London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Mar 26, 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
Jaguar Land Rover Halts Production at UK Plant Amid Supplier Disruption
UK Police Reverse Position, Confirm Arrests Will Resume for Palestine Action Protests
UK Small Businesses Face Europe’s Steepest Cost Pressures, New Survey Reveals
US Envoy Urges UK to Proceed with King’s Visit Amid Diplomatic Sensitivities
FTSE 100 Drops Over One Percent as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK CO2 Plant Set to Reopen as Authorities Move to Safeguard Supplies Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Urges Stronger Defence Investment as He Questions Allied Naval Capabilities
New COVID Variant Detected in UK Raises Concerns Over Vaccine Effectiveness
FTSE Russell Moves to Standardise Free-Float Rules for UK and International Listings
HBO Max Launches in UK and Ireland, Marking Major Step in Global Streaming Expansion
UK Signals Readiness to Seize Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Vessels in Escalation of Sanctions Enforcement
Escalating Middle East Conflict Seen as Major Threat to UK Economic Stability
Early Challenges Mark Prince Harry and Meghan’s Australia Visit
UK Government Rejects Cover-Up Claims After Theft of Former PM Aide’s Phone
Cyprus Opens Strategic Talks with UK Over Sovereign Base Areas
UK Faces Risk of Sharp Inflation Surge Despite Stable Pre-Crisis Figures
UK Police Arrest Two Over Suspected Antisemitic Arson as Iran Link Investigated
UK Inflation Holds at Three Percent Ahead of Oil Price Shock from Iran Conflict
UK Fuel Prices Face Upward Pressure as Global Oil Trends Raise Cost Outlook
Girlguiding UK Sets September Deadline for Membership Policy Change Affecting Trans Participants
Germany and UK Accelerate Wind Power Expansion to Strengthen Energy Security
UK Moves to Ban Cryptocurrency Donations to Political Parties Over Foreign Influence Concerns
UK and Turkey Finalise Major Air Defence Agreement Worth Billions
Apple Introduces Mandatory Age Verification for iPhone Users in the UK
Diverging Views Emerge Over Meghan Markle’s Planned Australia Appearance
Trump Signals Frustration with UK Leadership Amid Diverging Approaches to Iran Conflict
UK Government Takes Control of Hunterston B as Landmark Nuclear Decommissioning Begins
UK Public Inflation Expectations Jump Sharply in March, Raising Pressure on Bank of England
UK Ministers Warn Expanded North Sea Drilling Would Deepen Exposure to Global Energy Volatility
Delayed UK Defence Investment Plan Leaves Suppliers Under Severe Financial Strain
Can Iran Strike the UK? Assessing the Real Military Threat as Conflict Escalates
Sanctioned Iranian Banker Linked to Luxury Marbella Villa Through UK Corporate Structure
Casey Bloys Navigates HBO Max UK Launch, Paramount Integration and Industry Buzz Over Netflix Meeting
Iran Conflict Sparks Sharp Turbulence in UK Mortgage Market, Reaching Pandemic-Era Disruption Levels
Major Donor Urges University of Kentucky to Reconsider Mitch Barnhart’s Post-Retirement Role
United Kingdom Moves to Lead International Effort to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
UK Police Investigate Targeted Attack on Jewish Ambulance Vehicles
UK Police Investigate Targeted Attack on Jewish Ambulance Vehicles
Senior UK Advocate Criticises Barnhart Retirement Appointment, Calls for Reconsideration
UK Finds No Evidence of Direct Iranian Threat to Britain, Says Prime Minister Starmer
Assessing Iran’s Strike Capability and the UK’s Readiness Amid Rising Tensions
NATO Unable to Confirm Iran’s Role in Strike on UK-US Base as Tehran Denies Involvement
University of Kentucky’s Youling Xiong Receives SEC Faculty Achievement Award for 2026
Trump Highlights Satirical Portrayal of UK Leadership Amid Talks with Prime Minister Starmer on Iran Conflict
Trump Highlights Satirical Portrayal of UK Leadership Amid Talks with Prime Minister Starmer on Iran Conflict
UK Fuel Prices Surge Toward Crisis Levels as Experts Warn of Further Sharp Increases
UK Fuel Prices Surge Toward Crisis Levels as Experts Warn of Further Sharp Increases
Duchess of Sussex Secures ‘As Ever’ Trademark Rights in Australia Ahead of High-Profile Visit
UK Reaffirms Security as Officials Reject Claims of Immediate Iranian Missile Threat
Rising Middle East Tensions Spark ‘Trumpflation’ Debate Over Impact on UK Households
×