POLITICS

‘Blindsided’ Rishi Sunak torn over Suella Braverman’s lack of awareness

The prime minister risks alienating the Tory right wing if he orders investigation into speeding scandal

Sunak is said to have been “completely blindsided” by the revelations about his home secretary at the weekend
Sunak is said to have been “completely blindsided” by the revelations about his home secretary at the weekend
Steven Swinford
, Political Editor |
Matt Dathan
, Home Affairs Editor
The Times

Rishi Sunak’s 18-hour flight from Japan touched down in the UK shortly before 2am, but he was back at his desk in No 10 just a few hours later.

His priorities for the week were already piling up — a huge rise in legal migration numbers, the latest inflation figures and an announcement on NHS waiting lists.

Top of the agenda, however, was the future of Suella Braverman, his home secretary, over claims that she asked civil servants to help her avoid a speeding fine and points on her driving licence, a potential breach of the ministerial code.

The revelation caught Sunak and No 10 by surprise. The prime minister appeared visibly irritated at a press conference at the G7 in Hiroshima as he found