CABINET SECRETARY Sir Mark Sedwill has made a rare intervention to try end the ongoing “toxic briefing war” involving Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Taking note of “recent stories of tensions within Whitehall”, he wrote to civil servants that “unattributable briefings and leaks” were besmirching “this country’s hard-won reputation for good governance”.
Sir Mark said such issues caused “distraction from the vital work of the thousands of civil servants delivering the government's agenda and the public services on which our citizens rely”.
The civil service head also stressed on the importance of “candour, confidentiality and courtesy” in creating synergy between ministers, special advisers and officials.
Patel had been accused of bullying officials and trying to “oust” Permanent Secretary Sir Philip Rutnam. A Times article, quoting unnamed sources, went on to allege that MI5 chiefs found her “extremely difficult to deal with”.
The allegations, however, were rebuffed by officials and Patel’s allies.
The Home Office issued a joint statement, which said both Patel and Sir Philip were “deeply concerned about the number of false allegations appearing in the media”.
Security minister James Brokenshire termed the “false accusations and assertions” that were “swirling around” as “absolute nonsense”.
He said Patel was “demanding”, but certainly not a bully. He also insisted that there was no disharmony between the home secretary and MI5.
“Yes, she [Patel] is demanding, but in that role you have to be because you are dealing with some of the most sensitive, some of the most challenging things that you have to deal with across government,” said Brokenshire.
“I think the home secretary is absolutely focused on the public good, the agenda that we’ve set around policing, on immigration and indeed around counter-terrorism and security.”
A reliable security source, too, dismissed reports on friction between Patel and MI5.
“Reports suggesting that the home secretary and MI5 do not have a strong working relationship are simply untrue,” the source said.
Former Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said she was “sick of spiteful briefings against women in high public office”.
“It happens again and again and I don’t believe these allegations against Priti Patel,” she said.
“I think she’s a highly effective home secretary and I think whoever is making these briefings should stop it because I think they are unfair and they are damaging.”
“I think there are clearly people who are out to damage the Home Secretary.”
Reports said a clique of officials—referred to in the media as “the blob”—would continue the shadow war “until they have got rid of Priti”.
“When Amber Rudd was home secretary she did all she could to win over the department, but she was the one who lost her job when it all went wrong,” said a source.
“Priti may be safe for now, but when it next goes wrong they’ll make sure she is the one who ends up out of the door.”
For now, Boris Johnson’s office has handled the issue diplomatically.
Downing Street backed Patel saying the prime minister had “full confidence in the Home Secretary and the vital work she is doing”.
To a specific question of Sir Philip, the official spokesperson said the PM had “full confidence in the civil service which is working very hard to deliver on the government’s priorities”.
