ANOTHER SACRIFICIAL LAMB
UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman resigns after misuse of personal email
Issued on: 19/10/2022 -
British interior minister Suella Braverman said on Wednesday she had resigned after sending an official document from her personal email in a "technical infringement" of government rules.
"I have made a mistake, I accept responsibility; I resign," she said in a letter to Prime Minister Liz Truss posted on Twitter. Braverman also said she had "serious concerns" about the government's commitment to honouring promises it made to voters at the last election.
It was not immediately clear whether she quit or was fired.
Braverman, appointed less than two months ago, is a popular figure on the ruling Conservative Party’s right wing and a champion of more restrictive immigration policies.
The shakeup comes as Truss faced down a hostile opposition and fury from her own Conservative Party over her botched economic plan.
Truss attended her first session of Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday since newly appointed Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt ripped up the tax-cutting package unveiled by her new government less than a month ago.
She apologised to Parliament and admitted she had made mistakes during her short tenure as the UK's head of government, but insisted that by changing course she had “taken responsibility and made the right decisions in the interest of the country’s economic stability".
Opposition lawmakers shouted “Resign!” as she spoke.
Asked by opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, “Why is she still here?” Truss retorted: “I am a fighter and not a quitter. I have acted in the national interest to make sure that we have economic stability.”
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
Suella Braverman's resignation letter
to Liz Truss in full
Telegraph reporter
Wed, October 19, 2022
Suella Braverman has resigned from her role as Home Secretary in the latest blow to Liz Truss's embattled premiership.
Ms Braverman revealed in her resignation letter that she had sent an official document from her personal email to a "trusted parliamentary colleague", which she acknowledged "constitutes a technical infringement of the rules".
But in a parting blow to Ms Truss, she added: "The business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes. Pretending we haven't made mistake... and hoping that things will magically come right, is not serious politics."
Read Ms Braverman's resignation letter below:
Dear Prime Minister,
It is with the greatest regret that I am choosing to tender my resignation.
Earlier today, I sent an official document from my personal email to a trusted parliamentary colleague as part of policy engagement, and with the aim of garnering support for Government policy on migration. This constitutes a technical infringement of the rules. As you know, the document was a draft Written Ministerial Statement about migration, due for publication imminently. Much of it had already been briefed to MPs. Nevertheless, it is right for me to go.
As soon as I realised my mistake, I rapidly reported this on official channels, and informed the Cabinet Secretary. As Home Secretary I hold myself to the highest standards and my resignation is the right thing to do. The business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes. Pretending we haven't made mistake, carrying on as if everyone can't see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics. I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign.
It is obvious to everyone that we are going through a tumultuous time. I have concerns about the direction of this Government. Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this Government's commitment to honouring manifesto commitments, such as reducing overall migration numbers and stopping illegal migration, particularly the dangerous small boats crossings.
It has been a great honour to serve at the Home Office. In even the brief time that I have been here, it has been very clear that there is much to do, in terms of delivering on the priorities of the British people. They deserve policing they can respect, an immigration policy they want and voted for in such ambiguous numbers at the last election, and laws which serve the public good, and not the interests of selfish protesters.
I am very grateful to all of my officials, special advisers and ministerial team for all their help during my time as Home Secretary. I especially would like to pay tribute to the heroic policemen and women and all those who work at Border Force and in our security services. To oversee Operation Bridges - the largest policing operation in a generation - was a great honour and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve.
I wish my successor good luck,
Yours sincerely,
Suella Braverman
In a response to Ms Braveman on Tuesday afternoon, Ms Truss accepted the resignation.
Read Ms Truss's response below:
Dear Suella,
Thank you for your letter. I accept your resignation and respect the decision you have made. It is important that the Ministerial Code is upheld, and that Cabinet confidentiality is respected.
I am grateful for your service as Home Secretary. Your time in office has been marked by your steadfast commitment to keeping the British people safe. You oversaw the largest ever ceremonial policing operation, when thousands of officers were deployed from forces across the United Kingdom to ensure the safety of the Royal Family and all those who gathered in mourning for Her Late Majesty the Queen.
I am also grateful for your previous work as Attorney General, as my Cabinet colleague and in particular your work on the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.
I look forward to working with you in the future and wish you all the best.
Best wishes, Liz Truss
Suella Braverman resigns as Home Secretary with withering attack on Liz Truss
Nick Gutteridge
Suella Braverman's resignation letter
In remarks that will be seen as a clear criticism of Ms Truss, she wrote: “The business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes.
“Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics.
“I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign.”
The comments will be taken as a very thinly veiled reference to Ms Truss staying on after sacking Kwasi Kwarteng over the mini-Budget fallout.
Mrs Braverman, who had clashed with the Prime Minister over migration policy in recent days, also attacked her for breaking leadership pledges.
“It is obvious to everyone that we are going through a tumultuous time. I have concerns about the direction of this Government,” she wrote.
“Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this Government’s commitment to honouring manifesto commitments such as reducing overall migration numbers and stopping illegal migration, particularly the dangerous small boat crossings.”
She added the public “deserve policing they can respect, an immigration policy they want and voted for in such unambiguous numbers at the last election, and laws which serve the public good and not the interests of selfish protesters”.
‘I accept your resignation’
In a brief letter of reply the Prime Minister said: “I accept your resignation and respect the decision you have made.
“It is important that the Ministerial Code is upheld, and that Cabinet confidentiality is respected.”
She thanked Mrs Braverman for overseeing the policing arrangements for the late Queen’s funeral, and her previous work on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Mrs Braverman ran for the Tory leadership herself then transferred her support to Ms Truss after being knocked out in the second ballot of MPs.
She was rewarded with the job of home secretary, but tensions quickly emerged between her hardline stance on migration and the Prime Minister’s growth agenda.
Her resignation throws the Government into even greater turmoil and may prove fatal to Ms Truss, who is clinging on to power by her fingertips.
Mr Shapps is from the centre of the party and his appointment will be seen as another win for the moderate One Nation group.
Nick Gutteridge
TELEGRAPH
Wed, October 19, 2022
Suella Braverman - ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP
Suella Braverman attacked Liz Truss for failing to take responsibility for her mistakes as she sensationally quit as home secretary on Wednesday.
In a withering parting shot she expressed “concerns about the direction of this Government” and said the Prime Minister had broken her promises.
Her resignation marks a moment of high peril for Ms Truss’s floundering leadership and could spark a new move to oust her from No 10.
Grant Shapps, a former transport secretary who has been highly critical of the Prime Minister, has replaced her at the Home Office.
Mrs Braverman fell on her own sword over a “technical infringement of the rules” after using a personal email address to send an official document.
She sent a draft written ministerial statement about migration policy to John Hayes, a Conservative MP, shortly before it was due to be published.
The outgoing home secretary said in her resignation letter that while much of it “had already been briefed to MPs, nevertheless it is right for me to go”.
Wed, October 19, 2022
Suella Braverman - ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP
Suella Braverman attacked Liz Truss for failing to take responsibility for her mistakes as she sensationally quit as home secretary on Wednesday.
In a withering parting shot she expressed “concerns about the direction of this Government” and said the Prime Minister had broken her promises.
Her resignation marks a moment of high peril for Ms Truss’s floundering leadership and could spark a new move to oust her from No 10.
Grant Shapps, a former transport secretary who has been highly critical of the Prime Minister, has replaced her at the Home Office.
Mrs Braverman fell on her own sword over a “technical infringement of the rules” after using a personal email address to send an official document.
She sent a draft written ministerial statement about migration policy to John Hayes, a Conservative MP, shortly before it was due to be published.
The outgoing home secretary said in her resignation letter that while much of it “had already been briefed to MPs, nevertheless it is right for me to go”.
Suella Braverman's resignation letter
In remarks that will be seen as a clear criticism of Ms Truss, she wrote: “The business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes.
“Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics.
“I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign.”
The comments will be taken as a very thinly veiled reference to Ms Truss staying on after sacking Kwasi Kwarteng over the mini-Budget fallout.
Mrs Braverman, who had clashed with the Prime Minister over migration policy in recent days, also attacked her for breaking leadership pledges.
“It is obvious to everyone that we are going through a tumultuous time. I have concerns about the direction of this Government,” she wrote.
“Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this Government’s commitment to honouring manifesto commitments such as reducing overall migration numbers and stopping illegal migration, particularly the dangerous small boat crossings.”
She added the public “deserve policing they can respect, an immigration policy they want and voted for in such unambiguous numbers at the last election, and laws which serve the public good and not the interests of selfish protesters”.
‘I accept your resignation’
In a brief letter of reply the Prime Minister said: “I accept your resignation and respect the decision you have made.
“It is important that the Ministerial Code is upheld, and that Cabinet confidentiality is respected.”
