London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Feb 09, 2026

Suella Braverman quits and vote chaos add to turmoil for the PM

Suella Braverman quits and vote chaos add to turmoil for the PM

A chaotic day in Parliament has left Liz Truss's survival even more uncertain after the sudden resignation of her home secretary and angry scenes during a fracking vote in the Commons.

Opposition MPs alleged some Tories had been bullied and manhandled into voting with the government on fracking.

A minister denied the claim, but many Tory MPs ended the day feeling angry and let down by their own party.

One Conservative MP Charles Walker said the situation was a "shambles".

Visibly furious, he told the BBC: "I've really not seen anything like tonight", adding that there was "no coming back" for the government.

Later he added: "I expect the prime minister to resign very soon because she's not up to her job."

Downing Street had started Wednesday believing the prime minister was on a more solid footing after the appointment of Jeremy Hunt as chancellor - and his decision to reverse much of Ms Truss's mini-Budget - appeared to have calmed the markets.

She also survived Prime Minister's Questions - the weekly question session with MPs - relatively unscathed.

However, things began to unravel for Ms Truss shortly after.

The prime minister was forced to hastily cancel a visit to an electronics manufacturer in order to have a meeting with her then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman after she broke government data rules.

The BBC has been told Ms Braverman breached the ministerial code by sending a government document to someone not authorised to receive it.

In her resignation letter, Ms Braverman acknowledged there had been "a technical infringement of the rules", adding: "I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility: I resign."

However, she also took an angry swipe at the government by accusing it of breaking "key pledges" and failing to reduce immigration numbers.

Her departure makes Ms Braverman the shortest-serving home secretary since World War II - and comes less than a week after the resignation of Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor.

Grant Shapps - who Ms Truss had sacked as Transport Secretary six weeks ago - became the new home secretary.

Shortly after Mr Shapps arrived at the Home Office to start his new job, chaotic scenes began to play out in the Commons, where MPs were voting on fracking.

Labour had tabled a vote which, if passed, would give MPs a say on the government's plans to bring back fracking.

Many Conservatives have spoken out against bringing back fracking but they were told that the vote was being regarded as a vote of confidence in the prime minister and government.

This meant that if they did not side with the government they could be kicked out of the parliamentary party.

Labour MP Chris Bryant claimed some Conservative MPs had been physically manhandled in the voting lobbies to make sure they supported the government.

And a Labour shadow minister, Anna McMorrin, wrote on Twitter that she witnessed one Conservative MP "in tears being manhandled" in the voting lobby in Parliament.

However, Conservative, Alex Stafford, hit back at claims he had been manhandled saying there had simply been a "frank and robust conversation" about his opposition to fracking.

Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg also said he wouldn't characterise the events as bullying.

The fallout from the vote led to speculation that Chief Whip Wendy Morton - who is in charge of party discipline - and her deputy Craig Whittaker had left their posts.

Rumours were fuelled by government silence on the issue and at one point, Mr Rees-Mogg told Sky News he was "not entirely clear" about the situation.

However, after a few hours, it emerged that both Ms Morton and Mr Whittaker were remaining in post.

Earlier in the day, it was revealed that one of Ms Truss's most senior advisers has been suspended amid a formal investigation by the Propriety and Ethics Team, which is responsible for standards across government.

It followed some anger from Conservative backbench MPs about briefings to newspapers from No 10 sources over the weekend - including disparaging remarks about former Health Secretary Sajid Javid.

Former Brexit minister Lord David Frost - once an ally of Ms Truss - has written a piece in the Daily Telegraph calling on the prime minister to go.

He argued that she was "implementing neither the programme Liz Truss originally advocated nor the 2019 manifesto", adding: "There is no shred of a mandate for this. It's only happening because the Truss government messed things up more badly than anyone could have imagined.. something has to give".


