Tory forced to apologise over Israel meetings
TORY Cabinet minister Priti Patel was forced to apologise yesterday for arranging a series of secret meetings with Israeli politicians.
The International Development Secretary admitted she had not told Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson she would be holding the engagements, which included one with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
She revealed she held 12 meetings with senior Israelis, including two other cabinet ministers, while on a family holiday in the country in August.
The meetings were set up by Tory peer and lobbyist Lord Polak, who attended all but one.
Ms Patel also admitted she had commissioned new departmental work as a result of the meetings.
When it first emerged last week that Ms Patel had met an Israeli opposition politician, she insisted Mr Johnson had been aware of her trip and all the information about it was “out there”.
But yesterday her meetings with Mr Netanyahu and other prominent figures were revealed, and she admitted Mr Johnson did not know of her visit in advance.
The DfID said: “The Secretary of State regrets the lack of precision in the wording she used in these statements.”
Ms Patel apologised and said she had paid for the trip herself. Labour repeated its call for a probe to judge whether Ms Patel breached the ministerial code.
Shadow International Development Secretary Kate Osamor said: “She’s been caught misleading the British public. If she doesn’t resign, Theresa May must refer it to the Cabinet Office for a full investigation.”
No10 said the PM met Ms Patel “to remind her of the obligations under the ministerial code”.