Labour and Lib Dems call on Sunak to sack Braverman over police protester comments

Protesters have scaled the Scottish Parliament to hang a Palestinian flag.

Five protesters climbed up the awning outside the main entrance and are displaying the flag and a Stop Arming Israel banner.

The protest comes ahead of First Minister’s Questions at noon.

The Supreme Court will give its decision on whether Government plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda are lawful next week.

The Home Office challenged a Court of Appeal ruling from June that the multimillion-pound deal, which would see asylum seekers deported to the east African nation, was unlawful.

Five justices at the UK’s highest court are now set to give their decision on the challenge on Wednesday.

Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, claimed Rishi Sunak’s pledge to cut NHS waiting lists had “effectively been abandoned”. 

Responding to the data published by NHS ENgland this morning (see the post below at 11.04), Mr Streeting said: “NHS waiting lists have trebled since the Conservatives came to power 13 years ago. 

“Rishi Sunak’s pledge to cut waiting lists has effectively been abandoned, with the Prime Minister choosing to blame NHS staff instead of fixing the problem himself. 

“An extra million patients are on waiting lists compared to this time last year, forced to put their lives on hold, in pain and discomfort. The longer we give the Conservatives, the longer patients wait.”

The Liberal Democrats claimed Rishi Sunak’s pledge to reduce NHS waiting lists “lies in tatters” after the treatment backlog hit a new record high (see the post below at 11.04). 

Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dems’ health and social care spokeswoman, said: “Sunak’s NHS pledge lies in tatters. He’s failed patients, failed NHS staff and failed the country. 

“Month after month, more and more people are waiting in pain, desperate for treatment so they can get their lives back. Instead, this Conservative government has condemned them to prolonged misery and anxiety.”

No 10 did not sign off the final version of Suella Braverman’s article accusing the police of being biased, The Telegraph can reveal.

You can read the full story here. 

The NHS waiting list in England has hit a new record high with more people facing waits of more than a year-and-a-half, new figures published this morning have shown.

The overall waiting list hit a new high of 7.77 million at the end of September – up from 7.75 million at the end of August, according to NHS England data.

Rishi Sunak pledged in January this year that “NHS waiting lists will fall”. It was one of the PM’s five top priorities. 

Labour hold a four point poll lead over the Tories in crucial Blue Wall seats – the party’s biggest advantage since July. 

A new poll conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies on November 5 put Labour on 34 per cent of the vote in the seats, with the Conservatives on 30 per cent. 

The Tories suffered a six point drop in support when compared to the company’s previous Blue Wall poll conducted on October 7 while Labour support increased by two points. 

The Blue Wall refers to 42 affluent, southern constituencies where the Tories have traditionally won. The Tories won all of them at the 2019 general election. 

Did Suella Braverman’s full article get signed off by Downing Street before it ran in The Times? 

That is unclear as of early this morning, writes Ben Riley-Smith, The Telegraph’s political editor.

The Home Office’s allies are reportedly claiming that it was shared. But Number 10 is yet to confirm that this morning, which is notable. 

All that Mr Sunak’s press team is saying at the moment is it is “not getting into internal process”. Which, notably, is not a confirmation that they signed off the full piece. 

Chris Philp, the policing minister, was just asked explicitly in the House of Commons if Downing Street approved the article. He also did not say yes. “Don’t have any visibility on that”, Mr Philp said from the Despatch Box. 

Suella Braverman was not in the House of Commons this morning to respond to an urgent question on the operational independence of the Met Police because she was with a family member at hospital, Chris Philp told MPs. 

Following a question from Yvette Cooper as to why Ms Braverman was not answering Labour’s urgent question, the policing minister said: “She is with a close family member who is having a hospital operation this morning and I have the Home Secretary’s permission to say that to the House in the event that somebody raised it…”

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, accused Suella Braverman of “attempting to rip up the operational independence of the police”. 

Speaking in the House of Commons during an urgent question, Ms Cooper claimed Ms Braverman was “attacking their impartiality in the crudest and most partisan of ways”.

She said: “She is deliberately inflaming community tensions in the most dangerous of ways.”

