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Sunday 22 November 2020

Priti Patel - Out In The New Year

Yet another hack from the increasingly desperate and downmarket Telegraph on paper review duty on The Andy Marr Show™ this morning: Madeleine Grant was in the slot all too often occupied by over-promoted propagandist Camilla Tominey. But she did impart one nugget of useful information, and that was to float the idea, which had been pushed today by the Murdoch Sunday Times, that Priti Patel may not be in post for long.


Inexplicably elevated to Home Secretary, Ms Patel has been found to have routinely shouted and sworn at her civil servants, in acts of what, it has been concluded, amount to workplace bullying. This was in clear breach of the ministerial code, signed off by alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. Yet Bozo has circled the wagons around her, and instead, it is the civil servant who concluded she was bullying who went.

Thus the impression continues to be given that, in Tory la-la-land, no-one resigns. A succession of the party’s MPs has appeared on more than one broadcast media outlet telling how the Home Office is a high pressure environment, that it’s not fit for purpose, and that, effectively, a bit of workplace bullying from time to time is understandable.


But Ms Grant was quite happy to echo the ST’s claim that Ms Patel is in line for another job come the New Year, and a job that would be a serious demotion from the HO. And now that Bozo has disposed of former chief Downing Street polecat Dominic Cummings, what he says when the reshuffle comes will go. Especially if Carrie says so too.

So when Tory Chairman Amanda Milling obediently tells “The [Priti Patel] I know is one that’s effective, hard working and totally focused on making our country better and keeping people safe. She’s an excellent Home Sec who has been leading the way in delivering on our promises to the British people”, she knows her position is, er, under consideration.


As the ST put it, “Boris Johnson is set to axe Priti Patel as home secretary in his next reshuffle amid questions in Downing Street over her ‘competence’ - as it emerged that a report into her conduct found that she told civil servants they were ‘f***ing useless’. The prime minister circled the wagons to protect Patel last week, rejecting an official finding that she had bullied officials and broken the ministerial code of conduct”.

So where is she likely to end up? Not, it seems, at another of the great offices of state. “But multiple sources say he has had conversations about replacing her as home secretary when he recasts his cabinet in the New Year. Kit Malthouse, the policing minister who was Johnson’s deputy mayor for policing in London and is a confidant of the PM, is favourite to take over the job”. Ms Patel would be made Tory Chairman.

Kit Malthouse

Leaving aside that Malthouse would, potentially, be an even bigger disaster than Ms Patel as Home Secretary, a move from the HO to Chairman is a significant demotion. But the role involves the Tory grassroots, and as Ms Grant pointed out on the Marr Show, she is popular with the grassroots. Unless and until she shouts and swears at them.

Should that move happen, the “Priti for PM” bandwagon will have its tyres severely deflated. But at least Ms Patel would be out of the way when Philip Rutnam’s tribunal claim comes to the boil. There’s always an inevitable logic behind moves like this one.


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5 comments:

Jonathan said...

As with all of the Tory party, none are competent to run even a bath without blaming the taps for it overflowing.

Patel is well known around Westminster and the Commons for covering up her inner feelings of inadequacy by doing what in football is called the 'Hairdryer', basically screaming in somebody's face ala Fergie with David Beckham..

Patel's political career is over once Alex Allan's report is finally forced out into light, probably when the Commons has risen for the Xmas holidays.

Whatever it states in the report just means just how many zeros go on Sir Philip Rutman's payoff. Bozza made it bigger by preventing Rutman and Allan from meeting, Rutman's lawyers are going to make hay with it and let's hope Rutman forces Patel onto the witness stand at an employment tribunal come next Autumn, right before the Tory party conference...

The Hard Rain the former Chief Polecat promised on the civil service has blown back onto the Tory Party and his bully boys and girls.

Question is now does Bozza feel lucky and go to an employment tribunal, knowing his former golden girl's toxic ways will be revealed frovall too see.

Unknown said...

Well , Priti's already a twit shithouse so no change at the F.O then.

AndyC said...

It would appear that despite an order from Johnson for Tory MPs and Cabinet members to 'form a square' round Patel, only 4 of her Govt colleagues and less than a quarter of her fellow MPs have publicly supported her. Might be too early to say definitely, but that would look like a less than resounding vote of confidence in her. Oh what a pity. Not.

grim northerner said...

So there is structural racism when it suits; the cynicism needed to build a career by denying racism is a problem, then proceeding to falsely claim to be a victim of it, is beyond my comprehension.

Jonathan said...

To quote the Q Tips Pritti Vacant is 'Toast'.