Priti Patel was not happy. No, she was not. Ragin’… Fumin’… in fact. She had come to the chamber to issue a statement on Public Order – and the word ‘order’ fell from her mouth with an aggressive grrrrrrr.
It was not long ago that many were confidently predicting the Home Secretary’s demise. Her drippy permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam had resigned in a huff, accusing her of being a horrid bully.
Few expected her to see out the spring.
Priti Patel was ragin’ and fumin’ as she delivered a statement on public order in the commons
Patel’s former permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam had previously accused her of bullying
Well, on Monday’s showing it would take a brave man to try and hoik her out of the Home Office.
Miss Patel is one of those ‘lock ’em up and throw away the key’ firebrand Conservatives – more usually ageing men in creaking pinstripes.
She’s part Minnie the Minx and part Norman Tebbit. No wonder Sir Philip was petrified of her!
While she understood those who wished to march in protest against the killing of George Floyd by police in America, the violence which had taken place during the Black Lives Matter protests over the weekend was disgraceful. Bang out of order.
Some 35 policemen had been injured. As for tearing down the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol – ‘This hooliganism is unacceptable,’ thundered Miss Patel. For those responsible she had a stern message: ‘Your behaviour is shameful. And you will face justice.’
Patel condemned the ‘hooliganism’ after Edward Colston’s statue was torn down in Bristol
There was great relish with which she issued the word ‘justice’ and her eyes narrowed menacingly as she said it, accompanied by a gritty flash of the chompers.
How the oldies gathered on the Government benches loved it. Hearty ‘here heres’ echoed around the chamber.
There was a heavy coating of treacle for the plods, those ‘who run towards danger’ as she described them.
‘When I became Home Secretary I vowed to back the police,’ she said. ‘Black lives matter but police brutality in the United States is no excuse for the violence against our brave police officers at home.’
Black Lives Matter protesters gather outside Downing Street in front of police officers
Labour’s Nick Thomas-Symonds joined the Home Secretary in condemning the acts of thuggery. Like Miss Patel, he sympathised with the protesters’ cause – but added that ‘what is never the solution is violence and vandalism’.
Surprised ‘ahhhhs’ arose from the Government benches. You never heard sensible talk like this from Labour under Jeremy Corbyn. Miss Patel welcomed the support. She thanked the Shadow Home Secretary for his ‘thoughtful comments and measured response’.
Patel was challenged by several MPs during her speech to the House Of Commons on Monday
But not everyone on the Labour benches was feeling quite so diplomatic.
Florence Eshalomi (Lab, Vauxhall) accused Miss Patel of not understanding the anger of the protesters.
Miss Patel fixed her with an icy glare. A fuse lit. A gauntlet thrown down. Even sat some distance away, I felt like backing off sharpish.
‘I’m really saddened that the Honourable Lady has effectively said the Government doesn’t understand racial equality,’ she said, softly.
‘It must have been a different Home Secretary who as a child was called a “Paki” in the playground. A very different Home Secretary who was racially abused in the streets, or even advised to drop her surname and use her husband’s to advance her career.’
Labour MP for Vauxhall, Florence Eshalomi, challenged the Home Secretary in Parliament
Then she brought up a recent cartoon which had appeared in The Guardian depicting her as ‘a fat cow with a ring through her nose’. This, she pointed out, was offensive both culturally and religiously.
‘So when it comes to racism, sexism, tolerance and fairness,’ she added, ‘I will not take lectures from the other side of the House.’
Deeply personal stuff. Another wave of support greeted her riposte. ‘Well said,’ yelled one. ‘Own Goal.’
Publicity-prone Zarah Sultana (Lab, Coventry South) had another crack. She asked if it was right that Black Britons should have to ‘walk in the shadows’ of statues of people who had ‘murdered and enslaved their ancestors’.
The Home Secretary pointed an accusatory finger across the dispatch box.
She suggested young Miss Sultana try lobbying Labour councils around the country – many of whom have been in charge for years – in getting rid of some of these statues. It’s their responsibility, after all.
Miss Sultana then gave a sulky shake of her head. Smacked down. Oh, no, Priti’s not going anywhere.