MP Priti Patel has made light of her resignation in her first speech in parliament since stepping down from the cabinet role.

Ms Patel, who stood down as International Development Secretary after holding a series of secret meetings while on a family holiday, was speaking in the parliamentary debate on the European Union Withdrawal Bill.

In her speech she made reference to staging an exit and the thousands of people who tracked her plane back from Kenya last week.

She said: “Of course, my speech follows an intensive course over the past week on how to stage an exit, which was the focus of a degree of international attention.

“For anyone who is still tracking my movements, I can confirm that as I walked into the Chamber this afternoon, I passed statues and portraits commemorating some of our greatest statesmen, including Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill.

“Those statesmen stood up and defended democracy, freedom and the sovereignty of our great nation.”

Her involvement in the debate came after she said she would focus on her constituency after her resignation from Government.

Her cabinet resignation followed 14 secret meetings with Israeli politicians.

She has since apologised and confirmed she will remain as constituency MP, representing areas including Stanway and Tiptree.

Ms Patel was speaking yesterday on the bill which puts EU law under British control upon leaving the EU.

In a press release sent out by her constituency office she said: “This legislation takes back control of all the EU laws that affect our country. It will enable a snapshot of the laws in place when we leave to come under our control to provide stability and prevent a legislative vacuum.

“We will once again be free to make the laws that govern our country and revise, improve or revoke the laws and rules that the EU have imposed on this country. The EU will no longer be able to control our country and we will be free to make our own laws.”

Ms Patel also criticised MPs who were tabling amendments to the Bill which would maintain EU control over the UK.

She added: “The result of last year’s referendum was clear and we are leaving the EU. It is astonishing that some MPs want to continue to allow the EU to meddle in our country.

“They have no confidence in our parliament, our democracy and the people of Britain to make the laws that govern this country and hold law-makers to account.”