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Priti Patel Ties Herself In Knots Defending Her Past Criticism Of Trump

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Priti Patel defended her past criticisms of Donald Trump on Sunday, telling Laura Kuenssberg that “times have moved on”.

The shadow foreign secretary began her interview with the BBC presenter by slamming the Labour Party for previously insulting the president-elect on social media.

However, Kuenssberg quickly reminded Patel how, the day after the January 6 2021 riots on the US Capitol, the Conservative MP said the scenes were “horrendous” at the “heart of democracy”.

At the time, Patel said: ”[Trump’s] comments of being associated with that violence, and he has failed to condemn that violence, and I think that is completely wrong. People have died.”

“There is no justification for it,” the then-home secretary said, adding that there is “clearly more he could have done and should have done.”

So on Sunday, Kuenssberg said: “I just wonder, after the Capitol riots – back in January 6 [2021] those famous days – you yourself said that Donald Trump’s comments directly led to violence and he did very little to de-escalate the situation.

“Do you want to apologise to him for saying that, as you’re urging Labour politicians to do?”

Patel replied: “That was a major situation, I was home secretary at the time and I was obviously working with our US counterparts on security issues.

“No one wants to see violence after elections.”

Kuenssberg asked again if she stood by her comments, but Patel just repeated that it was a “serious situation” at the time.

“You clearly pointed the finger at Donald Trump for stoking that situation,” the presenter reminded her.

“Well, times have moved on,” Patel said, while saying that the riots “undermined democracy”.

“Do you stand by that? You were clearly very worried about democracy,” Kuenssberg pushed.

Patel replied: “We were absolutely worried at the time, I think those comments – in light of what happened – were absolutely right and fair and relevant.”

She then deflected back to Labour, saying: “The previous comments of our chief diplomat [David Lammy] were much more personal, much more personal and undiplomatic to the president-elect of the US.”

The current foreign secretary David Lammy called him “neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath” during Trump’s first administration – although he has since dismissed those comments as “old news”.

Patel also told the BBC that that she had a “very strong working relationship” with the US in the past, and one that is built on “trust and respect” – and claimed this government will have to work “harder” to earn that.

“Any violence of that scale is unacceptable,” she said. “Within that context, those comments were absolutely right and appropriate.”

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Priti Patel Becomes The First Candidate To Be Kicked Out Of The Tory Leadership Race

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Priti Patel has become the first candidate to be kicked out of the Tory leadership race.

The former home secretary came last in a ballot of Conservative MPs with just 14 votes.

Robert Jenrick came top on 28 votes, with Kemi Badenoch second with 22 and James Cleverly third on 21.

Tom Tugendhat was next on 17 votes, with Mel Stride, who had been tipped by many to be first candidate ejected, on 16.

The result was announced in parliament’s committee room 14 buy Bob Blackman, chair of the Tory backbench 1922 committee.

The next ballot of Conservative MPs will take place next Tuesday, when another candidate will be kicked out.

Posting on X, Cleverly said: “Great to be through to the next round and proud to have the support of my fellow MPs.

“We can only unite our party with Conservative values, and I am ready to lead, and win, the next general election. Momentum is on our side, but the work continues.”

Tugendhat said: “It is a privilege to have the support of my parliamentary colleagues and to have made it through to the next round of the leadership contest.

“To my friend Priti, you have always faithfully served this party, care deeply about its future, and I’m sure you will continue to play a key role in it.

“Mel, James, Kemi, and Robert are all friends and good Conservatives. However, only I can deliver the Conservative revolution that our party and our nation need.

“I will lead in opposition as I would as prime minister, by serving the British people, leading with conviction, and acting to make our nation better. That is my promise, and I always deliver on my promises.”

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Voters Have Delivered A Brutal Verdict On The 6 Tory Leadership Candidates

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Fewer than 10% of the public think any of the Tory leadership candidates would make them favourites to win the next election, a damning poll has found.

