Senior members of the Conservative Party are urging Rishi Sunak to give Suella Braverman “what she wants” as backlash over her hate-fuelled rhetoric intensifies.
The home secretary has been cited for using “inflammatory” language in an article for The Times newspaper ahead of planned protests in the capital on Saturday.
In her article, the home secretary once again described pro-Palestinian protesters as “hate marchers” and likened them to sectarian marches in Northern Ireland.
She has since been cited for fabricating the bogus belief that people going on a peace march hold the Cenotaph in contempt, riling far-right groups as a result.
Speaking to Sky News, Labour’s shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds branded Braverman “out of control” and said Sunak should “of course” sack her if he had not signed off on the Times article.
“Where is the prime minister on this?” he asked. “Do we believe the prime minister signed off that kind of inflammatory rhetoric? He won’t tell us.
“If you have a home secretary that is so out of control, so divisive, so inflammatory, undermining the police and, therefore, the national security and safety of the public, that’s not someone who should be home secretary.”
Sky News has confirmed that Downing Street did not fully sign off the home secretary’s article. It is understood Number 10 were sent it and suggested changes that were not then carried out.
Labour was joined by the Liberal Democrats in calling on Sunak to sack Ms Braverman, with party leader Sir Ed Davey accusing Ms Braverman of “putting police officers in harm’s way”.
“The home secretary’s irresponsible words and foul actions have significantly increased the likelihood of unrest this weekend and the risk of violence towards officers,” he said.
Those within the Conservative Party are also believed to be leaning on the PM.
According to Beth Rigby, a former cabinet minister told her that she is “trying to get sacked” and that they “hope she succeeds”.
Responding to the tweet, Liz Webster said: “We have reached a point now that ambitions of Govt ministers are centred in behaving badly to get sacked in hopes of furthering their career.
“What happened to excellence being rewarded?”
Related: Suella Braverman has no plans to ban tent shop Millets, jokes Penny Mordaunt
