THE International Development Secretary has been accused of going “completely rogue” after it emerged she wanted to send aid money to the Israeli army in the Golan Heights.
Priti Patel asked her officials to examine the idea after a secret meeting with the country’s prime minister, despite the UK not recognising Israel’s 1967 occupation of the area.
READ MORE: Priti Patel ordered back to UK after more Israel meetings revealed
The disclosure, which Downing Street only learned of on Tuesday morning from the BBC, intensified pressure on Ms Patel to quit over her “freelance” diplomacy.
It is only Theresa May’s weakness and inability to conduct a reshuffle that is seen as keeping Ms Patel, a prominent Brexit supporter, in her job.
Ms Patel was forced to apologise on Monday after falsely claiming Boris Johnson knew in advance that she was meeting senior Israeli figures during a personal holiday in August.
READ MORE: Priti Patel ordered back to UK after more Israel meetings revealed
She was rebuked by Number 10 for saying “Boris knew about the visit” and for implying there were just a handful of meetings - in fact there were 12, including PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ms Patel did not tell local British diplomats of her meetings, and was unaccompanied by her own officials, leading to accusations she broke the ministerial code of conduct.
Ms Patel later asked her department if humanitarian aid could be routed to Syrian refugees in Golan via the occupying Israeli army, something likely to contravene existing UK policy.
READ MORE: Priti Patel ordered back to UK after more Israel meetings revealed
She said: “In hindsight, I can now see how my enthusiasm to engage in this way could be misread, and how meetings were set up an reported in a way which did not accord with the usual procedures. I am sorry for this and I apologise for it.”
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford wrote to Mrs May calling for clarity on key aspects of the “shambolic episode”, including whether it was ever acceptable for a cabinet minister to unilaterally change the UK’s foreign policy.
He said: “This is utterly extraordinary - it cannot be the case that the Prime Minister offers a mere slap on the wrist to a Secretary of State who has not just gone beyond her brief - but has gone completely rogue. The Prime Minister must clean up her chaotic Cabinet.
READ MORE: Priti Patel ordered back to UK after more Israel meetings revealed
“The Prime Minister must come clean – is this flagrant breach of the ministerial code acceptable conduct for a Cabinet minister? And, has the UK government drastically changed its foreign policy, and aligned itself in direct contrast to international law, by promoting the idea that the UK’s aid budget and tax-payers money should go towards the Israeli army in the occupied and illegally annexed Golan Heights?
“Theresa May must clarify whether it is now government policy to hold high level meetings without prior notice or government officials present whilst on family holidays.
“If not - and if the Secretary of State has been found going well beyond her brief and in breach of the ministerial code - then Priti Patel must be sacked."
Tory MPs failed to support Ms Patel when her activities were discussed in response to a Commons urgent question on Tuesday, preferring to express concerns instead.
Ms Patel had been accompanied on her meetings by Lord Polak, the honorary president of Conservative Friends of Israel, an influential lobbying organisation.
Conservative Sir Hugo Swire told International Development minister Alistair Burt that there was a need for far greater transparency around lobbying.
READ MORE: Priti Patel ordered back to UK after more Israel meetings revealed
He said: "The spotlight is on this place and the proceedings of this place, and the behaviour of all of us, as never before - and what people want is transparency and accountability.”
Mr Burt replied: “Wider questions about lobbying and funding are for others, but I think the Secretary of State has been entirely transparent in relation to her visit and now that she made the statement yesterday and disclosed what she has done."
However he added Mrs Patel, who is on a visit to Uganda and Ethiopia, “does regret not being clearer in her language”.
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