Suella Braverman meets Met chief amid Tory row over protest article

Published

2 years ago

November 10, 2023

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Suella Braverman has met the head of the Metropolitan Police to offer the force her “full backing” ahead of controversial pro-Palestine protests taking place this weekend.

On Wednesday, the home secretary wrote an article for The Times newspaper – which was not signed off by Number 10 – attacking the force for “playing favourites” with left wing protesters, and accusing them of “double standards”.

It followed her earlier remarks describing the demonstrations as “hate marches”.

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Ms Braverman’s comments have ignited a row within the Conservative Party, with some backing the home secretary, while others are calling for her to resign or be sacked.

Numerous ministers have also distanced themselves from the remarks, including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who said on Friday: “The words that she used are not words that I myself would have used.”

Opposition parties also accused her of picking a fight with the police, and demanded she be ousted from the Home Office.

But Number 10 continued to say they had “confidence” in her.

Now in an apparent climb down, the minister has met with the head of the force, Sir Mark Rowley, with a source close to Ms Braverman saying she “emphasised her full backing for the police in what will be a complex and challenging situation and expressed confidence that any criminality will be dealt with robustly”.

The prime minister has been under increasing pressure to take action over Ms Braverman’s comments about this weekend’s protests that coincide with Armistice Day.

While the pro-Palestinian march is not set to take place until almost two hours after the nation holds a two-minute silence, and is not due to go to past the Cenotaph in Whitehall, some – including the home secretary – have branded the event offensive and inappropriate.

Sir Mark was summoned to Downing Street earlier in the week to discuss policing of the march with Rishi Sunak, who vowed to hold the most senior office in the UK “accountable” for what happens on Saturday.

But, despite airing his own concerns about the protest – calling it “disrespectful” – the prime minister conceded there was “a right to peacefully protest” and the march could go ahead.

The Met chief stood by his decision to let the protest take place throughout the week, saying the “legal threshold” to stop it on security grounds “had not been met”.

However, despite the statements from both Mr Sunak and Sir Mark, the home secretary took to the papers to express her anger at the force’s actions – and publicly contradict her party leader.

After causing a rift within the Conservatives – brought into sharp focus by WhatsApp messages leaked to Sky News – Ms Braverman now appears to be attempting to smooth over relations with the Met.

A source close to her said: “The home secretary and the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police met this afternoon to discuss the policing of demonstrations to be held tomorrow, on Armistice Day.

“The commissioner outlined plans to continue working to maintain public order, ensure compliance with the law and maintain the safety of participants, police officers and the general public.

“The home secretary emphasised her full backing for the police in what will be a complex and challenging situation and expressed confidence that any criminality will be dealt with robustly.”

Will climbdown be enough to keep Braverman in post?

Rob Powell

Political correspondent

@robpowellnews

While we haven’t yet heard directly from Suella Braverman, the language being used by a source close to the home secretary this evening suggests something of a climbdown and an attempt to make amends with the Metropolitan Police.

After accusing officers of being too lenient with pro-Palestinian protestors earlier this week, we’re now told she has “emphasised her full backing” for the force and “expressed confidence that any criminality will be dealt with robustly”.

That is a marked change in tone from the broadside levelled at the Met just days ago.

So what’s going on?

Downing Street and the broader government machine have made no secret of their unhappiness with the home secretary’s latest intervention.

While the prime minister is said to still have confidence in Ms Braverman, senior ministers have distanced themselves from their colleague and Number 10 has pointedly briefed that it did not sign off the article.

In other words, there was a distinct impression that this time she may have gone too far and, as such, put her job at risk.

Could the threat of being sacked have forced this change in tone? Maybe. But there’s also the practical context to this.

The home secretary’s controversial remarks risked undermining officers and inflaming tension at protests tomorrow. So this could also be a somewhat belated attempt to calm the situation down.

But whether it will be enough to actually keep Suella Braverman in her post remains to be seen.

Earlier on Friday, the Met released details of the “significant” operation it planned to run in London over the weekend to ensure Remembrance services are protected from disruption by both the march and any counter-protests, which some fear may be held by the far right.

