Thursday 9th November

And so, the Pantomime continues, limping into the final Act.  Even though the whole of the audience was shouting “She’s behind you” Priti Patel calmly leaned back in her seat on the Kenya Airlines bringing her back to face the wicked witch of Downing Street.  The whole of the news media was announcing that she was being flown back in disgrace to face a public sacking.  And then she resigned….either before or after getting the riot act read to her.

But it doesn’t end there.  In fact it is only just beginning.  Damien Green is under investigation for (maybe) having pornography on his office computer.  The new Defence Minister is hated by the whole Tory party as he is seen as having shafted his predecessor in order to get his job.  In addition, at least two junior ministers are embroiled in the sexual harassment scandal.

But I am just as concerned as to what exactly Priti Patel thought she was doing.  Supposedly on holiday in Israel, she had 12 meetings (that we know of) with Israeli Government Ministers including, unbelievably, the Prime Minister.  She was not accompanied by any of her officials, but instead, a Jewish donor to the Tory party.  And she didn’t inform her senior Ministers or the PM herself.  What on earth was going on?  What was she possibly discussing with Benjamin Netanyahu?  The Government’s official policy is to be working for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.  We are supposed to be neutral and the Foreign Office is extremely careful about the sensitive situation in the Middle East.  And yet here was a Cabinet Minister having confidential un-minuted and secret conversations with the Prime Minister of a country involved not only in the Civil War in neighbouring Syria but guilty of building illegal settlements in the Occupied territories – which are still officially un-recognised by the UK or the United Nations.  In fact, more UN resolutions have been passed criticising Israel than any other country.

Actually, resigning is the easy bit for Ms Patel.  She must disclose exactly what she discussed or proposed or even agreed to with Mr. Netanyahu.  In fact, Mrs. May should be the one publicly disowning her.  She should have been sacked 5 days ago when this first came to light.  Theresa May now looks even weaker than before.  A week is a long time in Politics – a week ago she had just about held things together.  Now she has lost two ministers; Boris is guilty of giving false information to the Iranians, resulting in a British Iranian woman having her sentence increased, and a sex scandal cloud hangs over several other Ministers.

As I said two days ago, something must change.  And it is obvious that it must be this Government.