Suella Braverman ‘was probed over national security leak’ in January

Jump to contentSign up to our newslettersSubscribeNewsSportsVoicesCultureLifestyleTravelPremiumHome Secretary Suella Braverman was probed by national security officials earlier this year as part of a leak inquiry, it has been reported.The claim raises further questions about the decision by Rishi Sunak to reappoint Ms Braverman as Home Secretary just six days after she resigned from the job for mishandling sensitive information. A report in the Daily Mail newspaper claims the rule-breaking minister was previously probed in January as part of a security breach relating to a British spy.Ms Braverman, who was attorney general at the time, was apparently put under the microscope by the Cabinet Office’s Government Security Group.The little-publicised unit was investigating a leak related to the Government’s plan to apply for an injunction against the BBC to stop it identifying a spy accused of using his position to terrorise his former partner.That story said it was Ms Braverman who was seeking the injunction – and MI5 was reportedly “concerned” about how this information had become public.The inquiry reportedly found no conclusive evidence of who leaked Ms Braverman’s intention to apply for an injunction, with a source telling the newspaper there was “a wide field of potential leakers”.A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “We do not comment on alleged leak investigations.”The new claims come after Ms Braverman admitted to a breaching the ministerial code by sending an official document from a personal email.Claiming her actions were a “technical infringement” of the rules, she said: “I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign.” She returned to the same job less than a week later.Commenting on the Home Secretary’s re-appointment, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said he had been told that Ms Braverman’s nickname among officials on Whitehall was “leaky Sue”.”There’s a slight sort of shock that when a Home Secretary resigns for effectively breaching national security, not just the ministerial code, it was far more serious than that, that somehow the new Prime Minister thinks he’s okay to bring it back straightaway,” he told podcast The News Agents.A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichmentPAKing Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new governmentPARishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative PartyReutersThe Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market’s annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemicPASculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the ‘Planet A’ Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire townPABritain’s Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignationAFP/GettySalmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migrationPAJust Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the groupPAHundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator’s Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in FifePAA protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction RebellionAFP/GettyA member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a “Just Stop Oil” protest, in London, BritainREUTERSGermany’s Women’s double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, PembrokeshirePAFamily and mourners arrive at St Michael’s Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on FridayPAMotorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colourPAA woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrisePAPolice officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, LondonPAA drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, LondonPATimothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, LondonPATwo young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublin’s Phoenix park as rutting season beginsPAThe Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern IrelandPAGreenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conferencePAPrime Minister Liz Truss and Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in BirminghamAFP/GettyBritish artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist’s trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodlesPAErling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City’s second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. 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And the answers were not forthcoming from the government today.”He added: “Her nickname we’re told is Leaky Sue and for a Home Secretary to even have that nickname after a relatively short time in office, I think says it all.”But Tory chairman Nadhim Zahawi said Ms Sunak was right to give Ms Braverman a “second chance”.”She admitted her mistake, she resigned. A new Prime Minister came in, looked at the information and decided that he wants to give her a second chance. It think that is the right decision. Redemption is a good thing,” he told Sky News.He refused to be drawn on reports that officials, including the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, had expressed concern about her reappointment so soon after her resignation for breaching the ministerial code.”Officials raise concerns and raise points with secretaries of state, with ministers, all the time. I think they should be allowed to do that,” he said.Registration 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 BravermanRishi SunakMI5Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in