Rishi Sunak will consult with his adviser on ministerial interests upon his return to the UK in relation to claims surrounding the Home Secretary, Downing Street has confirmed. Mr Sunak’s ethics tsar, Sir Laurie Magnus, can only begin an investigation into potential breaches of the ministerial code if requested to do so by the Prime Minister but throughout Sunday, he had dodged questions concerning Ms Braverman.
The home secretary is believed to have asked aides to assist her in avoiding a communal driving awareness course after she broke the speed limit last year while she was the Attorney General.
A No 10 source said Mr Sunak will begin consultation when he has returned from Hiroshima in Japan, where he has been attending the Group of Seven (G7) summit.
The source said: “The Prime Minister has always followed the proper process in these matters, and will consult the independent adviser upon his return to London.”
Mr Sunak is currently flying back from Japan, where he met with fellow G7 leaders, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Earlier on Sunday, Mr Sunak refused to back the home secretary when asked about the row at the end of the G7 meeting by a reporter.
“I don’t know the full details of what has happened nor have I spoken to the home secretary,” he said at the time.
“I think you can see first-hand what I have been doing over the last day or so but I understand that she’s expressed regret for speeding, accepted the penalty and paid the fine.”
The Sunday Times reported that Ms Braverman asked Home Office aides to help organise a one-to-one driving awareness course.
Officials refused the request so Ms Braverman allegedly turned to a political aide to assist her in attempting to arrange an alternative to having to attend a course with other motorists.
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Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, the senior Tory MP said: “I don’t think we’ve seen enough about this story yet.
“It certainly brings into question, I think, the use of civil servants, so I think there are definitely questions to be answered.
“Let’s see what is said – I guess it will be in the House of Commons, an urgent question or statement about it on Monday, let’s see what is said there.
“Look, this is part of … People get speeding fines, right? The Archbishop of Canterbury, Andy Burnham, Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat, these public figures. You shouldn’t do it in the first place but if you do get caught, you just take the medicine.”
