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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
John Stevens

Suella Braverman told to 'come clean' over whether she told aide to mislead the Mirror

Suella Braverman last night was told to “come clean” over whether she instructed an aide to mislead the Mirror about a speeding ticket.

The Home Secretary ­desperately clung to her job, insisting she had done “nothing untoward”.

Mrs Braverman was fined and given points on her licence after being caught driving too fast last summer.

But her aide insisted this was not true when the Mirror contacted the minister about the offence seven weeks ago.

The Tory special adviser denied four times that she had been done for speeding and claimed it was “nonsense”.

Lib Dem chief whip Wendy Chamberlain yesterday demanded Cabinet Secretary Simon Case launch an investigation.

Rishi Sunak is facing calls to launch an investigation in Suella Braverman's behaviour (UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Imag)

The MP called on Mrs Braverman to “come clean to the public” on whether she had told her aide to deny that she had been caught speeding.

The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers states they “must set out the facts and relevant issues truthfully, and correct any errors as soon as possible”.

In a letter to Mr Case, Ms Chamberlain wrote: “It would be wholly inappropriate for the special adviser to be misleading media outlets about the personal affairs of the Home Secretary. There are clear questions to be answered.

“Did the Home Secretary ask her special adviser to act in conflict with the Code of Conduct? If so, did the Special Adviser repeatedly and knowingly mislead journalists?”

Mrs Braverman yesterday dodged questions about the speeding row.

In the Commons, the Home Secretary was asked by Labour's Yvette Cooper "whether she authorised her special adviser to tell journalists that there was not a speeding penalty when there was".

The minister declined to answer, saying: "I am getting on with the job of delivering for the British people."

She also refused to confirm if she asked civil servants to help her arrange a private speed awareness course after she received the ticket.

When asked in a TV interview if this was the case, Mrs 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.”

Pressed on whether she asked civil servants to arrange a private course, she said: “I’m focused on doing my job as Home Secretary. In my view, I’m confident nothing untoward has happened.”

The Prime Minister last night was still deciding whether she should face a sleaze probe. Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “Rishi Sunak is once again dithering and delaying. The PM must order an ethics investigation.”

* Follow Mirror Politics on Snapchat, Tiktok, Twitter and Facebook.

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