Conservative MPs are urging Rishi Sunak to order an investigation into Suella Braverman and sack her if the home secretary is found to have breached the ministerial rules over her handling of a speeding offence.
Senior Tory MPs told The Independent Ms Braverman had shown “constant poor judgement” and appeared to have made “a mistake too far” following reports she asked officials to try to arrange a private speed awareness course rather than take points on her licence.
In her first public comments on the row, the home secretary did not deny asking civil servants to look into the possibility of a one-on-one course – but said she was confident she had done “nothing untoward” and denied trying to “evade” punishment.
Mr Sunak held back on offering his support, saying he had spoken to both Ms Braverman and No 10 ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus and was still seeking “more information” before deciding whether to order an investigation.
Senior Conservatives are frustrated by yet another ethics row engulfing the government, with a split between those who want to see Ms Braverman fired if a rule breach is proven and allies who claim disgruntled civil servants are behind the “storm in a teacup”.
One Tory minister told The Independent: “The PM should ask Sir Laurie to investigate urgently. If she’s found to have breached ministerial code – again – she should absolutely go.”
A former cabinet minister said there was “clearly” a case for investigation – adding that it appeared to be “a mistake too far” for Ms Braverman. “Frankly, there have been a number of lapses of judgement. If there’s a breach of code the prime minister might want to get someone else.”
Another Tory ex-minister added: “It’s behaviour which illustrates her constant poor judgement. The PM will be damaged if he lets her continue peddling inflated rhetoric and giving speeches that trash the Conservative brand.”
Mr Sunak was seen patting the home secretary on the back as he arrived in the Commons on Monday in an apparent show of support. No 10 said the PM wants to make sure a “proper process” is followed – but refused to endorse the home secretary’s own claim she did “nothing untoward”.
Pressed by opposition MPs in the Commons, Ms Braverman said: “Last summer I was speeding. I regret that. I paid the fine and I took the penalty. And at no point did I try to evade sanction.”
However, former top civil servant Sir Philip Rycroft accused her of a “real lapse of judgement” over the request for a one-on-one course. “This, on the face of it, I think, is a breach of the ministerial code,” he said.
He pointed to paragraph 7.1 of the ministerial code, stating that “ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests”.
Sir Alistair Graham, former chair of the committee on standards in public life, also called for an investigation. “It looks like totally inappropriate behaviour – a speeding fine is a domestic matter, so to seek some special privilege through the civil service would be quite wrong,” he told The Independent.
The former standards chief pointed to paragraph 1.3 of the code – which outlines the “overarching duty on ministers to comply with the law and protect the integrity of public life”.
Sir Alistair added: “If the evidence demonstrates she asked civil servants to behave in an inappropriate manner, I would think it would be a breach of the code.”
One senior Tory figure said Ms Braverman “is in difficulty” if the reports are borne out, because “you can’t use your official position to get privileged treatment”.
The former minister likened the situation to Labour home secretary David Blunkett, who resigned in 2004 after claims by his former lover, Kimberly Quinn, that he abused his powers as home secretary to fast-track a visa for her foreign nanny.
The MP said colleagues would be “less sympathetic” if Ms Braverman is found to have broken the rules because she has “a track record”, adding: “Despite all this stuff about her representing a faction, it is a pretty small faction and a lot of right-wingers do not like her at all.”
Ms Braverman was sacked by Liz Truss in October after she sent an official document from her personal email to a fellow Tory MP, in a breach of the ministerial code which she described as a “technical infringement”.
Despite the latest row, Ms Braverman’s allies jumped to her defence and claimed she is being targeted by civil servants as part of a smear campaign. Craig Mackinlay MP told The Independent that the row over Ms Braverman’s speeding fine is a “total storm in a teacup”.
Henry Smith MP said the speeding story suggested “a wider movement” against Ms Braverman in Whitehall. “There is a lot of pushback against policies she is pursuing, particularly the Rwanda plan, so I suspect that is what is more behind this,” the Tory backbencher added.
The Sunday Times reported that Ms Braverman asked Home Office civil servants to help arrange a one-to-one driving awareness course, rather than the group session offered to motorists for minor speeding offences.
Officials are said to have refused the request, so Ms Braverman allegedly turned to a political aide to assist her.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Ms Braverman should quit if found to have breached the ministerial code, while the Liberal Democrats said Mr Sunak’s “inability to act” on a probe “is a clear failure of leadership”.
Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union representing senior officials, said: “Civil servants are publicly funded. They don’t do their shopping … and they don’t sort out their speeding fine.”
Meanwhile, Downing Street would not be drawn on a report in the Mirror that Ms Braverman’s special adviser repeatedly denied she had been caught speeding when the suggestion was put to them last month.
A No 10 spokesperson said “of course” Mr Sunak believes special advisers should tell the truth to journalists – but would not say whether the special adviser had failed to tell the truth.
The Home Office and Ms Braverman’s aide have been approached for comment.
