Join the Home Secretary the Rt Hon Priti Patel MP on 12th January at 18:00 for an exclusive Q & A.
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Priti was born in London and educated at a comprehensive girl’s school in Watford. She went on to study economics at Keele University, before completing her postgraduate studies at the University of Essex.
She has been actively involved the Conservative Party since the 1990s, and is a grassroots campaigner who prides herself as a longstanding Conservative Party activist and volunteer over a 30-year period. Her life experiences were not forged in a bastion of privilege sheltered from the real world. Enterprise and hard work have shaped Priti’s life, values, and beliefs. She believes strongly in the Conservative values of meritocracy, freedom, and aspiration, and that the Conservative belief in freedom, free markets and lower taxes empowers people, families, and businesses to flourish and be in control of their own destiny.
She was elected as the first Member of Parliament for the newly created Witham constituency in May 2010, and has held a number of positions in Government, including as the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (2014-2015) and Minister of State for Employment at the Department for Work and Pensions (2015-2016).
She served as Secretary of State for International Development between July 2016 and November 2017, and in that role she transformed the delivery of overseas assistance programmes to focus on aid effectiveness, economic development, trade, and jobs so that countries can stand on their own two feet. Priti also pioneered new levels of accountability and openness in the use of the aid budget, with reforms and spending controls across the aid sector.
She has held the post of Home Secretary since July 2019, delivering on the Government’s manifesto commitment to recruit more police officers around the country, and a new points-based immigration system that is modern and fit for purpose now we are outside of the EU and once again in control of our immigration policy.
Alongside her Ministerial positions, Priti was also appointed as the first ever Prime Minister’s UK India Diaspora Champion in 2013. In this role, she worked towards the of deepening UK-India trade, education and cultural links and promoting contact between Indians in both countries. She has also supported the Party in a number of roles including as an Association Chairman, an elected member of the Conservative Party Board and a member of the 1922 Committee. During the EU Referendum, Priti played a leading role in the Leave campaign and since the Referendum has worked with colleagues to bring the country together to secure a prosperous and successful future outside of the EU.
Priti is a strong voice for Witham, Essex and Britain and believes passionately in the principles of accountability, fairness and in standing up for her constituents.
This will be a popular event to kick off the new year and space is limited so sign-up early!
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This event is for Young Conservative Party Members only