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Priti Patel

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The Right Honourable

Dame Priti Patel

DBE MP
Official portrait, 2021
Shadow Foreign Secretary
Assumed office
4 November 2024
LeaderKemi Badenoch
Preceded byAndrew Mitchell
Home Secretary
In office
24 July 2019 – 6 September 2022
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded bySajid Javid
Succeeded bySuella Braverman
Member of Parliament
for Witham
In office
6 May 2010 – 8 November 2017
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byConstituency established
Majority5,145 (10.2%)[1]
Personal details
Born
Priti Sushil Patel

(1972-03-29) 29 March 1972 (age 53)
London, England
Political partyConservative (1991–1995; since 1997)
Other political
affiliations		Referendum (1995–1997)
Spouse(s)
Alex Sawyer
​
(m. 2004)​
Children1
Alma mater
Priti Patel's voice
Patel explains the Rwanda asylum plan
Recorded 14 April 2022

Priti Sushil Patel[2] (born 29 March 1972) is a British politician who has been the Shadow Foreign Secretary since 2024. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Witham in Essex since 2010. She was International Development Secretary from 2016 to 2017. In July 2019, Patel became Home Secretary for the Boris Johnson administration. Patel is a member of the Conservative Party. Her ideas and policies are inspired by Margaret Thatcher.

Patel, a Eurosceptic was a strong supporter of the Brexit campaign in 2016. During her time as Home Secretary, Patel was criticized for her handling of immigration issues and for her asylum deal with Rwanda. During her career, she has been accused of breaking the ministerial code several times.

After the resignation of Rishi Sunak as leader of the Conservative Party in July 2024, Patel announced she would run to be the new Tory leader and Leader of the Opposition in the 2024 Conservative Party leadership election. She was eliminated from the election in the first round of voting in early September 2024. In November 2024, she was appointed to the shadow cabinet of Kemi Badenoch as the Shadow Foreign Secretary.

Early life

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Patel was born on 29 March 1972 to Sushil and Anjana Patel in London.[3][4] In the 1960s, her parents emigrated to the United Kingdom and lived in Hertfordshire.[5] She was raised Hindu.[6][7]

Patel went to study economics at Keele University. She then continued her postgraduate studies in British government and politics at the University of Essex.[8][9][10]

Early career

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After graduating, Patel became an intern at Conservative Central Office.[11] In 1997, Patel began to work with William Hague in his press office.[12]

In 2000, Patel left her job at the Conservative Party to work for Weber Shandwick, a PR consulting firm.[13] Patel's job was also to lobby MEPs against EU tobacco regulations. She worked for Weber Shandwick for three years.[14]

In August 2003, the Financial Times (FT) published an article using quotes from Patel talking about the "racist attitudes" in the Conservative Party, and that "there's a lot of bigotry around".[15] Patel later said she meant these words in terms of her being blocked as a party candidate because of her ethnicity.[12]

Political career

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In the 2005 UK general election, Patel ran as the Conservative candidate for Nottingham North, losing to the incumbent Labour MP Graham Allen.[16][17] Patel finished in second place and won 18.7% of the vote.[18][19] At the 2010 general election, Patel was elected to Parliament as MP for Witham.[20]

In October 2013, Patel was part of the Number 10 Policy Unit,[21] and was promoted as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury the next summer.[22]

At the 2015 UK general election, Patel was re-elected.[23] During the campaign, she had criticised Labour Party rival John Clarke after he called her a "sexy James Bond villain" and a "village idiot" on social media.[24] After the election, Patel became Minister of State for Employment in the Department for Work and Pensions.[25]

After Prime Minister David Cameron's announcement of a referendum on the UK's continuing membership of the European Union (EU), Patel was see as the "poster girl" for the Vote Leave campaign.[26] Throughout the election, Patel was a strong supporter of Brexit.[27] After Cameron resigned following the referendum, Patel supported Theresa May as his replacement.[28]

Secretary of State for International Development

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Patel with activist Malala Yousafzai in April 2017

After becoming Prime Minister in July 2016, May promoted Patel as Secretary of State for International Development.[29] Some people at the department were worried about Patel's appointment, because of her support for Brexit.[30] Patel said that too much UK aid was wasted or spent inappropriately.[31] During her time at the department, she approved £1.1 billion in global aid to be used to fight malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.[32]

On 3 November 2017, it was revealed that Patel had held meetings in Israel in August 2017 without telling the Foreign Office.[33] 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.[34] Many people wanted Patel to resign because they believed she broke the ministerial code.[35] Patel released an apology for her actions after meeting with Prime Minister May.[36] After more information about her meeting became public, Patel resigned on 8 November 2017.[37]

Home Secretary

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Patel with Prime Minister Boris Johnson visiting the sight of the London Bridge stabbing attack, November 2019

Patel was appointed Home Secretary by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in July 2019.[38] She is the first British Indian to hold this office.[39] Shortly after her appointment, news reported that Patel began working for a strategic adviser on a salary of £5,000 a month for five hours' work a month, leading people to believe that she had broken the ministerial code for a second time.[40] At the 2019 UK general election, Patel was again re-elected.[41]

In this role, Patel created a points-based immigration system and an asylum deal with Rwanda to fix the English Channel migrant crossings. She also supported the passage of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. Patel also approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States.

