Visit by Rt Hon Dame Priti Patel MP
This week we were delighted to have welcomed the Right Hon Dame Priti Patel MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary as guest of honour to speak at our constituency dinner.
Priti last spoke to our association in January 2018, about six months after our Member of Parliament, Alex Burghart had been elected to represent Brentwood and Ongar.
Priti attended a comprehensive school in Watford before studying economics at Keele University. She completed her postgraduate studies at the University of Essex. She was inspired to get involved in Conservative politics by the leadership and policies of Margaret Thatcher who she credited with having “a unique ability to understand what made people tick”. An avowed Thatcherite she advocates for policies based upon classic Conservative principles such as Free Enterprise, Hard Work, Personal Responsibility and Limited Government.
Priti has served across a range of senior government positions. She was Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury from July 2014 to May 2015, Minister of State for Employment from May 2015 until July 2016 and Secretary of State for International Development from July 2016 to November 2017. Following last year’s leadership contest Priti was appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, a return much welcomed by Conservative members and supporters up and down the country.
Priti gave a great speech based on Conservative values which was very well received by a packed meeting of local members.