UK home secretary resigns over use of personal email for official duty

Suella Braverman has resigned her appointment as the home secretary for the United Kingdom (UK).

Braverman announced her decision on Wednesday in a letter addressed to Liz Truss, UK’s prime minister.

According to the letter which she shared on her Twitter page, Braverman said she sent a draft ministerial statement that had not been published from her personal email to a colleague to get support for her policy.

She described the action as a constitution of “a technical infringement of the rules”.

“It is with the greatest regret that I am choosing to tender my resignation,” the letter reads.

“Earlier today, I sent an official document from my personal email to a trusted parliamentary colleague as part of policy engagement, and with the aim of garnering support for government policy on migration. This constitutes a technical infringement of the rules.

“As you know, the document was a draft written ministerial statement about migration, due for publication imminently. Much of it had already been briefed to MPs. Nevertheless it is right for me to go.

“As soon as I realised my mistake, I rapidly reported this on official channels, and informed the cabinet secretary. As home secretary I hold myself to the highest standards and my resignation is the right thing to do.

“The business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes. Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics. I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign.

“It is obvious to everyone that we are going through a tumultuous time. I have concerns about the direction of this government. Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government’s commitment to honoring manifesto commitments, such as reducing overall migration numbers and stopping illegal migration, particularly the dangerous small boats crossings.

“It has been a great honour to serve at the home office. In even the brief time that I have been here, it has been very clear that there is much to do, in terms of delivering on the priorities of the British people.

“They deserve policing they can respect, an immigration policy they want and voted for in such unambiguous numbers at the last election, and laws which serve the public good, and not the interests of selfish protestors.

“I am very grateful to all of my officials, special advisers and ministerial team for all of their help during my time as home secretary. I especially would like to pay tribute to the heroic policemen and women and
all those who work at border force and in our security services.

“To oversee Operation Bridges – the largest policing operation in a generation – was a great honour and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve. I wish my successor good luck.”

My letter to the Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/TaWO1PMOF2

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— Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) October 19, 2022

Braverman’s resignation comes 43 days after her appointment as home secretary.

Meanwhile, Truss has accepted her resignation.

“I accept your resignation and respect the decision you have made. It is important that the ministerial code is upheld, and that cabinet confidentiality is respected,” the UK prime minister said in a letter.

Braverman’s departure comes as Truss faces pressure to resign amid crisis in the UK’s financial markets.

The development also comes days after the UK prime minister sacked Kwasi Kwarteng, chancellor of exchequer, after 38 days in office.

Meanwhile, until her resignation, Braverman was vocal about her “aspirations” to cut the overall migration figure amid a growing clamour for the government to take control of immigration levels.

She had also said she would change the law to stop migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.

Grant Shapps, former transport secretary, is expected to take over as home secretary.