London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 24, 2026

Rishi Sunak facing pressure to call inquiry into Suella Braverman speeding claims

Rishi Sunak facing pressure to call inquiry into Suella Braverman speeding claims

No10 confirms PM will meet with independent ethics advisor as Labour calls for investigation

Pressure is growing on Rishi Sunak to order an investigation into claims Suella Braverman asked civil servants to help her secure a special arrangement after being caught speeding.

No10 confirmed late Sunday that Mr Sunak will consult with his independent ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, on Monday over the controversy.

He is expected to speak with Ms Braverman, along with Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, upon his return from the G7 summit.

The Home Secretary is alleged to have asked Home Office officials to help organise a one-to-one driving awareness course so she could avoid incurring points on her licence.

Officials refused the request so Mrs Braverman allegedly turned to a political aide to assist her in attempting to arrange an alternative to having to attend a course with other motorists.

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner sought to pile more pressure onto Mr Sunak on Sunday night over the row by setting out a series of questions any inquiry into the allegations should seek to answer.

Labour said Mrs Braverman may have breached the ministerial code if the allegations, first reported in the Sunday Times, are true. It is calling for Sir Laurie to investigate, but he cannot launch an investigation without Mr Sunak's prior approval.


Mr Sunak refused to back Mrs Braverman when asked for his opinion at a press conference in Hiroshima, Japan, where he had been meeting with G7 leaders.

But No 10 has since said he does have full confidence in his Home Secretary, who is likely to face queries about the reports when she comes before MPs at Home Office questions in the Commons on Monday.

In her letter to Mr Sunak, Labour’s Ms Rayner said the Prime Minister should order an investigation “without delay".

She added: “Members of the Cabinet are subject to the same laws as the rest of us, and any attempt to direct civil servants to obtain special treatment in this matter would clearly amount to an unacceptable abuse of power and privilege by the Home Secretary."

Ms Rayner called for the Prime Minister to “show some backbone” and order an ethics probe.

“The public have a right to know whether the minister responsible for law and order sought to abuse her position in an attempt to gain preferential treatment to avoid a speeding fine,” she said.

Her letter also asks whether Mr Sunak knew about the alleged request to civil servants to help her arrange a special course and whether Mrs Braverman informed the Cabinet Office and Home Office permanent secretaries.

In his first speech after entering Downing Street, Mr Sunak vowed to lead an administration with “integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level".

A source close to Mrs Braverman said that she notified the Cabinet Office after being handed the speeding ticket, having reportedly been caught driving too fast on a road outside of London last summer.

A spokesman for the Home Secretary said she regrets speeding and has since accepted the points and paid the fine.

A No 10 source said: “The Prime Minister has always followed the proper process in these matters, and will consult the independent adviser upon his return to London.”

Separately, the Liberal Democrats are calling on Mr Sunak to make a statement in Parliament about the claims surrounding his Cabinet minister.

The party’s chief whip, Wendy Chamberlain, said: “Rishi Sunak is so weak he can’t even make sure his own ministers maintain the very basic level of integrity.

