British Cabinet Minister Priti Patel has stepped down from her post as International Development Secretary, after a scandal erupted over her failure to disclose her meetings with Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She forwarded her resignation after she was summoned to 10 Downing Street by Prime Minister Theresa May. In her letter, Patel said her conduct “fell below the high standards that are expected of a secretary of state”. The 45 year old has been under immense pressure ever since it was revealed that she did not keep May or her colleagues in the circle about 12 meetings she held with Israeli officials during a vacation in Israel in August.
May stated it was right for Patel to quit “and adhere to the high standards of transparency and openness that you have advocated.” She also directed her Cabinet Office to look into tightening the ministerial code of conduct to avoid any such incidents in future. As per protocol, ministers have to inform the UK Foreign Office when they conduct official business overseas. Patel's meetings however, were not known to anyone. Her breach finds her accused of a major diplomatic gaffe in a highly politically sensitive area.
Patel, who hosted Prime Minister's Diwali this year at the 10 Downing Street has been much adored by the British Indian community. She has recently been a bridge between the UK and Indian governments and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a number of official visits. The International Development Secretary is currently away in Africa on government business.
A strong Brexiter, campaigning for increasing opportunities for Indians in absence of immigrants from the European Union, has been supporting May in the formal procedure. However it shocked May's government when it came out to the light, that the International Development Secretary had held 12 meetings with Israeli groups and officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while she was on vacation in the country in August and hadn't told the Prime Minister or colleagues about it.
However Patel reportedly insisted that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson knew about her visit. Her department was later forced to clarify the statement, saying "the foreign secretary did become aware of the visit, but not in advance of it."
Patel apologised, saying the meetings "did not accord with the usual procedures."
Patel also said: “This summer I travelled to Israel on a family holiday paid for by myself. While away I had the opportunity to meet a number of people and organisations. I am publishing a list of who I met. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office was aware of my visit while it was under way.
“In hindsight, I can see how my enthusiasm to engage in this way could be misread, and how meetings were set up and reported in a way which did not accord with the usual procedures. I am sorry for this and I apologise for it.”
Patel did not tell British diplomats she was holding the meetings, which is the convention.
Shadow international development secretary Kate Osamor called Ms Patel's absence in the Commons "simply unacceptable" and demanded she face a Cabinet Office investigation or do "the decent thing" and resign. But Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt told MPs: "The secretary of state is on a pre-arranged government visit to Africa to focus on how we are breaking down barriers to [trade] and she is presently in the air.
"The secretary of state realises in hindsight that these meetings were not arranged following the usual procedures and she has apologised for that.
"The Foreign Office has said that UK interests were not damaged or affected by the meetings on this visit."
Ms Patel's meetings have added a further trouble for Prime Minister Theresa May, who is already struggling with an abuse scandal that has seen the resignation of Michael Fallon as the defence secretary.
The Downing Street has confirmed Patel wanted to send aid money to the Israeli army after conducting a string of secret meetings with Israeli figures, including the country’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaker John Bercow later said he would "welcome" Ms Patel indicating that she wishes to make a statement to the Commons on November 13 about the controversy, though he further told the MPs: "That, I think, has to be for her to judge."
