Priti Patel was busy trying to get on with the day job as home secretary on Thursday, joining Sky News at a pharmacy in central London to promote the anniversary of a scheme she set up a year ago to try to help victims of domestic violence.
“Ask ANI” is about giving victims a place where they can discreetly signal their need for help from their local pharmacy.
Ms Patel has told Sky News some of her friends have experienced domestic abuse and that is what spurs her on when it comes to trying to tackle the problem of violence towards women and girls in our society – although she acknowledges there is so much still to do.
But trying to promote initiatives and talk about policy is difficult for a Conservative administration paralysed by the Downing Street party scandal, as MPs ask themselves whether the prime minister can survive this current crisis.
Five Tory MPs, including the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, have publicly called on Boris Johnson to resign.
And many more are waiting on the conclusion of the Sue Gray independent investigation into alleged rule-breaking events held in Number 10 and across Whitehall during the COVID lockdowns of 2020.
For Ms Patel, this is particularly awkward. As home secretary she is the cabinet minister in charge of law and order and was the natural voice of tough enforcement of COVID regulations.
In May 2020, just two days after the prime minister hosted a drinks event in the garden of Downing Street with around 40 staff in attendance, the home secretary admonished the “reckless minority” that broke mandatory measures at one of the then regular Downing Street news conferences.
In September 2020, when the “rule of six” was introduced, Ms Patel told Sky News she’d call the police if neighbours were hosting a party that broke coronavirus restrictions, saying this was…
Source : skynews
