SUELLAGATE
Suella Braverman says ‘nothing untoward happened’ after claims she tried to ‘cover up’ speeding points
A DEFIANT Suella Braverman came out swinging today, insisting "at no point did I attempt to avoid sanction" over speeding.
The Home Secretary argued she's "confident" no rules were broken when she tried to get out of a public speeding awareness course.
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Ms Braverman said: "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."
She added: "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."
Rishi Sunak met with his independent ethics adviser this morning amid pressure to launch a probe into Ms Braverman.
Sir Laurie Magnus and the PM had a private conversation over whether the embattled Home Secretary should be investigated for a potential breach of the ministerial code.
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The outcome of the chat is being kept secret for now, with the PM taking time to consider his options.
But a No10 spokesperson insisted the PM has "full confidence" in Ms Braverman, who he is in regular contact with.
Ms Braverman is facing questions after it was revealed she asked civil servants to set her up a private speed awareness course — rather than do one with members of the public.
The Home Secretary was reportedly caught speeding on a road outside London last year while serving as attorney general.
After civil servants said they couldn’t help, and political aides couldn’t intervene, she took the fine and three licence points.
Ministers are banned from asking officials to assist them with personal matters.
Allies of Ms Braverman — who faced the Commons over the affair this afternoon — described the row as a “political witch-hunt” and insisted all was above board.
This afternoon ex-minister Jacob Rees-Mogg came out swinging for Ms Braverman.
He told the BBC: "This is not a big story.
"Normally this issue would be political - you may have a meeting in the course of the day that is a political meeting rather than a government meeting. Civil servants can't be involved with that.
"But as long as once they say, no you accept it, you haven't done anything wrong."
Opposition MPs and some Tories say an investigation is needed to clear the air.
This morning Sir Keir Starmer insisted Ms Braverman should quit if she's found to have broken the ministerial code.
The Labour leader told Good Morning Britain: "I don't know all the facts but it looks to me as though the Home Secretary's actions were inappropriate and they should be investigated.
In the Commons Ms Braverman defended her record and hit back at MPs accusing her of wrongdoing.
She told Labour politicians: "They want to talk about this because it distracts from the fact (Labour) voted against tougher sentencing for paedophiles and murderers.
"They want us to ignore the fact that Labour MPs would rather campaign to stop the deportation of foreign criminals than back our Rwanda scheme.
"They would rather the country doesn’t notice their total abandonment of the British people."
Some Tory MPs rushed to Ms Braverman's defence and decried the matter as an attack on the Conservative right.
Miriam Cates said: "Suella has done nothing wrong.
"Around 1.5 million people take speed awareness courses every year so it's hardly a news story. In smearing the Home Secretary like this, someone is clearly seeking to play the man not the ball.
"It's underhand and undermines democracy."
Ms Braverman is already facing pressure over net migration, with figures out this week expected to hit around 1 million.
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And Labour MPs have raised concerns that the Home Secretary's aide denied she ever received a fine for speeding.
A spokesman for Ms Braverman said she regretted speeding and had since accepted the points and paid the fine.
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