Rishi Sunak leaves Suella Braverman waiting in speeding ticket row as he mulls over launching formal probe
RISHI Sunak left Suella Braverman dangling in a speeding ticket row last night – amid claims the Whitehall blob is trying to take out another minister.
The PM was still weighing up launching a formal probe into whether the Home Secretary broke the ministers’ rulebook by asking her civil servants to organise a private speed awareness course last year.
When she was told that was not possible she accepted a fine and three points instead.
But critics say involving officials may have broken the Ministerial Code.
Yesterday in a fiery Commons exchanges, Braverman insisted she was “confident that nothing untoward has happened” and accused Labour of making political mischief to distract from their own dire crime records.
Ms Braverman said: “Last summer, I was speeding. I regret that.
“I paid the fine and I took the points but we’re focused now on delivering for the British people and working for them.”
She added: “In relation to the process, I’m focused on delivering for the British people, doing my job as Home Secretary and what I will say is that, in my view, I’m confident that nothing untoward has happened.”
Rishi Sunak met with his independent ethics adviser yesterday morning amid a growing clamour to launch a formal probe into the row.
Last night he requested more information from his top minister, before making a final decision.
But there was a growing backlash against the so-called Whitehall “blob” – with officials blamed for leaking against yet another Tory minister.
Last month Dominic Raab was forced to quit over bullying claims from civil servants – with MPs warning No10 not to cave in again.
And former Labour Home Secretary Lord Blunkett blasted a culture of politically-motivated Whitehall staff working against their politicians.
He told the BBC: “It’s always happening and it’s deeply unpleasant.
“And you don’t want a civil service who leak for the sake of getting at a particular minister, and you certainly don’t want the police doing that.
“And I think after this immediate issue has been resolved the government have a perfectly reasonable duty to try to find out where that came from.”