The force said more than 2,000 officers will be on the streets, an exclusion zone had been set up around Whitehall – where Sunday’s main Remembrance event will take place – and putting a 24-hour police presence around the Cenotaph.

In a lengthy statement, they added: “We’ll be using an extensive set of powers to prevent any disruption whatsoever to Remembrance events, policing the demonstration as it passes through parts of the capital, while protecting our communities from those intent on inciting hate, violence and disorder.”

Shortly before news broke of Ms Braverman’s meeting, the prime minister also issued a statement saying he had been “reassured” by the police over their operation that Remembrance services would be protected.

UK

Starmer will be breathing a sigh of relief after clinching shock victory over SNP and Reform UK

Published

2 hours ago

June 6, 2025

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Starmer will be breathing a sigh of relief after clinching shock victory over SNP and Reform UK

Anything other than a win for Labour would have been a humiliation in this contest.

It wasn’t any old local by-election – this was a contest where Labour knew it could act as a mini barometer of Sir Keir Starmer’s recent U-turn on winter fuel payments and become a test of how popular the politics of Nigel Farage are in Scotland.

Labour are power hungry and have, for a long time, set their sights on forming the next Scottish government.

The prime minister will this morning be breathing a sigh of relief after clinching this shock victory over the SNP and Reform UK.

This contest on the outskirts of Glasgow came at a time where Labour had been firefighting and grappling with polling suggesting they had blown their chances of ousting the SNP from power in Edinburgh after almost 20 years.

The SNP had a spring in their step during this campaign after a chaotic couple of years.

First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney had apparently stemmed the bleeding after the infamous police fraud investigation, endless fallout over gender identity reforms, and last year’s general election where they were almost wiped out.

This result leaves them no further forward than 12 months ago with questions over the party’s strategy.

Reform UK is very much in the Scottish picture now, finishing a few hundred votes behind the nationalists.

This is a party led by a man who barely registered any support north of the border for many years. A remarkable transformation.

The surge in support has spooked many because they know fine well Nigel Farage is only just getting started.

One poll had Reform UK forming the next official opposition at Holyrood. After tonight, that might be a tall order but Mr Farage is shaking things up at the expense of the Conservatives.

The unpredictable nature of this contest may give us a taste of what is to come.

UK

EuroMillions: Single ticket-holder could win UK’s biggest lottery prize tonight

Published

2 hours ago

June 6, 2025

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EuroMillions: Single ticket-holder could win UK's biggest lottery prize tonight

A single ticket-holder could win the biggest lottery prize the UK has ever seen if they match the right numbers in tonight’s EuroMillions draw.

The jackpot has rolled over to an estimated £208m, after Tuesday’s £199m draw – which also would have been a record-breaking amount – had no winners.

The winner would instantly become richer than Adele and Harry Styles, while also bagging the top spot on the National Lottery’s biggest wins list.

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Andy Carter, senior winners’ adviser at Allwyn, said: “We are now on the verge of potentially creating the biggest National Lottery winner this country has ever seen.”

The previous largest prize pot was won by an anonymous UK ticket-holder, who took home £195m on 19 July 2022.

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Just two months earlier, Joe and Jess Thwaite, from Gloucester, won £184,262,899 with a Lucky Dip ticket. At the time, Joe was a communications sales engineer, and Jess ran a hairdressing salon with her sister.

Mr Thwaite said he woke up at 5am as usual, and checked his phone to see an email saying, “Good news, you have won a prize”.

But he did not immediately wake his wife, choosing to let her sleep in.

“I saw how much and I didn’t know what to do,” Mr Thwaite said.

“I couldn’t go back to sleep, I didn’t want to wake Jess up, so I just laid there for what seemed like forever. I spent some time searching for property with no budget limit, which was a novelty!”

When his wife woke up, she assumed the National Lottery app was wrong.

In February last year, Richard and Debbie Nuttall were revealed as the UK winners of a £61m EuroMillions jackpot – who at first thought they had only won £2.60.

