Suella Braverman breaks cover as Tories demand Home Secretary is sacked after accusing police of ‘playing favourites’… with Rishi Sunak bunkered down in No10 deciding whether to stage reshuffle

Suella Braverman broke cover today as Rishi Sunak faces a critical decision on whether to sack her and fuel a Tory civil war.

The PM is bunkered down with aides as he considers the fate of the Home Secretary after she swiped at police for ‘playing favourites’ by allowing a pro-Palestinian protest in London on Armistice Day.

Downing Street dramatically confirmed yesterday that it had not signed off the intervention in an article for The Times, while ministers effectively disowned the message. Jeremy Hunt became the latest to distance himself from her stance this morning, saying: ‘The words that she used were not words that I myself would have used.’ 

But the row has triggered another massive meltdown in the Conservative Party, with supporters insisting she was right to speak out while other MPs demand she is axed.

Ms Braverman did not respond to journalists as she left her London home this morning. 

There is speculation that Mr Sunak could be forced to bring forward a long-awaited reshuffle that he was hoping could revive his dire standing in the polls. There have been rumours among right-wingers that Michael Gove could be installed in the Home Office.

Suella Braverman did not respond to journalists as she left her London home this morning

Rishi Sunak (pictured at a Diwali events in No10 yesterday) is bunkered down with aides as he considers the fate of Suella Braverman after she swiped at police for ‘playing favourites’ on protests

The Ministerial Code states that ‘the policy content and timing of all major announcements, speeches, press releases and new policy initiatives should be cleared in draft with the No 10 Press and Private Offices at least 24 hours in advance’.

However, Remembrance weekend is likely to delay any surgery on his top team.

And the government is waiting for a crunch court judgment on its Rwanda policy in the middle of next week, which could sway Mr Sunak’s decision on whether to keep Ms Braverman.

The Cabinet minister’s failure to get clearance for her comments is a potential breach of the ministerial code.

What did Braverman say in Times article? 

Suella Braverman wrote that pro-Palestinian marches were not ‘merely a cry for help for Gaza. 

‘They are an assertion of primacy by certain groups — particularly Islamists — of the kind we are more used to seeing in Northern Ireland,’ she said. 

‘Also disturbingly reminiscent of Ulster are the reports that some of Saturday’s march group organisers have links to terrorist groups, including Hamas.’

She added: ‘Unfortunately, there is a perception that senior police officers play favourites when it comes to protesters. 

‘During Covid, why was it that lockdown objectors were given no quarter by public order police yet Black Lives Matters demonstrators were enabled, allowed to break rules and even greeted with officers taking the knee?

‘Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law?

‘I have spoken to serving and former police officers who have noted this double standard. 

‘Football fans are even more vocal about the tough way they are policed as compared to politically connected minority groups favoured by the left. 

‘It may be that senior officers are more concerned with how much flak they are likely to get than whether this perceived unfairness alienates the majority.’ 

No10 announced it is carrying out an investigation into the circumstances, with claims that the most controversial parts of the piece were not shown to officials. 

In the article, Ms Braverman accused the police of ‘playing favourites’ with protesters by clamping down hard on Right-wing demonstrations while taking a softly-softly approach to those organised by groups on the Left.

She repeated her description of pro-Palestinian demonstrations as ‘hate marches’ – a phrase no other minister had publicly endorsed, but which supporters say is backed up by examples of ugly anti-Semitism on previous protests.

Earlier in the week Mr Sunak took a more measured tone insisting that he would hold Sir Mark ‘accountable’ if the protest cannot be controlled at the weekend. The Yard has said the plans do not meet the legal threshold for a ban. 

Mr Hunt was asked about Ms Braverman’s position during interviews after GDP figures were released today.

Refusing to echo her views, the Chancellor offered distinctly lukewarm support.

‘The PM has said that he has full confidence in her and I have nothing further to add,’ he said.

Labour said Ms Braverman was ‘out of control’ and Conservative moderates called for her to be sacked.

Sir Bob Neill, chairman of the Commons justice committee, told LBC Radio her position was untenable. ‘She’s gone over the line,’ he said. ‘It’s part of a history of ill judgment and loose words.’

But an MP ally of the Home Secretary said: ‘There was an operation by the whips to stoke anger against Suella. 

‘But a large group of MPs on the Right pushed back. The message was simple: ‘Don’t try it, she speaks for us. So if you come for her, you come for us’.’

Another said Mr Sunak ‘owes her big time’ for supporting him after Liz Truss resigned last year – a move that helped persuade Boris Johnson to abandon a potential comeback.

One former Cabinet minister told MailOnline: ‘Personally speaking, I think that he would do far better to get rid of Rowley.’ 

A YouGov poll suggested that the public is sympathetic to Ms Braverman’s views on the pro-Palestine march, with half wanting it blocked. 

Other MPs said they agreed with her thoughts but did not believe she could be allowed to keep flouting collective responsibility.

A senior Tory said the Home Secretary could count on the support of only ‘half a dozen’ MPs, adding: ‘There are 350 Tory MPs and she has six who support her.’

In a sign of the rising levels of animosity within the Conservative Party, one MP told MailOnline that they did not believe Ms Braverman was trying to force her own resignation. ‘She’s just a bit thick,’ they said. 

‘It will be very interesting to see if Rishi Sunak can get rid of someone who has no place in the Cabinet. The only reason she is there is to placate the ERG wing of the party,’ they said.

The Tory – who is a member of the ERG bloc – said many of their colleagues would be ’embarrassed’ by what she was saying. 

However, former Brexit Secretary Lord Frost insisted: ‘Many say they want authentic politicians who tell it like it is – and then complain when they do so. 

‘She is in my view correct to call out a lack of even-handedness in the way some demonstrations, and indeed some opinions, are policed. Saying anything else invites people to disbelieve their eyes.’ 

Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson said: ‘The Home Secretary is only saying what most people are thinking.

‘She is allowed to comment on and criticise the Met Police. Anyone who thinks her comments are outrageous needs to get out more.’

But fellow deputy chairman Nickie Aiken insisted the mass pro-Palestine march planned for tomorrow, Armistice Day, ‘should not be stopped by political whim’. Ms Aiken said: ‘The police should never be involved in politics and politicians should never get involved in policing operations.

‘The police must police without fear or favour and it is a very dangerous precedent to state otherwise.’

A YouGov poll suggested that the public is sympathetic to Ms Braverman’s views on the pro-Palestine march, with half wanting it blocked

Metropolitan Police officers guard the Cenotaph war memorial in Whitehall last week

Downing Street declined to say whether Mr Sunak and Ms Braverman have a ‘good working relationship.’

‘They continue to work closely,’ the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.

No10 added that it was ‘important to consider language carefully’, but refused to say whether it believes all ministers are currently doing this.

Pressed on whether the Home Secretary’s actions amounted to a breach of the ministerial code, the spokesman said: ‘I’m not the arbiter of the code, it’s not for me to opine.’

The spokesman refused to ‘set a timeframe’ on when an update will be provided on the matter.

The Ministerial Code states that ‘the policy content and timing of all major announcements, speeches, press releases and new policy initiatives should be cleared in draft with the No 10 Press and Private Offices at least 24 hours in advance’.

‘All major interviews and media appearances, both print and broadcast, should also be agreed with the No 10 Press Office,’ the code says. 

Former chancellor George Osborne told the Political Currency podcast: ‘If he fired her there would be a big row, there would be a lot of fireworks.

‘But ultimately, prime ministers tend to win those encounters because the home secretary will suddenly become a backbencher.’

Source: Read Full Article