British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took decisive action on Monday, dismissing his interior minister, Suella Braverman, as part of a broader cabinet reshuffle. The decision comes following Braverman’s recent criticism of the police’s handling of pro-Palestinian marches in London.
Political Pressure on Sunak
Sunak faced increasing pressure from both opposition lawmakers and members of his own Conservative Party to remove Braverman. Known for her hardline conservative stance, the Indian-origin cabinet member often stirred controversy with provocative comments on migrants, protesters, the police, and the homeless.
Speaking to the media, Braverman stated, “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as home secretary… I will have more to say in due course.”
What exactly did Braverman criticise?
A fresh controversy emerged after Braverman’s article, titled ‘Police must be even-handed with protests,’ was published by The Times on November 8. In the article, Braverman accused the police of applying “double standards” in their treatment of protests. Criticizing a pro-Palestinian demonstration scheduled for November 11, she questioned the differential response to right-wing and nationalist protesters compared to pro-Palestinian groups.
Braverman alleged that the organizers of the pro-Palestinian protest “have links to terrorist groups, including Hamas,” and labeled the demonstrators as “hate marchers.”
The day when demonstration was held, clashes erupted between far-right counter-protesters and the police, resulting in over 140 arrests.
Political Fallout
The opposition Labour Party claimed that the clashes occurred due to Braverman’s comments. On the other hand, members of the Conservative Party also criticized her. Some expressed despair at Sunak’s delayed decision to dismiss the minister.
Suella Braverman’s Political Background
Braverman, a Conservative leader and lawyer, was elected to the UK Parliament from Fairham in 2015. She served as the attorney general for England and Wales from 2020 to 2022. Braverman campaigned for the UK’s exit from the EU and held a junior minister position in the Brexit department under former PM Theresa May. She resigned in protest over disagreements with May’s proposed Brexit deal.
In 2022, Braverman vied for the position of UK Prime Minister but lost in the second round. She was later appointed interior minister under then-PM Liz Truss but soon resigned due to a “technical” breach of government rules—sending an official document from her personal email account.
Heritage and Controversial Stances
Braverman’s parents are of Indian origin, having migrated to the UK in the 1960s. Her mother is from Mauritius, and her father is from Kenya, with her mother being of Hindu Tamil descent and her father having Goan ancestry. As a politician, Braverman has defended British colonialism and adopted a hardline stance on immigration, advocating for the deportation of immigrants to Rwanda.
In her resignation letter, she criticized the Truss government for breaking key pledges and expressed serious concerns about the commitment to manifesto commitments, including reducing overall migration numbers and stopping illegal migration, particularly dangerous small boat crossings.