“The least he can do is come to Parliament and explain this farce. After yet another day of Conservative sleaze and scandal, we need to see the Prime Minister take some responsibility."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Tour de France Organizers Confirm Historic Grand Depart Featuring Edinburgh and Yorkshire Stages
National Cyber Security Centre Issues Urgent Alerts Following Global Security Vulnerability in Core Programming Software
Independent Energy Analysts Warn Great Britain Faces Highest Winter Power Tariffs in Europe
Major British Defense Contractors Commit to Delivering Forty Thousand New Apprenticeships and Training Placements
New Bradford Railway Station Infrastructure Project Approved to Transform Regional Transit Connectivity Across Northern England
Welsh Infrastructure Stakeholders Press Government for Accelerated Local Sourcing in Military and Uniform Manufacturing
Scottish Council Governance Crisis Triggers High-Court Legal Challenge Over Leadership Ouster Bid
High Street Bakery Chain Greggs Announces Major Factory Closures and Seven Hundred Job Cuts
Automotive Manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover Advances Advanced Defense Technology Partnership with European Allies
Treasury and Bank of England Officials Signal Persistent Concern Over Inflation-Driven Interest Rate Path
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast While Issuing Inflation Warnings
National Health Service Leaders Warn of Severe Capacity Pressures as Early Winter Respiratory Infections Surge
Government Issues Emergency Resilience Guidance Advising All British Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies
United Kingdom Private Sector Growth Beats Expectations in October Driven by Resilient Services and Manufacturing
Barclays to Cut Five Thousand Jobs in Major Artificial Intelligence Adoption and Cost-Cutting Overhaul
Piper Tomahawk Aircraft Crash Near Drymen in Stirling Claims Two Lives as Investigators Deploy
North Sea Transition Authority Approves Jackdaw Gas Field Production After Ministerial Authorization
Government Injects One Hundred and Forty Million Pounds to Expand Urgent Care Ahead of Winter Crisis
Department of Health Warns Further Pay Rises Will Derail National Health Service Waiting List Targets
Major Environmental Emergency Declared in South Wales Following Aerospace Kerosene Spill
Tank Barrel Production Returns to Britain as Defence Contractors Accelerate Domestic Rearmament
Government Approves Controversial Jackdaw Gasfield Development in the North Sea
National Health Service Maternity Safety Review Condemned Over Flawed Artificial Intelligence Integration
Dozens of United Kingdom Government Services Taken Offline Amid Critical Software Vulnerability
Barclays Announces Five Thousand Job Cuts Citing Artificial Intelligence Productivity Gains
Treasury Relaxes Post-Financial Crisis Accountability Rules for City of London Executives
United Kingdom Government Issues Unprecedented Guidance Urging Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies
United Kingdom Consumer Inflation Accelerates to Eleven-Month High Driven by Transport Costs
United Kingdom Public Sector Net Debt Breaches Three Trillion Pounds Ahead of Autumn Budget
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Commits Fifty Million Pounds to Establish Regional Artificial Intelligence Innovation Clusters
Ofgem Directs Major Energy Suppliers to Expand Vulnerable Household Support Funds Ahead of Winter Heating Season
Home Office and National Police Chiefs Council Unveil New Intelligence-Led Strategy to Tackle Organised Immigration Crime Networks
First Minister John Swinney Secures Scottish Parliament Approval for Comprehensive Climate and Green Energy Infrastructure Strategy
National Health Service England and Trades Union Congress Finalize Agreement on Emergency Winter Staffing and Pay Frameworks
HM Treasury and Department for Business and Trade Announce Multi-Billion-Pound Sovereign Investment Pact to Spur Regional Advanced Manufacturing
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Signals Potential for Faster Interest Rate Cuts as Domestic Inflation Pressures Ease Below Forecasts
Parliamentary Inquiry Highlights Urgent Need to Address Housing Shortage as Scottish Completions Hit Eleven-Year Low
United Kingdom and Singapore Sign Comprehensive Financial Agreement to Deepen Digital and Sustainable Market Ties
Greggs Announces Plan to Close Four Manufacturing Facilities and Cut Seven Hundred and Forty Jobs
International Monetary Fund Raises United Kingdom Economic Growth Forecast While Warning of Inflationary Pressures
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Urges Government to Shift Policy Costs Onto Gas to Lower Household Bills
Housebuilding Across Scotland Plummets to Eleven-Year Low Despite Government Pledges to Tackle National Housing Emergency
Greggs Announces Factory Closures Across Northern England and Scotland Affecting Seven Hundred Forty Jobs
United Kingdom and Singapore Conclude Eleventh Financial Dialogue in Singapore to Deepen Cooperation on Digital Finance and Capital Markets
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Urges Government to Shift Policy Costs to Gas Bills and Tap Windfall Profits to Lower Consumer Prices
British Broadcasting Corporation Announces Major Cost-Cutting Overhaul to Close Linear Broadcast Services for Television Channels BBC Three and BBC Scotland Alongside Digital Radio Station BBC Radio Four Extra
London Capital Markets Face Renewed Scrutiny After High-Profile Offerings Underperform Post-Listing
Green Party Wins Historic First Westminster Parliamentary By-Election in Gorton and Denton
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds Unveils Sweeping Regulatory Overhaul for English Water Industry
United Kingdom Health Security Agency Confirms Thirty-Four Cases in Kent Meningitis Outbreak
×