A Priti state of affairs

Patel finally quits over secret meetings with Israeli chiefs

she knew about some of her minister’s Israeli meetings earlier than thought and had told her to cover them up.

Labour again called for the PM, already engulfed in the Westminster sex pest scandal, to quit.

And even her own MPS were turning against her, with around 40 said to be poised to ask her to go. Shadow International Development Secretary Kate Osamor said: “Theresa May must get control of her chaotic Cabinet or step aside. Priti Patel appears to have breached the Ministerial Code, gone behind the Government’s back, and misled the British public.

“After denying the allegations, then repeatedly changing her story and failing to disclose all of her meetings, it is right that she has now resigned.

“But we still need to know what was discussed in these meetings and what Number 10 and the Foreign Office knew and when.” Ms Patel arrived at Number 10 last night straight from the airport for her showdown with the PM, which lasted six minutes. In her resignation letter to Mrs May, she admitted that her actions “fell below the high standards that are expected of a Secretary of State”. She offered a “fulsome apology” and added: “While my actions were meant with the best of intentions, my actions also fell below the standards of transparency and openness that I have promoted and advocated.” Mrs May replied: “Now that further details have come to light, it is right that you have decided to resign.”

Ms Patel’s fate was sealed after it was revealed she had failed to disclose two more unauthorised meetings with senior officials on top of the 12 she had admitted holding during a “family holiday” to Israel in August.

She met the country’s public security minister in Parliament in September and a foreign ministry official in New York a week later.

It was also claimed Mrs May had been told about Ms Patel’s meeting with Mr Netanyahu within hours of it taking place in August.

Number 10 has repeatedly denied the allegation and insisted the PM only found out about it when it was reported in the media on Friday.

Downing Street said: “It is not true that the Prime Minister knew about the meeting with PM Netanyahu