She thanked Mrs Braverman for overseeing the policing arrangements for the late Queen’s funeral, and her previous work on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Mrs Braverman ran for the Tory leadership herself then transferred her support to Ms Truss after being knocked out in the second ballot of MPs.
She was rewarded with the job of home secretary, but tensions quickly emerged between her hardline stance on migration and the Prime Minister’s growth agenda.
Her resignation throws the Government into even greater turmoil and may prove fatal to Ms Truss, who is clinging on to power by her fingertips.
Mr Shapps is from the centre of the party and his appointment will be seen as another win for the moderate One Nation group.
DID SHE RESIGN OR WAS SHE FIRED?!
Truss Fires Home Secretary as UK Government Risks Imploding
Alex Wickham and Kitty Donaldson
Wed, October 19, 2022 at 12:38 PM·5 min read
Liz Truss fired Home Secretary Suella Braverman for what was described as a national security breach, a dramatic move that heaps even more pressure on Britain’s premier as she clings to power.
Braverman shared secret documents on a personal mobile phone, four officials familiar with the matter said. In a letter to Truss posted on Twitter, she said she had sent an official document from her personal email, the contents of which she said had already been briefed to MPs.
That is regarded as serious, though not normally a firing offense. But political context is key, as Truss battles to keep her premiership from imploding.
According to a person familiar with the matter, Braverman was on a list of Cabinet ministers Truss’s advisers worried were preparing to resign to try to force the premier out after a disastrous six weeks in office. The others are Education Secretary Kit Malthouse and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, the person said. Both told Bloomberg News they are not quitting.
Yet the fears among Truss’s team illustrate just how far the prime minister’s authority has disintegrated in her mutinous Conservative Party. Compounding the sense of desperation, Truss moved quickly to replace Braverman with Grant Shapps -- who has himself been openly plotting with Tory MPs to remove the prime minister. That bears all the hallmarks of a premier not in control.
Key Firing
“I actually want to apologize, I really am getting fed up with this soap drama as much as your listeners are,” Tory MP Bob Seely told LBC Radio. “I’m frankly as bemused as everybody else is and I’m really unhappy with the situation.”
Braverman is the second holder of one of the UK’s so-called Great Offices of State to be fired by Truss. Kwasi Kwarteng, Truss’s longtime friend and ally, was removed as Chancellor of the Exchequer after the economic plan they worked on together blew up in the face of financial market pressure, forcing a series of humiliating U-Turns.
Even getting to the end of Wednesday could be a challenge. The government’s enforcer in Parliament, Chief Whip Wendy Morton, resigned following a brutal fight to contain a Tory rebellion in a vote on shale gas fracking, according to two people with knowledge of her decision. Morton’s deputy, Craig Whittaker, also quit, the people said.
Truss’s party won the vote by 326 votes to 230 in the House of Commons, which should have given the prime minister a rare moment of respite. But the resignations are likely to trigger more trouble, and Labour MP Chris Bryant called for a probe after allegations of bullying as government whips tried to get people to vote.
Truss Warns UK Tories Not to Defy Her on Fracking
Truss had warned Conservative MPs not to vote against the government, and an order had gone round that even abstaining would result in being kicked out of the parliamentary party. But fracking is a thorny issue and many Conservatives reject it due to fierce opposition in their districts.
Angry Tories
Some Tory MPs took to Twitter to express their defiance -- ex-minister Chris Skidmore said he wouldn’t vote to support fracking “for the sake of our environment and climate,” and would face the consequences.
It’s by no means the only pressure point facing Truss. There’s another looming row on benefit payments, which many Tory MPs want the government to raise in line with soaring inflation. But new Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has refused to commit to doing so as he seeks to repair the damage done by Truss and Kwarteng with their economic plan.
The fear among Conservatives is that a real-terms benefits cut will hurt the most vulnerable during a cost-of-living crisis. Tory support has plummeted to a record low in opinion polls, and Truss’s personal approval rating is substantially lower than her ousted predecessor, Boris Johnson.
Hunt has reversed most of the policies to restore financial stability after the UK’s public finances suddenly unraveled. But in doing so, he has put the Tories on a path to another round of punishing austerity.
Still, according to people familiar with the matter, Hunt told rank-and-file Tories on Wednesday he is committed to raising defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2030 -- a longstanding Truss pledge -- and will stick with the high-speed railway project HS2.
Risks to Truss
The bigger question facing Conservative MPs is whether and when to remove Truss, with the next general election due by January 2025. There’s a growing consensus that she shouldn’t be allowed to lead the party into that vote, but deep divisions over who MPs want to take over.