The survey, by the More in Common think-tank, found that 34% of voters replied “none of them” when asked which of the six hopefuls would the Tories most likely to form the next government. Some 36% said they “don’t know”.

James Cleverly came top on just 8%, followed by Priti Patel on 7%, Tom Tugendhat and Kemi Badenoch on 5% each, Robert Jenrick on 4% and Mel Stride on just 2%.

Even those who voted Tory in the last election are less-than-convinced by the choice on offer, the poll found.

Nearly one-third of them (32) said they “don’t know” which candidate will give the party the best chance of winning next time around, while 16% said “none of them”.

Cleverly again came top on 15%, with Patel second once more on 10%, with Badenoch on 9%, Jenrick and Tugendhat on 8% and Stride once again on 2%.

The poll findings
The poll findings

More in Common

The poll also found that Patel is the only candidate recognised by more than half of the electorate.

Some 52% correctly identified the former home secretary when shown a picture of her, with 44% recognising Cleverly.

Badenoch came third with 37%, Jenrick was next on 21%, then Tugendhat on 19% and Stride with 12%.

Whoever wins also faces an uphill battle when they take on Keir Starmer, the poll found.

According to the public, none of them would make a better prime minister than the Labour leader, who enjoys a comfortable lead over each of his potential rivals.

Starmer is ahead of each of the candidates on who would make the better PM.
Starmer is ahead of each of the candidates on who would make the better PM.

More in Common

The findings were published as Tory MPs prepare for the first ballot of the contest, when the number of candidates will be reduced from six to five.

A second ballot will take place next week, after which the final four candidates will try to woo the party faithful at the Tory conference in Birmingham.

MPs will then choose the final two, who will be voted on my Tory members before the winner is announced on November 2.

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Most Brits Do Not Care Who The Next Tory Leader Is, Brutal New Poll Finds

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Most Brits do not actually care who the next Conservative leader is, according to a new poll.

In yet another humiliating twist for the Tories – just a month after their worst ever electoral defeat, Ipsos UK has found 62% of Brits surveyed were not interested in following who would replace Rishi Sunak.

To make matters worse, that includes 36% of Conservative voters.

The pollsters found none of the candidates are very well known among the British public, despite all of them holding ministerial roles at some point.

Just 45% of the 1,091 adults surveyed said they know a great deal or a fair amount about former home secretary Priti Patel, followed by 26% for shadow home secretary James Cleverly, and 24% for shadow housing secretary Kemi Badenoch.

The polling, which took place between August 2 and 5, also found 34% of the public said they do not favour any of the current candidates.

There was a narrow preference for Cleverly among those surveyed, with 18% suggesting he would do a good job, followed by Patel (17%) and shadow security minister Tom Tugendhat (17%).

Badenoch is slightly behind on 14%, putting her on par with former migration minister Robert Jenrick.

Meanwhile, 9% thought shadow pensions secretary Mel Stride would do a good job leading the opposition – which, unfortunately, is the same percentage of respondents who backed a candidate called “Stuart Lewis”, a fake politician added to the poll by Ipsos.

But, it’s not all doom and gloom for Stride.

While a whopping 44% of respondents said they thought Patel would do a bad job, (and 22% thought the same of Badenoch, 20% of Cleverly, 15% of Jenrick, 11% of Tugendhat), just 9% said thought Stride would also perform poorly.

Trinh Tu, UK managing director, public affairs, said: “This new poll suggests high level of public apathy about the Conservative leadership race.”

She added that Patel seems to be most divisive figure at the moment, but for the most part, “Britons are unfamiliar with the main candidates and say they do not care very much about who will emerge at the winner”.

Meanwhile, 65% said a backing from ex-PM Liz Truss would give that candidate the worst chance of winning.

Far fewer (46%) said Reform leader and MP Nigel Farage would have a negative effect on a candidate’s hopes of victory, and 44% said the same for ex-PM Boris Johnson.

