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Suella Braverman
Starmer has called for an investigation into whether Braverman (above) broke rules by asking civil servants for special treatment after she was caught speeding. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images
Starmer has called for an investigation into whether Braverman (above) broke rules by asking civil servants for special treatment after she was caught speeding. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Braverman should go if she broke ministerial rules, says Starmer

Labour leader calls for investigation into claims home secretary sought civil servant help over speeding fine

Keir Starmer has said Rishi Sunak must immediately begin a formal investigation into whether Suella Braverman broke the ministerial code, and that the UK home secretary should leave her job if it finds that she did.

Sunak should ask his adviser on ministerial interests, Sir Laurie Magnus, to launch an immediately inquiry into whether Braverman broke rules by asking Home Office civil servants for special treatment after she was caught speeding, the Labour leader said.

“The prime minister needs to launch an investigation into this. I think he’s said he’s going to see his ethics adviser today, to have a meeting with him. What he needs to do – what I would do – is to say to that adviser: you need to investigate this,” Starmer told BBC1’s Breakfast programme.

“From what we know, it looks as if inappropriate action took place from the home secretary that needs to be fully investigated. And I think that’s what many people are expecting from the prime minister this morning.

“The ministerial code is pretty clear that if you break it, you’re supposed to go. But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I don’t know all the facts. I don’t think anybody knows all of the facts. It looks as if some of the facts are still emerging. So the right thing to do is a proper investigation.”

Pressed on whether Braverman should leave her job if she was found to have breached the ministerial code, Starmer said this was the case.

“The prime minister did stand outside Downing Street when he became prime minister and say that he was going to bring about change, much-needed change, under this government and have accountability, honesty and transparency,” he said.

“An investigation obviously comes first and then it’ll be up to the prime minister to take appropriate action, but the usual consequence of breaching the code is, of course, that you go.”

Sunak, who has just returned from the G7 summit in Japan, is expected to meet Magnus on Monday. Braverman herself is due to appear before the Commons for Home Office questions on Monday afternoon, and Labour is likely to table an urgent question.

In a development first reported by the Sunday Times and the Mail on Sunday, it was alleged that Braverman sought help from Home Office civil servants to try to avoid attending an in-person speed-awareness course after being caught speeding, or doing an online course where her name and face would be visible to other participants.

Sources claimed Home Office officials emailed the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team to ask whether they could advise the home secretary. They were immediately told they could not.

When the civil servants refused to help, Braverman is believed to have turned to a political aide, who tried to persuade the course provider to agree to the proposal. When they declined, she opted to take the three points on her licence and pay the fine instead.

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Dave Penman, the head of the FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, rejected the idea that Braverman was being targeted by officials. “This is about ministerial misconduct. It’s not about anyone coming for anyone,” he told Sky News.

If Braverman had sought officials’ help over the speeding fine, Penman said, it would appear to have breached the code. “The ministerial code is clear that you have to separate out your private interests as a minister from your public duties, including the perception of any conflict in that,” he said.

“A speeding fine is an entirely personal matter, so if she’s asked civil servants to intervene in any way on that, that would be a breach of the ministerial code.”

A finding that she had broken the rules would not necessarily mean she had to step down, he added: “The ministerial code allows for a rap across the knuckles, or potentially resignation. It depends what she is found to have done.”

Separately, the Mirror reported on Monday that Braverman’s special adviser, a political appointee rather than a civil servant, told the paper six weeks ago that it was “nonsense” the home secretary had been caught speeding.

The adviser denied this four times, calling the claims “scurrilous” rumours, according to what the paper said was a transcript of the exchanges.

More on this story

More on this story

  • A second reprieve for Suella Braverman could be a tall order

  • Sunak under pressure to launch ethics inquiry over Braverman speeding row

  • Road safety groups hit out at Suella Braverman over speeding incident

  • Suella Braverman: what are the allegations over her speeding fine?

  • Sunak defends Braverman after home secretary ‘asked civil servants for speeding fine help’

  • Braverman ‘asked civil servants for help’ after being caught speeding

  • Tory MPs accuse Suella Braverman of making bid for party leadership

  • Does Suella Braverman have evidence to link boat arrivals to crime?

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