Investigation into Braverman must be “urgently undertaken”, Cooper says

Yvette Cooper has demanded that an investigation into Suella Braverman be “urgently undertaken” after the Conservative MP was reappointed as Home Secretary just six days after resigning from the role over a data breach.

Braverman revealed in her resignation letter last week that she had sent an official document from her personal email to a parliamentary colleague. She said the error constituted a “technical infringement” and that it was therefore “right” for her to go.

Rishi Sunak reappointed Braverman as Home Secretary on Tuesday as part of a wider reshuffle following his confirmation as the new Prime Minister.

In a letter sent to cabinet secretary Simon Case today, the Shadow Home Secretary said it is “vital for the public to have transparency” on the incident that led to Braverman’s resignation, declaring that “there are a series of important questions which remain unanswered”.

Cooper’s letter continued: “If a full investigation has not yet taken place into the extent of this and other possible security breaches, I am urging you and the Home Office to now urgently undertake such an investigation, as the public has a right to know that there are proper secure information procedures in place.”

She said the investigation must cover the Home Secretary’s “use of private email accounts to circulate government papers”, “the extent to which official documents have been sent outside government” and “any other concerns that have been raised about possible serious information and security breaches” by Braverman.

Labour has been granted an urgent question in parliament this afternoon. The question, submitted by Cooper, reads: “To ask the Home Secretary to make a statement on her resignation and reappointment as Home Secretary.”

Braverman claimed in her resignation letter that the document in question was a “draft written ministerial statement about migration, due for publication imminently”, adding: “Much of it had already been briefed to MPs.”

Responding to Braverman’s resignation letter, the then Prime Minister Liz Truss said: “I accept your resignation and respect the decision you have made. It is important that the ministerial code is upheld and that cabinet confidentiality is respected.”

There have been reports that Braverman had disagreed with Truss over plans to relax immigration rules in an attempt to boost economic growth.

Braverman said in her letter: “I have concerns about the direction of this government. Not only have we broken key pledges that we promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government’s commitment to honouring manifesto commitments.”

In an urgent question to parliament following Braverman’s resignation, Cooper said: “Borders, policing, security are too important for this kind of instability just as people’s livelihoods are too important for the economic instability that this Conservative Party has created.”

Responding on behalf of the government, Brendan Clarke-Smith said Braverman had resigned after a “breach of cabinet confidentiality and the rules related to the security of cabinet business”.

The parliamentary secretary for the Cabinet Office told MPs: “The Prime Minister has made clear the importance of upholding high standards in public life and her expectation that ministers should uphold these standards.”

“Ministers only remain in office so long as they retain the confidence of the Prime Minister. She is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a minister and the appropriate consequences of a breach of those standards,” Clarke-Smith added.

Below is the full text of the letter from Yvette Cooper to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case:

Dear Cabinet Secretary,

I am writing to you with regards to the reappointment of Suella Braverman as Home Secretary.

As you will be aware, the Home Secretary resigned just six days ago due to a breach of the ministerial code, which she accepted had taken place. This related to the dissemination of private government documents with an external individual, through a personal email account. Given the Prime Minister’s decision to reappoint her to the cabinet post overseeing national security, it is vital for the public to have transparency on what occurred. Yet following Labour’s urgent question last week and point of order today, there are a series of important questions which remain unanswered:

• What investigation has been completed into whether any other security lapses or similar breaches of the ministerial code by Suella Braverman have taken place?
• Has the Home Office or Cabinet Office investigated whether the Home Secretary sent other government documents to her personal email and whether she sent other government documents to people outside of government who were not authorised to receive them?
• There are media reports that concerns had been raised previously in Number 10 or the Cabinet Office about Suella Braverman “sharing restricted government documents with people she shouldn’t have’” or breaching security arrangements or the ministerial code. Is this correct? Have you been informed about any previous concerns, and if so, when?
• What assessment has been made of the severity of the security lapses involved?
• The Home Secretary said in her resignation letter that she informed the Cabinet Secretary immediately. However, it has been reported that you were instead informed by the chief whip. What time were you informed, and by whom?
• The Home Secretary states that the document was a draft written ministerial statement about migration. However, it has also been reported that the documents were sensitive papers from cabinet. What was the document in question?
• The Home Secretary further states that the document was due for publication immediately. Yet the Cabinet Office minister said it was ‘under live discussion in government’ and no such statement was on the order paper. Is the Home Secretary’s assertion true, and when was this document due for publication?
• The Home Secretary also states that much of the document had already been briefed to MPs. Is this true?
• What advice did you or any senior officials give to the former Prime Minister on the Home Secretary’s actions, and was that advice shared with the new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak?
• Did the new Prime Minister seek your advice, or the advice of any officials, on the reappointment of Suella Braverman, on the extent of the breach of security or the ministerial code before making the appointment?
• Did you, the Cabinet Office or any other senior officials raise security concerns or concerns about the ministerial code regarding the reappointment of the Home Secretary?
• In the absence of a government ethics advisor, what advice was given to the Prime Minister on the ethics of reappointing someone who had been forced to resign for a breach of the ministerial code just six days before?

If a full investigation has not yet taken place into the extent of this and other possible security breaches, I am urging you and the Home Office to now urgently undertake such an investigation as the public has a right to know that there are proper secure information procedures in place to cover the person who has been given charge of our national security. It must include the extent of the Home Secretary’s use of private email accounts to circulate government papers and the extent to which official documents have been sent outside government, as well as any other concerns that have been raised about possible serious information and security breaches by Suella Braverman.

Given the seriousness of these matters, I expect an urgent response. Given the public interest in this matter, I will be publishing this letter.

Yours sincerely,

Yvette Cooper MP

Shadow Home Secretary