In her letter to Truss posted on Twitter, Braverman made a thinly-veiled attack on the prime minister’s performance. “Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics,” she said.
Her departure from office has left Westminster on edge. Though she was pushed out by Truss, few MPs will miss the broader significance of the loss of another key ally on the ideological right of the party.
In the absence of a unity candidate -- former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt are in the running -- it is Cabinet departures that pose the most immediate threat to Truss. Johnson’s tenure was ended by the sudden resignations of then Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Sunak, which triggered a mass exodus from his government.
“I’m a fighter, not a quitter,” Truss said in the House of Commons on facing lawmakers for the first time since she was forced to junk most of her economic program just weeks after announcing it.
--With assistance from Emily Ashton, Ellen Milligan and Joe Mayes.
Alex Wickham and Kitty Donaldson
Wed, October 19, 2022 at 12:38 PM·5 min read
Liz Truss fired Home Secretary Suella Braverman for what was described as a national security breach, a dramatic move that heaps even more pressure on Britain’s premier as she clings to power.
Braverman shared secret documents on a personal mobile phone, four officials familiar with the matter said. In a letter to Truss posted on Twitter, she said she had sent an official document from her personal email, the contents of which she said had already been briefed to MPs.
That is regarded as serious, though not normally a firing offense. But political context is key, as Truss battles to keep her premiership from imploding.
According to a person familiar with the matter, Braverman was on a list of Cabinet ministers Truss’s advisers worried were preparing to resign to try to force the premier out after a disastrous six weeks in office. The others are Education Secretary Kit Malthouse and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, the person said. Both told Bloomberg News they are not quitting.
Yet the fears among Truss’s team illustrate just how far the prime minister’s authority has disintegrated in her mutinous Conservative Party. Compounding the sense of desperation, Truss moved quickly to replace Braverman with Grant Shapps -- who has himself been openly plotting with Tory MPs to remove the prime minister. That bears all the hallmarks of a premier not in control.
Key Firing
“I actually want to apologize, I really am getting fed up with this soap drama as much as your listeners are,” Tory MP Bob Seely told LBC Radio. “I’m frankly as bemused as everybody else is and I’m really unhappy with the situation.”
Braverman is the second holder of one of the UK’s so-called Great Offices of State to be fired by Truss. Kwasi Kwarteng, Truss’s longtime friend and ally, was removed as Chancellor of the Exchequer after the economic plan they worked on together blew up in the face of financial market pressure, forcing a series of humiliating U-Turns.
Even getting to the end of Wednesday could be a challenge. The government’s enforcer in Parliament, Chief Whip Wendy Morton, resigned following a brutal fight to contain a Tory rebellion in a vote on shale gas fracking, according to two people with knowledge of her decision. Morton’s deputy, Craig Whittaker, also quit, the people said.
Truss’s party won the vote by 326 votes to 230 in the House of Commons, which should have given the prime minister a rare moment of respite. But the resignations are likely to trigger more trouble, and Labour MP Chris Bryant called for a probe after allegations of bullying as government whips tried to get people to vote.
Truss Warns UK Tories Not to Defy Her on Fracking
Truss had warned Conservative MPs not to vote against the government, and an order had gone round that even abstaining would result in being kicked out of the parliamentary party. But fracking is a thorny issue and many Conservatives reject it due to fierce opposition in their districts.
Angry Tories
Some Tory MPs took to Twitter to express their defiance -- ex-minister Chris Skidmore said he wouldn’t vote to support fracking “for the sake of our environment and climate,” and would face the consequences.
It’s by no means the only pressure point facing Truss. There’s another looming row on benefit payments, which many Tory MPs want the government to raise in line with soaring inflation. But new Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has refused to commit to doing so as he seeks to repair the damage done by Truss and Kwarteng with their economic plan.
The fear among Conservatives is that a real-terms benefits cut will hurt the most vulnerable during a cost-of-living crisis. Tory support has plummeted to a record low in opinion polls, and Truss’s personal approval rating is substantially lower than her ousted predecessor, Boris Johnson.
Hunt has reversed most of the policies to restore financial stability after the UK’s public finances suddenly unraveled. But in doing so, he has put the Tories on a path to another round of punishing austerity.
Still, according to people familiar with the matter, Hunt told rank-and-file Tories on Wednesday he is committed to raising defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2030 -- a longstanding Truss pledge -- and will stick with the high-speed railway project HS2.
