Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has also resigned, according to ITV News. Another Johnson ally, Ben Elliott, also resigned as Conservative Party co-chairman after Ms Truss was elected leader. While Ms Patel pledged her support for the new leader, she said it was “vital” he continued to support the policies he had put in place to tackle illegal immigration – including deporting asylum seekers in Rwanda. She confirmed her plan to return to the back benches with a tweet. “I congratulate Liz Truss on being elected as our new leader and will give her my support as our new Prime Minister,” her letter to Boris Johnson said. “It is my choice to continue my public service to the country and the Witham constituency from the back once Liz officially takes office and the new Home Secretary is appointed.” Of Mr Elliott, Conservative Party chief executive Darren Mott said: “Without his incredible efforts, the 2019 landslide would not have been possible. “We wish him the best in his future endeavors.” The departures come amid reports that Mrs Truss plans to appoint Attorney-General Suella Braverman as home secretary when she begins putting together her new cabinet. A staunch loyalist to Mr Johnson, Ms Patel was among the few cabinet ministers who did not declare their support for either Ms Truss or her leadership rival Rishi Sunak. Her three years in office have been marked by a series of controversies – most notably her efforts to stem the flow of migrants crossing the English Channel. Earlier this year it signed a “landmark” deal with Rwanda to send refugees to the East African state to seek asylum there. However, the first deportation flight, due to take off in June, was stalled amid a series of legal challenges and no deportations have taken place so far. Since then, numbers crossing the Channel have continued to rise with the daily total surpassing 1,000 for the second time this year on Sunday. In her letter to Mr Johnson, Ms Patel argued it was “vital” to continue the policy, signaling she would continue to defend the scheme from the backbenches. “As we know, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this huge challenge and the government needs to tackle the whole range of issues to stop migrants entering the UK illegally,” he said. Want a quick and special update on the biggest news? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out what you need to know