SENIOR Tories have sought to distance themselves from an “out of control” Suella Braverman following her article in The Times.
The Home Secretary accused police of “double standards” and “playing favourites” with protesters as a pro-Palestine march on Armistice Day looks set to go ahead in London.
She said: “I do not believe that these marches are merely a cry for help for Gaza.
“They are an assertion of primacy by certain groups — particularly Islamists — of the kind we are more used to seeing in Northern Ireland. Also disturbingly reminiscent of Ulster are the reports that some of Saturday’s march group organisers have links to terrorist groups, including Hamas.”
Transport Secretary Mark Harper (below) has already disagreed with Braverman’s claims, telling Times Radio: “I think all police forces are focused on upholding the law without fear or favour. That’s what they do.”
He also declined to comment on whether or not he agreed with the overall piece. Harper added: “I’m not going to indulge in textual analysis of her article.”
He said police have been “focusing very hard on making sure that we don’t see any disturbance and disorder” at remembrance events this weekend.
Elsewhere, he told Good Morning Britain that although he disagreed with the march taking place on Armistice Day, people “have the right to do that in a free country”.
Braverman's article added: “Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law?
“I have spoken to serving and former police officers who have noted this double standard.
“Football fans are even more vocal about the tough way they are policed as compared to politically connected minority groups favoured by the left.
“It may be that senior officers are more concerned with how much flak they are likely to get than whether this perceived unfairness alienates the majority. The Government has a duty to take a broader view.”
Sky News’s political editor Beth Rigby has reported that multiple Tories have been left fuming with the remarks.
Writing on Twitter/X, she said: “One senior Tory tells me Braverman position ‘must be questioned’ because she’s making police job harder upholding peace and law & order with her language.
“Also points out protests have in past taken place on Remembrance Sunday & been policed.”
A separate post added: “Another MP says whips ‘aren’t even trying to defend her’ in convos (with) MPs.
“As for fallout (for) PM ‘if he sacks her it looks like media/Labour pressure’, I think Lab attack ad that he’s weak hits hard & think it’ll stick, because he is’.”
Opposition reaction
Labour’s Yvette Cooper (below) has said that Braverman is “out of control”, while shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News the PM should “of course” sack his Home Secretary.
“Where is the Prime Minister on this? Do we believe the Prime Minister signed off that kind of inflammatory rhetoric? He won’t tell us,” he said.
“We have to find out today from the Prime Minister did he sign off? Did he agree to this? And if not, is he too weak to sack her?”
Writing on Twitter/X, SNP MP Stewart McDonald said: “Suella Braverman has become so radicalised by her own ambition to lead the Conservative Party further down the sewer that she is wholly unfit to hold office.
“Every day that she remains in post is another day of shame for this decaying government and spineless prime minister.”
Meanwhile, the LibDems' home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: “Suella Braverman is running a Conservative Party leadership campaign, not the Home Office.
“The Home Secretary’s desire to stoke divisions and ramp up tensions in this way is irresponsible and dangerous.”
