Rishi Sunak news – live: Suella Braverman admits sending emails from personal account

LIVE – Updated at 14:16 Suella Braverman has admitted sending official documents to her personal email address on six different occasions.The home secretary apologised for breaching the ministerial code but claimed the documents ‘did not pose any risk to national security’ and were not secret or top secret.In a letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Ms Braverman detailed the ‘mistakes’ which led her to resign as home secretary in the dying days of Liz Truss’s government.She also said she assured Rishi Sunak when he reappointed her six days after her resignation that she would only use her official email for government business.Meanwhile, allies of former home secretary Priti Patel suggested Ms Braverman was to blame for overcrowding at a troubled Kent asylum facility, after a Tory MP accused ministers of driving down conditions for migrants in order to make Britain seem less appealing.The Manston short-stay centre is running at more than double its capacity with outbreaks of diseases including diphtheria and MRSA, leading to calls for Ms Patel and Ms Braverman to answer for the state of the facility. Suella Braverman admits sending six emails from her personal accountSunak has ‘full confidence’ in home secretaryManston migrant trouble ‘may have been deliberate’, says Tory Sunak could go to Cop27 if ‘he’s got time’Liz Truss expenses questioned after biography claims 14:15 , Zoe Tidman Suella Braverman’s statement is expected around 5.15pm this afternoon:Embattled Home Sec Suella Braverman will make a Commons statement this afternoon on two issues: Detailing the circumstances surrounding her sacking under the Truss administration and the situation at Manston migration centre c5.15pm- Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) October 31, 2022 13:45 , Liam James Photographs from the Manston short-term holding centre this morning show migrants held behind the fences of the Kent facility. Detainees at Manston this morning (Reuters) Child detainees look out a fence at Manston (Reuters) Hands of detainees reach through a fence at Manston (Reuters) 13:30 , Liam James Priti Patel is blaming her successor Suella Braverman for the failure to take steps to prevent the Kent asylum centre crisis, piling further pressure on the home secretary.The Home Office has been accused by a Tory MP of a ‘deliberate’ decision to allow dangerous overcrowding at the Manston site, possibly to send a harsh message to would-be refugees.Now Ms Patel has made known she did book hotel rooms for asylum seekers while in charge of the Home Office – raising the question of why the practice stopped when Ms Braverman took over last month.’There was never any overcrowding when she was there. What would happen was, if it got to the point where people were getting worried about conditions, we would sign off on more hotels,’ a source close to Ms Patel said. © Provided by The Independent Priti Patel blames Braverman for failure to prevent Kent asylum crisis 13:11 , Liam James The letter sent by Suella Braverman to the home affairs committee explaining her sending of official documents to her personal email account includes details of all six occassions she admitted to. © Provided by The Independent 12:56 , Liam James Suella Braverman is due to appear in the House of Commons later today after she gave further details of the breach of the ministerial code which triggered her resignation as home secretary under Liz Truss.She is expected to take questions on the matter, as well as on the issues at the Manston migrant processing centre. 12:46 , Liam James Prime minister Rishi Sunak has ‘full confidence’ in his home secretary Suella Braverman, Downing Street has said (Andrew Woodcock writes).The statement came as Ms Braverman was embroiled in two rows, over leaks from her mobile phone and deteriorating conditions at the Manston processing centre for migrants in Kent.She is expected to address parliament and take questions from MPs on both issues this afternoon. © Provided by The Independent Rishi Sunak has ‘full confidence’ in beleaguered home secretary Suella Braverman 12:32 , Liam James Home Affairs Select Committee chair Dame Diana Johnson said Suella Braverman needs to come to the House of Commons to explain her position.The home secretary today wrote to the committee to admit sending sensitive government information to her personal email account – in a scandal that led to her resignation in the final days of Liz Truss’s government.Dame Johnson told Times Radio: ‘I think she needs to come today to the House of Commons. I don’t think she needs to be summoned.’I think she needs to decide she’s coming herself and she’s going to make a statement and deal with all of these issues and questions that have been rising up over the last few weeks since she was reappointed.’She’s got to deal with this because until this is dealt with, she can’t get on and do the job of Home Secretary.’ 