Braverman accused of ministerial code ‘breaches’

Jump to contentSign up to our newslettersSubscribeNewsSportsVoicesCultureLifestyleTravelPremiumNewsUKUK PoliticsNamita SinghThursday 27 October 2022 05:34CommentsCloseIan Blackford calls for Suella Braverman to be sackedFormer Tory chairman Sir Jake Berry has claimed Suella Braverman committed “multiple breaches of the ministerial code” as prime minister Rishi Sunak faces a backlash for reinstating her to his cabinet six days after she was sacked by Liz Truss.Ms Braverman admitted to a “technical infringement” of the rules as she was forced out prior to the former prime minister’s downfall.But Sir Jake, who was chair when Ms Truss sacked Ms Braverman last week, said that she was responsible for a ‘really serious breach’ relating to confidential government discussions of cybersecurity.He challenged Mr Sunak’s claim that the home secretary had confessed to breaking the code, telling Talk TV that ‘the evidence was put to her and she accepted the evidence, rather than the other way around’.Ms Braverman left her role in Ms Truss’s cabinet after she was caught sending veteran backbench Tory Sir John Hayes, a fellow right-winger, an official document from a personal email account.She accidentally copied in someone she believed was Sir John’s wife, but was in fact an aide to Conservative MP Andrew Percy, who raised the alarm.1666845256The ban on shale gas fracking will be reinstated, the prime minister told MPs on Wednesday, in a U-turn on a policy launched by Liz Truss’s short-lived government.Rishi Sunak said during Prime Minister’s Questions that he stands by the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto, which banned fracking unless the science shows ‘categorically’ that it can be done safely.Green groups, conservationists and climate activists described the return of the ban as an ‘incredibly positive’ result on the prime minister’s first full day in office.Our climate correspondent Saphora Smith reports: Reversal comes as MPs warn national security is being jeopardised by climate-fuelled extreme weatherNamita Singh27 October 2022 05:341666845125A Labour MP has accused Rishi Sunak of ‘silencing women’s voices at the top table’ over the lack of women the new PM has selected for his cabinet.Kate Osborne, who sits on the women and equalities committee, told The Independent she is not surprised the new cabinet is male-dominated, due to the Conservatives treating women as ‘second-class citizens’.Women make up 22 per cent of the politicians allowed to go to cabinet meetings under Mr Sunak’s premiership, which is a fall from 32 per cent of women at the beginning of Liz Truss’s short stint as PM.Our women’s correspondent Maya Oppenheim has more:’Representation matters, but let’s be clear: more Tory women in the cabinet wouldn’t change the damage their policies are doing to our communities,’ Kate Osborne says Namita Singh27 October 2022 05:321666845073The foreign secretary has been criticised for saying LGBT+ football fans should be ‘respectful’ during the World Cup.James Cleverly said visitors to host country Qatar should show ‘a little bit of flex and compromise’ and to ‘respect the culture of your host nation’.Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and can be punished by imprisonment or even death under the country’s criminal code.The Tory politician’s comments were branded ‘abhorrent’ and ‘shockingly tone deaf’ by opposition parties, who said the government should be challenging football authorities over the selection of the country to host the tournament.Read the details in this report from our policy correspondent Jon Stone:James Cleverly criticised for ‘abhorrent’ remarks ahead of sporting event Namita Singh27 October 2022 05:311666844999Rishi Sunak continues to face backlash over the decision to bring Suella Braverman back into government as home secretary, after a former Conservative party chair claimed she had been involved in ‘multiple’ breaches of the ministerial code.While Ms Braverman admitted to a ‘technical infringement’ of the rules before being sacked by Liz Truss, Sir Jake Berry, who left his role as party chairman on Tuesday, alleged she was responsible for a ‘really serious breach’ relating to confidential government discussions of cybersecurity.Speaking to TalkTV’s Piers Morgan Uncensored, he said: ‘From my own knowledge, there were multiple breaches of the ministerial code.’Read the details in this joint report from Andrew Woodcock, Lizzie Dearden and Adam Forrest:Starmer accuses new PM of ‘grubby deal’ to secure right-winger’s support Namita Singh27 October 2022 05:291666843505Welcome to The Independent’s UK politics blog for Thursday 27 October 2022, where we provide the latest on everything buzzing in Westminster. Namita Singh27 October 2022 05:05Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inRegistration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inSuella BravermanJake BerryRishi SunakLiz TrussSuella Braverman leaves the first meeting of Rishi Sunak’s cabinet on WednesdayGetty ImagesPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in