Only former PM and Rishi Sunak’s foreign secretary David Cameron was seen as the one who could have a positive impact overall – 31% said it would worsen a candidate’s chances with an endorsement, compared to 32% who said it would improve.

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Who Has Officially Joined The Tory Leadership Race?

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The contest to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative Party leader has officially begun, as Tories are gradually started to put themselves forward.

After enduring a historic defeat in the general election and walking away with just 121 seats in total, former PM Sunak said he was stepping back from the helm of the party when his successor was chosen.

As the fight for the soul of the party begins, it remains to be seen whether it will end up going for a more centrist figure, or leaning further right.

Here’s who has officially announced their leadership bids, who is expected to – and how long this whole competition is going to go on for…

1. James Cleverly

Shadow home secretary James Cleverly
Shadow home secretary James Cleverly

via Associated Press

The former home secretary (who now shadows the same role) announced his plan to run on Tuesday, a day before nominations actually opened.

Seen as a moderate within the Conservative ranks, he has said the Conservatives need to “re-establish our reputation as the party who, in government, helps grow the economy, helps people achieve their goals, their dream and their aspirations”.

Alluding to the party’s historic loss at the ballot box, he said: “We must ditch the self-indulgent infighting and be ready to deliver when the next chance comes.”

According to a Savanta poll shared with Sky News, Cleverly has a net favourability of -9 with the general public.

He held several ministerial jobs under Boris Johnson before being appointed as the education secretary at the end of the ex-PM’s premiership.

He was foreign secretary for both Liz Truss and Sunak, and home secretary from November 2023 and July 2024.

2. Tom Tugendhat

Shadow security minister Tom Tugendhat
Shadow security minister Tom Tugendhat

Anadolu via Anadolu via Getty Images

Formerly the security minister, Tugendhat now shadows the same role on the other side of the House.

Although he launched his campaign with a bang by saying he would consider leaving the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights), he is usually perceived as a moderate in the one nation wing of the party.

He argued in an article for The Telegraph that he would prepared to leave the ECHR if institutions make it harder to control the country’s borders, claiming this was a “common sense Conservative position” to take.

The former army officer suggested defence spending should be pulled up to 3% of GDP, and claimed he was running “to be the next Conservative prime minister”.

He ran in the last leadership race in 2022, but was knocked out and chose to support Liz Truss instead.

He also chaired the foreign affairs select committee from 2017 to 2022.

According to the Savanta poll, he has a net favourability of -3, making him the most popular contender with the public so far.

However, party members historically to choose the more rightwing candidates.

3. Robert Jenrick

Backbencher Robert Jenrick
Backbencher Robert Jenrick

via Associated Press

The former immigration and health minister – and one-time housing secretary – is on the right of the party.

A former ally of Sunak, he dramatically resigned from his cabinet in December claiming the Rwanda plan to deport illegal asylum seekers was not a strong enough deterrent.

He is expected to try and appeal to Tory members more sympathetic to Reform UK.

His campaign manager, Tory MP Danny Kruger, said Jenrick has the “energy, temperament and policy agenda to take on our rivals and lead us back to power in five years.”

He was not included in the Savanta poll because he did not run in the last leadership election in 2022.

Who else is expected to run?

Mel Stride, shadow work and pensions secretary, admitted at the weekend he was “considering” putting himself forward – he held onto his seat in the election by just 61 votes.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman and her predecessor Priti Patel are both expected to put themselves forward in the coming days.

Kemi Badenoch, shadow housing, communities and local government secretary, may also join the race.

Shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins was expected to run, but she said she would not be in a social media post.

Rishi Sunak announced his resignation as Tory Party leader when he lost the general election
Rishi Sunak announced his resignation as Tory Party leader when he lost the general election

via Associated Press

How will the process work?

The nominations for the candidates opened on July 24.