12:20 , Liam James The Home Secretary has admitted sending official documents to her personal email address on six different occasions (Jon Stone writes).Suella Braverman claimed that the documents ‘did not pose any risk to national security’ and were not secret or top secret.It comes after she resigned from her role for sending files outside of government – before being reappointed six days later.Ms Braverman said the documents were ‘related to public lines to take in interviews’ or took place when she was conducting meetings virtually.In a letter to the chair of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee Suella Braverman outlined further details of the breach of the ministerial code which triggered her previous resignation. © Provided by The Independent Suella Braverman admits using personal email for official documents six times 11:50 , Liam James Joe Sommerlad takes a look at the troubled migrant facility:The site, opened in January on a defunct airfield formerly used as a Defence Fire Training and Development Centre, was supposed to be a short-term holding facility where migrants could be hosted for 24 hours and processed by Border Force staff before being moved on to temporary accommodation.However, Manston has been overwhelmed in recent months due to the high number of Channel crossings seen this year, meaning dire living conditions have been allowed to prevail and outbreaks of diseases including diphtheria and MRSA reported. © Provided by The Independent What is the Manston asylum centre? 11:35 , Liam James Sources close to Priti Patel claim Manston was never overcrowded during her time as home secretary, according to PA.A source close to Ms Patel told the PA news agency: “There was never any overcrowding when she was there. What would happen was if it got to the point where people were getting worried about conditions we would sign off on more hotels.”Despite the political difficulties, the cost to the taxpayer and the potential for a media backlash, Ms Patel agreed to hotels because “it was the right thing to do”.Another source close to the former home secretary said it had been ‘business as usual’ right up until the point she resigned when Liz Truss became prime minister.The Kent asylum processing facility is now holding around 4,000 migrants – despite being built for only 1,600 – in dire living conditions, with outbreaks of diseases including diphtheria and MRSA.Manston should only hold people for 24 hours before they are sent on to hotels but Ms Patel and Suella Braverman, incumbent home secretary, have been accused of forcing migrants to stay in the centre by ignoring official advice to book rooms for them to go to. Local Tory MP Sir Roger Gale said the government may have deliberately chosen to overcrowd the centre to make Britain appear unappealing to .Claims from Ms Patel’s allies suggest Ms Braverman would bear full responsibility if such a decision was taken. 11:14 , Liam James In a message of condolence to the president of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, the King said the UK ‘stands in solidarity’ with the people of South Korea following the crush in Seoul that killed more than 150 people.The King’s message, signed Charles R, read: ‘I wanted you to know how deeply shocked and saddened both my wife and I are to hear of the many people who have lost their loved ones as a consequence of the recent, tragic incident in Itaewon, Seoul.’However inadequate this may be under such heartbreaking circumstances, we extend our deepest possible sympathy to all the bereaved families. We also offer our special thoughts and wishes for a speedy recovery to all those who suffered injury.’Recalling our meeting during your own gracious visit to London to attend the funeral of Her late Majesty The Queen, please be assured that the United Kingdom stands in solidarity with the people of the Republic of Korea at such a time of national mourning.’The Independent is following updates on the tragedy in Seoul here. 10:55 , Liam James Tax revenues from North Sea oil and gas have increased to almost £8bn in the first nine months of 2022, according to research.Figures from the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce show the government’s tax take from producers working in the area has increased nearly seven-fold from the same period last year, though companies profits have risen far higher. A windfall tax for the energy sector was introduced in May, which brought in a 25 per cent surcharge on extraordinary profits from energy companies.Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is understood to be considering raising this further in order to improve the UK’s fiscal position.The chamber of commerce analysed tax receipt data from between January and September this year, finding that offshore companies paid £7.9bn in tax, a 692 per cent increase on the same period last year.Meanwhile, pre-tax profits at Harbour Energy, the largest independent London-listed oil company, surged more than ten-fold during the first six months of the year to £1.27bn from just £120m during the same period the previous year. 10:36 , Liam James A minister has been criticised for using racially insensitive language in a discussion of reports that Liz Truss’s phone was hacked by foreign spies.During the news rounds this morning, farming minister Mark Spencer said Ms Trusswas ‘clearly hacked’, going on to say it was possible his own conversations with his wife were being listened to by ‘some little man in China’.His remark sparked backlash from opposition MPs with Labour whip Chris Elmore hit out at ‘the state of this’, while his parliamentary colleague, Chris Bryant, appeared incredulous, tweeting: ‘Little man’? Honestly?’Mr Spencer was placed under investigation earlier this year after a fellow Tory MP claimed he told her the fact she was a Muslim was making colleagues uncomfortable.Reports that Ms Truss’s personal phone was accessed by Kremlin agents caused a stir over the weekend, with Michael Gove failing to deny that the security breach had taken place. 10:17 , Liam James Recording petty disputes as crime is warping crime statistics and unnecessarily scaring the public, one of the nation’s most senior police chiefs has said.Sir David Thompson, chief constable of the West Midlands, said petty disputes and incivility are being taken down as criminal acts following a Home Office edict that all complaints from the public must be included in official figures.In an interview with The Times, Sir David described the process as ‘completely mad’, adding it was only serving to distort the public’s view.He said the large number of recorded instances of such disputes was making the public think violence was rising when really it was going down.Sir David said: ‘Over the last couple of years, for the first time in history, the police recorded more crime and violence than the public say is happening in the official crime survey. They’re inverted and it’s not right.’We like to tell people to be polite and civil, but our job is about crime. Where somebody might wave a stick at you or come around and be rude about your children, that’s incivility.’It shouldn’t be crime, but it’s getting really close to how we’re recording it.’ 09:58 , Liam James An ‘entirely fresh approach’ is needed to tackle the ‘out of control’ migrant Channel crossings in small boats, the MP for Dover has said.Appearing on TalkTV this morning, Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke was aked if she had any faith in Suella Braverman to make progress on the matter.Ms Elphicke said she had spoken to the home secretary and did not believe ‘anyone doubts her passion and determination to tackle this issue’. But, she said, a practical long-term solution had yet to be found, though stopping boats leaving France could work in the meantime.Calling for an ‘entirely fresh approach’, Ms Elphicke said: ‘What’s been happening is simply not working, because every single attempt to get on top of this is delayed or thwarted by a rag bag of people who seem to want open borders and don’t seem to want us to get a grip on this particular situation. 09:40 , Liam James Local policies and services are hindered by the ‘overly centralised’ and ‘opaque’ system of government in England, MPs have warned.Westminster holds too much power and is unwilling to cede decisions to regional and local authorities, the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (Pacac) said in a report calling for an urgent overhaul of governance arrangements.’One of the main levers of power used by central government over local counterparts is control of the purse strings,’ the MPs said.As a result, ‘suboptimal decisions’ are being made at a local level and people do not understand where they come from or who is accountable, the MPs said.The system has led to ‘significant geographical inequality’ and people feeling like they have no say in political or societal change, representing a ‘warning sign for the health of democracy’.The committee recommended that a cross-party commission is established to come up with a solution. 09:22 , Liam James Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor said the Home Office and contractors ‘need to get a grip’ on the migrant facility in Manston.He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘We were absolutely clear in our report that’s coming out tomorrow that the Home Office and contractors need to get a grip, they need to speed up the processing of migrants, they need to make suitable provisions so people can be moved off site as quickly as possible and housed in humane and decent conditions.’Mr Taylor added: ‘The facilities are not set up for people to be staying. It’s not a residential facility. It’s a short-term holding facility which is supposed to process people through.’Earlier, local Tory MP Sir Roger G