Hugh Grant has slammed Priti Patel as the “worst Home Secretary in British history” in a rant over the “inhumane” conditions greeting tourists at Heathrow passport control.
The actor posted a picture of a long line of tourists slowly making their way through border control checks as he jetted into London on Monday.
The Paddington star tweeted: “Dear Visitors to the UK, I apologise for the way you are treated on arrival. Terminal 3 Heathrow just now was a disgrace and inhumane.
“I’m afraid we have the worst Home Secretary in British history.”
But some people in the comments rushed to defend the beleaguered Home Secretary.
One with Priti Patel as their profile picture replied: “What has the Home Secretary done to Terminal 3? Lol what a political stretch.”
Dear Visitors to the UK, I apologise for the way you are treated on arrival. Terminal 3 Heathrow just now was a disgrace and inhumane. I’m afraid we have the worst Home Secretary in British history. pic.twitter.com/eIRgN9ZeqJ
— Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) July 19, 2022
Grant responded: “It’s a queue for immigration control. Which is staffed and run by the Home Office. We’re not allowed to call Brexiteers thick but it’s a struggle sometimes.”
Border Force is responsible for passport control checks at all UK airports and there are national targets set by the Home Office for maximum queuing times at UK immigration.
The current targets are to have 95 per cent of non EU passengers processed in 45 minutes but for EU visitors the target is to have 95 per cent through the gates in 25 minutes.
In June Terminal 3 just 75.38 per cent of non EU passengers got through in 45 minutes but it did scrape the EU target.
It came after Heathrow Airport ordered airlines to stop selling tickets for summer flights as it imposes a cap on passenger numbers.
No more than 100,000 daily departing passengers are permitted from Tuesday until September 11, airport announced earlier this month.
Hugh Grant, since starring as the Prime Minister, in Love Actually has waded into a series of political debates.
It was revealed he was behind the Benny Hill theme tune played on loudspeakers behind TV interviews of Tory MPs as Boris Johnson resigned as Prime Minister.
Brexit protester Steve Bray played the iconic slapstick music outside number 10 Downing Street, after a request on Twitter from the actor.
The passionate Remainer is also on the board of Hacked Off a pressure group calling for a “free and accountable press” in response to the News Of The World’s phone hacking allegations.
He denied reports he might be cast to star as Prince Andrew in an upcoming film about the Queen’s son in a now deleted tweet.
Heathrow Airport has been approached for comment.
