Suella Braverman – latest: Tory civil war over home secretary police row as Sunak urged to sack her
Leaked WhatsApp messages reveal divided Tory party as MPs clash over home secretary’s protest comments
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Rishi Sunak is facing a Tory civil war as he is urged to sack Suella Braverman over her controversial comments ahead of the pro-Palestine march today.
The home secretary has been accused of stirring “hatred and division” after she claimed the police are biased.
But her job is on the line after Downing Street made clear that it had not approved an extraordinary article in which she accused officers of playing favourites over a pro-Palestine march on Armistice Day.
No 10 says it is investigating after it demanded that changes be made to the piece but the request was ignored. As the home secretary’s claims sparked a furious outcry, one Conservative minister broke ranks to accuse her of fuelling “hatred and division”.
Now, leaked WhatsApp messages between Tory MPs reveal discord in the party as Braverman backers and supporters exchanged heated messages on her comments on the police.
Meanwhile, George Osborne, the former Tory chancellor, said the prime minister risked looking weak if he decided not to axe Ms Braverman.
Braverman defies No 10 order to remove inflammatory claims
No 10 has made clear it did not approve Suella Braverman’s incendiary op-ed which accused the Metropolitan Police of bias in allowing Saturday’s pro-Palestine march to go ahead:
Suella Braverman defied No 10’s order over police bias article
Rishi Sunak facing Tory calls to sack his home secretary over her ‘unhinged’ claim police are biased – after she ignored Downing Street demand for changes to op-ed
‘Many of us think she should be sacked,’ says Tory ex-minister
A former cabinet minister told The Independent that Ms Braverman’s comments were “completely unacceptable” and “absolutely ridiculous”.
The MP said many of their peers were “looking with amazement” at her behaviour and believed she should be “returned to the backbenches”.
On her allusions to Northern Ireland, the Tory former senior politician added that her comments had “caused huge offence among the loyalist sides”, adding that she “clearly doesn’t know anything” about the conflict.
Sunak ‘spineless and weak’, say Labour in attack ads
Labour is going all-in on Suella Braverman’s position. The opposition’s latest social media attack advert showing a “spineless” PM reads: “Rishi Sunak has no backbone. He’s got Suella’s back instead.”
And earlier video called Mr Sunak “weak weak weak”.
Don’t fuel hatred and division, says minister
Tory minister Paul Scully has appeared to criticise Suella Braverman, telling the BBC: “I’m saying to every minister, every political leader – we’ve got to use our language carefully.”
The minister for London added: “We’ve got to make sure that we concentrate on dampening things down rather than fuelling that sort of hatred and that division.”
Commons may vote on ceasefire calls
Calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza could be put to a vote in the House of Commons next week.
The SNP said it intended to seek a vote on its King’s Speech amendment, which calls on the government to “join with the international community in urgently pressing all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire”.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer “cannot just sit on their hands” while “collective punishment” takes place.
A backbench Labour-led amendment seeking an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict has also been tabled.
It will be for Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to decide whether any of the amendments are selected for consideration, which would pave the way for a vote.
The King’s Speech debate comes to an end on Wednesday. It is at this point that votes usually take place.
Sir Keir has come under pressure for his stance on the conflict, with at least 16 shadow ministers either having called for a ceasefire or shared others’ calls on social media, while around 30 councillors have resigned.
Who is Suella Braverman? Home secretary under pressure after accusing police of bias
Suella Braverman has sparked a huge political row after accusing the police of “playing favourites” by letting pro-Palestinian protesters march on Armistice Day.
In an explosive newspaper op-ed she doubled down on her views the demonstration on Saturday in central London by activists was a “hate march”.
She said that Islamists were the march to express “primacy” and compared it to rallies in Northern Ireland linked to terrorist groups.
We look at her rise, fall and rise again:
All you need to know about ‘out of control’ home secretary Suella Braverman
Outspoken Braverman has attracted criticism from her own party as well as the opposition
PSC continue to urge people to join ‘biggest political demo in history’ on Saturday
Palestinian Solidarity Campaign have said they will continue to call for a ceasefire in Gaza on Armistice Day amid ‘smears’ from Suella Braverman.
Saturday’s march organisers posted a lengthy thread to X, adding: “This Saturday, we march in London again for what we expect to be one of the biggest political demonstrations in British history.
“Join us in unity for human rights and international law and help us to make history on November 11.”
PM doesn’t agree with Suella that police are biased against rightwing groups
The PM’s spokesperson has suggested that Rishi Sunak does not agree with Suella Braverman’s claim that the police are biased against right-wing protest groups.
Asked if Rishi Sunak agreed with his home secretary’s Times op-ed, the spokesperson said that Sunak had had a “constructive conversation” with Sir Mark Rowley the Met’s commissioner yesterday.
After being pressed by reporters the spokesperson added: “The prime minister continues to believe the police will operate without fear or favour.”
Penny Mordaunt jokes about potential tent ban in Commons
The Home Secretary has no plans to ban the outdoor equipment shop Millets, Penny Mordaunt joked after Suella Braverman’s proposals to limit the availability of tents to the homeless.
The Commons Leader said the Government had made the “largest investment ever” in tackling homelessness and rough sleeping after being questioned on Ms Braverman’s plans by Labour’s Lucy Powell.
Despite expectations that Tuesday’s King’s Speech would include a ban on charities from handing out tents to the homeless, the measure was notably absent from the address.
Last week, Ms Braverman said many rough sleepers who bed down on the streets have made a “lifestyle choice” and that action was needed to ensure the UK did not follow the example of some cities in the US where “weak policies” had triggered an “explosion of crime, drug taking, and squalor”.
Ms Mordaunt replied to a Labour question: “The Home Secretary has no plans to ban Millets.
“We are not doing that.
“This Government has made the largest investment ever in tackling homelessness and rough sleeping.
“£2 billion to accelerate its mitigation and prevention, including preventing 640,000 people in the last five years from becoming homeless.”
Downing Street refuses to comment whether Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman have ‘good working relationship’
“They continue to work closely,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said when pushed by reporters.
No 10 added that it was “important to consider language carefully”, but refused to say whether it believes all ministers are currently doing this.
Asked 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.”
Downing Street said it would not “set a timeframe” on when an update will be provided on the matter.
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