Priti Patel resigns – RESIGNS? Doesn’t Theresa May have the guts to sack ANYONE?

Last Updated: November 8, 2017By

Priti Patel leaving 10 Downing Street. She exited via the back door – appropriately, considering the surreptitious nature of this affair [Image: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images].

What new charade is this?

Having been dragged back to the UK from a diplomatic visit to Kenya, Priti Patel has been allowed to resign, rather than being sacked by Theresa May.

The government has publicised – with indecent haste – both Ms Patel’s resignation letter and Mrs May’s letter of acceptance. They both run to considerable length and This Writer, for one, questions when the parties in this matter found time to write them.

And what about the way they are written?

“As you know from our discussions I accept that in meeting with organisations and politicians during a private holiday in Israel my actions fell below the high standards that are expected of a Secretary of State,” wrote Ms Patel (if you accept that she wrote it).

“While my actions were meant with the best of intentions, my actions also fell below the standards of transparency and openness that I have promoted and advocated.

“I offer a fulsome apology to you and to the Government for what has happened and offer my resignation.”

Fulsome apology? “Of large size or quantity, generous or abundant”? It doesn’t seem all that fulsome to This Writer.

And Theresa May’s response defies belief!

“Now that further details have come to light, it is right that you have decided to resign and adhere to the high standards of transparency and openness that you have advocated.”

What “high standards of transparency and openness”?

Priti Patel held secret meetings with Israeli politicians and organisations, and lied about having done so.

We still don’t know the full details of her itinerary during that “holiday” in Israel and we don’t know what meetings she has held with Israeli dignitaries thereafter.

And what was Downing Street’s actual involvement? The Jewish Chronicle has suggested that it was a little more than has been previously claimed.

And this is the nub of the matter.

By holding private meetings with a foreign power, Ms Patel has made it possible for the press to make damaging claims about the UK government – claims that may be accurate.

Downing Street has denied these claims. But what if the Jewish Chronicle ups the ante and provides proof?

What then?

This matter has demonstrated that Theresa May’s government has no interest in transparency and openness. Quite the opposite, in fact.

The minority Prime Minister will be hoping that it will go away, following the resignation of the offending minister.

It won’t.

We need to know exactly what happened, when it was arranged, with whom, who knew about it, who was there at the time, what was said about it afterwards and to whom, and whether all the information has been made public. My guess that it hasn’t.

Recent events involving Boris Johnson have shown that ministers cannot expect to be able to lie to us and expect us to accept it. We need the facts.

And if Theresa May can’t provide the answers, it won’t be one of her ministers who’ll need to resign.


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8 Comments

  1. Will Matthews November 8, 2017 at 8:13 pm - Reply

    Whiff of cover up. Patel given “get out of jail free” card before embarking on unofficial business.

  2. laurettalottiepearson November 8, 2017 at 8:20 pm - Reply

    I wonder if it has anything to do with Murdoch? Maybe he won’t be getting full control of sky?Location of oil on the Golan Heights and him being a major share holder in an American Oil Company, who have found an oil reserve on the Golan Heights? It would possibly help heal the wounds?

  3. Brian November 8, 2017 at 9:37 pm - Reply

    The orchestration would make the Halle proud, unfortunately they are way out of tune and off key, perhaps this band should be humming auld langs syne.

  4. Roland Laycock November 8, 2017 at 10:06 pm - Reply

    Well that’s nice I have just won £20 , I said she would not be given the push by May, What I would like to know is what went of in these meetings will the truth ever come out or is it just another back door job

  5. Giri Arulampalam November 8, 2017 at 10:57 pm - Reply

    Well, I have an independent view on the Tory Priti Patel issue.Is she a Tory “sheep” amongst the the Old Etonian(“posh boys”) “wolves”. Ms Patel’s parents came to the UK as a refugees(very humble background) from Idi Amin’s Uganda.Not a typical Tory background. It is a well-known fact that the Tory Party is a cut-throat Party! But,the problem is “posh boy Boris”(educated at Eton & Oxford) gets away with everything. Is Boris “unsackable”?

  6. blackghost55 November 9, 2017 at 2:05 am - Reply

    Hi
    What happens now… Has she been thrown out of parliament or does she go on the backbenchers??
    Thanks

  7. marcusdemowbray November 9, 2017 at 8:16 am - Reply

    Watching BBC and C4 news during the evening it became clear that there were several hours between Mrs Patel returning to UK and then meeting May; there was speculation why the long wait. Both their letters were fairly long and written with great care, they were carefully considered “call and response”. This increased my suspicion that there is far more to this case than Patel being a loose canon. I think May is involved in dodgy dealings and Patel had to go to save May. Something smells fishy, and it ain’t fresh!

  8. NMac November 9, 2017 at 10:29 am - Reply

    Too frightened to sack her, May probably pleaded with her to resign.

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