Each candidate needs to secure backing from 10 other MPs by July 29 to make it to the next round.

But, only around 100 MPs will be able to support a chosen candidate.

That’s because MPs who are whips or who sit on the executive backbencher 1922 committee cannot support a candidate.

It means only 10 Tories – at most – will be able to move to progress past this point in the race.

If two or more candidates get through, a campaign will take place throughout the summer.

In September, MPs cast their votes on the remaining candidates.

The four with the most votes will be selected, and all offered a chance to speak at the Tory party conference, (from September 29 to October 2), and MPs will vote again.

The two with the most vote go through to the next hurdle.

The remaining pair will then have to go before the party members, who will vote on their favourite candidate in an online ballot which closes on October 31.

To vote, members must have been “active” when the whole contest opened in July, and been members for at least 90 days before the ballot closes.

The new leader and official leader of the opposition will be confirmed on November 2, and Sunak’s time leading the Conservatives will officially end.

They will become the sixth leader of the Tory Party since 2016.

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This Video Of Priti Patel And Nigel Farage Singing And Dancing Together Cannot Be Unseen

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The song of choice? Frank Sinatra’s I Love You Baby, obviously.

The short video was shared by Conservative Party member Emily Hewertson – with the caption “Priti X Farage. What a combo” – and has racked up more than 310,000 views in less than 12 hours.

It’s the first singing or dancing clip to have emerged from the Tory conference this year, but far from the first time the Conservatives have been caught busting a move at a work event.

So, perhaps Patel and Farage’s duet was not a complete surprise.

The former home secretary had praised the right-wing commentator and the “dynamic, no-nonsense” GB News channel on Sunday.

She called the “incredible” channel a “defender of free speech” and thanked the controversial broadcaster’s staff for “absolutely everything they do”.

GB News currently employs former ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Esther McVey, among other Tory backbenchers.

This year also marks the first time Farage has been allowed inside a Tory party conference since the 1980s, he told Express.co.uk, even though he officially left in 1992, founding UKIP the following year.

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Priti Patel To Resign As Home Secretary And Return To Backbenches

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Priti Patel is standing down as home secretary following the election of Liz Truss as Tory leader.

Patel, a key supporter of Boris Johnson, tweeted her resignation letter on Monday evening, saying it had been the “honour of my life to serve as home secretary for the last three years”.

Patel did not endorse any candidate in the leadership contest and was widely expected to be moved from her brief on the appointment of a new leader.

Reports suggest that Truss is preparing to appoint fellow leadership contender Suella Braverman to Patel’s role.

In her resignation letter, Patel paid tribute to Johnson for winning the 2019 general election and for breaking the parliamentary deadlock over Brexit.

“Under your leadership, we have made our country safer, strengthened law and order, delivered our manifesto commitments, and laid strong foundations for our successors at Number 10 and in the Home Office to build on,” she wrote.

“I congratulate Liz Truss on being elected our new leader, and will give her my support as our new prime minister.

“It is my choice to continue my public service to the country and the Witham constituency from the backbenches, once Liz formally assumes office and a new home secretary is appointed.

“From the backbenches, I will champion many of the policies and causes I have stood up for both inside and outside of government.”

Patel’s resignation comes as she today defended her controversial policy of sending migrants to Rwanda.

The High Court heard a case in which several asylum seekers, the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) and groups Care4Calais and Detention Action questioned the legality of the plan.

Patel signed what she described as a “world-first agreement” with Rwanda in April but the first deportation flight, due to take off on June 14, was grounded amid a series of legal challenges.

During the hearing those disputing the policy said Rwanda was an “authoritarian state” that “tortures and murders those it considers to be its opponents”.

Patel rejected their argument in the Commons, insisting the policy was “legitimate” and replying “absolutely not” when asked to abandon it.

Despite the policy being launched to deter migrants from making dangerous crossings across the channel, figures released by the Ministry of Defence today revealed 1,160 people were detected on Sunday in 25 boats.

