Rishi Sunak has “full confidence” in his home secretary, Suella Braverman, despite her controversial article about pro-Palestinian marches.
This morning, Number 10 said it would “update further” after looking into the “details” surrounding the home secretary’s article in The Times, but insisted Mr Sunak still had “full confidence” in her.
However, in an afternoon briefing to journalists, the prime minister’s official spokeswoman had nothing further to add, bar reiterating support for his cabinet colleague and her team.
In her piece for the newspaper, Ms Braverman accused the police of “playing favourites” with how it handles controversial protests by showing a more lenient attitude to left-wing protesters than their right-wing counterparts.
She also ramped up her attacks on those attending pro-Palestinian demonstrations, likening them to those in Northern Ireland – comments that were branded “wholly offensive” and “ignorant” by one former Tory cabinet minister.
Mr Sunak is under pressure to sack Ms Braverman over her remarks, which critics believe were aimed at undermining the operational independence of and public confidence in the police.
Politics latest: Tory MP claims Braverman ‘on mission to get herself sacked’
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer labelled her “divisive” and accused her of “stoking up tension” but claimed the prime minister was “too weak to say anything about it”.
Sir Keir said the home secretary is “undermining the police as they go into a very difficult set of operational decisions”.
He added: “She is doing the complete opposite of what I think most people in this country would see as the proper role of the home secretary.”
Downing Street earlier revealed it did not clear Ms Braverman’s article for publication.
It is understood the article was sent to Number 10 for approval. But despite Downing Street suggesting changes to the home secretary, they were not made before the piece was published.
“The content was not agreed by Number 10,” a spokesman for the prime minister confirmed to reporters.
He also would not say whether Mr Sunak agreed with the language used by his home secretary.
“The prime minister continues to believe that the police will operate without fear or favour,” they added.
Pat McFadden, Labour’s shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that according to the ministerial code, interventions have to be cleared by Number 10.
Ministers who breach the code have traditionally been expected to offer their resignation.
In a letter to Mr Sunak, Mr McFadden wrote: “To say that the article was not cleared and then do nothing about it would strip you of all authority over the home secretary and leave her free to continue to do and say whatever she likes without fear of sanction from you.
“This would be a display of weakness and an extraordinary situation in which to leave your government.”
This afternoon, the PM’s official spokeswoman declined to say whether there was any breach of the code.
In The Times op-ed, the home secretary once again described pro-Palestinian protesters as “hate marchers” and added: “I do not believe that these marches are merely a cry for help for Gaza.
“They are an assertion of primacy by certain groups – particularly Islamists – of the kind we are more used to seeing in Northern Ireland.
“Also, disturbingly reminiscent of Ulster are the reports that some of Saturday’s march group organisers have links to terrorist groups, including Hamas.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘Is PM too weak to sack Braverman?’
In a rebuke to the Metropolitan Police, which is allowing a pro-Palestinian march to go ahead on Armistice Day, Ms Braverman also wrote: “Unfortunately, there is a perception that senior police officers play favourites when it comes to protesters.
“During COVID why was it that lockdown objectors were given no quarter by public order police yet Black Lives Matter demonstrators were enabled, allowed to break rules and even greeted with officers taking the knee?
“Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law?”
Read more:
Braverman’s hat-trick of own goals in Northern Ireland
The home secretary’s long list of controversies
One former Tory cabinet minister told Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby Ms Braverman’s comments were “wholly offensive and ignorant of where people in Northern Ireland stand on the issues of Israel and Gaza”.
“It would be good to know what she knows about what Northern Ireland people think about the current Israel-Palestine situation before she casts aspersions,” they said.
In response, the Met Police said they would “not be commenting at this time”.
Earlier this week its commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, confirmed that the demonstration on Saturday would go ahead because the “legal threshold” to stop it on security grounds “had not been met”.
Labour was joined by the Liberal Democrats in calling on Mr Sunak to sack Ms Braverman, with party leader Sir Ed Davey accusing Ms Braverman of “putting police officers in harm’s way”.
“The home secretary’s irresponsible words and foul actions have significantly increased the likelihood of unrest this weekend and the risk of violence towards officers,” he said.
