The UK's employment minister and British Prime Minister David Cameron's Indian Diaspora Champion has been a very vocal supporter of Brexit in the June 23 referendum, leading to a disparaging remark about her name by a trade union chief in favour of remaining within the economic bloc.
"Priti Patel, surely a contradiction in her name," said Tim Roache, head of the GMB union, implying that Patel's stand was not "pretty".
With just 15 days to go for the crucial vote, both camps are on overdrive to win over those sitting on the fence over which way to vote.
Cameron today called an emergency press conference in London to counter myths he said have been put about by the Vote Leave campaign.
"A Leave campaign resorting to total untruths to con people into taking a leap in the dark. It's irresponsible and it's wrong and it's time that the Leave campaign was called out on the nonsense that they are peddling," he said.
His comments came as he also made a last ditch effort to get young and other un-registered voters to sign-up for the referendum in time to meet the Electoral Commission's deadline today.
Cameron told The Independent:"For many people this will be one of the most important choices they make. This is a vote about the future of the country.This vote will determinethe sort of economy young people grow up in, the sort of opportunities that our children and grandchildren have.
Figures from the Electoral Commission show that since May over 1.35 million people have applied to register to vote online of which 763,183 were under the age of 34 - those most likely to support a remain vote.
But a series of polls in recent days have suggested momentum is building behind Brexit campaigners.
A YouGov poll this week showed 45 per cent of Britons would vote to leave the EU compared with 41 per cent who would vote to stay in.
A rattled financial market reacted with the pound falling by as much as 1.5 cents against the dollar.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