Risks to Truss
The bigger question facing Conservative MPs is whether and when to remove Truss, with the next general election due by January 2025. There’s a growing consensus that she shouldn’t be allowed to lead the party into that vote, but deep divisions over who MPs want to take over.
In her letter to Truss posted on Twitter, Braverman made a thinly-veiled attack on the prime minister’s performance. “Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics,” she said.
Her departure from office has left Westminster on edge. Though she was pushed out by Truss, few MPs will miss the broader significance of the loss of another key ally on the ideological right of the party.
In the absence of a unity candidate -- former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt are in the running -- it is Cabinet departures that pose the most immediate threat to Truss. Johnson’s tenure was ended by the sudden resignations of then Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Sunak, which triggered a mass exodus from his government.
“I’m a fighter, not a quitter,” Truss said in the House of Commons on facing lawmakers for the first time since she was forced to junk most of her economic program just weeks after announcing it.
--With assistance from Emily Ashton, Ellen Milligan and Joe Mayes.
OR MAYBE SHE JUST QUIT
'I'm getting fed up with this': Tory MP says sorry live on air as Suella Braverman's quits
Nadine Batchelor-Hunt
·Political Correspondent, Yahoo News UK
Wed, October 19, 2022
Tory MP Bob Seeley apologised for the chaos in the government live on air. (LBC)
A Tory MP has apologised live on air for the chaos in his party on Wednesday afternoon after news of the home secretary's resignation broke during his interview on LBC.
Bob Seeley, Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, said he was "getting fed up" with his party's turmoil after host Tom Swarbrick pressed him on the breaking news Suella Braverman had departed from her post.
"Most Conservative MPs have been here for less than a decade... many of us have been actually here five years or less," said Seeley.
"And we're really just keen to get on with our job and serve our constituents."
He added: "Most of us are actually just trying to get on with the job and I'm frankly as bemused, as pretty much everyone else is – and I'm really unhappy with the situation."
However, Seeley stopped short of calling for Liz Truss's departure amid growing calls for her resignation.
"I want us to stabilise the situation... if Liz can keep it together, and stabilise the situation, great," he said.
"If she can't, we need to find an alternative – but I'm not looking for an alternative now. I think we need to try to stabilise the situation."
In Braverman's resignation letter to the prime minister, she wrote it was with "the greatest regret" she was leaving her post after she broke security protocol by sending an "official document" from her personal email.
"Earlier today, I sent an official document from my personal email to a trusted parliamentary colleague as part of policy engagement, and with the aim of garnering support for government policy on migration," she wrote.
Suella Braverman admitted she had broken security protocol by sending an "official document" from a personal email address in her resignation letter.
"This constitutes a technical infringement of the rules."
She added: "Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics.
"I have made a mistake: I accept responsibility: I resign."
Braverman also used the letter as an opportunity to express "concerns about the direction of this government" of Truss's government.
"It is obvious to everyone that we are going through a tumultuous time," she said.
Read more: Top Liz Truss aide suspended as No 10 condemns ‘unacceptable briefings’
"I have concerns about the direction of this government.
"Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government’s commitment to honouring manifesto commitments, such as reducing overall migration numbers and stopping illegal migration, particularly the dangerous small boats crossings."
Former transport secretary, Truss critic, and Rishi Sunak ally Grant Shapps was announced as Braverman's successor on Wednesday evening.
Braverman's departure comes just hours after the prime minister's special adviser, Jason Stein, was suspended pending an investigation by the Cabinet Office propriety and ethics team.
Nadine Batchelor-Hunt
·Political Correspondent, Yahoo News UK
Wed, October 19, 2022
Tory MP Bob Seeley apologised for the chaos in the government live on air. (LBC)
A Tory MP has apologised live on air for the chaos in his party on Wednesday afternoon after news of the home secretary's resignation broke during his interview on LBC.
Bob Seeley, Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, said he was "getting fed up" with his party's turmoil after host Tom Swarbrick pressed him on the breaking news Suella Braverman had departed from her post.
"Most Conservative MPs have been here for less than a decade... many of us have been actually here five years or less," said Seeley.
"And we're really just keen to get on with our job and serve our constituents."
He added: "Most of us are actually just trying to get on with the job and I'm frankly as bemused, as pretty much everyone else is – and I'm really unhappy with the situation."
However, Seeley stopped short of calling for Liz Truss's departure amid growing calls for her resignation.
"I want us to stabilise the situation... if Liz can keep it together, and stabilise the situation, great," he said.
