Suella Braverman sacked as Home Secretary after controversial comments

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman was dismissed from her role in November 2023 following public outcry and pressure from her own party. Braverman had made controversial comments regarding the handling of a pro-Palestine march by the Metropolitan Police.

Suella Braverman, who was previously appointed as Home Secretary by former Prime Minister Liz Truss in 2022, was sacked on November 13, 2023, after facing calls for her resignation from the public and members of her own party.

The controversy arose when Braverman accused the Met Police of "playing favourites" during a pro-Palestine march on Armistice Day. In an article for The Times, she claimed that the police were favoring left-wing protestors by refusing to ban the demonstration.

Braverman questioned the different treatment of lockdown objectors and Black Lives Matter demonstrators during the Covid pandemic, stating, "Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response, yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behavior are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law."

The then-Home Secretary also drew comparisons between the Palestine marches and the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Following the publication of her article, Braverman faced criticism and calls for her resignation. Some members of the Tory party urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak to dismiss her after allegations that she defied orders to edit her remarks. However, others argued that her comments reflected the public sentiment.

Downing Street reportedly requested changes to be made to Braverman's article, but she ignored the requests, leading to Sunak's anger. According to the ministerial code, all newspaper articles must be approved by No10, and disobeying the code can result in sanctions, including job loss.

Braverman's article was also blamed for inciting violence and hatred when clashes occurred between fascist thugs, police, and pro-Palestine protestors during the November 11 march in London. London Mayor Sadiq Khan and SNP leader Humza Yousaf criticized Braverman, with Khan stating that her words made the police's job much harder.

After news of her dismissal broke, Braverman gave a brief statement expressing her gratitude for serving as Home Secretary and promising to provide more information in due course. It was later reported that Foreign Secretary James Cleverly would be her replacement.