Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Fires Home Secretary Suella Braverman
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and then Home Secretary Suella Braverman during a visit to a hotel in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, for a meeting of the Grooming Gangs Taskforce. (Press Association via AP Images)
Home Secretary Suella Braverman was fired Monday from her role as Home Secretary.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asked Braverman to step down from her position following intense pressure over the past weekend.
The move comes after Braverman authored an article in The Times criticizing the Metropolitan Police for their approach to a pro-Palestinian rally that had been planned for Armistice Day.
According to a statement on the Conservative Party’s social media, Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle Monday is intended to “reinforce his leadership team in government to make long-term decisions for a brighter future.” It suggests Braverman will not be the only minister to go.
Sunak reinstated Braverman as Home Secretary in October shortly after becoming prime minister, less than a week later. This marks the second time she has been fired as home secretary. She previously resigned from the position in former Prime Minister Liz Truss’ administration for violating the ministerial code. Sunak faced mounting pressure to respond following accusations that Braverman’s actions weakened the police’s operational autonomy and public trust.
Both opposition party members and some Conservative MPs have criticised Braverman’s remarks as “offensive” and “inflammatory.”
In the op-ed, published Thursday, Braverman charged the police with biased treatment of controversial protests, alleging they are more tolerant of left-wing demonstrators compared to right-wing groups.
She intensified her criticisms of participants in pro-Palestinian protests, comparing them to political parades in Northern Ireland.
This past weekend, violent encounters occurred in London on Armistice Day between far-right protesters and police in Westminster, while pro-Palestine marches also resulted in arrests.
