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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Lizzy Buchan

Suella Braverman breaks silence over speeding ticket as she battles to save job

Suella Braverman has insisted "nothing untoward happened" in the row over her speeding ticket - but said she "regrets" breaking the speed limit.

The Home Secretary is battling to save her job following claims she asked officials to see if she could do a private speed awareness course after being caught speeding last summer.

She has since accepted the penalty points on her licence and paid the fine.

Mrs Braverman did not deny asking civil servants to enlist her on a private speed awareness course when grilled by broadcasters today.

Asked if she asked officials to arrange a one-to-one course, 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."

Pressed again, 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."

Suella Braverman is fighting to save her job (Phil Harris)

Rishi Sunak spoke to his ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus over the row this morning after jetting back from the G7 summit in Japan into a fresh crisis.

He has also spoken to Mrs Braverman but the PM's spokesman declined to give further details.

The PM's spokesman said "of course" Tory special advisers should tell the truth to journalists after one of Mrs Braverman's aides repeatedly denied she had been caught speeding when contacted by the Mirror.

The adviser told the Mirror it was untrue that she had committed a speeding offence when we contacted her office six weeks ago.

The aide claimed it was “nonsense” and said someone was spreading “scurrilous” rumours about her.

But Mrs Braverman has since admitted that it is indeed true that she was caught speeding.

The Prime Minister is "availing himself of information" about the situation after his return from the G7 summit, Downing Street said.

The PM's spokesman said he continues to have confidence in the crisis-hit Home Secretary.

"He and the Home Secretary continue to work closely on the public's priorities, not least tackling illegal immigration," he added.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper tweeted: "Good grief! How much availing does he need? Still weak."

Labour's Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said: “While Suella Braverman fails to answer basic questions and gives the impression she has something to hide, Rishi Sunak is once again dithering and delaying rather than taking action over yet another case of misconduct in his crumbling Cabinet.

“The Prime Minister must order an ethics investigation to get to the bottom of this. We’ve had 13 years of the Tories defending themselves and their mates. Enough is enough.”

The row centres on whether Mrs Braverman broke the ministerial code by asking civil servants to enlist her on a speed awareness course - which would be a private matter rather than Government business.

Officials reportedly refused the request after advice from the Cabinet Office, so Mrs Braverman asked a political aide to assist her in attempting to arrange private course so she didn't have to join members of the public.

The offence occurred last year when Mrs Braverman was serving as Attorney General.

Philip Rycroft, a former top civil servant at the Department for Exiting the European Union, said she would have put civil servants in an "impossible situation".

He told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour programme: "This on the face of it I think is a breach of the ministerial code.

"Obviously, there's still investigations to be done and so on but the code is very clear. Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises or appears to arise between their public duties and their private interests.

"Even asking a question of a civil servant as to how she might go on one of these courses puts them in an impossible position."

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."

Mrs Braverman has already been forced to resign once for breaching ministerial rules.

In the dying days of Liz Truss's premiership, she was forced out when it emerged she had sent an official document from her personal email to a fellow MP.

But Mr Sunak brought her back as Home Secretary when he became PM days later in a bid to woo the right of the Tory party.

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