Don’t label me as an ethnic minority, says Priti Patel

FORMER Cabinet minister Priti Patel yesterday said it was ‘patronising and insulting’ to be described as BME – for ‘black and minority ethnic’.

In an interview for International Women’s Day, the exinternational development secretary warned her Conservative colleagues not to ‘label me as BME’.

The term is used across Government, and departments such as the Ministry of Defence have BME targets to widen representation of those from diverse backgrounds.

The Tory MP for Witham said: ‘I don’t like the labelling of people. I don’t like the term BME. I’m British first and foremost, because I was born in Britain.

‘I challenge all my colleagues in the Conservative Party and in Westminster: Don’t label me as a BME… I think it’s patronising and insulting.’

Miss Patel, a leading Brexiteer, was forced to resign last November over unauthorised meetings with Israeli officials.

She did not rule out running for the Conservative leadership at some point, but said she was ‘not sure’ if Britain would ever see a prime minister from a minority community.