Tory civil war deepens as Grant Shapps fails to back Braverman
The civil war in the Tory Party has continued to rage on over the weekend, as Defence Secretary Grant Shapps refused to back Suella Braverman remaining in office
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The civil war in the Tory Party has continued to rage on over the weekend, as Defence Secretary Grant Shapps refused to back Suella Braverman remaining in office.
Asked whether the Home Secretary will still be in her role in a week's time, Shapps responded: "As you know, and I know well, a week's a long time in politics. I never make predictions about these things."
Pressed by Sky News on whether or not Braverman's should be sacked, the Defence Secretary dodged the question.
He said: "The make-up of the Cabinet is entirely a matter for the Prime Minister. He will decide that in his own time."
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The Op-Ed, published in the Times, saw Braverman accuse the police of "playing favourites" when it comes to the policing of protests and demonstrations.
It has been claimed that Downing Street asked the Home Secretary to make changes to the draft, but she ignored the request.
While allies of Braverman said the article was sent to No 10 and "came back", they did not specify whether any changes were requested or made.
Asked about the Op-Ed, a spokesperson for Rishi Sunak said: "No it was not approved by No10.
"We are looking into the detail of this instance. It was not cleared by No10. We will update in due course."
But they said the Home Secretary still has the "full confidence" of the Prime Minister.
One former Conservative Cabinet minister demanded Sunak sack Braverman ahead of Remembrance weekend, telling GB News she “completely overstepped”.
He said the Government should be focusing on making sure the weekend is “respected” rather than “posturing”.
He added: “It falls far short of what is expected of a Home Secretary”
Meanwhile, a senior Conservative told GB News: "She is clearly on her way out and going out with a bang".
Another told the Independent: "She must go", arguing it is unacceptable to “publicly undermine the police in this way”.
But One party insider told GB News there could be as many as 52 MPs who would submit letters of no confidence to the PM should he sack her - a figure which was backed by an MP supportive of Braverman.
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Asked about the Op-Ed, a spokesperson for Rishi Sunak said: "No it was not approved by No10"
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Tory MP Miriam Cates, a prominent member of the New Conservatives, said she "fully supports" the Home Secretary's Op-Ed.
Speaking to the Sun, Sir John Hayes called her the party’s “only hope”, while Jacob Rees-Mogg told his GB News show that "the calls to sack her seem to be disproportionate".
There is also support for Braverman outside of the New Conservatives, with one former minister on the right wing of the party saying Braverman was "voicing the concerns of many colleagues" with her Op-Ed.
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