 2020, Patel tweeted that the removal of migrants from the United Kingdom was being "frustrated by activist lawyers". In response the Bar Council accused Patel of using "divisive and deceptive language" and the Liberal Democrats said the comments had "a corrosive effect on the rule of law".^[132] Her tweet came a week after the Home Office was forced by permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft^[133] to remove a video posted on its Twitter feed using similar terminology.^[134] Both the Bar Council and Law Society raised concerns about Patel's rhetoric with the Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland and attorney general Suella Braverman, who asked that she desist with her targeting of the legal profession. The intervention followed an alleged far-right terror attack at a solicitors' office, which took place four days after Patel's tweet^[135] and which was allegedly linked to her comments.^[136][137]

The Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command advised the Home Office of the suspected terror attack in mid-September.^[135] In October 2020, in a speech about the UK asylum system, Patel lambasted those she termed "do-gooders" and "lefty lawyers" for "defending the indefensible". Her comments were again met with criticism from both inside and outside of the legal profession.^[138]

Relations with Bahrain

As Home Secretary, Patel was seen improving ties with the Gulf nation Bahrain.^[139] In December 2020, she visited the country to participate in the Manama Dialogue, where she met her counterpart and a number of senior Bahraini government ministers.^[140] She also toured one of Bahrain's police departments, Muharraq Governorate Police, where several human rights activists have faced torture and sexual abuse by the authorities. The UK Home Office had granted asylum to a Bahraini democracy activist, Yusuf al Jamri, who was tortured and threatened with rape at the same police station. Patel was extensively condemned for her visit by human rights groups and the mistreated prisoners of Bahrain.^[141]

In May 2021, she was accused of viewing "activists as a security threat" by the Director of Advocacy at BIRD, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, who was facing challenges in the UK to get his daughter's citizenship application approved.^[142] Around the same time, on 25 May, Patel hosted a meeting with Bahrain's Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, who was allegedly responsible for the persecution of the human rights defenders and journalists. The meeting came a month after reports around "violent repression" by the Bahraini authorities of more than 60 political prisoners at Jau Prison.^[143][144] UK MPs condemned the meeting, calling it "incredibly insulting to the victims of these abuses". Andrew Gwynne also sent an open letter signed by multiple cross-party MPs to Johnson and called for the authorities to apply Magnitsky Act Sanctions on Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.^[145][146]

One-off incidents

COVID-19 contracts

Further information: Controversies regarding COVID-19 contracts in the United Kingdom

In May 2021, Patel was accused of lobbying Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, on behalf of Pharmaceuticals Direct Ltd (PDL), a healthcare firm, that sought a government contract to provide personal protective equipment. PDL's director, Samir Jassal, previously worked as an adviser to Patel and stood as a Conservative candidate at two general elections.^[147][148] PDL was later awarded a £102.7 million contract weeks in July 2020. The Labour Party accused Patel of a "flagrant breach" of the ministerial code, and urged the cabinet secretary to investigate Patel's behaviour.^[149]

Prank victim

On 15 March 2022, Patel was the victim of a prank video call by Russian comedians Vovan and Lexus who were accused by Britain of working for Russia.^[150][151] One of the callers impersonated Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal, and asked Patel if she was ready to accept neo-Nazi Ukrainian nationalists into the country, referring to the claim by the Russian government that its invasion of Ukraine was to "denazify" the country.^[152] Patel's comments were picked up by Russian state media, including RIA Novosti, which interpreted her comments as meaning she was "ready to accept and help Ukrainian nationalists and neo-Nazis in every possible way".^[152][153]

Return to the backbenches

On 5 September 2022, in anticipation of the appointment of Liz Truss as Prime Minister, Patel tendered her resignation as Home Secretary which was effective from 6 September. She subsequently returned to the backbenches.

