British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that Home Secretary Suella Braverman will not face an investigation for her handling of a speeding offence in 2022. Speculation had been mounting after claims in ‘The Sunday Times’ suggested that Braverman had appealed to civil servants to intervene and divert the normal course of action following her speeding incident. However, Sunak has stated that he does not believe her actions breached the ministerial code of conduct.
Opposition parties had called for Sunak to refer Braverman to the Independent Adviser on ethics, Sir Laurie Magnus, to assess whether a breach had occurred. Nevertheless, after consulting with the adviser, Sunak concluded that further investigation was unnecessary and that no breach had taken place.
In a letter to Braverman, Sunak acknowledged that although her actions may have given the perception of impropriety, he did not consider them to be a breach of the Ministerial Code. He also emphasized the importance of integrity, professionalism, and accountability within his leadership.
The exchange of letters released by Downing Street revealed that Braverman admitted she would have chosen a different course of action if faced with a similar situation. She maintained that her decisions were guided by what she believed to be right and appropriate within the scope of her office, rather than personal motivation.
According to ‘The Sunday Times,’ Braverman allegedly requested civil servants to arrange a private, one-to-one speed awareness course after refusing to attend a group course or an online session that would reveal her identity. When her requests were denied, she decided to accept penalty points on her license, which she had initially sought to avoid.
Braverman explained in her letter to the prime minister that she had explored bespoke arrangements due to her personal circumstances and the security measures she receives as a government minister. She expressed regret for any perception that she sought to avoid sanctions and apologized for the distraction caused by the controversy.
The decision by Sunak not to launch an investigation into Braverman’s actions has drawn criticism from the Liberal Democrats, who branded it a “cowardly cop-out.” Wendy Chamberlain, the party’s chief whip, accused Sunak of being too weak to order an investigation or dismiss his home secretary.
It should be noted that Braverman had previously resigned as home secretary in October of the previous year after admitting breaches of the ministerial code. However, she was reinstated when Sunak assumed the position of prime minister, and she has since been leading the government’s efforts to address the issue of migrant arrivals via small boats.
