Allies of former home secretary Priti Patel have suggested she did not allow overcrowding at a troubled Kent asylum facility, after a Tory MP accused ministers of driving down conditions for migrants in order to make Britain seem less appealing.
The Manston short-stay centre is running at more than double its capacity with outbreaks of diseases including diphtheria and MRSA, leading to calls for Ms Patel and her successor Suella Braverman to answer for the conditions.
Sources told PA Ms Patel always followed advice to book hotels for migrants to move to because “it was the right thing to do”.
Another source close to the former home secretary said it had been “business as usual” right up until the point she resigned when Liz Truss became prime minister.
Local Tory MP Sir Roger Gale earlier said the Home Office may have deliberately chosen to overcrowd the centre to deter migrants from crossing the channel.
The claims from Ms Patel’s allies suggest Ms Braverman would bear full responsibility if such a decision was taken.
