Suella Braverman is said to have the backing of as many as 52 Conservative MPs, after she published an unapproved Op-Ed criticising the police
Suella Braverman is said to have the backing of as many as 52 Conservative MPs, after she published an unapproved Op-Ed criticising the police.
GB News has spoken to multiple sources who warned that there are a significant number of MPs - many of whom come from the New Conservatives Group of MPs - who believe Braverman was right to intervene, agreeing with the argument that the police are not doing enough to protect the sanctity of Remembrance weekend.
This could cause a major headache for Rishi Sunak, as the PM faces growing calls to sack the Home Secretary from both inside and outside of his party.
If he refuses to sack her, he is likely to face anger from moderates within his party. But if he does, he will face fury from those in the party who believe Sunak isn't doing enough to stand up for conservative values - namely on migration, taxes and law and order.
The Op-Ed, published in the Times, saw Braverman accuse the police of "playing favourites" when it comes to the policing of protests and demonstrations.
It has been claimed that Downing Street asked the Home Secretary to make changes to the draft, but she ignored the request.
While allies of Braverman said the article was sent to No 10 and "came back", they did not specify whether any changes were requested or made.
Asked about the Op-Ed, a spokesperson for Rishi Sunak said: "No it was not approved by No10.
"We are looking into the detail of this instance. It was not cleared by No10. We will update in due course."
But they said the Home Secretary still has the "full confidence" of the Prime Minister.
A source on the right wing of the party told GB News that the Conservative Party is "in disarray", warning that Sunak is facing threats from MPs who are of the view that it is "every man for himself" ahead of the next election.
There are understood to be between 30 and 50 MPs, many of whom are linked to the New Conservatives Group of MPs, who would push back against Sunak were he to sanction Braverman.
One party insider told GB News there could be as many as 52 MPs who would submit letters of no confidence to the PM should he sack her - a figure which was backed by an MP supportive of Braverman.
Tory MP Miriam Cates, a prominent member of the New Conservatives, said she "fully supports" the Home Secretary's Op-Ed.
Speaking to the Sun, Sir John Hayes called her the party’s “only hope”, while Jacob Rees-Mogg told his GB News show that "the calls to sack her seem to be disproportionate".
There is also support for Braverman outside of the New Conservatives, with one former minister on the right wing of the party saying Braverman was "voicing the concerns of many colleagues" with her Op-Ed.
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Meanwhile, former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith told GB News she was right to take a stand against the pro-Palestine protests scheduled to take place over the weekend.
He said it would be "entirely reasonable" to - rather than ban the protests - simply ask them to postpone until Monday, saying the police could easily justify the decision through the fact that Remembrance Sunday is already a major event and takes a large amount of policing capacity to monitor.
A former minister admitted he was "surprised" at the "tone" she struck, but he also backed Braverman's Op-Ed, hitting out at Met Police chief Mark Rowley - who he argued is "not up to it".
He told GB News: "I don’t think it’s a case of favouritism. It’s just weakness by Rowley.
"Compare the Met’s current stance with the way they treated those poor women at the Sarah Everard vigil. And taking the knee before BLM rioters outside Downing Street.
"Rowley is not up to it."
However, other MPs demanded Sunak get rid of the Home Secretary for her remarks.
One former Cabinet minister demanded Sunak sack Braverman ahead of Remembrance weekend, telling GB News she “completely overstepped”.
He said the Government should be focusing on making sure the weekend is “respected” rather than “posturing”
He added: “It falls far short of what is expected of a Home Secretary”
Meanwhile, a senior Conservative told GB News: "She is clearly on her way out and going out with a bang".
Another told the Independent: "She must go", arguing it is unacceptable to “publicly undermine the police in this way”.
