explainer
Braverman was fired after criticizing police for being too lenient with pro-Palestinian protesters.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sacked Home Secretary Suela Braverman after increasing pressure on her to take action.
Here’s what you need to know about Braverman and why she was fired on Monday.
Why was she fired?
The government announced Mr Braverman’s resignation as part of a cabinet reshuffle ahead of a general election expected next year.
However, the sacking comes after Mr Braverman drew anger from within the Conservative Party and the opposition Labor Party. Following pro-Palestinian protests in London, She wrote an opinion piece in the London Times published Thursday. In it, she accused police of being “opportunistic” and lenient towards pro-Palestinian protests.
She described the protesters as a “pro-Palestinian mob” and “marches of hate.”
Mr Sunak told reporters that Mr Braverman had not published the article by his office and was in breach of the Ministerial Act. Still, Mr Sunak was under pressure to fire Ms Braverman and initially supported her.
Who is Suella Braverman?
Mr Braverman was appointed as UK Secretary of State for the Home Office by former Prime Minister Liz Truss in September 2022. She was ordered to resign within weeks of her appointment for violating regulations by sending her official documents from her personal email account. She returned to the Home Office after Mr Sunak became Prime Minister.
The daughter of immigrants from Kenya and Mauritius, she grew up in Wembley. Braverman, a Conservative, was appointed attorney general by former prime minister Boris Johnson in 2020, and she also served as Brexit secretary, but she resigned in November 2018.
She has supported tougher immigration rules, including a “stop the boats” plan to stop refugees crossing the English Channel.
Who is the new Home Secretary?
In a reshuffle sparked by Braverman’s sacking, Mr Sunak appointed James Cleverley as the new home secretary.
Mr Cleverley had previously served as Foreign Secretary. Former Prime Minister David Cameron was appointed as his successor. Cameron resigned as prime minister in July 2016 after his attempts to keep Britain in the European Union failed. Three months later, he resigned from parliament following the Brexit vote.
What is Britain’s position in the Israel-Gaza war?
Mr Sunak visited Israel on October 19 to “express solidarity with the Israeli people”.
“I’m proud to stand here with you in Israel’s darkest hour,” Sunak said at a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We stand united with you. We stand with you and your people. And we want you to win, too.”
How are people reacting?
After his dismissal, Braverman said: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as Home Secretary.”
“I’ll have more to say in due course,” she added.
Braverman’s sacking and Cameron’s return infuriated some conservatives on the party’s right.
Jacob William Rees-Mogg, an MP and former business secretary, told GB News that firing Mr Braverman was a mistake that hurt the Conservatives’ chances of winning the next election. He added that Cameron’s appointment as prime minister could shift Conservative votes to the new Brexit party Reform UK.
Prime Minister Cameron’s appointment has also been criticized by opposition parties. Labour’s David Lammy wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Cameron’s appointment was a “last gasp act of desperation”.
David Cameron was a miserable Prime Minister. This is the last gasp act of a government without talent or ideas.
In the midst of an international crisis, Mr Sunak chose past losers who MPs cannot even hold accountable.
Only Labor can deliver the change we need.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) November 13, 2023