Controversial Remarks and Controversies of Ex-Home Secretary Suella Braverman
Key Highlights :
Suella Braverman's tenure as Home Secretary was mired in controversy and criticism, with opponents accusing her of employing far-right rhetoric and lacking compassion in her comments about asylum seekers, immigrants and multiculturalism. From her support of the Internal Market Bill to her public criticism of Sussex Police and her comments on the deportation of asylum seekers, Braverman was no stranger to controversy. Here, we take a look at the major controversies of her time in office.
As Attorney General, Braverman drew criticism from the legal profession for backing the Internal Market Bill, which was described as breaking international law in a “limited and specific way”. Senior barristers particularly questioned her decision to seek advice from three Brexit-supporting lawyers, including a junior barrister who had worked for the Vote Leave campaign, rather than the Government’s usual panel of legal advisers or the Treasury’s most senior lawyer. Braverman remained a staunch supporter of the Bill, leading to accusations that she had sacrificed the UK’s reputation and put the Good Friday Agreement at risk.
In September 2022, Braverman took a break from immigration to briefly join in the transgender debate. The Home Secretary launched her criticism at Sussex Police after it referred to convicted paedophile Sally Ann Dixon, who committed her crimes as a man and later transitioned to a woman, as a woman.
Braverman has been a major proponent of the Government’s plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda if they cross the Channel in small boats. The policy has attracted widespread condemnation from human rights groups, and Braverman was criticised after telling an event at the 2022 Tory conference that it was her “dream” to deport people to Rwanda.
A major trade deal between the UK and India was reported to have been “on the verge of collapse” after Braverman expressed “reservations” about the possibility of allowing more immigration from India and said there was a problem with Indian citizens overstaying visas.
Braverman was effectively sacked as Home Secretary towards the end of Liz Truss’s premiership after it emerged she had leaked confidential Cabinet papers to right-wing backbencher Sir John Hayes. An investigation found she had sent confidential documents to her personal email address on a number of occasions as Home Secretary, in addition to leaking a draft ministerial statement to Sir John.
Shortly after her return to government, Braverman again courted controversy by describing the arrival of asylum seekers on the south coast as an “invasion”. Her comments came days after a man threw firebombs at a migrant processing centre in Kent, and migrant support groups likened her words to language used by far-right figures.
Braverman accused opposition parties of being a “coalition of chaos” when discussing the Public Order Bill to crack down on disruptive protests. She told the Commons: “It’s the Guardian-reading, tofu-eating wokerati, dare I say, the anti-growth coalition that we have to thank for the disruption that we are seeing on our roads today.”
In a comment piece in the Daily Mail, Braverman claimed child grooming gangs in the UK were “almost all British-Pakistani”. Muslim groups, medical bodies and others accused her of “amplifying far-right narratives” about British-Pakistani men, but Braverman stood by her comments in a follow-up article for The Spectator.
Mr Sunak faced calls to launch an inquiry into Braverman over claims she breached the ministerial code by asking civil servants to arrange a private driving awareness course for her after she was caught speeding in 2022. The Prime Minister decided not to launch an investigation after consulting his ethics adviser.
Braverman drew outrage from LGBT+ groups after claiming there were “many instances” where asylum seekers had pretended to be homosexual or transgender to “game the system” and get “special treatment”. She also said being a victim of discrimination on LGBT+ grounds should not be enough to qualify for asylum.
In a speech on migration in the US, Braverman said multiculturalism in the UK had “failed” and threatened security. Mr Sunak distanced himself from her comments which some commentators regarded as part of a pitch for the Conservative leadership should the Prime Minister lead his party to defeat at the next election.
Homelessness charities criticised Braverman for reported plans to prevent them from giving tents to rough sleepers and claiming homelessness was a “lifestyle choice”. The proposals did not appear in Tuesday’s King’s Speech, but the Prime Minister has not ruled out including them in a wider Criminal Justice Bill.
Amid multiple pro-Palestinian marches in the UK and concern about the use of antisemitic language, Braverman accused police of “playing favourites” by tolerating the demonstrations while using stronger tactics against right-wing protests. Downing Street said it had not approved the comments, which were described by some as “divisive” and “inflammatory” and led to renewed calls for her to be dismissed.
Suella Braverman was no stranger to controversy in her time as Home Secretary, and her dismissal from the Cabinet in a reshuffle on Monday brought to an end a period of her career marked by numerous controversial remarks and controversies. From her support of the Internal Market Bill to her criticism of Sussex Police, Braverman's time in office was mired in controversy and criticism.
