UK’s Priti Patel sorry for secret meetings with Israeli officials

British secretary of state for international development Priti Patel has apologised for holding several secret meetings with Israeli officials during a family holiday in August, in which she discussed a number of issues, including India.

“This summer I travelled to Israel, on a family holiday paid for myself. While away I had the opportunity to meet a number of people and organisations. I am publishing a list of who I met.‎ The Foreign and Commonwealth Office was aware of my visit while it was underway,” Patel said in her apology.

“In hindsight, I can see how my enthusiasm to engage in this way could be misread, and how meetings were set up and reported in a way which did not accord with the usual procedures. I am sorry for this and I apologise for it.”

The meetings amounted to a breach of the ministerial code, since the Foreign Office was not informed of them in advance.

Prime Minister Theresa May said she had spoken to Patel, who had been “reminded of her obligations” as a cabinet minister.

Patel’s apology statement included a list of people she met, along with a brief summary of the discussions.

During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, she discussed her family background that included her parents fleeing Uganda in the 1970s and settling in Britain. They also discussed “India, given the secretary of state’s family background”.

The statement added the Foreign Office was aware of the visit while it was underway, but was not informed about it in advance. The Foreign Office, it said, was “clear that UK interests were not damaged or affected by the meetings on this visit”.

Former Conservative foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind told BBC the meetings were “extremely unwise”, adding: “Not only did she not tell the Foreign Office directly, so far as I’m aware the British embassy in Israel wasn’t aware that this was happening. Now that just shouldn’t be done...it’s not just a question of courtesy.”

Labour’s shadow cabinet office minister Jon Trickett said there had been a “clear breach” of the ministerial code, while shadow international development secretary Kate Osamor called for an investigation, describing Patel’s apology as “a desperate last-ditch attempt...to save her job”.