CONSERVATIVE MP Priti Patel, DBE, representing the Witham constituency in Essex, is regarded as one of the outstanding politicians of the age – or at least is considered so by many in her party and some sections of the country at large. She has more than 13 years of service as an MP and was at the very top of the political greasy pole – serving three different Tory prime ministers. She is now actively involved in various developmental initiatives within her region.

Honoured with the title of Dame Command er of the Order of the British Empire at a ceremony in Windsor, Patel’s significant contributions to public service and impactful work as Home Secretary were underscored. She is one of the few Dames from an ethnic background – and one of the few from a career in politics. “Receiving this honour is deeply humbling, and I am grateful to my constituents for the opportunity they have given me to serve them,” Patel remarked of the honour During her tenure as home secretary from July 2019 to September 2022, Patel significantly influenced UK politics, particularly in shaping key policy frameworks. She played a pivotal role in reshaping the country’s immigration laws.

Some of the accomplishments in her ministerial term include the implementation of a points-based immigration system, securing a Rwanda asylum deal to manage English Channel migrant crossings, enacting the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act 2022, and facilitating Julian Assange’s extradition to the US – which is still ongoing at the time of publication. Patel entered Parliament in 2010 and gained prominence as a key figure in the 2016 Vote Leave campaign for Brexit. Early in her career, former prime minister David Cameron appointed her as a champion for the Indian diaspora, a role that concluded with his