London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 11, 2026

No 10 backs Suella Braverman after MI5 leak report

No 10 backs Suella Braverman after MI5 leak report

No 10 has said Suella Braverman has "strong relationships" with the security services, following concerns about her return as home secretary.

Reports have emerged suggesting that, as attorney general, she was investigated over the leak of a story involving MI5.

Ms Braverman was reappointed as home secretary just days after she resigned over separate data breaches.

Several Conservative MPs have raised questions about her reappointment.

Mark Pritchard - a former member of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee - said in a tweet: "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."

Asked whether Prime Minister Rishi Sunak believed MI5 had confidence in Ms Braverman, his official spokesperson said: "Yes, the home secretary continues to have strong relationships with all the operational bodies that report into the Home Office and are focused very much on keeping the country safe."

Asked if Mr Sunak was concerned security analysts might be reluctant to share information with the Home Office, the official said: "No, and any suggestion of that would be entirely false."

In January, the Daily Telegraph reported that Ms Braverman was seeking an injunction to block a BBC story about a spy working for British intelligence.

The briefing received by the newspaper damaged the government's argument that publishing details of the court case could harm national security.

Mr Justice Chamberlain said it would be a "matter of concern" if Ms Braverman was seeking to hold part of the hearing in private while, at the same time, the government was briefing the press.

The senior judge said he had been provided with no evidence to undermine the inference that a government source was responsible for briefing the paper.

The High Court later ruled the BBC could publish the story, though an injunction still bars the corporation from identifying the man.

An inquiry was launched to find out who had leaked confidential details of the court case to the Telegraph.

The High Court permits publication of the fact there was a leak inquiry, but the government has so far refused to comment.

The Cabinet Office has not responded to the BBC's questions about the leak inquiry including whether or not Ms Braverman was questioned, if the police were involved, or if anyone was arrested or questioned under caution. The attorney general's office also did not respond to queries.

Labour is calling for a probe into the reports in the Daily Mail that Ms Braverman was investigated over the leak.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The prime minister needs to say whether he knew about these allegations when he reappointed her. Ignoring warnings about security risks when appointing a home secretary is highly irresponsible and dangerous. We need answers now."

Raising the matter in the House of Lords, former Home Secretary Lord David Blunkett told peers the security and intelligence services could be reluctant to brief the home secretary and that other international security agencies would be reluctant to share information with the UK "if they're fearful that information will be passed out from government itself".

Separately, opposition parties and some Tory MPs have also questioned Ms Braverman's reappointment as home secretary after she admitted sending an official document to someone not authorised to receive it.

She stepped down from her cabinet position last week in the final days of Liz Truss's premiership.

In her resignation letter, she admitted committing a "technical infringement" of the rules.

"I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign," she wrote.

However, just six days later Mr Sunak reappointed Ms Braverman as home secretary.

It came two days after Ms Braverman had thrown her support behind him in the contest to replace Ms Truss, in what was widely seen as a significant endorsement by an influential figure on the right of the Conservative Party.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the new prime minister of giving Ms Braverman a job in exchange for her support.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called for inquiries into Ms Braverman's appointment.

Caroline Nokes - Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North - agreed there should be an inquiry, saying their were "big questions" hanging over the issue.

"To be frank I would like to see them cleared up so that the home secretary can get on with her job," she told BBC Radio Solent.

Jake Berry - who served as party chairman under Ms Truss but was fired by Mr Sunak - has also questioned Ms Braverman's return to the cabinet, saying there had been "multiple breaches" of the rules.

He told Talk TV that Ms Braverman had sent a document "from a private email address to another MP, she then sought to copy in that individual's wife but accidentally sent it to a staffer in Parliament".

"To me, that seems to be a really serious breach - the cabinet secretary had his say at the time. I doubt he has changed his mind in the last six days," he added.

A No 10 spokesperson has denied reports that Cabinet Secretary Simon Case - the head of the civil service - was "livid" about the appointment.

New party chairman Nadhim Zahawi defended Ms Braverman's reappointment, telling the BBC he believed in "redemption".

"The prime minister looked at this case and he decided to give her a second chance," he added.

The BBC has been told that the home secretary has requested further briefings on email security.