Since the deal was announced, 22,116 people have crossed the Channel to the UK in small boats.

Patel took a parting shot at the “political opponents” and “left-wing activists” she accused of seeking to block her efforts as home secretary.

“While they stand up for the criminals, terrorists, people smugglers, those with no right to be in the UK, and people who threaten public safety and would do our country harm, we have never faltered and never stopped doing what is right to protect the public,” she said.

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Priti Patel Says Refugee Numbers Issued By Her Own Department Were “Absolutely Inaccurate”

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Figures issued by the Home Office showing that only 50 Ukrainian refugees had been given visas to come to the UK were “absolutely innacurate”, Priti Patel has said.

In an extraordinary development, the Home Secretary said the true figure will not be known until this evening.

Her comments came following intense criticism over the apparent failure of the UK’s refugee scheme to admit enough people fleeing war in their homeland.

Addressing MPs as she launched the Economic Crime Bill, which is aimed at cracking down on Russian oligarchs, the home secretary said: “It’s important for all colleagues in the house to know that the first quality assured figures on the Ukrainian families scheme will come this evening.

“The figures that are in the public are absolutely inaccurate and have not been assured by the Home Office, so I do just want to make that abundantly clear.”

She added: “Our scheme is the first of its kind in the world and we cannot measure it against any other countries.

“We have had already 14,000 people apply, we also have a sponsorship scheme that will be announced later on.”

The Home Office issued an update later on Monday saying 300 visas had been confirmed and 17,700 applications made.

Patel is also at odds with Boris Johnson after she appeared to suggest that a third refugee scheme, aimed at allowing more Ukrainians to arrive on humanitarian grounds, was being set up.

The government has already announced that Ukrainians in the UK will be able to bring family members from their home country.

In addition, British people and companies will be able to sponsor Ukrainian refugees.

But speaking to The Sun yesterday, the Home Secretary suggested the government was prepared to go further.

She said: “In response to the desperation I saw with my own eyes at the Polish border two days ago, I’m urgently escalating our response to the growing humanitarian crisis.

“I am now investigating the legal options to create a humanitarian route.

“This means anyone without ties to the UK fleeing the conflict in Ukraine will have a right to come to this nation.”

But the PM appeared to reject this idea while speaking during a visit to RAF Northolt, insisting the UK has “two very, very generous routes already” which could see “hundreds of thousands” of Ukrainians come to this country.

Meanwhile, Patel also rejected claims that the UK was not providing any support to refugees arriving at Calais and wanting to go on to the UK.

Pictures emerged on Twitter of signs, apparently in northern France, saying UK visas will not be provided there and advising people to apply online or travel to Paris or Brussels to make an application.

But Patel insisted there are British officials in Calais and “support on the ground”, telling the Commons: “It is absolutely right that we’ve already had people in Calais”, adding: “It is wrong to say we’re just turning people back – we’re absolutely not, we’re supporting those that have been coming to Calais.”

She warned that people-smuggling gangs are “roaming around Calais” and “human trafficking cases are now manifesting at the border”, adding: “It’s absolutely right that we have the right processes in place to check people and to safeguard people.”

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Priti Patel Defends Home Office Ukraine Refugee Scheme As Only 50 Granted Visas

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Priti Patel has defended the government’s Ukrainian refugee scheme as it emerged that only around 50 visas have been granted since it was set up.

Some 5,535 applications have been completed and submitted online, the Home Office said, while a further 2,368 people had booked a visa appointment to submit their application and biometric information.

In addition, 11,750 people have started but not completed an online application.

Under the government’s scheme, Ukrainians with family members in the UK can apply to stay in this country for up to three years.

Boris Johnson has said that around 200,000 Ukrainians could benefit from the scheme.

The home secretary has previously rejected calls for all refugees to be offered visas, blaming security concerns.

