Facts
At the Conservative Democratic Organisation gala dinner in October 2023, Priti Patel thanked her “friends at GB News. Thank you for everything that you do … our country needed a new disruptor when it came to the broadcast media to take on the establishment: The Tory-hating, Brexit-bashing, free speech deniers at the BBC and the so-called mainstream media.”
Verdict
Patel may have genuinely believed her description of the BBC and British mainstream media as “Tory hating” and “Brexit-bashing” and “free-speech denying.” But these accusations against the Sun, the Mail, The Times, the Express, the Telegraph etc are delusional. The majority of the British mainstream media at the time Patel spoke supported the Tories, Brexit and even claimed to support free speech.
One further point. Priti Patel was herself accused by former Prime Minister Theresa May of suppressing free speech in regard to her Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
We emailed Priti Patel’s office offering her the chance to respond. The email was received, but no reply.