Boris Johnson defends 'steely' Home Secretary Priti Patel in angry Prime Minister's Questions, accusing Keir Starmer of trying to 'bash her' because she is 'delivering' on immigration

Boris Johnson defended 'steely' Home Secretary Priti Patel over bullying claims today, accusing Labour of attacking her because she is successful.

Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer attacked the decision to keep Ms Patel, 48, in her post despite a critical report into her behaviour at the Home Office.

The probe by Sir Alex Allan, finally released last week, found she had shouted and sworn at staff in breach of the ministerial code.

Boris Johnson has refused to sack her, saying that the report was also critical of her civil servants.

At Prime Minister's Questions today, the Labour asked what 'message' it sent when Sir Alex had resigned in the wake of the report  while the Home Secretary was still in post.

Taking questions remotely while he self-isolates, Mr Johnson said Ms Patel was  'getting on with delivering the people's priorities'. 

'The Home Secretary has apologised for any way in which her conduct fell short', he said.

'And frankly I make no apology for sticking up, for standing by a Home Secretary who, as I've said just now, is getting on with delivering the people's priorities - putting already 6,000 of the 20,000 more police out on the street to fight crime, instituting - in the teeth of very considerable resistance - a new Australian-style points-based immigration system.

'She is getting on with delivering what I think the people of this country want, she is showing a steely determination and I think that is probably why his side continue to bash her.'

Boris Johnson defended 'steely' Home Secretary Priti Patel over bullying claims today, accusing Labour of attacking her because she is successful 

Boris Johnson has refused to sack her, saying that the report by Sir Alex Allan was also critical of her civil servants.

Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer attacked the decision to keep Ms Patel, 48, in her post despite a critical report into her behaviour at the Home Office.

Sir Keir Starmer pressed Boris Johnson over the leaking from his Government of details of Covid-19 restrictions.

He said: 'Over the summer, we saw repeated leaks about which areas would go into restrictions. The Prime Minister's plans to go into a second national lockdown were leaked all over the national papers, resulting in a truly chaotic press conference and we've seen more leaking in the last 24 hours.

'This serial leaking is causing huge anxiety to millions of people about what's going to happen next. Now I know there's supposed to be an inquiry under way, but can the Prime Minister tell us: is he any closer to working who in his Government is leaking this vital information?'

Mr Johnson responded: 'Mr Speaker, I've already told you that as soon as we have any information about anybody leaking, we'll bring it to the House.

'But I may say, I think (Sir Keir) is really concentrating on trivia when what the people of this country want is to see his support, and the support of politicians across the House, for the tough measures that we're putting in to defeat coronavirus.'  

He then attempted to turn the tables on the Opposition Leader over last week's readmittance of Jeremy Corbyn to the Labour Party.

The leftwing former leader has been readmitted to the party, but Sir Keir has yet to allow him to sit as an MP after claiming that anti-Semitism in the party was overplayed by his political opponents.

'He makes various attacks on my leadership and handling of the ministerial code - I'd take them a lot more seriously frankly if the leader of the opposition could explain why the right honorable member for Islington North is still a member of the Labour party,' Mr Johnson added.

It prompted Sir Keir to fire back: 'The difference is that I am tackling the issues in my party, he is running away from his.'

Taking questions remotely while he self-isolates, Mr Johnson said Ms Patel was 'getting on with delivering the people's priorities'

Sir Keir concluded: 'I think it's a clean sweep - bullying, harassment, leaking, wasting public money and obvious conflicts of interest.

'It's the same old story: one rule for the British public, another for the Prime Minister and his friends.

'Just look at the contrast between his attitude to spraying public money on contracts that don't deliver, and his attitude to pay rises for the key workers who kept the country going during this pandemic. If you've got a hotline to ministers, you get a blank cheque, but if you're on the frontline tackling Covid, you're picking up the bill.

'So will the Prime Minister finally get his priorities right, stop wasting taxpayers' money and give police officers, firefighters, care workers and other key workers the pay rise they so obviously deserve?'

Boris Johnson replied: 'It's this party and this Government that has given key workers, public sector workers above inflation pay rises this year as he knows - for police, for the Army, for nurses who are now getting 12.6% more than they were three years ago.

'And it's this Government that will continue to increasing the living wage.'