Chris Philp, the policing minister, said the “police are operationally independent of government” and “that is a fundamental principle of British policing, as the Prime Minister made clear yesterday”. 

Addressing the House of Commons, Mr Philp said: “The Metropolitan Police asked protesters to postpone their planned protest this weekend but the request was refused. The Prime Minister met with the commissioner yesterday to seek reassurances that remembrance events will be protected.” 

He added: “It is for the Metropolitan Police to decide whether to apply to the Home Secretary to ban any such march, as of this morning no such application has been received but the Home Secretary will of course carefully consider one should it be made.” 

Mr Philp also reiterated that “the police retain the confidence of the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary and I in using all their available powers” to “prevent criminality and disorder”. 

Chris Philp, the policing minister, is representing the Government in the House of Commons to respond to a Labour urgent question on the operational independence of the Metropolitan Police. 

Labour had wanted Suella Braverman to respond but the Home Secretary is not in the chamber. 

Sir Ed Davey said Rishi Sunak should sack Suella Braverman. 

The leader of the Liberal Democrats said: “Rishi Sunak must finally act with integrity by sacking his out-of-control Home Secretary.

“Suella Braverman is now putting police officers in harm’s way ahead of far right protesters flocking to the capital this weekend. 

“The Home Secretary’s irresponsible words and foul actions have significantly increased the likelihood of unrest this weekend and the risk of violence towards officers.

“Ministers are spending their time fanning the flames of division, instead of bringing communities together. It’s shameful.”

Labour’s Yvette Cooper has been granted an urgent question in the House of Commons this morning on the Suella Braverman row. 

Ms Cooper, the shadow home secretary, will ask Ms Braverman to “make a statement on the operational independence of the Metropolitan Police”. 

It is unclear if Ms Braverman will answer the question for the Government or if a more junior minister will be sent to the Commons in her place. 

Rishi Sunak should sack Suella Braverman over her claims that police are “playing favourites” with protesters, Labour has said.

Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News the Prime Minister should “of course” sack her if he had not signed off on the views she expressed.

He said: “Where is the Prime Minister on this? Do we believe the Prime Minister signed off that kind of inflammatory rhetoric? He won’t tell us. But why is he really too weak to sack his Home Secretary. That is the question we have got to ask.” 

He added: “We have to find out today from the Prime Minister did he sign off? Did he agree to this? And if not, is he too weak to sack her?”

Asked directly if Mr Sunak should sack Ms Braverman, Mr Reynolds said: “Yes, of course. Unless he has signed off on these views. Unless they are his views as well.”

Sadiq Khan accused Suella Braverman of “playing on the fears of the Jewish community rather than addressing them”.

The Labour Mayor of London told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “What I think all of us have got to do, whether it is the Home Secretary, the Prime Minister, myself and others is to understand the strong feelings there are across the country and work incredibly hard to bring communities together. 

“Work incredibly hard to unite communities. Work incredibly hard to understand there are some amongst us who are trying to sow the seeds of division. 

“The far right are now organising on Armistice Day. They do encourage violence. They are anti-Islamic. We have seen a massive increase in anti-Semitism but also an increase in Islamophobia. 

“The job of the politicians… is to support the police in doing their jobs but also to address people’s fears rather than play on them and I’m afraid the Home Secretary is playing on the fears of the Jewish community rather than addressing them.” 

Sadiq Khan, the Labour Mayor of London, labelled Suella Braverman’s comments about the police “playing favourites” with protesters as “irresponsible”. He warned that the comments could “stoke divisions”. 

Speaking to the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Mr Khan said: “I think it is appropriate for the Home Secretary and myself to provide oversight and scrutiny, of course it is. 

“I think it is not appropriate for us to be actively and publicly intervening and influencing what are operational policing decisions.

“I read with care the Home Secretary’s article in The Times. It is inaccurate. It is irresponsible. It stokes divisions. It is in danger of dividing communities. It reinforces stereotypes, it makes sweeping generalisations.” 

A Tory MP ally of Suella Braverman suggested the police have an “unconscious bias” when it comes to how they treat different groups of protesters. 

