Priti clashes with her civil servants over Ukrainian visa scheme chaos

FURIOUS Priti Patel is said to have ‘torn strips’ off her civil servants over the slow progress of the visa scheme for Ukrainian refugees hoping to come to the UK.

Relations between the Home Secretary and her team are said to be at an ‘all-time low’ following a recent meeting in which she is understood to have given an excoriating assessment of her team’s delivery of the scheme so far.

The Home Office initially predicted it would hand out 10,000 visas in the first week of the Homes For Ukraine scheme, but fewer than 5,000 visas have so far been granted since it began on March 14. ‘The Home Secretary has torn strips off the senior team,’ said a source.

‘She effectively called them all useless and with words and a tone which shocked senior staff.

‘Relations between the Home Secretary and the civil servants are at an all-time low.’

But sources close to Ms Patel said last night they and others who were at the board meeting did not ‘recognise the characterisation’ of the event. One source pointedly said: ‘It’s interesting that we don’t see officials criticising the tone of a male Minister.

‘There is certainly a sexist undertone to all this.

‘It’s been a difficult few weeks, but it’s rubbish that this is an all-time low.

‘She’s a Secretary of State holding her department to account. This is about policy and delivery, not individuals.’

In total, 29,100 Ukrainians have been given sanctuary in the United Kingdom during the first month of the war, including those joining relatives in the country or extending their stay.

A spokesman for the Home Secretary said: ‘It’s right that Ministers provide scrutiny and challenge to ensure the pace of delivery is matching the ambition and need for the scheme.’