Patel endorsed Boris Johnson in the October 2022 Conservative Party Leadership Election. After Johnson declined to stand, she instead endorsed Rishi Sunak.^[154]

Patel was one of 10 parliamentarians personally named in a Commons Select Committee of Privileges special report on the "Co-ordinated campaign of interference in the work of the Privileges Committee", published 28 June 2023. The report detailed how said parliamentarians "took it upon themselves to undermine procedures of the House of Commons" by putting pressure on the Commons Privileges Committee investigation into Boris Johnson.^[155]

Political ideology and views

Patel is considered to be on the right wing of the Conservative Party,^[156] with the Total Politics website stating that some saw her as a "modern-day Norman Tebbit".^[10] In The Guardian, economics commentator Aditya Chakrabortty characterised her as "an out-and-out right-winger" with no desire to "claim the centre ground" in politics.^[157] Patel has cited Margaret Thatcher as her political hero,^[10] and has described herself as a "massive Thatcherite,"^[158] with various news sources also characterising her as such;^[10][11][31] while profiling Patel for The Independent, Tom Peck wrote that she "could scarcely be more of a Thatcherite".^[159] She previously served as a vice-chair of Conservative Friends of Israel.^[160][161]

 

Patel speaking in 2012

Patel has taken robust stances on crime, attracting media attention when she argued for restoration of capital punishment on the BBC's Question Time in September 2011,^[162][163] although in 2016 she stated that she no longer held this view.^[164] Patel opposes prisoner voting,^[165] and has also opposed allowing Jeremy Bamber, who was convicted of murder in her constituency, access to media to protest his innocence.^[166] Patel voted against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill in 2013, which led to introduction of same-sex marriage in England and Wales.^[167]

Patel has been criticised for raising issues in the House of Commons related to her time working for the tobacco industry.^[22][168] In October 2010, she voted for the smoking ban to be overturned;^[169] and led the Conservative campaign against plain tobacco packaging.^[168] Patel has also campaigned with the drinks industry, holding a reception in parliament for the Call Time On Duty Campaign in favour of ending the alcohol duty supertax (known as the escalator), a tax opposed by the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, the Scotch Whisky Association and the TaxPayers' Alliance.^[170]

Speaking on BBC Radio Kent in March 2018, Patel said that she found the commonly-used abbreviation BME (for Black and Minority Ethnic) to be "patronising and insulting". She said that she considered herself British "first and foremost" as she was born in the UK.^[5]

Personal life

Patel has been married to Alex Sawyer since 2004.^[171] Sawyer is a marketing consultant for the stock exchange NASDAQ. He is also a Conservative councillor and Cabinet Member for Communities on the council of the London Borough of Bexley.^{[172][173][174]} Sawyer also worked part-time as her office manager from February 2014 to August 2017.^[174][175] Together, they have a son, who was born in August 2008.^[176]

Honours

• She was sworn in as a member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council on 13 May 2015.^[177] This gave her the Honorific Prefix "The Right Honorable" for life.
• Patel was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) on 9 June 2023 as part of the 2022 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours.^[178][179]

