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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
John Stevens

Suella Braverman's team originally DENIED speeding ticket - as pressure to resign mounts

Suella Braverman is under pressure to resign as the Mirror today can reveal her team wrongly denied she had received a speeding ticket.

The Home Secretary was fined and given points on her licence after she was caught driving too fast last summer.

But Mrs Braverman’s aide insisted this was not true when the Mirror contacted the minister about the offence six weeks ago.

The Tory special adviser denied FOUR TIMES that the Home Secretary had been done for speeding and claimed it was “nonsense”.

Instead the official suggested someone was spreading “scurrilous” rumours about her.

Mrs Braverman yesterday finally admitted she had been caught speeding as it was claimed she had asked civil servants to help her avoid a fine and points by arranging a private one-to-one driving awareness course.

Rishi Sunak became frustrated as a press conference at the G7 summit in Japan was dominated by questions about Suella Braverman (PA)

Labour has demanded an urgent investigation into the Home Secretary who is the minister in charge of law and order.

The revelation that Mrs Braverman’s aide supplied incorrect information will fuel calls for the PM to order an inquiry into the debacle.

It also raises troubling questions about the government's dealings with journalists.

The Mirror understands Mr Sunak will meet Sir Laurie Magnus, his Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests, on Monday as he decides whether to launch a probe.

Mrs Braverman is due to be grilled by MPs on Monday afternoon as she appears in the Commons for the regular Home Office questions.

In his first speech in Downing Street, Mr Sunak vowed to lead a government with “integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level”.

But his first six months as PM have been dominated by Tory sleaze rows. Mr Sunak appointed Mrs Braverman as Home Secretary in October just six days after she was sacked from the job by Liz Truss for leaking.

At a press conference at the G7 summit this morning, the PM became irritated with reporters after they asked him about the speeding row.

Mr Sunak declined to order an ethics probe into Mrs Braverman and instead attempted to defend her.

He snapped at the BBC's Chris Mason after he asked him if he had confidence in his minister saying: "Do you have any questions about the summit?"

Mr Sunak continued: "I don't know the full details of what's happened and nor have I spoken to the Home Secretary... but I understand that she has expressed regret for speeding, accepted the penalty and paid the fine."

No10 said he retained full confidence in his minister.

Rishi Sunak is facing calls to launch an investigation in Suella Braverman's behaviour (UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Imag)

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “There are now serious questions for Suella Braverman to answer about this apparent cover-up of her shameless attempt to dodge a speeding ticket.

“By not being honest and open about what happened, the Home Secretary and her team are giving the impression she has something to hide.

“The Prime Minister claims to have ‘full confidence’ in his Home Secretary, but this latest revelation raises yet more doubt about his judgement in appointing her in the first place."

The Mirror approached Mrs Braverman about the speeding offence on April 4 when a reporter asked whether the Home Secretary was having to do a driving awareness course.

In a telephone conversation that followed one of her aides said this was not accurate.

The aide went on to completely deny that she was facing punishment for driving too fast.

Asked if the Home Secretary had been done for speeding, the Tory adviser said: “There’s nothing like that.”

Pushed again he insisted: “It’s nothing like that.”

He added: “Oh mate, this is nonsense, honestly”.

Asked whether there was absolutely nothing to the claims that she had been done for speeding, he said: “No.”

“It sounds pretty scurrilous that somebody has just made it up,” he continued.

Both No10 and Mrs Braverman declined to comment.

* Follow Mirror Politics on Snapchat, Tiktok, Twitter and Facebook.

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