London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to reappoint Suella Braverman as the Home Secretary six days after she was forced to resign for a security breach is facing fresh questions after a former chairman of the Conservative party claimed that she was responsible for “multiple breaches of the ministerial code”.
Jake Berry, who sat in the cabinet alongside Braverman at the heart of the former Liz Truss government, said the Home Secretary was responsible for a “really serious breach” after sending confidential information to a private address, sending it to an MP, attempting to send it to the MP’s wife and then accidentally sending it to a member of parliamentary staff, the Guardian reported.
He also indicated that the UK’s most senior civil servant, Simon Case, had been consulted and ruled that it had broken the rules, The Guardian reported.
Sunak told MPs on Wednesday that Braverman had made an “error of judgment” and had recognised her mistake, adding: “That’s why I was delighted to welcome her back into a united cabinet that brings experience and stability to the heart of government.”
Asked during Prime Minister’s questions if officials had raised concerns about the appointment, given Case was said to have been furious, Sunak simply said he had already “addressed the issue”.
Berry said there had been “multiple breaches of the ministerial code” after Braverman had sent the document to her confidante and fellow MP Sir John Hayes, The Guardian reported.
The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said Berry’s intervention was “extraordinary” and “very serious”, and highlighted the latter’s comments about “cybersecurity breaches”.
Tweeting at Sunak, she wrote: “What security warnings did you ignore when you reappointed home secretary?”