References

1. "Election results 2019: Witham". BBC News. from the original on 8 August 2019.
2. John Bercow, Speaker (19 May 2015). "Members Sworn". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. col. 11.
3. Kwarteng, Kwasi; Patel, Priti; Raab, Dominic; Skidmore, Chris; Truss, Liz (2012). Britannia Unchained: Global Lessons for Growth and Prosperity. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-137-03223-2. from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022. The British are among the worst idlers in the world. We work among the lowest hours, we retire early and our productivity is poor. Whereas Indian children aspire to be doctors or businessmen, the British are more interested in football and pop music
4. Morris, Sophie (6 September 2022). "Priti Patel resigns as home secretary". Sky News. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
5. "BME label insulting, says ex-minister Priti Patel". BBC News. 9 March 2018. from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
6. Asthana, Anushka (8 November 2017). "Priti Patel: an outspoken Brexiter who went too quietly to Israel". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
7. "Explained: Who's Priti Patel, Britain's new Home Secretary?". The Indian Express. 28 July 2019. from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
8. "Priti Patel, MP: The New Face Of Britain's Conservative Party". International Business Times. 8 January 2013. from the original on 30 May 2015.
9. "East meets Westminster: Young, Asian and female – Essex MP Priti Patel is modern face of the Tories". East Anglian Daily Times. 16 July 2012. from the original on 18 May 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
10. "Priti Patel: saviour of the Tory Right". TotalPolitics.com. 5 October 2012. from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
11. Warrell, Helen; Staton, Bethan (4 August 2019). "How radical will Priti Patel be at the UK Home Office?". Financial Times. from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.(subscription required)
12. "Guardian cartoon of cow in relation to Priti Patel sparks outrage amongst diaspora in Britain". The Hindu. 9 March 2020. from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
13. "Priti Patel appointed Britain's first Indian-origin Home Secretary". The Hindu. 25 July 2019. from the original on 15 October 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
14. "Ukip, the Tory MP and her father: the candidate who temporarily wasn't". The Guardian. 1 May 2013. from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
15. "About Priti". Rt. Hon Priti Patel MP. from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
16. "The Conservative women on the rise in Cameron's reshuffle". BBC News. 15 July 2014. from the original on 3 September 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
17. "Profile: Priti Patel". BBC News. 8 November 2017. from the original on 9 November 2017.
18. Waugh, Paul (30 January 2014). . Politics Home. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
19. "Question Time: This week's panel". BBC One. 15 March 2007. from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
20. Brant, Robin (4 December 2006). "A year on, has the A-list worked?". BBC News. from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
21. Singleton, David (11 May 2010). . PR Week. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
22. Doward, Jamie (30 May 2015). "Minister worked as spin doctor for tobacco giant that paid workers £15 a month". The Guardian. from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
23. "Tory rising star is snared by WS". PR Week. 6 December 2007. from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
24. . Weber Shandwick. 4 December 2007. Archived from the original on 16 January 2008.
25. Fahy, Natalie (6 May 2015). . Nottingham Post. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
26. "Result: Nottingham North". BBC News. 6 May 2005. from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
27. . Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
28. "Election 2005: Nottingham North". BBC News. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
29. Dines, Graham (21 November 2006). . Eastern Daily Press. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
30. . Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
31. "Priti Patel: the rising star tipped to lead Brexit campaign". The Week. 1 March 2016. from the original on 6 October 2016.
32. "Tackle 'lazy' Britain, fellow Tories tell David Cameron". London Evening Standard. 17 August 2012. from the original on 7 December 2016.
33. Ramesh, Randeep (17 August 2012). "Tory young bloods say Britons are idlers who need to emulate Asia". The Guardian. from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
34. "New faces elected on to influential Conservative 1922 committee". BBC News. 17 May 2012. from the original on 17 May 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
35. "New Number 10 policy board announced". The Spectator. 15 October 2013. from the original on 5 January 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
36. Cockburn, Harry (24 July 2019). "Priti Patel: Disgraced former minister who previously supported death penalty named home secretary by Boris Johnson". The Independent. from the original on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
37. Lodge, Will (15 October 2014). "Witham: MP Priti Patel voices opposition to merger of Maltings and New Rickstones Academies". East Anglian Daily News. from the original on 10 August 2015.
38. "Indian-origin MP takes BBC's 'Modi coverage' complaint to UK ministry". The Times of India. 22 June 2014. from the original on 22 June 2014.
39. . Hindustan Times. 20 June 2014. Archived from the original on 23 June 2014.
40. "UK Minister Priti Patel honoured at 'Jewels of Gujarat' reception". British High Commission, New Delhi. 7 January 2015. from the original on 2 April 2015.
41. . Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
42. Dickson, Annabelle (24 March 2015). "Tories want Labour election candidate who described Witham MP Priti Patel as 'sexy Bond villain' to be axed". East Anglian Daily Times. from the original on 28 March 2015.
43. "Priti Patel appointed as Employment Minister". ITV News. 11 May 2015. from the original on 14 May 2015.
44. Croxford, Rianna; Titheradge, Noel (3 March 2020). "Patel aide got £25k payout 'over bullying'". BBC News. from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
45. Dickson, Annabelle (2 December 2015). "Prime Minister given backing to extend air strikes to Syria". East Anglian Daily Times. from the original on 3 December 2015.
46. Silvera, Ian (8 February 2016). "Priti Patel: Who is the top Tory right-winger tipped to be the face of the Brexit campaign?". International Business Times. from the original on 9 February 2016.
47. Mason, Rowena (21 June 2016). "Priti Patel warns of EU migration threat to UK class sizes". The Guardian. from the original on 11 October 2016.
48. Dickson, Annabelle (8 March 2016). "Essex MP under fire for likening women who campaign to leave the European Union to the suffragettes". East Anglian Daily Times. from the original on 6 October 2016.
49. Ross, Tim (9 July 2016). "Priti Patel: Andrea Leadsom could become a Tory Corbyn". The Daily Telegraph. from the original on 9 July 2016.
50. "I would have told the EU to sod off over Brexit divorce bill, Priti Patel says". The Daily Telegraph. 27 November 2017. from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
51. Stone, Jon (14 July 2016). "The new International Development Secretary wanted to scrap what is now her department". The Independent. from the original on 28 June 2017.
52. Bush, Stephen (20 September 2016). "DFID officials are worried about Priti Patel, but it's Brexit they should be frightened of". New Statesman. from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
53. Quinn, Ben (14 September 2016). "Priti Patel plans foreign aid overhaul based on 'core Tory values'". The Guardian. from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
54. Dominiczak, Peter (18 September 2016). . The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016.
55. Stott, Matt (6 September 2016). "Witham MP Priti Patel labels Colchester Borough Council 'rotten' in Stanway housing development dispute". East Anglian Daily Times. from the original on 6 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
56. Jennings, Ryan (20 September 2016). "Council claims MP acted 'inappropriately' in Tollgate planning row". The Daily Gazette. from the original on 21 September 2016.
57. Frazer, Jenni (16 December 2016). "UK cracks down on Palestinian aid following three-month freeze". Jewish News Online. from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
58. "Priti Patel held undisclosed meetings in Israel". BBC News. 3 November 2017. from the original on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
59. "Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards-2017". Ministry of External Affairs. 9 January 2017. from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
60. Daynes, Steve. "Parliamentary Election Results". www.braintree.gov.uk.
61. Syal, Rajeev; Stewart, Heather (4 March 2020). "Priti Patel accused of bullying a third senior civil servant". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
62. Landale, James (3 November 2017). "Priti Patel held undisclosed meetings in Israel". BBC News. from the original on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
63. "Priti Patel suggested UK should 'give aid to Israeli army' after secret meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu". The Daily Telegraph. 7 November 2017. from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
64. Syal, Rajeev; Sherwood, Harriet (3 November 2017). "Priti Patel accuses Foreign Office of briefing against her over Israel meetings". The Guardian. from the original on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
65. "Statement from International Development Secretary Priti Patel". GOV.UK. 6 November 2017. from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
66. Swinford, Steven (6 November 2017). "Priti Patel should be 'toast' after failing to declare meeting with Israeli Prime Minister, senior Tories say". The Daily Telegraph. from the original on 6 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
67. "PM plans new ministerial code after Priti Patel apology". BBC News. 7 November 2017. from the original on 7 November 2017.
68. "Priti Patel resigns from Cabinet over undisclosed meetings with Israeli officials". ITV News. 8 November 2017. from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
69. "Priti Patel quits over Israel meetings row". BBC News. 8 November 2017. from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
70. Mance, Henry; Pickard, Jim (8 November 2017). "Priti Patel returns to face uproar over Israel trip". Financial Times. from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
71. Elgot, Jessica (9 November 2017). "Penny Mordaunt replaces Priti Patel in May's cabinet". The Guardian. from the original on 9 November 2017.
72. "Priti Patel 'overwhelmed' by support after quitting cabinet". BBC News. 11 November 2017. from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
73. Roberts, Rachel (12 November 2017). "Priti Patel says she has been 'overwhelmed with support' in first comments since being forced to resign". The Independent. from the original on 16 November 2017.
74. "Priti Patel calls for investigation into remain campaign spending". The Guardian. 27 May 2018. ISSN 0261-3077. from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
75. Kentish, Benjamin (2 August 2018). "Electoral Commission dismisses Tory MP Priti Patel's claims about Remain campaign spending". The Independent. from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
