Priti Patel ‘deeply concerned’ by ‘false allegations’ MI5 don’t trust her
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The government has dismissed reports that home secretary Priti Patel is not trusted by intelligence officials and that she bullied her staff as “false”.
Officials have denied that MI5 held back information from Patel after claims emerged that intelligence chiefs do not trust her. Patel has also been accused of trying to force out Sir Philip Rutnam, the Home Office’s most senior civil servant.
A Home Office spokesperson said Patel and Rutnam were “deeply concerned about the number of false allegations appearing in the media”.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson said this morning that Boris Johnson has “full confidence” in the home secretary, adding that intelligence agencies are not withholding information from Patel.
The spokesperson said the home secretary and MI5 have an extremely close relationship and that Patel receives the same daily briefing as her predecessor.
The Cabinet Office this morning denied that it had launched an investigation into the source of the links, following reports that the home secretary had demanded an inquiry. “This is not true. No investigation has been requested,” said a spokesperson.
It was reported last week that Patel had tried to remove Rutnam from his position following a series of arguments.
The Times then reported allegations that the Home Secretary had bullied officials, making unreasonable demands and creating an “atmosphere of fear” — claims the Home Office has denied.
In a statement this morning, a spokesperson for the department said Patel and Rutnam “are focused on delivering on the Home Office’s hugely important agenda, which includes creating an immigration system that works for the UK, putting more police on the streets and keeping the public safe from terrorism”.
In a separate statement, the department denied the allegations regarding MI5, saying Patel “receives the same daily intelligence briefings as her predecessors”.
“The home secretary and MI5 have a strong and close working relationship,” they continued. “Baseless claims to the contrary are both wrong and against the public interest.”
“Priti is absolutely livid,” an ally of the home secretary told The Times. “The blob [a derogatory term for senior officials] is trying to kill her. She’s determined to get to the bottom of it.”
Home Office minister James Brokenshire told Sky News this morning that Patel was “demanding”, but rejected the suggestion that 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 said.
Brokenshire said the reports were “absolute nonsense”, but conceded there was “huge frustration” within the department around some of the “false allegations that have been made publicly”.
The Cabinet Office has been contacted for comment.