Priti Patel’s allies launched a furious counter-offensive against a wave of hostile briefing today – saying she is a victim of sexism and ‘spite’.
The Home Secretary is understood to be ‘livid’ at reports security chiefs do not trust her with some intelligence, and that she has created an ‘atmosphere of fear’ among officials.
A series of supporters have taken to the airwaves to deny the stinging claims. Former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers said she believed Ms Patel was the victim of ‘misogyny’.
‘I’m sick of spiteful briefings against women in high public office. It happens again and again,’ she said.
Home Office minister James Brokenshire said Ms Patel is ‘demanding’ but dismissed the idea she was a bully.
‘Yes, she is demanding, but in that role you have to be because you are dealing with some of the most sensitive, some of the most challenging things that you have to deal with across Government,’ he told Sky News.
‘I think the Home Secretary is absolutely focused on the public good, the agenda that we’ve set around policing, on immigration and indeed around counter-terrorism and security.’
In a highly unusual move, spy chiefs rebutted allegations made over the weekend that they do not trust Home Secretary Priti Patel (pictured earlier this month)
Former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers (left) said she believed Ms Patel was the victim of ‘misogyny’. Home Office minister James Brokenshire (right) said Ms Patel is ‘demanding’ but dismissed the idea she was a bully
The latest escalation in briefings yesterday prompted the security services to take the highly unusual move of denying that it was freezing out Ms Patel.
Despite this public show of support, sources close to the furious Cabinet minister said she had instructed the Cabinet Office to launch a leak probe to unearth the sources.
According to The Times, Helen MacNamara, the government’s director of propriety and ethics, rejected the request.
However, in a fresh sign of tensions, Cabinet Office sources were adamant that a request had not been received either formally or informally.
Ms Villiers told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I don’t believe these allegations against Priti Patel. I think she is a highly effective Home Secretary.
‘I think whoever is making these briefings should stop it.’
Asked if she thought the attacks were based on misogyny, Ms Villiers said: ‘Yes I do. I think that there are clearly people who are out of damage the Home Secretary.
‘I think that is unjustified. I’m absolutely certain she is probably tough and demanding on her civil servants, but I don’t believe for a moment that anything inappropriate or anything resembling bullying would have taken place.’
Mr Brokenshire told Sky News’ Kay Burley show: ‘I think the Home Secretary is absolutely focused on the public good, the agenda that we’ve set around policing, on immigration and indeed around counter-terrorism and security.’
He described the reports as ‘absolute nonsense’, but conceded that there is ‘huge frustration’ across the Home Office around some of the ‘false assertions that have been made publicly’.
Another ally said: ‘Priti is absolutely livid. The blob is trying to kill her. She’s determined to get to the bottom of it.’
Spy chiefs rebutted allegations made over the weekend that they do not trust the Home Secretary.
The whispering campaign against Ms Patel stepped up a gear at the weekend as anonymous sources reportedly claimed she was being kept out of the loop by intelligence officials.
In a poisonous briefing, one official claimed: ‘The spooks find her extremely difficult to deal with. She doesn’t grasp the subtleties of intelligence.
‘It’s not black and white. They don’t have confidence in her abilities.’
A second source told The Sunday Times that the senior Cabinet minister receives less classified information than her predecessors. ‘They [the intelligence services] have to decide how much to share, and they share less.
The source added: ‘She is also informed about things later in the decision-making process than before. Some things the security services do have legal implications, but she tends not to want to hear that.’
But MI5 last night moved to quash the claims, as it warned that the ‘untrue’ accusations do ‘not serve the public interest’.
A security source said: ‘Reports suggesting that the Home Secretary and MI5 do not have a strong working relationship are simply untrue.
The Home Secretary is briefed daily on intelligence matters in exactly the same way as any previous post holder. No information is being withheld.
‘Any report suggesting otherwise is simply wrong and does not serve the public interest.’
An ally of Ms Patel last night said: ‘Someone is clearly out to get Priti. The made-up briefing about our intelligence services has crossed the line.’
The minister has faced a wave of negative briefings after allegations that she had tried to remove her most senior civil servant – permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam – following a series of rows.
Allies of the Home Secretary were forced to deny claims that she had ‘bullied and belittled’ officials, made unreasonable demands or created an ‘atmosphere of fear’.
According to The Times, Sir Philip has raised concerns with the Cabinet Office about the minister.
But friends of Ms Patel are thought to have regarded the clashes as about nothing out of the ordinary.
The minister has faced a wave of negative briefings after allegations that she had tried to remove her most senior civil servant – permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam (pictured) – following a series of rows
A source said they ‘strongly refute’ accusations of bullying or belittling and had never seen any evidence of this, instead describing her as ‘demanding but kind’, adding: ‘But it is a demanding job, that’s the nature of the job.’
The Home Office said ‘no formal complaints’ had been made.
The Daily Mail revealed last week how Ms Patel fell out with Home Office officials after she accused them of dragging their feet over tougher action against eco-warriors.
She wanted them to look into ways to change police powers to stop protesters bringing cities to a standstill, a Government source said.
But the Home Secretary felt they were raising objections to reforms which could have helped the police tackle organisations such as Extinction Rebellion.
It is thought that Ms Patel wants to include the new measures in the Police Powers and Protection Bill expected to be submitted in the summer.
Measures would not include the use of force but would be designed to ensure individuals can get to work or avoid seeing their businesses forced to shut.