Suella Braverman latest news: Rishi Sunak to face cabinet as pressure grows over speeding row

Conservative MPs are urging Rishi Sunak to order an investigation into Suella Braverman and sack her if the home secretary is found to have breached the ministerial rules over her handling of a speeding offence.

Senior Tory MPs told The Independent Ms Braverman had shown “constant poor judgment” and appeared to have made “a mistake too far” following reports she asked officials to try to arrange a private speed awareness course rather than take points on her licence.

In her first public comments on the row, the home secretary did not deny asking civil servants to look into the possibility of a one-on-one course – but said she was confident she had done “nothing untoward” and denied trying to “evade” punishment.

Mr Sunak held back on offering his support, saying he had spoken to both Ms Braverman and No 10 ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus and was still seeking “more information” before deciding whether to order an investigation.

Claims that the home secretary asked officials to try to arrange a private speed awareness course for her, rather than take penalty points on her driving licence, have continued to circulate in the press.

She responded to claims earlier on Monday morning by stating she was “confident that nothing untoward happened”.

Here is a compilation of every time Ms Braverman addressed questions from MPs regarding the controversy.

Suella Braverman has shown “constant poor judgement” and appears to have made “a mistake too far,” senior Conservatives told The Independent’s political correspondent Adam Forrest.

One Tory minister told The Independent: “The PM should ask Sir Laurie to investigate urgently. If she’s found to have breached ministerial code – again – she should absolutely go.”

A former cabinet minister said there was “clearly” a case for investigation – adding that it appeared to be “a mistake too far” for Ms Braverman. “Frankly, there have been a number of lapses of judgement. If there’s a breach of code the prime minister might want to get someone else.”

Another Tory ex-minister added: “It’s behaviour which illustrates her constant poor judgement. The PM will be damaged if he lets her continue peddling inflated rhetoric and giving speeches that trash the Conservative brand.”

One senior Tory said colleagues would be “less sympathetic” if Ms Braverman is found to have broken the rules because she has “a track record”, adding: “Despite all this stuff about her representing a faction, it is a pretty small faction and a lot of right-wingers do not like her at all.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Ms Braverman should resign if she is found to have broken the ministerial code, while the Liberal Democrats said Mr Sunak’s “inability to act” on a probe “is a clear failure of leadership”.

Sir Alistair Graham, former chair of the committee on standards in public life, also called for an investigation – saying it “looks like totally inappropriate behaviour”.

The ex-standards chief told The Independent: “If the evidence demonstrates she asked civil servants to behave in an inappropriate manner, I would think it would be a breach of the code.”

The Home Office and Ms Braverman’s aide have been approached for comment.

The most senior civil servant in the Home Office was informed about concerns over Suella Braverman’s handling of her speeding fine, the Guardian reported.

A senior official is said to have reported Ms Braverman’s initial request to Matthew Rycroft, the department’s permanent secretary, due to concerns about whether it was appropriate.

Ms Braverman has insisted she did “nothing untoward”. She has admitted speeding and paying a fine – but did not deny asking officials for help in trying to arrange a private speed awareness course.

Officials were told by the Cabinet Office ethics team to disregard a request by the home secretary for help with handling her speeding fine, according to The Times.

Emails sent to the Cabinet Office show officials raised concerns about Suella Braverman’s conduct after she allegedly asked her staff to help her dodge a speeding fine by arranging a private driving awareness course, The Sunday Times reported.

Officials were told by the Cabinet Office to disregard the home secretary’s request.

The Times also claimed the emails show that Ms Braverman instructed them to organise the course, rather than simply soliciting advice, as suggested by her allies.

The emails are now being considered by the prime minister as pressure grows on him to launch an ethics investigation into the home secretary’s conduct.

Sarah Champion, the Labour MP for Rotherham, said she was angered by Suella Braverman’s response to the findings of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she was “so angry” at the home secretary’s response to “simple” recommendations. “Rather than accepting those, she’s kicked it into the long grass with consultations, with 13 weeks of calls for evidence.

”Lucy Duckworth, a member of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse Survivors and Victims Consultative Panel, also criticised the government’s response.

She pointed to the government’s rejection of a call for a new minister for children as one of the disappointing aspects of the response. “To really truly tackle this, we need a complete culture change and a complete reform of the system,” she told the Today programme.

The former head of the Civil Service Lord Kerslake said Mr Sunak should “get on with it” and launch a formal inquiry.

The crossbench peer told Channel 4 News: “We don’t really have the full facts yet. And he doesn’t have the full facts I think.”

“He seems to be doing a sloppy investigation before an investigation, but he’d be better just to get on with it and get Sir Laurie to undertake the necessary work on it.”

The prime minister is said to be considering emails in which Whitehall officials raised concerns to the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team about Ms Braverman’s request for help to arrange a private speed awareness course.

Mr Sunak faces an awkward cabinet meeting on Tuesday, with his home secretary accused of breaching the ministerial code by asking taxpayer-funded civil servants to assist with a private matter.

Senior Conservatives told The Independent that Ms Braverman had shown “constant poor judgement” and appeared to have made “a mistake too far”.

Ms Braverman insisted she had done “nothing untoward”. She has admitted speeding and paying a fine – but did not deny asking officials for help in trying to arrange a one-to-one speed course rather than joining fellow motorists on the programme.

Officials were so concerned by her alleged request they emailed the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team, who told them to disregard it, according to The Times.

Mr Sunak told MPs he would update on any response to the allegations facing Suella Braverman “in due course”.

The Prime Minister said that he had met with Sir Laurie Magnus and the Home Secretary, amid reports she asked officials to try to arrange a private speed awareness course for her rather than take penalty points on her driving licence.

Mr Sunak, giving a statement in the Commons on the G7, said: “I have always been clear that where issues like this are raised, they should be dealt with properly and they should be dealt with professionally.

“Since I have returned from the G7, I have been receiving information on the issues raised, I have met with both the independent adviser and the Home Secretary. I have asked for further information and I will update on the appropriate course of action in due course.”