The UK Prime Minister’s office has rejected claims by Suella Braverman, the former British Home Secretary, that she struck a deal with Rishi Sunak to lend him her support in exchange for key promises. According to Downing Street, the pair had been discussing policy priorities before her Cabinet appointment, and it would be “quite odd” for them not to have done so during the 2022 leadership contest. When questioned about the alleged deal, the Prime Minister’s press secretary stated, “I do not accept that characterisation”, implying that the discussions focused on priority areas to work on rather than a specific agreement.
Suella Braverman, in her resignation letter, accused the Prime Minister of failing to deliver on key policies, including her own conditions for serving as Home Secretary. She had agreed to back Mr Sunak and serve in his government “on certain conditions”, including introducing measures to override the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act. However, she claimed that the Prime Minister had “manifestly failed” to deliver on these promises, and accused him of a “betrayal of your promise to the nation” to stop the boats.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Via Rishi Sunak/Twitter)
In response to Braverman’s claims, a Downing Street spokeswoman emphasized the government’s efforts to reduce boat crossings and its plans to continue tackling illegal migration. The spokeswoman also thanked Braverman for her service, although her departure has sparked controversy within the party, particularly among those who support an “authentic Conservative agenda”. The Prime Minister’s office has sought to downplay any suggestion of a secret deal between the two, instead focusing on the progress made by the government in reducing net migration and boat crossings, citing the passage of the toughest legislation on immigration and the fall in crime rates.
