Sunak mulls Home Secretary Suella Braverman's fate over speeding row

Is the axe hanging over Suella Braverman? Rishi Sunak gathers Cabinet as he mulls Home Secretary’s fate with ’email trail showing she told civil servants to help her dodge speeding points’

Rishi Sunak is facing increasing pressure to take action over Suella Braverman’s speeding offence after emails emerged that back claims she asked civil servants to help her avoid getting points and a fine.

The Home Secretary joined the Prime Minister for Cabinet this morning in Downing Street as he mulls whether to order an ethics investigation into one of his most senior ministers.

The PM is ‘availing himself of information’ about allegations Mrs Braverman wanted officials to arrange a private speed awareness course so that she would not be seen by other motorists, according to Downing Street.

Her allies have suggested she only contacted civil servants for advice on how to proceed after being clocked over the limit in a 50mph zone last summer, when she was Attorney General.

But emails seen by the Times suggest they were so concerned by what she requested they contacted the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team, which told them to stay out of the matter.

The Home Secretary joined the Prime Minister for Cabinet this morning in Downing Street as he mulls whether to order an ethics investigation into one of his most senior ministers.

The PM is ‘availing himself of information’ about allegations Mrs Braverman wanted officials to arrange a private speed awareness course so that she would not be seen by other motorists, according to Downing Street .

 Her allies have suggested she only contacted civil servants for advice on how to proceed after being clocked over the limit in a 50mph zone last summer, when she was Attorney General.

The newspaper suggested Mrs Braverman instructed them to organise the course, rather than simply soliciting advice.

This piles pressure on Mr Sunak to launch an investigation into allegations she breached the ministerial code, as does reporting by the Guardian that the most senior civil servant in the Home Office was informed about the claims.

A senior official reported Mrs Braverman’s request to Matthew Rycroft, the department’s permanent secretary, due to concerns about whether it was appropriate, the paper was told by sources.

Labour yesterday used Home Office Questions in the Commons to ask Mrs Braverman repeatedly to clarify what she had asked officials in her department to do.

But she instead repeatedly spoke of her ‘regret’ at having broken the speed limit, adding: ‘At no point did I attempt to evade sanction.’

Speaking in the House of Commons, the shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: ‘At the heart of the Home Secretary’s responsibility is to ensure that laws are fairly enforced for all. But when she got a speeding penalty, it seems she sought special treatment, a private course and asked civil servants to help.’

The Home Secretary replied: ‘As I have said earlier, in the summer of last year, I was speeding. I regret that. I paid the fine and I accepted the points. At no time did I seek to avoid the sanction.’

Mrs Braverman said she is ‘getting on with the job of delivering for the British people’.

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