Suella comes out fighting
Home Secretary insists that she did ‘nothing untoward’ as pressure builds in speeding row
SUELLA Braverman came out fighting yesterday as she insisted there was ‘nothing untoward’ about her handling of a speeding offence.
The Home Secretary said she regretted speeding but had ‘paid the fine’ and ‘took the points’ – although she could still face an ethics probe.
It comes after The Mail on Sunday revealed that she asked civil servants to help arrange a private speed awareness course for her. She faced accusations of a ‘cover-up’ and claims that she may have breached the Ministerial Code.
In her first public comments on the row yesterday, Mrs Braverman did not deny asking civil servants to intervene.
Asked directly if she told officials to arrange a one-to-one course for her, she told broadcasters: ‘Last summer, I was speeding. I regret that. I paid the fine and I took the points but we’re focused now on delivering for the British people and working for them.’
Pressed on the same question, she continued: ‘In relation to the process, I’m focused on delivering for the British people, doing my job as Home Secretary and what I will say is that, in my view, I’m confident that nothing untoward has happened.’
The Home Secretary later told the Commons that ‘at no point did I seek to evade the sanction’. Rishi Sunak yesterday spoke to Mrs Braverman and his ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus but has not yet launched a formal inquiry.
A No 10 spokesman said Mr Sunak was ‘availing himself of information’ about the situation after his return from the G7 summit in Japan.
But Downing Street pointedly refused to back her assertions that she had done nothing wrong following the speeding charge last year.
The Prime Minister told the Commons: ‘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...
‘I have asked for further information and I will update on the appropriate course of action in due course.’
The Mail on Sunday reported that police caught Mrs Braverman exceeding the speed limit last summer when she was Attorney General.
She was given the option of taking three penalty points or doing a speed awareness course but, after becoming Home Secretary, she allegedly asked officials to arrange a private one-to-one session to avoid the points and being spotted by other motorists.
After the officials refused to cooperate because of Civil Service rules, a political aide contacted the course provider.
Meanwhile, it emerged that the Home Secretary’s special adviser repeatedly denied that Mrs Braverman had been caught speeding when a reporter from the Daily Mirror put the suggestion to them last month.
A No 10 spokesman said ‘of course’ advisers should tell the truth to the Press and that Mr Sunak believes ‘integrity, professionalism and accountability are core values’ for his administration.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mrs Braverman should resign if she is found to have broken the ministerial code.
Amy Leversidge, assistant general secretary of the FDA union which represents senior civil servants, said: ‘It is clear in the ministerial code that public duties must be separate from private interests and Suella Braverman really should have known better.’