London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jun 18, 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
Cornwall Clergy Raise £40,000 for Church Repairs Through Everest-Themed Charity Challenge
UK Business and Social Landscape Reflects Strain From Geopolitical and Domestic Pressures
Tensions Grow in UK Over Sikh Kirpan and Religious Symbolism in Public Debate
Energy Price Cap Increase Set to Lift UK Household Bills by 13 Percent
University of Reading Ranked 196th in QS World University Rankings
UK Maritime Archaeologists Identify 17th-Century Dutch Shipwreck Off Devon Coast
Oxford Union Islam Debate Sparks Protest From Faith Leaders in UK
UK Social Cohesion Debate Intensifies After Religious Prejudice Survey Findings
UK SME Lending Rises Despite Geopolitical Uncertainty and Cautious Outlook
Foreign Demand for UK Gilts Remains Sensitive to Global Inflation Trends
Labour Party Faces Leadership Pressure After Weak Local Election Results in UK
Transport Costs Drive Inflation Pressure as Petrol Prices Push Up UK CPI
British Chambers of Commerce Cuts Growth Forecast as Middle East Conflict Weighs on Investment
UK Economy Grows 0.6 Percent in First Quarter but Outlook Remains Weak
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent as Inflation Risks Persist
Energy Price Cap Rise Expected to Keep UK Inflation Above Target Through 2026
Health Authorities Warn of Rising Cases of Seasonal Respiratory Illnesses
BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce Advance Multi-Nation Fighter Aircraft Programme
National Archives Publish Declassified Documents on Cold War Energy Security Planning
British Retail Spending Rises Despite Continuing Cost-of-Living Pressures
Wales Launches Social Housing Pilot to Address Affordability Pressures
British Energy Companies Commit £5 Billion to Geothermal and Hydrogen Projects
Northern Ireland Debates Cross-Border Healthcare Partnership With the Republic of Ireland
UK Establishes National Artificial Intelligence Safety Centre With Leading Universities
UK Reports Decline in Small Boat Crossings After Expanding Intelligence Cooperation With France
Scottish Parliament Launches Inquiry Into Delays to Renewable Energy Projects
National Crime Agency Dismantles Alleged Multi-Million-Pound Money Laundering Network in London
Transport Strikes Disrupt Rail and Bus Services Across Northern England
United Kingdom and European Union Open New Security Dialogue on Defense and Border Cooperation
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 5% as Services Inflation Remains Elevated
UK Government Unveils Major National Health Service Reform Focused on Decentralization and Performance Funding
Government Advances New Airport Slot Rules to Ease Airline Operating Constraints
BBC Opens Flagship Science-Fiction Franchise to Competitive Production Bids
Chancellor Meets City Leaders Amid Concerns Over Gilt Market Liquidity
Rathbones Shares Fall Seventeen Percent After Regulatory Review Reveals Compliance Failings
United Kingdom Joins Group of Seven Initiative Using Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing for Cancer Research
Parliament Debates Doubling Tax Allowance for Pensioners After Major Public Petition
Measles Cases Exceed Seven Hundred in London and the West Midlands
British Military Leadership Faces Parliamentary Scrutiny After Defence Secretary's Sudden Resignation
House of Lords Begins Debate on Steel Industry Nationalisation Legislation
Parliament Advances Bill to Abolish NHS England and Create Single Patient Records
Parliament Fast-Tracks National Security Bill to Expand Powers Against Foreign Threats
United Kingdom and European Union Set July Summit to Deepen Post-Brexit Cooperation
United Kingdom Imposes Seventy New Sanctions on Russia and Expands Support for Ukraine's Nuclear Sector
United Kingdom Announces Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen
0British Government Investigates Reports of Russian Warship Firing Warning Shots Near Isle of Wight
UK Supreme Court Revises Legal Definition of Deprivation of Liberty
King’s Birthday Honours Recognise Contributions Across Science, Culture and Public Service
UK Ministry of Defence Reports Interdiction of Russian Shadow Fleet Vessel
UK and US Launch Joint Regulatory Programme for Medicines and Healthcare Products
×