The Home Secretary has claimed that 'nothing untoward' took place over her handling of a speeding offence.
Suella Braverman has come under pressure after reports emerged that she asked officials to try and arrange a private speed awareness course instead of receiving penalty points on her driving licence. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been in talks with his ethics adviser but it is understood that a decision is yet to be taken on whether to launch a formal investigation into the matter.
In her first public comments on the issue, Mrs Braverman failed to deny asking civil servants to intervene.
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Asked if she asked officials to arrange a one-to-one course for her, she 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.”
When pressed on the same question, she said: “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.”
The speeding offence took place last year when Mrs Braverman was serving as attorney general. The row stems from a Sunday Times report that Mrs Braverman asked Home Office civil servants to help arrange a one-to-one driving awareness course, rather than the group session usually offered to motorists for minor speeding offences.
Officials are said to have refused the request, so Mrs Braverman allegedly turned to a political aide to assist her in attempting to arrange an alternative to a course with members of the public.
Downing Street confirmed that Mr Sunak spoke to his ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus about Mrs Braverman. A spokesperson said Mr Sunak was “availing himself of information” about the situation after his return from the G7 summit overnight. Sir Laurie cannot begin an investigation into a minister’s conduct without the authorisation of the PM.
The No 10 spokesperson also highlighted that the prime minister still has confidence in Mrs Braverman as Home Secretary. The spokesperson said: "He and the Home Secretary continue to work closely on the public’s priorities, not least tackling illegal immigration."
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mrs Braverman should resign if she is found to have broken the ministerial code. He told ITV’s 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.”
The Labour leader said he did not want to get “ahead of himself” in calling for Mrs Braverman to resign but said: “I think if she’s breached the ministerial code she should go … in the end, it’s the ministerial code that matters.”
Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union which represents senior officials, told Sky News: “Civil servants are publicly-funded. They’re paid for by you and me. They’re not there to support the personal interests of a minister. They don’t do their shopping, they don’t look after their children and they don’t sort out their speeding fine.”
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