In new test for British PM, British aid minister resigns

[webfact]

In new test for British PM, British aid minister resigns

By Elizabeth Piper and Andrew MacAskill

 

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Employment Minister Priti Patel, leaves after a cabinet meeting in Downing Street in central London, Britain June 27, 2016. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British aid minister Priti Patel was forced from office on Wednesday over undisclosed meetings with Israeli officials after Prime Minister Theresa May sought to reassert her diminished authority as she negotiates Brexit.

 

Patel, a Brexit campaigner who is popular in the ruling Conservative Party, had to abandon a trip to Africa earlier on Wednesday after being summoned by May to answer questions on more unsanctioned meetings that breached diplomatic protocol.

 

After a hastily arranged meeting not long after Patel landed in London, May's office released her minister's letter of resignation, in which Patel said her conduct in Israel had fallen "below the high standards" required of her post.

 

"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," Patel wrote in the letter to May.

 

"I offer a fulsome apology to you and to the government for what has happened and offer my resignation."

 

May responded in a letter, saying: "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."

 

It was not clear who would replace Patel, who held the meetings during a holiday in Israel earlier this year.

 

Under British protocol, a cabinet minister would normally organise meetings through the foreign office and be accompanied by officials, and visits with Israelis would typically be balanced with meetings with Palestinians.

 

It is the second resignation in May's top team in a week, underlining her weakness at a time when she faces the complicated task of unravelling more than 40 years of ties with the European Union and holding a deeply divided party together.

 

Patel's meetings with Israeli officials, which May's office said they were not aware of, and a reported visit to an Israeli army field hospital in the Golan Heights, have increased the pressure on the prime minister, who depends on a Northern Irish party in parliament to pass legislation.

 

FRIEND OR FOE

 

But while acting quickly to force Patel to resign, the loss of an enthusiastic Brexit campaigner from her cabinet team of top ministers could mean that May faces greater pressure from lawmakers to pursue a clean break from the EU.

 

"Priti is more popular than Theresa, and has more contacts and influence overseas," a senior Conservative source said.

"If I was May, I wouldn't want Priti unleashed on the back benches," the source said, using a term to describe lawmakers.

 

Patel was sacked a week after May's ally Michael Fallon, her defence secretary, resigned in a sexual harassment scandal that was also caught up two other ministers, including her deputy, Damian Green.

 

In a week of crises, her foreign minister, Boris Johnson, on Tuesday was pressed to apologise over remarks he made about a jailed aid worker in Iran, which critics said could prompt the Islamic Republic to hand her a longer jail term.

 

With Brexit talks all but hamstrung over how much Britain should pay to leave the European Union, opposition lawmakers and other critics are now openly questioning whether May can continue as prime minister.

 

"There are times when a government has the stench of death about it," Pat McFadden, a lawmaker from the main opposition Labour Party, told parliament on Tuesday.

 

(Additional reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Toby Chopra)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-09

[retarius]

Certainly a Priti lady and talented, indeed tipped by many to be a future PM, but with some distorted views. She is a Hindu Nationalist supporter (Modi's BJP) as well as ex-Minister for Aid. She has rightly been fired (aka signed a resignation letter given to her by Theresa May). Lying to your bosses and being found out is never the best policy.....having said that she is hard faced if nothing else and will now have a victim-complex. I'm sure her meteoric rise will only be hampered temporarily.

 

What concerns me is the level of influence Israel has over British (and US) politicians. This needs to be investigated and an assessment made as to whether this influence is beneficial to the British people and whether it is positive for the region. I'm pretty sure that Priti wasn't elected by her constituents because of her fanatical support of Natanyahu and Israel, and she has operated as an agent for Israel....trying to use aid funds for the Israeli army indeed. We need to curb the influence of Israel and develop a more moral foreign policy in the Middle East.

[jobwolf]

She is Priti but sure not smart. Who is choosing all these people for public job's??

 

[rockingrobin]

1 hour ago, retarius said:

Certainly a Priti lady and talented, indeed tipped by many to be a future PM, but with some distorted views. She is a Hindu Nationalist supporter (Modi's BJP) as well as ex-Minister for Aid. She has rightly been fired (aka signed a resignation letter given to her by Theresa May). Lying to your bosses and being found out is never the best policy.....having said that she is hard faced if nothing else and will now have a victim-complex. I'm sure her meteoric rise will only be hampered temporarily.

