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20th Jan 2021

Priti Patel admits borders should have closed to international travel last March

Home secretary Priti Patel told a Conservative supporter that she's been an advocate of closing the borders since last March

Reuben Pinder

I mean, if it was up to her they’d probably be closed forever

The UK has closed all its travel corridors until at least February 15th due to the continually record breaking Covid-19 case and death numbers that have earned the nickname ‘plague island’.

It’s a big call for any government to close their borders but it is also one many foreign governments took months ago.

The British government, meanwhile, spent most of last year locking down too late, coming out of it too early, telling people to go to restaurants, and encouraging us to blame each other for their mismanagement.

But some cabinet members seemingly wanted to close the borders much earlier than checks notes 10 months into the pandemic.

In an audio clip published by Guido Fawkes, home secretary Priti Patel can be heard telling a Tory supporter that “on ‘should we have closed our borders earlier?’ The answer is yes.”

“I was an advocate of closing them last March.”

And probably the March before that. And the one before that.

Basically, if it was up to her, they’d probably be closed forever.