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Education Secretary refuses to grade Priti Patel's performance over migrants
22 November 2021, 11:26 | Updated: 22 November 2021, 11:32
Nick Ferrari: What grade would you give Priti Patel?
Senior cabinet member refuses to grade Home Secretary Priti Patel's performance at dealing with migrant crossing crisis.
With an Embattled Home Secretary under fire from all sides over her handling of the migrant crossing crisis, Nick Ferrari questioned one senior Cabinet member.
Speaking during the regular Call the Cabinet show, Nick asked Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi how he would rate the Home Secretary's performance on dealing with migrants.
More than 24,700 people have arrived in the UK so far this year after making the Channel crossing in small boats - almost three times the number there were in 2020.
Labour has accused Home Secretary Priti Patel of "comprehensively failing" to stem the flow.
"What grade would you give Priti Patel for the way she's handled this?"
Mr Zahawi replied that he believed the Home Secretary was "working really hard."
But, Nick Ferrari was quick to point out that his question had not been answered.
"What grade would you give her?"
Refusing to be drawn, the Education Secretary said he would not "grade a colleague, because we're a team and we've got to deliver as a team."
Migration researcher explains why so many people want to come to UK
A task force will reportedly consider strategies including housing asylum seekers in Army barracks rather than hotels as the Government faces criticism over the migrant crisis.
The Times on Sunday reported Boris Johnson had drafted in Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay to oversee the issue of the rising number of migrants arriving on Britain's shores.