Boris Johnson has chosen to support Priti Patel but her weaselling non-apology indicates she feels no remorse

Editorial: As fresh details about Ms Patel’s behaviour no doubt emerge in the coming days, Mr Johnson may come to wonder why he is defending the indefensible again

(The Independent)

The principal reason for the lenient treatment of Priti Patel is that her bullying was “unintended”. 

This novel concept of “unintentional bullying” is a strange one. It makes about as much sense as Tyson Fury delivering an “unintentional” knockout punch in the ring. Bullying is bullying, and there is nothing unintentional about stomping around swearing and belittling people. The upset is not “inadvertent”, as claimed, but deliberate, and Ms Patel’s weaselling non-apology – amounting to “I’m sorry if you’re upset” – indicates that she feels remorse only about the political embarrassment. “Unintentional bullying” is a nonsense.  

So much a nonsense, indeed, and so offensive that the prime minister’s adviser on breaches of the ministerial code, Sir Alex Allan, has resigned, rather than Ms Patel. That seems to be the wrong way round. He rightly says that the sanctions applied for a breach of the code are a matter for the prime minister, but he has taken the view that it is too much for him to stomach.