London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Priti Patel: Labour demands probe after home secretary meets hotel boss

Priti Patel: Labour demands probe after home secretary meets hotel boss

Labour has called for a probe into reports the home secretary met two airlines and the boss of a hotel chain without any officials present.

The Sunday Mirror said Covid travel rules were among topics at a lunch attended by Priti Patel last month.

Ministerial rules say officials should be present or informed if government business is discussed.

Ms Patel has denied breaking the rules - but Labour says she has "questions to answer".

It is understood that she told her private office about the lunch, which reportedly took place on 11 August, after it had happened.

The newspaper also said the meeting at a Heathrow airport hotel was attended by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, the MP for a nearby constituency.

It added that the meeting was requested by Surinder Arora, founder of the Arora Group - a property firm specialising in hotels.

The businessman has previously donated money to former chancellor Philip Hammond, when he was his constituency MP.

The report said the meeting was held at Heathrow Airport's Hilton Garden Inn, a hotel owned by the group.

The newspaper added the lunch was also attended by Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths and Lisa Tremble, corporate affairs director at British Airways.

The ministerial code - the rulebook for ministers - says officials should be present if they discuss government business with outside organisations.

It adds that if a minister "finds themselves" discussing business without one present, such as at social occasions, they should inform their department of any "significant content" as soon as possible.

Kwasi Kwarteng was appointed business secretary by Boris Johnson in January

According to the Sunday Mirror, topics discussed at the lunch included Covid travel rules, as well as airport and airline regulation. Mr Kwarteng also attended without officials present, the paper reported.

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner called for Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to launch an investigation into the meeting, adding Ms Patel had "serious questions to answer".

Ms Patel's Labour counterpart, shadow home secretary Nick-Thomas Symonds, said it was "reckless" for her to attend without officials present.

A spokesman for Ms Patel said details of all her "relevant external meetings" would be "published in the usual way in accordance with the ministerial code."

A government spokesperson said Arora was a "major employer" in Mr Kwarteng's Spelthorne seat and he was "conducting constituency business".

Mr Arora told the Sunday Mirror: "I've known Kwarsi and Priti for years. I said pop in and have lunch and see my new hotel.

"I don't do politics. I don't support anyone. There wasn't any agenda," he added.

Ms Tremble told the newspaper: "It was an informal lunch. There wasn't a set agenda. There was no hard lobbying and it was extremely wide ranging."

Dubai Airports declined to comment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×