British minister Patel resigns over secret meeting with Israeli officials

Monitoring Desk

LONDON: Priti Patel, British aid minister was forced to resigns from office over undisclosed meetings with Israeli officials and Prime Minister Theresa May reduced her authority as she was negotiating Brexit.

Priti Patel is very popular in the ruling Conservative Party and Brexit campaigner. She cancelled a trip to Africa after she was summoned by PM May to answer questions for her undisclosed meeting with Israeli officials without informing the government and taking protocol.

Priti Patel presented her resignation to PM Theresa May and in her letter she apologized for her actions and adding that her action were meant to be in the better interest of the UK and admitted that it was below the standard of transparency.

However, still it was not clear who would replace Patel.

A cabinet minister would normally organize meetings through the foreign office Under British protocol and be accompanied by officials, and visits with Israelis would typically be balanced with meetings with Palestinians.

It is the second resignation in May’s top team in a week, underlining her weakness at a time when she faces the complicated task of unravelling more than 40 years of ties with the European Union and holding a deeply divided party together.