Told that Ms Braverman’s comments on the police “playing favourites” will be seen by some as her interfering in police independence, Danny Kruger told the BBC: “She is talking about the broader culture of the police and I think it is extraordinary for people to suggest that she shouldn’t be commenting on the way the police do their job. 

“That is what we should all be doing in a free and democratic society and it is right that the Home Secretary should opine on the way the police do their job, particularly around these important matters.” 

He added: “What we are seeing here, I’m afraid to say, is as the Home Secretary says a double standard, not deliberate, I don’t believe it is intentional but there is what you might call an unconscious bias…”

Danny Kruger, a Tory MP and ally of Suella Braverman, said the Home Secretary was “not interfering” in operational policing matters by accusing them of “playing favourites” with protesters. 

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “She is respecting the operational independence of the police and I think it is important to note she is not interfering here, she is not calling for the Met to ban the [protest] or to request a ban, although she has made clear that she would support such a request as would the Prime Minister I think.” 

He added: “What she is talking about though is the broader culture of the police.”

Sir Tom Winsor, former HM chief inspector of constabulary, said Suella Braverman’s comments about a pro-Palestinian march on Armistice Day are “unusual”, “unprecedented” and crossed the line.

Sir Tom told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “It’s unusual. It’s unprecedented. It’s contrary to the spirit of the ancient constitutional settlement with the police, I think it’s contrary to the letter of that constitutional settlement. And it is highly regrettable that it has been made.

“These political objections can be made by many, many people, but a Home Secretary of all people is not the person to do this.”

He added: “By applying pressure to the commissioner of the Met in this way I think that crosses the line.”

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, claimed Suella Braverman was “out of control” as she responded to the Home Secretary’s accusation that the police “play favourites” with protesters. 

Ms Cooper said Ms Braverman’s comments were “highly irresponsible” and amounted to a “dangerous attempt to undermine respect for police at a sensitive time”. 

The Labour frontbencher also accused Ms Braverman of “deliberately seeking to stir up political division around Remembrance Day”. 

Ms Cooper started a three tweet thread on Twitter by saying: “Suella Braverman is out of control. Her article tonight is a highly irresponsible, dangerous attempt to undermine respect for police at a sensitive time, to rip up operational independence & to inflame community tensions. No other Home Secretary of any party would ever do this.”

Mark Harper said he believed “all police forces are focused on upholding the law without fear or favour”. 

Asked if he believed the British Transport Police treated all protesters equally, the Transport Secretary said: “I think all police forces are focused on upholding the law without fear or favour. That is what they do and they are focused on doing that.” 

Asked if he therefore disagreed with Suella Braverman after she accused the Metropolitan Police of “playing favourites”, he said: “No, I am saying that all police forces are focused on keeping people safe this weekend, particularly for those important remembrance events and that is what the whole Government is focused on as the Prime Minister showed yesterday when he had the commissioner in to ask for those assurances about what the police are doing to keep everyone safe on Saturday.”

Mark Harper said he believed the pro-Palestinian march planned for Armistice Day is “disrespectful”. 

Asked again if he believed Suella Braverman’s comments about police “playing favourites” were right or wrong (see the post below at 08.01), Mr Harper told Times Radio: “I have just told you I focused on what we have been doing this week, including the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister, focusing on making sure that at the weekend those people that are coming to London to protest, and we happen to think that that protest is disrespectful to hold it on Armistice Day, but it is going to go ahead, the police have given assurances to the Prime Minister. 

“That is why he called the commissioner in to see him yesterday to challenge him and hold him to account and to ask for assurances that Remembrance events are going to be properly protected and that people that want to attend them can do so safely. 

“That is what we have all be focused on doing.” 

Mark Harper distanced himself from his Cabinet colleague Suella Braverman this morning after she accused the police of “playing favourites” with protesters. 

The Transport Secretary would not say if he agreed with the Home Secretary’s remarks after she also claimed the Metropolitan Police employed a “double standard” by taking a softer approach towards “pro-Palestinian mobs” than right-wing and nationalist protesters.

Asked if he agreed that the police “play favourites”, Mr Harper told Times Radio: “I am not going to indulge in textual analysis of her article. You set out what she said. I am going to talk about what we have all been doing.”