Rishi Sunak refuses to back Suella Braverman as calls grow for probe into Home Secretary’s attempt to get civil servants to help her avoid points on her licence after being caught speeding
Rishi Sunak refused to back under-pressure Home Secretary Suella Braverman today after the senior minister tried get civil servants to help her avoid getting points on her licence for speeding.
The Prime Minister declined to answer multiple questions about Ms Braverman, who was caught exceeding the limit last summer when she was Attorney General, as a G7 press conference in Japan.
The Home Secretary was given the option of taking three penalty points or doing a standard group speed awareness course.
But sources told the Mail on Sunday that after becoming Home Secretary, she asked officials to arrange a private one-to-one session, so she could avoid both the points and being spotted by other motorists on the same course.
It is understood that after the officials refused to co-operate – on the grounds that Civil Service rules prevented them from dealing with personal matters – a political aide then contacted the course provider instead.
Last night there were calls for an investigation into whether she had broken the ministerial code of conduct.
Mr Sunak expressed his frustration at being asked whether he would ask his ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus to investigate the claims.
‘Did you have any questions about the summit?’ he asked, before being further quizzed on Ms Braverman at a press conference at the G7 summit in Hiroshima.
Suella Braverman received a speeding fine and then asked civil servants to help arrange a private driving awareness course to avoid points on her licence
Asked whether he had full confidence in Ms Braverman at a press conference at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Mr Sunak said he did not know the ‘full details’ and has not spoken to her yet.
Asked whether he had full confidence in Ms Braverman, Mr Sunak said he did not know the ‘full details’ and has not spoken to her yet.
But he noted she had ‘expressed regret’ for speeding.
One option being pursued by Ms Braverman was for her to join a virtual group, but with her camera turned off – against the usual rules which require attendees to be in view for the full duration of the session. After the request was refused, Ms Braverman opted to take the points and pay the fine for going just over the limit in a 50mph zone.
Last night, some colleagues accused her of trying to avoid the negative publicity that the case would have attracted.
A source said: ‘It looks like her first instinct was an attempt to cover up the fact that she had a speeding fine.’
Other sources said Ms Braverman opted to take the points because she was ‘too busy’ to do the course in her new role. They said that she was also concerned about her insurance premium going up as a result of taking the points.
A source close to the Home Secretary said: ‘Ms Braverman accepted three points for a speeding offence which took place last summer. The Cabinet Office were notified of this, as requested by Ms Braverman. She was not and is not disqualified from driving.’
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: ‘As Home Secretary Suella Braverman is responsible for upholding the law, yet this report suggests she tried to abuse her position to get round the normal rules, so it is one rule for her and another for everyone else.’ She becomes the third Home Office Minister in recent months to have committed a driving offence.
Last month, Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick was handed a six-month driving ban and a fine after being caught speeding on the M1 while Security Minister Tom Tugendhat was last year banned for six months after pleading guilty to using his phone while driving.
The Home Office is responsible for the police, speeding offences and penalty notices.
