Katy Balls Katy Balls

Priti Patel admits Boris got borders wrong

(Getty images)

The government’s border policy has become an increasing cause of bemusement among MPs and the country at large. The UK did not close its borders during the first lockdown when countries such as New Zealand did. When they did eventually bring in tighter border restrictions, it was just at the point Conservative MPs thought they ought to be opening up. 

This time around, things are stricter, yet there were still delays. A new requirement to have a negative Covid test 72 hours before travelling to the UK has been brought in but even that had little sense of urgency with confusion over whether it would come into effect last Friday or Monday.

Border restrictions will be in place for some time, even if the vaccine rollout goes well.

Now the Cabinet divisions over the policy are coming to light. Guido Fawkes has obtained a recording of Priti Patel speaking at a Conservative event this week in which she said that she called for the borders to be shut last March. The Home Secretary told Tory members: 

‘On ‘should we have closed our borders earlier’ the answer is yes, I was an advocate of closing them last March’.

At the time, there were reports that she had clashed with the Prime Minister on the issue. However, the comments confirming this count as a breach of collective cabinet responsibility. When the comments were raised by Keir Starmer at PMQs, Boris Johnson would only say that the UK’s approach now was a tough one with regards to borders.

As well as not knowing her words would be made public, there is another reason Patel will feel more relaxed about speaking frankly on the issue. She is now in the majority. Even the Prime Minister with hindsight would likely now have closed the borders in March.

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