Dame Priti Patel has slammed the current Labour government, accusing it of leading the country into chaos and risking everything Brexit was meant to achieve. The former Home Secretary, now serving as the Shadow Foreign Secretary, says many people across the UK are asking how they ended up with such a disappointing government.
She’s especially critical of Labour’s handling of immigration. Patel was the architect of the now-scrapped plan to send illegal migrants to Rwanda for processing a plan Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer declared “dead and buried” in one of his first moves as Prime Minister. Since then, over 30,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats.
Patel believes Labour’s current pledge to “smash the gangs” behind illegal crossings is laughable and says the country now lacks a real deterrent. “This government has failed,” she said, accusing Labour of pretending to take action while doing very little in practice.
She’s also angry about how Labour is treating Rwanda, a Commonwealth country she believes was unfairly dragged into the political mess. Patel says Labour should be focused on building proper detention and reception centres in the UK instead of dismissing Conservative ideas out of hand.
But immigration isn’t the only issue worrying Patel. She’s deeply concerned that Labour is slowly undoing Brexit by getting closer to the EU again. Reports suggest the government is considering aligning with EU rules on meat, dairy, and allowing the European Court of Justice to have oversight moves that, to Patel, threaten the sovereignty that Brexit fought for.
Sitting in her office overlooking the Houses of Parliament, Patel warns that reintroducing EU regulations would take the UK back to the kind of rigid control it worked hard to escape. She says if Britain wants to succeed in today’s unstable world, it must embrace the freedoms won through Brexit.
Even from the opposition benches, Patel’s energy hasn’t faded. She still calls herself a “massive Thatcherite” and remains passionate about conservative values. Her own journey—from a child of Ugandan-Indian immigrants to a senior minister—is one she likens to the American dream.
She’s furious at Labour’s economic decisions too calling the removal of heating bill support for pensioners “cruel and vindictive,” and warning that new workers’ rights policies from Deputy PM Angela Rayner could lead to more job losses.
Patel believes the Conservatives are the only party that really understands the struggles people face. “We care about the public, their jobs, their lives,” she said. “We speak to people every day who are worried about what’s happening under this government.”
With local elections approaching and Reform UK rising in the polls, Patel says many voters feel let down by all politicians—but insists Conservative candidates bring the skill and experience local councils need. Asked whether she wants Boris Johnson or Jacob Rees-Mogg back in Parliament, she said she had fond memories of working with them, especially during the Brexit campaign. “I like conviction politicians,” she added.
Despite the uphill battle the Tories face in regaining power, Patel remains fired up and determined. She sees today’s political fight as part of a bigger mission to defend freedom and opportunity values she says Britain shares with the United States.
But right now, she claims, the country is disillusioned and hurting under Labour. She’s eager to change that and help lead a Conservative return to government—one that stands up for parents, pensioners, farmers, and small businesses, while staying tough on threats from countries like Russia and China.
And if she has anything to say about it, Britain hasn’t seen the last of her yet.
