A Tory war has exploded over Suella Braverman’s return to the Home Office six days after she quit for sending documents from her personal email.
The Home Secretary had claimed she committed only a “technical infringement” - while PM Rishi Sunak boasted “she raised the matter” herself.
But former party chairman Jake Berry last night said there were “multiple breaches” of the ministerial code and it “seems really serious”.
Explosively contradicting the PM’s version of events, Sir Jake - who Mr Sunak sacked this week - told TalkTV: “As I understand it, the evidence was put to her and she accepted the evidence, rather than the other way round."
Meanwhile Labour demanded an investigation into fresh claims she was probed by government officials in a leak inquiry in January this year.
A Cabinet Office unit included Ms Braverman in an investigation when she was Attorney General, according to the Daily Mail.
The leaked information is said to have related to her plan to seek an injunction that stopped the BBC naming a spy accused of domestic abuse.
There was said to be “concern” in MI5, which then took on a role in the leak probe.
According to the reports, the probe found “no conclusive evidence” of who the leaker was.
But Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “These are extremely serious allegations.
“There needs to be an urgent investigation into the Home Secretary’s security breaches including these new allegations while she was Attorney General.
“The Prime Minister needs to say whether he knew about these allegations when he re-appointed her.
“Ignoring warnings about security risks when appointing a Home Secretary is highly irresponsible and dangerous. We need answers now."
A Tory revolt was growing today as MPs broke ranks over Suella Braverman’s appointment.
Conservative MP Mark Pritchard, a former member of the intelligence and security committee, said: “MI5 need to have confidence in the Home Secretary - whoever that might be.
“It’s a vital relationship of trust, key to the UK’s security and democratic oversight of MI5.
“Any breakdown in that relationship is bad for the security service and the government. It needs to be sorted ASAP.”
Tory MP Caroline Nokes told BBC Radio Solent: "I think what is apparent is that there are big questions hanging over this whole issue.
"And to be frank I would like to see them cleared up so that the home secretary can get on with her job.
“If that means a full inquiry then I think that’s the right thing to do.”
In a bid to form a unity Cabinet, Mr Sunak brought Ms Braverman back six days after she resigned for a security breach.
That left Cabinet Secretary Simon Case - the head of the civil service who found two breaches of the ministerial code last week - “livid and very concerned”, according to The Times.
Downing Street denied he was "livid" - but both No10 and Rishi Sunak refused to say if officials had raised concerns.
Labour leader Keir Starmer blasted: "We can all see what’s happened here.
“He’s so weak he’s done a grubby deal trading national security because he was scared to lose another leadership election.
"There’s another Tory at the top but it’s always with them party first, country second.”
Allies of the Tory dubbed "Leaky Sue" today dismissed separate reports that MI5 will give her lessons on what information she can and cannot share.
Ms Braverman claimed in her resignation letter that she sent a draft written ministerial statement “from my personal email to a trusted parliamentary colleague as part of policy engagement”.
She added: “As soon as I realised my mistake, I rapidly reported this on official channels. and informed the Cabinet Secretary.”
Allies said she sent it after going on a 4am immigration raid before coming clean about her "mistake".
One told the PA news agency: "She was not expecting at all to be sacked over it."
But officials said the file was sent much later and that the Cabinet papers had first been forwarded from her ministerial account to a private Gmail account before going elsewhere.
And Sir Jake said last night: “From my own knowledge, there were multiple breaches of the ministerial code."
Sir Jake told TalkTV: "It was sent from a private email address to another Member of Parliament. She then sought to copy in that individual's wife and accidentally sent it to a staffer in Parliament.
"To me that seems a really serious breach, especially when it was documents relating to cybersecurity, as I believe.
"That seems a really serious breach. The Cabinet Secretary had his say at the time. I doubt he's changed his mind in the last six days, but that's a matter for the new Prime Minister."
New Tory chairman Nadhim Zahawi defended Ms Braverman, saying she deserved “redemption” after just six days.
Sky News host Niall Paterson told him: “It’s not as if Suella Braverman is the intellectual powerhouse of the Conservative movement.”
The Cabinet minister replied: “You’re now personalising it and being very rude about a particular politician.
“I think Suella is very capable, it’s unfair for you to say that, so I’d just ask you to reflect on that point.”
He added: “People are allowed a second chance and the Prime Minister did the right thing to give Suella that second chance.”
But Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy told Times Radio: “She should be sacked.
“There should be a thorough investigation and we certainly should know what advice Rishi Sunak took from the cabinet secretary as to whether he should have reappointed her.
“This is a very, very, very serious case indeed."
