Priti Patel has accused the Foreign Office of attempting to block her reforms to combat Channel migrant crossings in a parting shot after stepping down as home secretary.
The spat was triggered after the Twitter account of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) “liked” a tweet from a Labour MP celebrating Patel’s exit. Zarah Sultana tweeted “good riddance”, adding: “You were an unspeakably cruel home secretary and won’t be missed by anyone with a shred of decency.”
One of the first accounts to “like” the tweet was the FCDO’s official account, although it was swiftly “unliked” and the department said it was a “genuine mistake” by a member of staff.
Patel’s team reacted with fury. A close ally said that the “like” reflected the “sheer obstruction she faced from the Foreign Office”. They said: “The FCDO has fought at every turn to overturn the Rwanda policy. Priti has stood up for the hard-working majority on illegal migration, detention and the removal of people with no legal basis to be in our country.”
Internal government documents disclosed, as part of the judicial review of the Rwanda policy being heard in the High Court, how the FCDO repeatedly attempted to prevent the government opening negotiations with Rwanda over plans to deport migrants there, because of concern over the country’s human rights record.
Patel’s departure brings to an end one of the most controversial spells of any home secretary. She was in the post three years but has left a legacy that will be remembered by some as a stain on Britain’s global reputation. The policy to send migrants to Rwanda will be remembered as Patel’s project.
Anyone tempted to write her political obituary, however, would be wise to recall her previous comebacks. Despite being sacked by Theresa May as international development secretary in 2017, after she breached the ministerial code over unsanctioned meetings with the Israeli president, the MP for Witham was handed one of the top jobs in Boris Johnson’s government less than two years later. She narrowly avoided a second sacking in 2020 when she was again found to have breached the ministerial code after a Cabinet Office inquiry into allegations that she had bullied civil servants. Johnson stood by her.
Afterwards, her name was mentioned before Cabinet reshuffles as someone in line for demotion amid the Home Office’s failure to stem the tide of cross-Channel migrants. Johnson continued to support her, despite privately becoming increasingly frustrated at the Home Office’s failure to combat the crossings. In return, Patel, 50, remained fiercely loyal to Johnson, choosing not to resign during the flood of July resignations that forced him to step down.
Her decision to remain in her post meant that her own leadership run failed to get off the ground. She was busy appointing a new Metropolitan Police commissioner and getting other key policies over the line. Patel failed to win enough support to enter the ballot.
Her decision not to endorse Liz Truss did not help her attempts to remain in her job. Patel delivered a parting shot to her successor yesterday, saying it was “vital” that “all aspects” of her policies to combat illegal immigration were continued.