76. Kentish, Benjamin (7 December 2018). "Britain should use risk of food shortages in Ireland to get better Brexit deal, says Priti Patel". The Independent. from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
77. "Irish 'food shortage' comments condemned". BBC News. 7 December 2018. from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
78. O'Hanlon, Eilis (9 December 2018). "Eilis O'Hanlon: 'Brits want to starve the Irish' is the definition of fake news'". Irish Independent. from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
79. Wintour, Patrick (18 March 2019). "Priti Patel joins calls for radical shake-up of aid budget rules". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
80. Francis, Elliott (24 July 2019). "Boris Johnson goes to work as prime minister". The Times. from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
81. Grierson, Jamie (26 July 2019). "Priti Patel accused of breaching ministerial code for second time". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
82. "Witham Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
83. Townsend, Mark (26 January 2020). "Priti Patel's plan to tackle radicalised youth is so flawed it's mad, says study". The Guardian. from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
84. "Man dies in Clayton-le-Woods house collapse blast". BBC News. 15 October 2021. from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
85. "UK announces new points-based immigration system". GOV.uk (Press release). 19 February 2020. from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
86. "UK Visa: Priti Patel launches UK's 'historic' points-based visa system". The Economic Times. 20 February 2020. from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
87. Priti Patel (13 July 2020). "Topical Questions - Hansard". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. col. 1249.
88. "Insecure ID cards phased out as travel document to strengthen UK borders". GOV.UK=. 1 October 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
89. "UK scraps rich foreign investor visa scheme". BBC News. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
90. "Home Secretary agrees historic returns agreement with Serbia". GOV.UK. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
91. "Refugees crossing Channel tell of beatings by French police". The Guardian. PA Media. 16 August 2020. ISSN 0261-3077. from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
92. "Channel migrants: Four dead as boat sinks near Dunkirk". BBC News. 27 October 2020. from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
93. "Ascension Island: Priti Patel considered outpost for UK asylum centre location". BBC News. 30 September 2020. from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
94. "New Plan for Immigration Policy Statement" (PDF). Her Majesty's Stationery Office. March 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
95. Taylor, Diane (30 April 2021). "'Sham': 200 groups criticise UK government consultation on refugee policy". The Guardian. from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
96. Silva, Chantal Da (30 April 2021). "UK Accused Of Hosting 'Sham' Consultation On Refugee Policy In Letter Signed By Nearly 200 Groups". Forbes. from the original on 19 May 2021.
97. Taylor, Diane (6 May 2021). "Judge criticises Priti Patel over policy for asylum seekers in pandemic". The Guardian. from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
98. "High Court rules Priti Patel's Home Office acted unlawfully by housing asylum seekers in "filthy" and "overcrowded" army barracks". bywire news. 3 June 2021. from the original on 3 June 2021.
99. "Napier Barracks: Housing migrants at barracks unlawful, court rules". BBC News. 3 June 2021. from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
100. "Channel deaths: Priti Patel disinvited to meeting with France". The Guardian. 26 November 2021.
101. "France and Britain trade barbs over treatment of Ukraine refugees in Calais". Reuters. 6 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
102. Jones, Sam; Gentleman, Amelia; Allegretti, Aubrey (6 March 2022). "France accuses UK of 'lack of humanity' over Ukrainian refugees". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
103. Thompson, Flora (15 April 2022). "Priti Patel believes Rwanda migrants deal could be model for other countries". Evening Standard. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
104. "Rwanda asylum seekers: UK government criticised over 'cruel' plan". BBC News. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
105. "Tens of thousands of asylum seekers could be sent to Rwanda, says Johnson". The Guardian. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
106. "Boris Johnson announces plan to send migrants to Rwanda amid backlash - but he admits legal challenges likely". Sky News. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
107. "'Deeply concerning': British government picks Alexander Downer to review UK's border force". The Guardian. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
108. "Patel hires ex-Australian foreign minister to carry out Border Force review". Financial Times. 17 February 2022. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
109. "Migrant crisis: Border Force may have made it worse - report". BBC News. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
110. "Priti Patel 'tried to force out top civil servant'". BBC News. 20 February 2020. from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
111. Murphy, Joe (20 February 2020). "Priti Patel tried to get rid of top official Sir Philip Rutnam amid 'atmosphere of fear'". Evening Standard. from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
112. "Home Office boss quits over 'campaign against him'". BBC News. 29 February 2020. from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
113. Syal, Rajeev (20 April 2020). "Priti Patel bullying row: ex-Home Office chief launches tribunal claim". The Guardian. from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