"If she can't, we need to find an alternative – but I'm not looking for an alternative now. I think we need to try to stabilise the situation."
In Braverman's resignation letter to the prime minister, she wrote it was with "the greatest regret" she was leaving her post after she broke security protocol by sending an "official document" from her personal email.
"Earlier today, I sent an official document from my personal email to a trusted parliamentary colleague as part of policy engagement, and with the aim of garnering support for government policy on migration," she wrote.
Suella Braverman admitted she had broken security protocol by sending an "official document" from a personal email address in her resignation letter.
"This constitutes a technical infringement of the rules."
She added: "Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics.
"I have made a mistake: I accept responsibility: I resign."
Braverman also used the letter as an opportunity to express "concerns about the direction of this government" of Truss's government.
"It is obvious to everyone that we are going through a tumultuous time," she said.
Read more: Top Liz Truss aide suspended as No 10 condemns ‘unacceptable briefings’
"I have concerns about the direction of this government.
"Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government’s commitment to honouring manifesto commitments, such as reducing overall migration numbers and stopping illegal migration, particularly the dangerous small boats crossings."
Former transport secretary, Truss critic, and Rishi Sunak ally Grant Shapps was announced as Braverman's successor on Wednesday evening.
Braverman's departure comes just hours after the prime minister's special adviser, Jason Stein, was suspended pending an investigation by the Cabinet Office propriety and ethics team.
UK interior minister Braverman quits over security issue, criticises government
Wed, October 19, 2022
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Suella Braverman quit as interior minister on Wednesday, saying she had to go after she breached government rules but that she had concerns over the direction of Prime Minister Liz Truss's government.
The second senior minister to leave the government in less than a week, Braverman's departure heaps yet more pressure on Truss as she fights to stay in power just over six weeks after she entered Downing Street.
"I have made a mistake, I accept responsibility; I resign," Braverman said in letter to Truss posted on Twitter.
She said she had sent an official document from her personal email to a parliamentary colleague, adding that this marked "a technical infringement of the rules" and that it was therefore "right for me to go".
Truss, who became prime minister on Sept. 6, initially installed a cabinet of senior ministers who were loyal to her libertarian wing of the Conservative Party.
But the launch of a now-scrapped economic programme forced her to fire her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng and appoint Jeremy Hunt as his replacement. Hunt had backed Truss's rival for the leadership, Rishi Sunak.
The Guardian reported that former transport minister Grant Shapps, who also backed Sunak, is now likely to replace Braverman.
Braverman, who also ran for the leadership of the party before throwing her support behind Truss, had been a deeply polarising figure during her short tenure.
She told the party's annual conference earlier this month that it was her "dream" to see a flight leaving Britain carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda.
"It is obvious to everyone that we are going through a tumultuous time," Braverman said in the letter to Truss.
"I have concerns about the direction of this government. Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government's commitment to honouring manifesto commitments, such as reducing overall migration," Braverman wrote.
(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton and Gareth Jones)
Wed, October 19, 2022
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Suella Braverman quit as interior minister on Wednesday, saying she had to go after she breached government rules but that she had concerns over the direction of Prime Minister Liz Truss's government.
The second senior minister to leave the government in less than a week, Braverman's departure heaps yet more pressure on Truss as she fights to stay in power just over six weeks after she entered Downing Street.
"I have made a mistake, I accept responsibility; I resign," Braverman said in letter to Truss posted on Twitter.
She said she had sent an official document from her personal email to a parliamentary colleague, adding that this marked "a technical infringement of the rules" and that it was therefore "right for me to go".
Truss, who became prime minister on Sept. 6, initially installed a cabinet of senior ministers who were loyal to her libertarian wing of the Conservative Party.
But the launch of a now-scrapped economic programme forced her to fire her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng and appoint Jeremy Hunt as his replacement. Hunt had backed Truss's rival for the leadership, Rishi Sunak.
The Guardian reported that former transport minister Grant Shapps, who also backed Sunak, is now likely to replace Braverman.
Braverman, who also ran for the leadership of the party before throwing her support behind Truss, had been a deeply polarising figure during her short tenure.
She told the party's annual conference earlier this month that it was her "dream" to see a flight leaving Britain carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda.
"It is obvious to everyone that we are going through a tumultuous time," Braverman said in the letter to Truss.
"I have concerns about the direction of this government. Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government's commitment to honouring manifesto commitments, such as reducing overall migration," Braverman wrote.
(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton and Gareth Jones)
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