Suella Braverman, one of the U.K.’s most divisive and vitriolic politicians, was officially removed from her cabinet position as Home Secretary by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak following an inflammatory article in The Times in which she accused the police of left-wing bias, as well as posts on X (formerly Twitter) that slandered pro-Palestine protestors in Central London.
Following these posts, many feared the now-former Home Secretary’s call for the government to take “further action” was going after their right to protest. What “further action” meant was unelaborated, but her political record leaves little to the imagination.
Some conservative voters applauded Braverman for “speaking the truth” and went as far as saying that a majority of Tories do not support Sunak’s decision to fire Braverman. But there are many more who were happy to see her sacked and heckled for her incendiary claims against peaceful protestors and other marginalized groups.
Braverman was in charge of the U.K.’s harmful Rwanda scheme, which would deport asylum seekers and those the government deemed to be “illegal immigrants” to Rwanda to be processed there. More recently, Braverman claimed that homelessness is a “lifestyle choice” and announced a crackdown on those using tents for shelter.
It looks like Braverman might not be suited to political life—this isn’t the first time she was removed from her position as Home Secretary. During Liz Truss’s unbelievably short tenure as PM, Braverman was forced to resign following a serious breach of ministerial rules. This time, however, Braverman was not granted the grace to resign and was forced to leave instead.
While many are celebrating Braverman’s forced eviction, her successor has already been named. James Cleverly will be taking over the job, though Cleverly isn’t exactly popular either. His main obsession is “stopping the boats,” which refers to the asylum seekers that cross the Channel to find safety in the U.K. Moreover, it’s speculated that Cleverly’s appointment was a move to appease right-wing Tory MPs and assure them that the Conservatives are still focused on immigration and policing.
James Cleverly isn’t any less of a threat than Suella Braverman was. Not only is he a staunch supporter of Brexit, but he has also been a great supporter of Braverman’s Rwanda Plan.
In other news, former Prime Minister David Cameron has somehow managed to return as the new Foreign Secretary, even though he is not an elected member of government. Instead, Rishi Sunak has granted him a lifelong peerage so that he can accept the job, a move many have deemed desperate and embarrassing. Cameron is responsible for much of the U.K.’s current political turmoil following his austerity policies and his bid to appease far right-wing politicians like Nigel Farage. He stepped down as PM and as an MP following the Brexit referendum in 2016.
Britain has suffered through years of unstable governance and countless cabinet reshuffles. It’s unlikely this latest one, fueled by Braverman’s sacking, will lead to anything better.
(featured image: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Published: Nov 14, 2023 02:02 pm