The couple from Lancashire split the £123m prize with a winner in Spain.

This year’s biggest prize, of £83m went to a UK winner in January.

UK

Scottish Labour win Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election as SNP suffer shock defeat

Published

8 hours ago

June 6, 2025

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Scottish Labour win Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election as SNP suffer shock defeat

Scottish Labour’s Davy Russell has won the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.

Mr Russell took top spot with 8,559 votes. The SNP placed second with 7,957 votes, with Reform UK closely taking third with 7,088 votes.

The new MSP said he was “proud” to have been elected, adding: “I said in this campaign that I will put this community, our community first.

“I will work every single day to do that.”

The by-election was called following the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie.

The Scottish government minister died in March at the age of 57, having last year taken medical leave to undergo treatment for secondary breast cancer.

South Lanarkshire councillor Katy Loudon had hoped to retain the Holyrood seat for the SNP, given her party’s heavy losses to Labour at last year’s UK general election.

First Minister John Swinney congratulated Mr Russell following the result.

In a post on X, the SNP leader said Ms Loudon had “fought a superb SNP campaign”.

He added: “We have made progress since the election last year but not enough. We still have work to do and we will do it.”

All eyes were also on Reform UK and whether it would enjoy a “tartan bounce” in light of the party’s recent slew of local election wins in England.

With Reform UK never having won an election in Scotland, party deputy leader Richard Tice said candidate Ross Lambie coming in third was a “massive boost for us”.

He added: “It’s a fantastic result, just a few hundred votes away from the SNP, nobody predicted that.

“I think that sets us up with excitement and momentum for the next 11 months into the Holyrood elections.”

Mr Russell said the constituents had voted to “take a new direction” with his party.

He added: “Like the people here in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, and right across Scotland, we all feel we have been let down by the SNP.

“They’ve broken our NHS, wasted our money, and after nearly two decades they don’t deserve another chance.”

Mr Russell said the community had also “sent a message” to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage “and his mob tonight”.

He added: “The poison of Reform isn’t us, it isn’t Scotland, and we don’t want your division here.

“Reform have no real answers to the issues we face, and they can’t beat the SNP here or replace them across Scotland.”

Mr Russell said his party was ready to “fix” the NHS and “end the SNP’s addiction to wasting your money”.

He added: “The road to a new direction for Scotland in 2026 – with Anas Sarwar as first minister and a Scottish Labour government – begins right here. So, let’s go and win it together.”

Ten candidates went head-to-head in the Holyrood by-election:

• Collette Bradley, Scottish Socialist Party – 278 votes
• Andy Brady, Scottish Family Party – 219 votes
• Ross Lambie, Reform UK – 7,088 votes
• Katy Loudon, Scottish National Party (SNP) – 7,957 votes
• Janice MacKay, UK Independence Party (UKIP) – 50 votes
• Ann McGuinness, Scottish Green Party – 695 votes
• Aisha Mir, Scottish Liberal Democrats – 533 votes
• Richard Nelson, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party – 1,621 votes
• Davy Russell, Scottish Labour Party – 8,559 votes
• Marc Wilkinson, Independent – 109 votes

The votes were verified and manually counted at South Lanarkshire Council headquarters in Hamilton.

Campaigning became heated in the run up to the by-election, with Reform UK accused of running a “racist” ad on Facebook against Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.

Reform leader Mr Farage continued to double down, accusing his rival of “sectarian politics”.

In response, the Scottish Labour MSP branded Mr Farage a “poisonous little man” and accused him of running a “campaign of dirt and smear”.

First Minister Mr Swinney had earlier warned it was a “two-horse race” between the SNP and Reform UK, urging voters to “defeat the gutter politics” of Mr Farage.

With less than a year to go before the Scottish parliament election, the result potentially offers a snapshot of how the political landscape north of the border could look in 2026.

Mr Sarwar said: “I think people need to change the script, because we’ve proven the pollsters wrong.

“We’ve proven the commentators wrong, we’ve proven the bookies wrong. We’ve proven John Swinney wrong and so many others wrong too.”