Priti Patel has fallen hard in the eyes of the Tory faithful

The home secretary had little to offer in her speech about the impossible task of stopping small boats crossing the Channel, writes John Rentoul

Priti Patel, sounding like a powerless opposition politician (Getty Images)

Priti Patel has a special place in the demonology of anti-Tory Britain. She is assumed to be particularly right-wing, mainly because she supported the death penalty when she was selected as the Conservative candidate for Witham in Essex in 2006. And she is assumed to be extremely popular with grassroots Tory members across the country, and therefore a good indicator of what a terrible party she represents.

Most of this is quite wrong, although the Tory party may still be a terrible party. But she has equivocated about capital punishment so confusingly over the years that no one knows what her actual opinions are, and the idea that she is the darling of the Tory faithful is nearly two years out of date.

The pre-conference poll of Tory members carried out by Conservative Home, which all cabinet ministers study eagerly and jealously, found her net satisfaction rating was just 11 per cent. Only Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, on 3 per cent, is less popular than she is among party members – now that Gavin Williamson and Amanda Milling, who scored negatively, are no longer in the cabinet.