Video
Priti Patel clashes with Sky News presenter over safety of Britain after Brexit
Priti Patel on Sky News - Credit: Sky News
Priti Patel has sparred with a Sky News presenter after he suggested Britain could be "less safe" after Brexit.
The home secretary threw aside claims Britain's security and intelligence operations would be jeopardised by a no-deal Brexit.
She appeared on Sky News to assuage concerns.
Presenter Niall Paterson asked: "As things stand we do not have the new security deal yet, do we?
"So Lord Ricketts said in his assessment that we will all be less safe without it."
Patel erupted: "That is not true at all. Britain is a safe country, we will always be a safe country.
"We have maintained that throughout the last four years through all the EU negotiations.
Most Read
- 1 The greatest failure of government in our lifetime
- 2 The bigot we should have called out on day one
- 3 Matt Hancock praises free school meals before being reminded he voted against them
- 4 James O'Brien schools Brexiteer who refuses to accept new EU-UK trade rules
- 5 Nigel Farage launches new party in Scotland to promote 'positive case for the Union'
- 6 Brexiteer MP ridiculed after calling for free movement of goods between GB and NI
- 7 Scottish fishing boats ditch UK waters for Denmark to escape Brexit red tape
- 8 Brexiteer rebuked after backing Nigel Farage's 'East Germany' claims
- 9 The polling that signals the plight of the Union
- 10 Keir Starmer got it right with vote on Brexit deal
"When you look at our security and intelligence tools we are world-class.
"We are the best in the world."
She went on to say Britain has developed new intelligence infrastructure before calling the claims "just wrong".
But Britain's former security commissioner to the EU disagrees and warned that in security terms "the difference between a deal and no deal is significant".
Sir Julian King said Britain's intelligence agencies may be forced to delete troves of data it uses to tackle crime and terrorism cases in the event of a no-deal.
King said: "UK [intelligence] data that was held in EU systems could – indeed would – be deleted, if there was no data adequacy arrangement covering how you share data."
He said the UK would then be cut off from a range of databases such as the European Criminal Records Information Services, which shares data about prior convictions across all EU countries.
Barbara Walton tweeted: "So, according to Priti Patel, UK has world-beating security too. Wonder if it is more or less world-beating than the total failure of world-beating test and trace?"
Les Jones added: "UK's anti terrorist chief, already said that UK will be less safe. #Patel, typical #brexiteer, lives in a world of delusion & lies, & UK is ripped apart."
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.
