Priti Patel has resigned as Home Secretary

Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced her resignation from the role just hours after Liz Truss was declared to be the new prime minister of the UK.

Patel handed in her resignation to Boris Johnson today (5 September), and is set to officially step down tomorrow, when a new home secretary will be announced.

In a letter to Johnson, Patel described her time as home secretary as an 'honour', saying: "It has been the honour of my life to serve our country as home secretary for the last three years" and adding that she will now 'champion many of the policies and causes [she had] stood up for' from the backbenches.

It has been the honour of my life to serve as Home Secretary for the last three years.

I am proud of our work to back the police, reform our immigration system and protect our country.

My letter to Prime Minister @BorisJohnson 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/seTx6ikX25

— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) September 5, 2022

The appointment of Truss to PM prompted expectation that politician Suella Braverman would be brought in to replace Patel even before she announced her resignation today, but just this afternoon Patel defended her record over her past three years in the position.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Patel said her record in the Home Office had included 'some of the biggest reforms on security, migration and public safety' in a generation and said again she was 'proud' to have served in Johnson's government.

When she was heckled by MPs from the Labour, Lib Dem and SNP parties on the opposition benches, Patel told them to 'shut up'.

Patel listed a number of achievements garnered throughout her time as Home Secretary in her letter to Johnson, before claiming it had all been accomplished 'despite the relentless efforts of our political opponents, and left-wing activists, lawyers and campaigners who have sought to block these measures, regardless of what the majority of people in the UK want'.

"While they stand up for criminals, terrorists, people smugglers, those with no right to be in the UK, and people who threaten public safety and would do our country harm, we have never faltered and never stopped doing what is right to protect the public," she wrote.

"Thank you for the great honour you have given me, not only in making me Home Secretary, but in supporting me throughout," Patel concluded in her letter.

Patel also offered her congratulations to Truss on being elected as the new prime minister, and said she would give her 'support' as she takes on the job and becomes the nation's third female leader after defeating Rishi Sunak in the race to replace Johnson.

After news of Truss' win was announced, Johnson urged 'all Conservatives' to get behind her '100 percent'.