The SNP's Ian Blackford says new PM Sunak did a "sleazy backroom deal" with Braverman to gain post


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
John Lewis Partnership Loss Widens to £124 Million
UK Government to Put White Working-Class Social Mobility at Centre of Equality Policy
McLaren Plans £450 Million Technology Investment Creating 1,000 UK Jobs
UK Chancellor Faces Calls for Wealth Taxes and Public Ownership in Autumn Budget
English Mayors to Gain Powers to Impose Uncapped Overnight Tourist Taxes
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Warns UK Government Against Bank Windfall Taxes
UK Air Traffic Control Outage Cancels More Than 2,000 Flights
UK Imposes Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements in the West Bank
UK Borrowing Costs Surge as Middle East Tensions Push Long-Term Gilt Yields to Highest Since 1998
Buckingham Palace Says Prince Harry and Meghan Will Not Resume Official Royal Duties
UK Treasury Faces Calls to Scrap £100,000 Childcare Support Threshold
Trades Union Congress Urges Labour Government to Rewrite Migration Policy
Riot Police Deployed After Anti-Migrant Protests Turn Violent in Portsmouth
UK Considers Replacing Some Disability Cash Payments With Direct Services
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Warns UK Chancellor Against Higher Banking Taxes
UK Announces New Sanctions Targeting Israeli Settlements in West Bank
Metropolitan Police Investigate Alleged Illegal Donations to Reform UK
UK Charges Wiltshire Man With Assisting Russian Intelligence
UK Orders Urgent Review After Air Traffic Failure Cancels More Than 2,000 Flights
Merz Rebukes AfD Expansion in Saxony-Anhalt
King Charles Confirms Prince Harry and Meghan Will Remain Private Citizens
Labour Selects Former Child Refugee for By-Election in Keir Starmer’s Former Seat
Foreign Private Equity Accelerates Takeovers of London-Listed Industrial Companies
NHS Maternity Care Faces Scrutiny Over Support for Mothers After Caesarean Births
BBC Warns Staff Strikes Are Likely Amid Job Cuts and Programme Cancellations
English Housing Affordability Improves to Best Level in More Than a Decade
UK Health Commission Proposes Framework for Wider AI Adoption Across NHS
Labour Faces Pressure for Wealth Tax Ahead of Autumn Budget
Metropolitan Police Open Criminal Investigation Into Alleged Foreign Donations to Reform UK
UK Police Deploy Riot Officers After Anti-Immigration Unrest in Portsmouth and Dover
UK Defends Sanctions on Israeli Settlements Despite Diplomatic Retaliation
UK Air Traffic Control Failure Cancels More Than 1,000 Flights and Disrupts 65,000 Passengers
Compass Urges £10 Million Wealth Tax and Public Ownership Ahead of UK Autumn Budget
UK Government’s Devolution Plans Face House of Lords Scrutiny
Maldives Seeks New Chagos Sovereignty Talks With UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham
UK Airports Face Continuing Disruption After National Air Traffic Control Failure
UK Bans Imports From Israeli Settlements and Expands Sanctions on Iran
British Chambers of Commerce Forecasts UK Growth of 1% as Investment Remains Weak
UK Suspends Local Government Reorganisation Decisions and Cancels Planned Shadow Authority Polls
UK Parliament Opens Inquiry Into Gaps in Climate Change Preparedness
Andy Burnham and Xi Jinping Hold Talks on Trade, Security and British Consular Cases
UK Joins France, Canada and Other Nations in Measures Against Israeli West Bank Settlements
UK Announces New Sanctions Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Networks
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Business Rate Reform and Productivity Support
UK Farmers Warn Dry Summer Could Reduce Crop Yields and Push Up Food Prices
UK Rail Networks Hit by Widespread Delays After Major Signalling Failures
Matt Clifford Resigns as ARIA Chair After Conflict-of-Interest Scrutiny
UK and France Say Joint Border Operations Have Prevented More Than 48,000 Irregular Channel Crossings
UK Core Inflation Remains Above Expectations as Utility and Commodity Costs Stay Elevated
Jaguar Land Rover Considers Up to 4,000 UK Job Cuts Amid Automotive Industry Pressure
×