 

What concerns me is the level of influence Israel has over British (and US) politicians. This needs to be investigated and an assessment made as to whether this influence is beneficial to the British people and whether it is positive for the region. I'm pretty sure that Priti wasn't elected by her constituents because of her fanatical support of Natanyahu and Israel, and she has operated as an agent for Israel....trying to use aid funds for the Israeli army indeed. We need to curb the influence of Israel and develop a more moral foreign policy in the Middle East.

The Jewish Chronicle is reporting T.May was aware

 

https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/no-10-knew-about-priti-patel-israel-meetings-1.447605

[jinners]

4 hours ago, retarius said:

Certainly a Priti lady and talented, indeed tipped by many to be a future PM, but with some distorted views. She is a Hindu Nationalist supporter (Modi's BJP) as well as ex-Minister for Aid. She has rightly been fired (aka signed a resignation letter given to her by Theresa May). Lying to your bosses and being found out is never the best policy.....having said that she is hard faced if nothing else and will now have a victim-complex. I'm sure her meteoric rise will only be hampered temporarily.

 

What concerns me is the level of influence Israel has over British (and US) politicians. This needs to be investigated and an assessment made as to whether this influence is beneficial to the British people and whether it is positive for the region. I'm pretty sure that Priti wasn't elected by her constituents because of her fanatical support of Natanyahu and Israel, and she has operated as an agent for Israel....trying to use aid funds for the Israeli army indeed. We need to curb the influence of Israel and develop a more moral foreign policy in the Middle East.

And that would be coming from where exactly? '"develop a more moral foreign policy in the Middle East."

 

 

[isaanbanhou]

3 hours ago, jobwolf said:

She is Priti but sure not smart. Who is choosing all these people for public job's??

 

The constituents of Witham constituency in Essex  eected her. She was first elected in 2010 and was appointed Secretary of State for International Development by the Prime Minister.

[wiggy97]

As often now there is far more to this story.

https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/no-10-knew-about-priti-patel-israel-meetings-1.447605

so No 10 Knew but messed up and needed someone to blame -

that is why Priti had to resign - to save May’s face, again.

Edited November 9, 2017 by wiggy97
Grammar

[Basil B]

Good riddance and don't slam the door on the way out...

 

Well Teresa dealt with that, why can she not sack "foot-in-mouth" Johnson?

 

 

[Basil B]

2 hours ago, isaanbanhou said:

The constituents of Witham constituency in Essex  eected her. 

Essex Girl, say no more

[Jonnapat]

Better off if they all resigned

[Grouse]

Pro Israel, Pro Brexit right wing CON. Bye!

[Morch]

One would have thought that both Israeli politicians and sympathetic British politicians would be a tad more careful with regard to their dealings and meetings, considering the previous mini-scandal over Al Jazeera's story. Goes to show not much is to be expected from this crowd. Seems both respective government offices face leadership issues.

[Kadilo]

2 hours ago, Jonnapat said:

Better off if they all resigned

Only a matter of time. The Goverment is a sham and there is more to come from both sides. We must be a laughing stock by all involved in any negotiations. 

Edited November 9, 2017 by Kadilo

[Morch]

42 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Only a matter of time. The Goverment is a sham and there is more to come from both sides. We must be a laughing stock by all involved in any negotiations. 

 

Interesting that the above could be applied to quite a few governments.....

[dunroaming]

7 hours ago, wiggy97 said:

As often now there is far more to this story.

https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/no-10-knew-about-priti-patel-israel-meetings-1.447605

so No 10 Knew but messed up and needed someone to blame -

that is why Priti had to resign - to save May’s face, again.

Interesting.  This is actually the worst possible outcome for May.  No 10 has denied what the Jewish Chronicle has written which could be true or not.  What Theresa May is left with is going to undermine her even more.  She now has to choose a replacement for Patel and already the Brexit gang are "demanding" that the replacement be a leave supporter as Patel was (big time!).  Others are saying it must also be a woman to keep the balance in the cabinet.

 

What this means is that May's choice will be massively restricted and the priorities will have nothing to do in appointing the best person for the job.  Understandably no-one is shouting to be May's replacement because this poisoned chalice ain't going to be picked up by anyone with a brain.  To be Prime Minister and have to oversee the chaos that Brexit has caused isn't going to attract anyone.  Surely behind closed doors May is wishing somebody would launch a challenge and put her out of her obvious misery.

[dunroaming]

Penny Mordaunt is the replacement so that ticks the two boxes that the Brexit boys wanted.

1/ Leave supporter

2/ woman.

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, dunroaming said:

Penny Mordaunt is the replacement so that ticks the two boxes that the Brexit boys wanted.

1/ Leave supporter

2/ woman.

 

I'm sure she be chosen as the best candidate for the job, knowledge, skill and potential, rather than on personal views and sex