WATCH: 'That looked like bullying to me' - Chris Bryant

WATCH: 'I've had enough of talentless people' - Charles Walker


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China and UK Signal Tentative Reset with Commitment to Steadier, Professionally Managed Relations
UK Confirms Imminent Increase in ETA Fee to £20 as Entry Rules Tighten
UK Signals Possible Seizure of Russia-Linked ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in Escalation of Sanctions Enforcement
Epstein Scandal Piles Unprecedented Pressure on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Leadership
UK’s ‘Most Romantic Village’ Celebrates Valentine’s Day and Explores the Festival’s Rich History
The Implications of Expanding Voting Rights to Non-EU Foreign Residents in France
Ghislaine Maxwell to Testify Before US Congress on February 9
Al.com Acquired by Crypto.com Founder for $70 Million
Apple iPhone Lockdown Mode blocks FBI data access in journalist device seizure
Belgium: Man Charged with Rape After Faking Payment to Sex Worker
KPMG Urges Auditor to Relay AI Cost Savings
US and Iran to Begin Nuclear Talks in Oman
Winklevoss-Led Gemini to Slash a Quarter of Jobs and Exit European and Australian Markets
Canada Opens First Consulate in Greenland Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions
China unveils plans for a 'Death Star' capable of launching missile strikes from space
NASA allows astronauts to take smartphones on upcoming missions to capture special moments.
Trump administration to launch TrumpRx.gov for direct drug purchases
Investigation Launched at Winter Olympics Over Ski Jumpers Injecting Hyaluronic Acid
U.S. State Department Issues Urgent Travel Warning for Citizens to Leave Iran Immediately
Wall Street Erases All Gains of 2026; Bitcoin Plummets 14% to $63,000
Epstein Case Documents Reignite Global Scrutiny of Political and Business Elites
Eighty-one-year-old man in the United States fatally shoots Uber driver after scam threat
UK Royal Family Faces Intensifying Strain as Epstein-Linked Revelations Rock the Institution
Political Censorship: French Prosecutors Raid Musk’s X Offices in Paris
AI Invented “Hot Springs” — Tourists Arrived and Were Shocked
Tech Mega-Donors Power Trump-Aligned Fundraising Surge to $429 Million Ahead of 2026 Midterms
UK Pharma Watchdog Rules Sanofi Breached Industry Code With RSV Vaccine Claims Against Pfizer
Melania Documentary Opens Modestly in UK with Mixed Global Box Office Performance
Starmer Arrives in Shanghai to Promote British Trade and Investment
Harry Styles, Anthony Joshua and Premier League Stars Among UK’s Top Taxpayers
New Epstein Files Include Images of Former Prince Andrew Kneeling Over Unidentified Woman
Starmer Urges Former Prince Andrew to Testify Before US Congress About Epstein Ties
Starmer Extends Invitation to Japan’s Prime Minister After Strategic Tokyo Talks
Skupski and Harrison Clinch Australian Open Men’s Doubles Title in Melbourne
DOJ Unveils Millions of Epstein Files, Fueling Global Scrutiny of Elite Networks
France Begins Phasing Out Zoom and Microsoft Teams to Advance Digital Sovereignty
China Lifts Sanctions on British MPs and Peers After Starmer Xi Talks in Beijing
Trump Nominates Kevin Warsh as Fed Chair to Reorient U.S. Monetary Policy Toward Pro-Growth Interest Rates
AstraZeneca Announces £11bn China Investment After Scaling Back UK Expansion Plans
Starmer and Xi Forge Warming UK-China Ties in Beijing Amid Strategic Reset
Tech Market Shifts and AI Investment Surge Drive Global Innovation and Layoffs
Markets Jolt as AI Spending, US Policy Shifts, and Global Security Moves Drive New Volatility
U.S. Signals Potential Decertification of Canadian Aircraft as Bilateral Tensions Escalate
Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Sentenced to 20 Months for Bribery
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
China Executes 11 Members of the Ming Clan in Cross-Border Scam Case Linked to Myanmar’s Lawkai
Trump Administration Officials Held Talks With Group Advocating Alberta’s Independence
Starmer Signals UK Push for a More ‘Sophisticated’ Relationship With China in Talks With Xi
Shopping Chatbots Move From Advice to Checkout as Walmart Pushes Faster Than Amazon
Starmer Seeks Economic Gains From China Visit While Navigating US Diplomatic Sensitivities
×