Priti Patel, the Conservative MP for Witham constituency in Essex and the International Development Secretary has resigned her ministerial role after a series of meetings with Israeli Officials was revealed. It has been reported that Priti Patel had met with the Israeli public security minister and had also met with an official from the Israeli foreign ministry a week later. The biggest controversy in this story came when it was revealed that Priti Patel visited an Israeli field hospital in the disputed region of Golan Heights in a non-official capacity.
The territory is not recognised by the U.K and is viewed as Israeli-occupied territory.
The second cabinet reshuffle in seven days
Priti Patel was expected to be either sacked or resign after Theresa May summoned her back to Downing Street, forcing her to cut short a ministerial visit to Kenya. Priti Patel was accused of a lack of transparency after not revealing the meetings to the foreign office, which were organised by Lord Polack, who is seen as a highly influential figure in the Conservative Friends of Israel group. It was also revealed that Ms Patel met with the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu 12 times without informing the foreign office.
British politics have been in somewhat of a state of anarchy in recent weeks.
Theresa May was forced to sack the Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon after accusations of inappropriate sexual behaviour. This forced May into a cabinet reshuffle and it now appears she is going to have to organise another one in the space of only seven days.
Conduct under microscope
Other ministers have had their own accusations of inappropriate conduct levelled at them; Damian Green, the former secretary of state is under investigation for claims that he kept pornography on his computer, and only a couple of days ago, Welsh government minister Carl Sargeant, who faced claims about his own "personal conduct" was found dead after apparently taking his own life.
Ms Patel is just another in a long line of ministers who have had their conduct in public life held up to the microscope. According to the Sun, Ms Patel said that her "actions fell below the high standards... .of transparency and openness." It seems to be open season on members of the political establishment, similarly reminiscent as to what has been taking place in Hollywood over recent weeks.
If the events of the last month or so have shown us, Ms Patel may be the latest casualty of this ever-increasing scrutiny on figures in public life, but if this trend continues, she certainly won't be the last.
