AIBU to be wondering where Priti Patel is...

[FritataPatate]

.......during this time of crisis. Home Secretary?
And for that matter. not heard from Rees-Mogg for a while.
Thankfully.

Hopefully both locked away in a cupboard. (Together?)

No, the less we see of those halfwits the better. Yuck.

He's rolling in his money saying Excellent in the style of Mr Burns older English cousin, hidden away in a haunted mansion. I assume.

Agreed.
But you'd think there'd be some comment at least from our Home Secretary.

No way are they going to let her in front of a camera because:
a) her natural smirk wouldn't be appropriate for the gravity of the situation
b) it's barely any time since the furore over her bullying civil servants, who are now probably running the show
c) her well-known unpleasant thoughts about the deportation of immigrants who are proving themselves absolute indispensable in the NHS.

I think she's self-isolating or has been due to the ministers she'd been in contact with having Covid-19 symptoms.

It is bizarre to have a Home Secretary who is so notably absent during a time of national crisis.

Rees-Mogg doesn't want to face questions about his investment company allegedly cashing in on the Coronavirus crisis.

Not answering letters. Refusing to attend the Select Ctee whose job it is to hold her to account and accusing it of 'wasting civil servants' time.'

news.sky.com/story/priti-patel-in-bitter-clash-with-yvette-cooper-over-commons-committee-no-show-11970777

Wasn't she in the headlines just yesterday for getting into a bunfight with Yvette Cooper? She's refusing to appear before any parliamentary enquiries about Covid 19. She seems to accrue enemies at a phenomenal rate. Some work required on the people skills I think.

Probably off having secret meetings with foreign governments.

Probably off having secret meetings with foreign governments.

You can only feel sorry for the foreign govts.

They probably prefer the virus.

What DippyAvocado said

And to think that she could be the future PM

Fascinating that she's never once fronted the daily coronavirus briefing. It's clear the Conservatives know she would be an absolute liability.

They are tactfully keeping her out of the public eye and away from journalists questions.

Because they will ask her (quite rightly) if she's had any thoughts about adjusting her immigration policy now that we have immigrants from all over the world saving our British peoples lives, keeping up essential services and in too many cases dying for the cause.

Immigration does need to be discussed. But her strict policy doesn't match up with what's happing right now.

Obviously these are very turbulent times, but I can't imagine she's going to ever be PM. She was made Home Secretary because it was expedient to have someone from the right wing of the party in one of the big roles, but she's apparently incapable of going for very long without her behaviour leading to some kind of controversy.

Her natural expression being a smirk is really going to hamper her for the foreseeable, ie a pandemic and the mother of all recessions. Especially as she's a woman. It was one thing in a get Brexit done context, quite another when thousands and thousands are dying and jobs being lost everywhere. It seems such a minor thing, someone's expression, and in this particular case it should be about 900th on the list of reasons why she shouldn't and won't get anywhere near being PM. Yet it matters a lot.

Ms Cooper says MPs want to quiz Ms Patel about issues arising out of the coronavirus crisis; such as domestic violence, policing and enforcement, testing and personal protection equipment for frontline staff, and quarantine arrangements" (from that Sky story)

Seems fair enough. It also seems that the Home Secretary wants to get her civil servants to brief Cooper instead, privately - which suggests Patel doesn't want to answer questions herself, publicly. Well out of her depth; and/or hiding something.

Hopefully she’s sitting somewhere watching TV coverage of the immigrants here earning less than £24k who are currently saving peoples lives or keeping Britain going in terms of food.

It might actually hit home now.

Yes, her belief that carers are unskilled labour is coming back to bite her in the arse.

In every crisis there is an opportunity
Cometh the hour, cometh the man (or woman)

This crisis is certainly a good career making opportunity for people like Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock to become respected household names and to show us what they are made of.

It's also damning to see that our Home Secretary isn't doing any of the briefings - one of her responsibilities is the police and there has been concerns over police actions. I would have thought policing a lockdown should be something the Home Secretary should be talking about.

Isn’t Rees-Mogg still locked in whatever cupboard they had to shut him in when he became a liability during the election campaign.

YANBU to wonder where Patel is. But it’s not really a surprise as it’s difficult to see how putting her in front of the public is going to work out well for them.

You'd think we'd see her coming to the Briefing to provide public information, answer urgent questions, and provide any reassurance that is needed that the Home Office is properly dealing with this crisis. (quoting Yvette Cooper)

Her politics and stance on immigration have been proven woefully, extraordinarily wrong -
Morally and in terms of what’s good for the country- in the last month.

The Windrush lessons learned report is damning and she’s been swerving the select committee.

She’s loathed by vast swathes of the country; we need our politicians at times of crisis to NOT make the citizenry want to riot.
(Amazing that Michael Gove has been considered better for briefings than Priti. That tells you something).

Any decent journalist would eviscerate her on the basis of these three.

she is busy finding excuses for not appearing at the select committee over her conduct.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/apr/08/priti-patel-accused-of-avoiding-mps-scrutiny-during-national-crisis?