Britain's new prime minister, Boris Johnson, named Priti Patel as home secretary on Wednesday (24), marking a political comeback for the former international development minister.
Five Facts about Priti Patel:
- Patel, 47, resigned as International Development minister in November 2017 over undisclosed meetings with Israeli officials that breached diplomatic protocol.
- She campaigned to leave the European Union in 2016, and since leaving government has been an outspoken critic of former prime minister Theresa May's approach to Brexit.
- Earlier this week, Patel, who also served as a junior Treasury minister, released a report on the British economy arguing for lower taxes and for a new Bank of England mandate more focused on asset price inflation and financial imbalances.
- Patel is English-born to Indian parents. In the EU referendum campaign she launched an appeal to "Save the British Curry" which argued that a post-Brexit immigration system would be fairer to those from outside the EU and ease a shortage of chefs for Indian restaurants in Britain.
- Former British leader David Cameron touted Patel as Britain's first Indian-heritage prime minister during a huge rally at Wembley stadium in 2015 to mark the visit of Indian leader Narendra Modi.
