Questions raised about Priti Patel’s absence from key coronavirus briefings
Home secretary Priti Patel. Photograph; Parliament TV. - Credit: Archant
Questions are being raised as the home secretary is yet to make an appearance at the government's coronavirus press conferences.
Priti Patel has come under questioning after her continued absence at the daily coronavirus briefing since they began on March 16.
Despite being a senior cabinet minister, Patel has not chaired one of the briefings so far.
But the home secretary's allies have insisted that this is simply down to other departments having more pressing announcements as the pandemic unfolds.
MORE: Yvette Cooper slams Priti Patel for failure to be quizzed by MPs over coronavirus outbreakOliver Dowden, culture secretary, said the Home Secretary is still 100% engaged and has been seen in the Home Office every day.
Dowden told Sky News: 'I really can assure you the home secretary is across all of this and is engaged on an hour-by-hour and day-by-day basis. I see this every day myself.
You may also want to watch:
'She's 100% engaged. She's in the Home Office pretty much every day, as far as I know, that's where I've seen her every day.
'I really don't think there's an issue with respect to the home secretary.'
Most Read
- 1 Poll: Laurence Fox in joint last place with Count Binface in race for London mayor
- 2 British fisherman expresses regret over Brexit vote on Danish TV
- 3 Brexit regret: Meet the Leave voters who wish they hadn't voted Leave
- 4 Opposition parties push for probe into Boris Johnson's conduct following viral video
- 5 Russell Kane: Why working class people like Boris Johnson
- 6 Government scraps Pick for Britain programme after Brits fill as few as 5% of roles
- 7 Priti Patel plan to deport EU rough sleepers from UK branded ‘inhumane’ by charity
- 8 Ex-minister says Boris Johnson's government is a 'cesspit' where 'almost nobody' tells the truth
- 9 James Dyson moves main address back to the UK
- 10 Government to dissolve parliament ahead of Queen’s Speech
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.
