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Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman: "They never intended to keep their promises"
Photo: TOBY MELVILLE / REUTERS
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who was only dismissed on Monday, has written a farewell letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. She also posted the three-page letter on X, formerly Twitter. In it, she criticised Sunak's leadership style and said his government plan was not working – he urgently needed to change course.
"Someone has to be honest: your plan isn't working, we've suffered record election defeats, your setbacks have failed, and we're running out of time," Braverman said in the letter.
Sunak dismissed the controversial far-right politician after she repeatedly caused controversy in his cabinet. Apparently, an article in the newspaper »The Times« last Thursday was the immediate trigger for the dismissal. In it, Braverman wrote that there is a perception that high-ranking police officers favor some actions during protests and take tougher action against right-wing activities than against pro-Palestinian mobs.
The article had therefore been taken down by the seat of government; there were numerous requests for changes, but apparently not all of them were implemented. In September, Braverman also questioned the current relevance of the Geneva Refugee Convention.
It was disappointing but "the best" thing that Sunak had asked her to leave the government, Braverman wrote in the letter. She accused the prime minister of breaking a number of political promises. Referring to immigration policy, the Northern Ireland Protocol and other issues, she said: "You have clearly and repeatedly failed to implement each and every one of these key objectives." She continues: "Either you are not in a position to do so because of your particular style of government. Or, and I must say this now, you never intended to keep your promises."
Braverman already served as home secretary under Sunak's predecessor Liz Truss. Even then – in October 2022 – she had to leave the post after sending confidential information from a private email address to a member of parliament.
As part of a cabinet reshuffle, Sunak sacked Braverman and made former Prime Minister David Cameron Foreign Secretary. Cameron takes over for James Cleverly, who in turn replaces Braverman in the Home Office.
czl/Reuters