Visiting the Ukrainian Social Club in Holland Park, London, Patel insisted everything was being done to process as many applications as possible.

She said: “Let’s be clear, this is the first scheme in the world that’s up and running in this short period of time.

“Ten thousand applications and yes, grants are happening as we stand here right now and are speaking.

“So I’m surging staff across all application centres across the entire European Union as well as in the border countries such as Poland, where I was the other day and obviously where huge numbers of people are coming through.”

Patel added: “This is an incredible scheme and we are doing everything possible, surging capacity across every single application centre across the EU.”

She said staff are being flown into border countries “so we can fast track and speed up applications and it’s right that we do this.”

Patel also hit back at French interior minister Gerald Darmanin, who accused the UK of a “lack of humanity” amid reports that 150 Ukrainians were turned away at Calais for not having visas to enter Britain.

The home secretary said: “Let me just correct what has been said by the French government. The British Government is not turning anybody around or turning anybody back at all.

“And I think it’s really important to emphasise that, particularly at this time, when all nations across Europe must work together to help and support people in need and fleeing Ukraine at this awful, awful time.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, said the visa process for refugees fleeing his homeland for the UK could be simplified.

Speaking outside the Ukrainian embassy in west London, he said: “We believe that some of the procedures can be really simplified.

“We will sort it out later, now we have to let as maximum people we can have as possible.

“All the security checks should be in place for obvious reasons because it is a war.”

But he said he believes the UK is “on the forefront of the effort” to help Ukraine.

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MP Claims New Borders Bill Is ‘Dangerous’ Attack On LGBT Refugees

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LGBT refugees could be forced to hide their identity as a result of the government’s “devastating” Nationality and Borders Bill, according to a Labour MP.

Olivia Blake, who represents Sheffield Hallam, will argue in a Commons debate that the draft legislation is one of the “biggest attacks on the rights of refugees in recent memory”.

She will say it risks re-traumatising those who are fleeing persecution by making it harder to prove their LGBT status.

In a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday, Blake will argue that tougher clauses in the bill risk forcing LGBT refugees to conceal their identity out of fear that living openly in the UK could increase their risk of persecution if they are sent back to their country of origin.

Under current UK law, those seeking asylum must demonstrate that there is a “reasonable degree of likelihood” that they face persecution if they do not stay in the UK.

If the bill is passed, that threshold will be raised to the higher level of the “balance of probabilities”, which campaigners say will make it “even more difficult” for people to prove their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Sonia Lenegan, legal and policy director at Rainbow Migration, said: “Often the only evidence LGBTQI+ people have is their own account, and the culture of disbelief within the Home Office means that people are already commonly disbelieved.

“This will become worse under clause 31 of the Nationality and Borders Bill — more LGBTQI+ people will be wrongly refused asylum and face return to life-threatening situations.”

There are currently 69 countries where homosexuality is outlawed, including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Punishments vary from fines, life sentences and the death penalty.

Campaigners have also raised concerns that the timeframe in which people are allowed claim asylum will be shortened, with any delays resulting in penalties.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Blake, vice chair of the all party parliamentary group on migration, said: “The government’s Nationality and Borders Bill represents one of the biggest attacks on the rights of refugees, migrants, and people of colour in recent memory.

“As ever, the worst effects of the legislation will be felt by the most vulnerable – especially LGBT+ people seeking sanctuary in the UK.

“Rather than re-traumatising LGBT+ people fleeing persecution, we need an asylum system that supports them.”

She said she wanted her debate to “put this issue firmly on the agenda”.

“I’m inviting every MP, from every party, to participate,” Blake said. “Together, we must shine an urgent light on this dangerous attack on the global LGBT+ community – and organise to prevent it.”

Speaking ahead of the bill’s second reading in parliament last July, Patel said the bill — which also promises a crackdown on people smuggling and small boat crossings — would “increase the fairness of our system” which is being “abused and gamed”.

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