The home secretary, Suella Braverman, has been facing claims this week that she broke the ministerial code by asking civil servants to assist her in escaping a speeding fine by arranging a private speed awareness course. Civil servants are expected to be politically neutral and engage only with government policies, not the personal affairs of ministers.
As senior political correspondent Aubrey Allegretti tells Nosheen Iqbal, Braverman says she has accepted a fine and points on her licence, but she denies breaking the ministerial code.
The row comes at a tricky time for both her and the prime minister. Braverman was last week accused of making moves towards fronting a rival leadership bid with a speech to the National Conservatism conference. Meanwhile, on Thursday, she’ll come under pressure to explain to those on her wing of the party how net migration has risen so sharply despite a stated aim of bringing it down.
Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
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