Priti Patel will resign as Britain’s Home Secretary when Liz Truss is installed as the nation’s new prime minister later on Tuesday.
Ms Patel had been expected to lose her job when Ms Truss, the new Tory leader, announced her ministerial team.
Instead, she has sent outgoing PM Boris Johnson a letter of resignation – and insisted the decision was her “choice”.
Tweet from @pritipatel
“Britain had always been a beacon for freedom and democracy and I have been proud to work with you over the last three years to make that light shine brighter,” Ms Patel wrote.
“All this has been achieved despite the relentless efforts of our political opponents and left-wing activists, lawyers and campaigners.”
On Twitter, she wrote that serving as Home Secretary had been the “honour of my life”.
“I congratulate Liz Truss…and will give her my support,” Ms Patel’s leader to Mr Johnson reads.
“From the backbenches, I will champion many of the policies and causes I have stood up for both inside and outside of Government.”
