Ex-home secretary admits ‘inconsistency’ in messaging over protests during Covid

Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel has admitted there was “inconsistency” in her public messaging regarding protests during the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on Thursday, Dame Priti was questioned about a tweet on June 6 2020 in which she said “protests must be peaceful and in accordance with social distancing rules”, and then a piece in the Telegraph newspaper two days later in which she said large gatherings of people were unlawful.

Counsel to the inquiry Hugo Keith KC said: “From the standpoint of a potential protester, you do appear there to be speaking with two voices.”

Police officers and protesters during a Black Lives Matter rally in Whitehall, London in June 2020 (Yui Mok/PA)

Dame Priti appeared to give a wry smile before saying: “There’s inconsistency there, yes, I can see that.”

The former home secretary also spoke of being “dismayed” at the Metropolitan Police’s handling of a vigil held for murdered marketing executive Sarah Everard in March 2021, describing it as “totally inappropriate policing”.

WhatsApp messages from March 2021 showed former prime minister Boris Johnson felt he could not criticise police following the vigil “when all I have seen is footage of some argy bargy without knowing what happened”.

Minister of State at the Cabinet Office Lord David Frost’s message in the exchange was shown to the inquiry first, in which he said: “Police are in an impossible position in many ways because of the impossibility of enforcing current rules.

“We certainly should not throw them under the bus.”

Mr Johnson eventually gave his thoughts on how to handle the fallout from the vigil, saying: “Unless anyone strongly disagrees, I think it should be Priti who tweets tonight.”

The then-deputy director of communications Jack Doyle responded: “Agree. She tweeted in time for the ten o’clock news and I think we got the tone right.”

Mr Johnson replied: “Feels odd to weigh in as PM and bash the cops when all I have seen is footage of some argy bargy without knowing what happened.

“Think (Sir Keir) Starmer looks a bit opportunistic and anti-police.

“But no doubt the female MPs feeling strongly.”

Telling the inquiry about her views on how police handled the vigil, Dame Priti said: “I saw the news that night and just felt that that was totally inappropriate policing.

“So, inevitably, I had to raise that with the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and then a lot of other work took place thereafter.”

The former home secretary told the inquiry she believed police struck the right balance overall between protest and freedom of expression, and enforcing coronavirus regulations, despite their approach appearing “uncomfortable”.

Asked whether she believed the police’s approach struck the balance, Dame Priti said: “I do. At the time it probably felt uncomfortable – where we had lockdowns, for example, and people’s movements were being restricted and the public discourse would be ‘why are these protests happening?’

“Of course, those are difficult challenges – it feels uncomfortable.”

The former home secretary referred in particular to Black Lives Matter protests and spoke about one demonstration which “turned particularly violent”.

She continued: “So, striking the balance – difficult. I think at the time it felt very uncomfortable.”