In June 2020, Patel said that the public should not take part in the UK protests brought along by the murder of George Floyd in the United States because of the coronavirus outbreak.[42] She criticised Black Lives Matter protestors in Bristol for taking down the statue of Edward Colston.[43] In February 2021, she called the Black Lives Matter protests as "dreadful".[44]

Following the resignation of Johnson and election of Liz Truss as Prime Minister, Patel resigned as Home Secretary on 6 September 2022.[45] Afterwards, 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.[46][47]

Controversies

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Patel during her official visit to the United States, November 2021

In February 2020, Patel was criticized for trying to "force out" Sir Philip Rutnam, the most senior civil servant in her department.[48] She was accused of bullying people who worked for her.[49] Rutnam resigned on 29 February.[50] Rutnam alleged that Patel had orchestrated a "vicious" campaign against him.[51] In November 2020, an investigation found evidence that Patel had broken the ministerial code after being accused of bullying in the three government departments in which she had worked under.[52] Patel said that she had "never set out to upset anyone" and that she was "absolutely sorry for anyone that I have upset".[53] She reached a legal settlement with Rutnam in March 2021.[54]

In August 2020, Patel said 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".[55][56]

In September 2020, Patel said 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.[57]

2024 Conservative leadership election

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In the 2024 general election, Patel was re-elected as MP for Witham. She received 18,827 votes - a majority of 5,145.[58] After the resignation of Rishi Sunak as leader of the Conservative Party, she was seen as a likely candidate in the leadership election.[59] Her allies believe she would be able to unify the different wings of the party.[60] Patel announced she would run for Tory leader on 27 July 2024.[61][62]

On 4 September, Patel was eliminated from the election in the first round of voting, gaining 11.86% of the vote.[63]

Personal life

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In 2004, Patel married NASDAQ marketing consultant Alex Sawyer.[64] Together, they have a son.[65]

