Priti Patel: Lawbreaker Or Innocent?

Priti Patel, the UK's Home Secretary, has been accused of breaking the law on more than one occasion. In 2017, she resigned from the cabinet after holding unauthorised meetings with Israeli officials and was accused of breaching the ministerial code. She was also criticised for her comments about wanting criminals to feel terror and for her support of the death penalty. In 2019, she was accused of breaching the ministerial code for a second time for accepting a lucrative position with a global communications firm before receiving approval from an anti-corruption watchdog. Despite these accusations, Patel has continued to serve in the cabinet and play a prominent role in the Conservative Party's law and order agenda.

Patel's comments on criminals feeling terror

In an interview with the Daily Mail, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel stated that she wants criminals to "literally feel terror" at the thought of breaking the law. This comment was part of her first interview after being appointed to the position by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in July 2019. In the same interview, she also distanced herself from her past comments supporting the death penalty.

Patel's statement about wanting criminals to feel terror was met with criticism from opposition parties, particularly Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott emphasised the need for a public health approach to reduce violent crime, arguing that "tough rhetoric will not bring an end to soaring crime". She also stressed the importance of working with communities rather than alienating them with draconian powers. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Ed Davey echoed similar sentiments, stating that Patel's comments showed she was "out of touch" with the realities of youth crime. He highlighted that young people often carry knives out of fear of other young people in gangs and that increasing police presence without addressing these underlying fears could be counterproductive.

Patel's comments on wanting criminals to feel terror should be understood in the context of her broader approach to law and order and her commitment to a tough stance on crime. She indicated a sharp rightward shift in the government's approach, aligning with her statement that "the Conservative Party is the party of law and order. Full stop." As part of this approach, she also signaled a return to a hard line on drug offenses and a zero-tolerance approach.

The appointment of Patel as Home Secretary raised concerns among some due to her previous controversies. Notably, she had resigned from the cabinet in 2017 after being accused of breaching the ministerial code by conducting unauthorized meetings with Israeli politicians. Additionally, her comments about supporting the death penalty in 2011 and her controversial stance on immigration contributed to a perception of her as a hardline and divisive figure.

Patel's unauthorised meetings with Israeli officials

Priti Patel's unauthorised meetings with Israeli officials caused controversy and led to her resignation from the cabinet in 2017. While on what was initially reported as a family holiday in Israel, Patel held 12 meetings with various Israeli ministers, businesspeople, and a senior lobbyist. These meetings were not authorised in advance and no UK officials were present.

The controversy began when it emerged that Patel had failed to disclose these meetings to Prime Minister Theresa May. In her resignation letter, Patel admitted that her actions fell below the high standards expected of a secretary of state. May accepted her apology but also stated that "further details have come to light", implying that there were additional undisclosed meetings that contributed to Patel's decision to resign.

It was later revealed that Patel had, indeed, held two further unauthorised meetings with senior Israeli officials after her return from Israel. These included a meeting with Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan in Westminster and a meeting with Yuval Rotem, an Israeli foreign ministry official, in New York.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz also reported that Patel had visited an Israeli military field hospital in the Golan Heights, a disputed area that the UK does not recognise. This visit was not declared and, if confirmed, would have been a breach of protocol.

The controversy surrounding Patel's unauthorised meetings with Israeli officials raised questions about potential breaches of the ministerial code of conduct, which states that ministers must ensure that no conflict arises between their public duties and private interests. It also highlighted the importance of transparency and openness in the conduct of government ministers.

Patel's support for the death penalty

Priti Patel has been criticised for her support for the death penalty, with some arguing that her views are “out of touch". In 2006, the year she was chosen as a Conservative candidate, Patel told the Mail on Sunday:

> If you had the ultimate punishment for the murder of policemen and other heinous crimes, I am sure it would act as a deterrent. We must send a clear signal to people that crime doesn’t pay. The punishment must fit the crime and yes, I do support capital punishment."

In 2011, she reiterated her support for capital punishment on the BBC's Question Time, stating:

> I do actually think when we have a criminal justice system that continuously fails in this country and where we have seen murderers, rapists and people who have committed the most abhorrent crimes in society, go into prison and then are released from prison to go out into the community to then re-offend and do the types of crime they have committed again and again. I think that's appalling. And actually on that basis alone I would actually support the reintroduction of capital punishment to serve as a deterrent, because I do think we do not have enough deterrents in this country for criminals."

However, in 2019, after being appointed Home Secretary, Patel denied ever supporting the death penalty, claiming that her previous statements were taken out of context. She told the Daily Mail:

> "I have never said I’m an active supporter of it and [what I said] is constantly taken out of context." [...] My focus now is restating our commitment to law and order and restating our commitment to the people on the frontline, the police."

Patel's appointment as Home Secretary

Priti Patel's appointment as Home Secretary by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in July 2019 was not without controversy. Patel, a right-wing Leave campaigner, had previously served in Theresa May's government as international development secretary but was forced to resign in November 2017. She was accused of breaching the ministerial code by holding unauthorised meetings with Israeli politicians and businesspeople, as well as a senior lobbyist, during a “private holiday” in Israel. This led to accusations that she was effectively running her own foreign policy in the Middle East.

Patel's actions were deemed to have fallen below the standards of transparency and openness required of government ministers. Despite this, Johnson, who himself had breached the ministerial code in the past, brought her back into the Cabinet as Home Secretary. This move was criticised by some, given the manner of her previous departure from government.

In her new role, Patel vowed to crack down on crime and make criminals "feel terror". She also indicated a hard-line approach to drug offences and immigration. However, her tough rhetoric and zero-tolerance policies were criticised by opposition parties, who argued that a more collaborative approach was needed to tackle crime effectively.

Patel's advisory role with Viasat

In 2019, Priti Patel was accused of breaching the ministerial code for the second time in her parliamentary career. The breach was in relation to her acceptance of a paid advisory role with Viasat, a California-based global communications company with a UK base in Farnborough.

Patel took on the role of strategic adviser to Viasat, earning £5,000 a month for an expected commitment of about five hours a month, or £1,000 an hour. This position was taken up before receiving approval from the advisory committee on business appointments (Acoba). The ministerial code states that former ministers must seek guidance from Acoba on taking up any business appointments within two years of leaving their role and must not take up the position until advice has been received.

Patel started working for Viasat in May 2019 but did not approach Acoba for advice until June, a month after her role began. She earned £10,000 before receiving guidance from the committee in July. In her role, she advised on unspecified matters relating to India.

As a result of this breach, Jon Trickett, the shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, called for an investigation and for Patel's dismissal if she was found to have broken the code. Acoba approved the appointment but imposed strict conditions due to the risk of Patel's contacts being perceived to "assist Viasat unfairly". These conditions included that Patel should not draw on any privileged information from her time as international development secretary, not lobby the UK government on Viasat's behalf, and not provide advice on any contracts with the UK government.

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