Priti Patel has announced she is standing down as Home Secretary and returning to the backbenches ahead of an expected reshuffle tomorrow. Patel had made her pitch during the leadership campaign to stay in government, saying ‘my record in that time speaks volumes’. But it had become very clear in briefings about Liz Truss’s planned reshuffle that the new Prime Minister didn’t agree, with Suella Braverman expected to take over at the Home Office. Patel is leaving on her own terms. In her resignation letter to Boris Johnson, she writes:
It has been the honour of my life to serve our country as Home Secretary for the last three years and to deliver on our commitments to back and reform our policy, stand up for the hard-working law-abiding majority, reform our immigration and asylum system, and fight terrorism. Your support over this period has delivered an unparalleled package of reforms and investment…I congratulate Liz Truss on being elected our new leader, and will give her my support as our new Prime Minister.
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