References

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  1. ↑ "Election results 2024: Witham". BBC News. Archived from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ↑ "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 19 May 2015 (pt 0001)". Parliament of the United Kingdom. 19 May 2015. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "BME label insulting, says ex-minister Priti Patel". BBC News. 9 March 2018. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  4. ↑ Asthana, Anushka (8 November 2017). "Priti Patel: an outspoken Brexiter who went too quietly to Israel". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  5. ↑ "Priti Patel, MP: The New Face Of Britain's Conservative Party". International Business Times. 8 January 2013. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015.
  6. ↑ "Guardian cartoon of cow in relation to Priti Patel sparks outrage amongst diaspora in Britain". The Hindu. 9 March 2020. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  7. ↑ "Priti Patel appointed Britain's first Indian-origin Home Secretary". The Hindu. 25 July 2019. Archived from the original on 15 October 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "About Priti". Rt. Hon Priti Patel MP. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  9. ↑ "The Conservative women on the rise in Cameron's reshuffle". BBC News. 15 July 2014. Archived from the original on 3 September 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  10. ↑ "Profile: Priti Patel". BBC News. 8 November 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017.
  11. ↑ Waugh, Paul (30 January 2014). "Priti, please". Politics Home. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Question Time: This week's panel". BBC One. 15 March 2007. Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  13. ↑ Singleton, David (11 May 2010). "Many lobbyists win seats but some see majority decreased". PR Week. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  14. ↑ Doward, Jamie (30 May 2015). "Minister worked as spin doctor for tobacco giant that paid workers £15 a month". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  15. ↑ Brant, Robin (4 December 2006). "A year on, has the A-list worked?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  16. ↑ Fahy, Natalie (6 May 2015). "Election results for Nottingham North from 2001, 2005 and 2010". Nottingham Post. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  17. ↑ "Result: Nottingham North". BBC News. 6 May 2005. Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  18. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ↑ "Election 2005: Nottingham North". BBC News. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  20. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "New Number 10 policy board announced". The Spectator. 15 October 2013. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  22. ↑ Cockburn, Harry (24 July 2019). "Priti Patel: Disgraced former minister who previously supported death penalty named home secretary by Boris Johnson". The Independent. Archived from the original on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  23. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  24. ↑ 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. Archived from the original on 28 March 2015.
  25. ↑ "Priti Patel appointed as Employment Minister". ITV News. 11 May 2015. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015.
  26. ↑ 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. Archived from the original on 9 February 2016.
  27. ↑ Mason, Rowena (21 June 2016). "Priti Patel warns of EU migration threat to UK class sizes". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016.
  28. ↑ Ross, Tim (9 July 2016). "Priti Patel: Andrea Leadsom could become a Tory Corbyn". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 July 2016.
  29. ↑ Stone, Jon (14 July 2016). "The new International Development Secretary wanted to scrap what is now her department". The Independent. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017.
  30. ↑ Bush, Stephen (20 September 2016). "DFID officials are worried about Priti Patel, but it's Brexit they should be frightened of". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  31. ↑ Quinn, Ben (14 September 2016). "Priti Patel plans foreign aid overhaul based on 'core Tory values'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  32. ↑ Dominiczak, Peter (18 September 2016). "Britain will withhold foreign aid money if performance countries' targets are not met". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016.
  33. ↑ Landale, James (3 November 2017). "Priti Patel held undisclosed meetings in Israel". BBC News. Archived from the original on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  34. ↑ "Priti Patel suggested UK should 'give aid to Israeli army' after secret meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu". The Daily Telegraph. 7 November 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  35. ↑ 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. Archived from the original on 6 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  36. ↑ "Priti Patel resigns from Cabinet over undisclosed meetings with Israeli officials". ITV News. 8 November 2017. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  37. ↑ Elgot, Jessica (9 November 2017). "Penny Mordaunt replaces Priti Patel in May's cabinet". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017.
  38. ↑ Francis, Elliott (24 July 2019). "Boris Johnson goes to work as prime minister". The Times. Archived from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  39. ↑ "Priti Patel appointed Britain's first Indian-origin Home Secretary". The Hindu. 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  40. ↑ Grierson, Jamie (26 July 2019). "Priti Patel accused of breaching ministerial code for second time". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  41. ↑ "Witham Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  42. ↑ 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. Archived from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  43. ↑ Diver, Tony (7 June 2020). "Statue of slave trader Edward Colston pulled down and thrown into harbour by Bristol protesters". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  44. ↑ Parveen, Nazia (12 February 2021). "Priti Patel describes Black Lives Matter protests as 'dreadful'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  45. ↑ Morris, Sophie (6 September 2022). "Priti Patel resigns as home secretary". Sky News. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  46. ↑ "Resignation Honours 2023" (PDF). GOV.UK. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  47. ↑ "No. 64120". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 July 2023. p. 14503.
  48. ↑ "Priti Patel 'tried to force out top civil servant'". BBC News. 20 February 2020. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  49. ↑ Murphy, Joe (20 February 2020). "Priti Patel tried to get rid of top official Sir Philip Rutnam amid 'atmosphere of fear'". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  50. ↑ "Home Office boss quits over 'campaign against him'". BBC News. 29 February 2020. Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  51. ↑ Syal, Rajeev (20 April 2020). "Priti Patel bullying row: ex-Home Office chief launches tribunal claim". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  52. ↑ Syal, Rajeev; Stewart, Heather (19 November 2020). "Bullying inquiry 'found evidence Priti Patel broke ministerial code'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  53. ↑ Neilan, Catherine (20 November 2020). "Priti Patel says she is 'absolutely sorry' in first interview after bullying report". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  54. ↑ "Priti Patel reaches £340,000 settlement with ex-Home Office chief Philip Rutnam". The Guardian. 4 March 2021. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  55. ↑ "Refugees crossing Channel tell of beatings by French police". The Guardian. PA Media. 16 August 2020. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  56. ↑ "Channel migrants: Four dead as boat sinks near Dunkirk". BBC News. 27 October 2020. Archived from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  57. ↑ "Ascension Island: Priti Patel considered outpost for UK asylum centre location". BBC News. 30 September 2020. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  58. ↑ "General election 2024: the results for Braintree and Witham". Braintree & Witham Times. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  59. ↑ Rayner, Gordon (2024-07-16). "Priti Patel to run for Tory leadership". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  60. ↑ Knowles, Michael (2024-07-16). "Dame Priti Patel set to enter race to become next Conservative Party leader". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  61. ↑ "Priti Patel vows to unite Tories in leadership bid". BBC News. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  62. ↑ "Priti Patel enters Tory leadership race saying 'time to put unity before personal vendetta'". Sky News. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  63. ↑ Maidment, Jack (4 September 2024). "Robert Jenrick on top in first round of Tory leadership race as Priti Patel eliminated". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  64. ↑ Hume, Lucy (5 October 2017). People of Today 2017. Debrett's. p. 1817. ISBN 978-1-9997670-3-7. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018.
  65. ↑ "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.

Other websites

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