114. "Patel's 'regret' over top adviser's resignation". BBC News. 3 March 2020. from the original on 4 March 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
115. Syal, Rajeev (5 October 2020). "Priti Patel faces tribunal questioning over alleged bullying". The Guardian. from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
116. Syal, Rajeev; Stewart, Heather (19 November 2020). "Bullying inquiry 'found evidence Priti Patel broke ministerial code'". The Guardian. from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
117. Kuenssberg, Laura (19 November 2020). "Inquiry 'found Priti Patel broke behaviour rules'". BBC News. from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
118. "Priti Patel: Bullying inquiry head quits as PM backs home secretary". BBC News. 20 November 2020. from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
119. "High Court urged to overturn PM's decision to stand by Priti Patel". BBC News. 19 February 2021. from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
120. Neilan, Catherine (20 November 2020). "Priti Patel says she is 'absolutely sorry' in first interview after bullying report". The Telegraph. from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
121. @BBCTalkback (10 March 2020). "A cartoon about the Home Secretary Priti Patel, published in the Guardian, depicting her as a bull. Is that fair co…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
122. "Union loses legal challenge to PM's decision to back Priti Patel 6 December 2021". BBC News. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
123. Syal, Rajeev (6 December 2021). "Boris Johnson fights off legal challenge over Priti Patel bullying claims 6 December 2021". Guardian. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
124. "Priti Patel reaches £340,000 settlement with ex-Home Office chief Philip Rutnam". The Guardian. 4 March 2021. from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
125. Clifton, Katy (6 June 2020). "Priti Patel urges people not to join George Floyd protests and says UK 'must put public health first'". Evening Standard. from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
126. Diver, Tony (7 June 2020). "Statue of slave trader Edward Colston pulled down and thrown into harbour by Bristol protesters". The Daily Telegraph. from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
127. "Priti Patel: Toppling Edward Colston statue 'utterly disgraceful'". Sky News. 7 June 2020. from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
128. Parveen, Nazia (12 February 2021). "Priti Patel describes Black Lives Matter protests as 'dreadful'". The Guardian. from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
129. Zaffman, Henry (15 June 2021). "England team playing gesture politics by taking the knee, says Priti Patel". The Times. from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
130. Elgot, Jessica (13 July 2021). "England's Tyrone Mings criticises Priti Patel over racism remarks". The Guardian. from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
131. Dearden, Lizzie (8 September 2020). "Priti Patel calls Extinction Rebellion 'eco-crusaders turned criminals'". The Independent. from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
132. "Exclusive: The Lib Dems Have Urged The Attorney General To Intervene Over Priti Patel's 'Activist Lawyer' Tweet". www.politicshome.com/. Politics Home. 6 September 2020. from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
133. "Priti Patel Complains About 'Activist Lawyers' Attempting To Halt Deportation Of Migrants". HuffPost. 4 September 2020. from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
134. "Home Office scraps 'activist migrant lawyers' clip". BBC News. 28 August 2020. from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
135. Townsend, Mark (25 October 2020). "Priti Patel kept up anti-lawyer rhetoric after Met warning on terror". The Observer. from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
136. "Top ministers urged Priti Patel to stop attacks on 'activist lawyers'". The Observer. 18 October 2020. from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
137. Townsend, Mark (10 October 2020). "Lawyers claim knife attack at law firm was inspired by Priti Patel's rhetoric". The Observer. from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
138. "Priti Patel accused of putting lawyers at risk by branding them 'lefty do-gooders'". The Independent. 6 October 2020. from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
139. Patel, Priti (8 December 2020). "2020 Comments on Bahrain Trip". UKPOL.CO.UK. from the original on 19 January 2021.
140. "Home Secretary attends security conference in Bahrain". GOV.UK. 8 December 2020. from the original on 8 December 2020.
141. "Priti Patel under fire over tour of Bahrain police station where human rights activists were tortured". The Independent. 12 December 2020. from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
142. "Bahrain made me stateless, now my young daughter is facing a similar fate in the UK". The Guardian. 20 May 2021. from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
143. Schlein, Lisa (2 May 2021). "UN Officials Concerned by Bahrain's Treatment of Protesting Prisoners". Voice Of America. from the original on 2 May 2021.
144. "Inside Jau: Government Brutality in Bahrain's Central Prison" (PDF). Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. May 2015. (PDF) from the original on 7 April 2021.
145. "Revealed: Priti Patel's links to Bahrain minister blamed for 'torture' of political prisoners". The Independent. 29 May 2021. from the original on 29 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
146. "Gwynne writes to PM over human rights abuses in Bahrain". Andrew Gwynne MP. June 2021. from the original on 1 June 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
147. McCann, Jaymi (15 May 2021). "Demand for inquiry as Priti Patel accused of lobbying for healthcare firm to get £20m PPE deal". inews.co.uk. from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
