 Patel was appointed Home Secretary by Boris Johnson in July 2019.Shortly after her appointment, news transpired that, in May 2019, Patel began working for Viasat as a strategic adviser on a salary of £5,000 a month for five hours' work a month, without seeking prior approval from the government's Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, leading to accusations that she has broken the ministerial code for a second time.In the December general election, she was re-elected as MP for Witham with an increased majority of 24,082 (48.8%) votes.