148. Gillett, Francesca (18 May 2021). "Covid contracts: Priti Patel accused of lobbying for face mask firm". BBC News. from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
149. Slawson, Nicola (15 May 2021). "Priti Patel accused of lobbying for 'get-rich-quick' £20m PPE deal". The Guardian. from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
150. Nicholls, Dominic; Sheridan, Danielle; Hymas, Charles (17 March 2022). "Russians target Priti Patel and Ben Wallace with fake video calls". The Telegraph. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
151. "UK slams Russia after officials duped by hoax video calls". AP News. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
152. Saul, Derek (24 March 2022). "Kremlin Continues Efforts To Spread Propaganda Through U.K. Hoax Calls". Forbes. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
153. "Глава МВД Британии заявила пранкерам о готовности помогать неонацистам" [Britain's Home Secretary says she is ready to help neo-Nazis]. RIA Novosti. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
154. "New prime minister - latest: Rishi Sunak could be announced as PM within hours as Penny Mordaunt scrambles to reach 100 backers". Sky News. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
155. House of Commons Committee of Privileges. "Matter referred on 21 April 2022: Co-ordinated campaign of interference in the work of the Privileges Committee". committees.parliament.uk. House of Commons. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
156. Mason, Rowena (15 July 2014). "Tory rightwinger Priti Patel promoted to Treasury". The Guardian. London. from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
157. Chakrabortty, Aditya (23 August 2016). "A death foretold: watch as Priti Patel trashes our proud record on aid". The Guardian. from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
158. Whale, Sebastian (1 June 2018). "Priti Patel: The Conservative party is retreating from the battle of ideas". The House. from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
159. Peck, Tom (20 February 2016). "Priti Patel: Tory 'robot' poised for anti-EU reboot". The Independent. London. from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
160. . Conservative Friends of Israel. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
161. Dysch, Marcus (8 November 2017). "Priti Patel: the ambitious politician whose reach exceeded her grasp". The Jewish Chronicle. London. from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
162. Helyer, Rachel (23 September 2011). . The Week. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
163. Swinford, Steven (13 May 2015). "Priti Patel refuses to say whether she wants to bring back death penalty". The Daily Telegraph. from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
164. Savage, Michael (15 September 2016). "Patel backtracks on support for the death penalty". The Times. from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
165. "Prisoners' voters: John Prescott and Priti Patel on European law". BBC News. 10 February 2011. from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
166. "Why was killer Bamber given access to media?". Maldon Standard. 13 September 2010. from the original on 19 July 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
167. "MP-by-MP: Gay marriage vote". BBC News. 5 February 2013. from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
168. Doward, Jamie (3 May 2014). "Tory cigarette packaging rebel Priti Patel is ex-tobacco lobbyist". The Guardian. London. from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
169. Isaby, Jonathan (14 October 2010). "David Nuttall's attempt to relax the smoking ban falls at the first hurdle – but 77 Tory MPs vote for his Bill (with 38 opposing it)". Conservative Home. from the original on 8 January 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
170. (Press release). London: The Wine and Spirit Trade Association. 2015. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015.
171. Hume, Lucy (5 October 2017). People of Today 2017. Debrett's. p. 1817. ISBN 978-1-9997670-3-7. from the original on 4 February 2018.
172. "Councillor Alex Sawyer". Bexley Borough Council. from the original on 26 April 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
173. "London Borough of Bexley". London Councils. from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
174. Kenber, Billy (8 August 2017). "Priti Patel's husband comes off the payroll". The Times. from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
175. Hope, Christopher (29 June 2015). "One in five MPs employs a family member: the full list revealed". The Daily Telegraph. from the original on 2 April 2017.
176. "Newborn Freddie is the Tory party's youngest member". This is Total Essex. 14 August 2008. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
177. "Privy Council appointments: May 2015". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
178. "Resignation Honours 2023" (PDF). GOV.UK. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
179. "No. 64120". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 July 2023. p. 14503.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Priti Patel.

 

Wikiquote has quotations related to Priti Patel.

• Official website
• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
• Appearances on C-SPAN  
• 2017 Profile of Patel on BBC Radio Four

Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Witham 2010–present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by David Gauke	Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury 2014–2015	Succeeded by Damian Hinds
Preceded by Esther McVey	Minister of State for Employment 2015–2016
Preceded by Justine Greening	Secretary of State for International Development 2016–2017	Succeeded by Penny Mordaunt
Preceded by Sajid Javid	Home Secretary 2019–2022	Succeeded by Suella Braverman