Pressed at prime minister’s questions, Sunak did not deny that civil servants had raised concerns about one of the most senior roles shared in his cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday. Keir Starmer, the Labor leader, questioned Mr Sunack’s commitment to dignity and professionalism after Braverman was brought back into government despite him “deliberately snooping around sensitive Home Office documents” from a personal email account. Starmer said Mr Sunak was “so weak that he made a terrible deal by negotiating national security because he was afraid of losing another leadership election”, echoing the concern some Tory MPs have voiced privately over the past 24 hours. Braverman was forced to resign last week for breaching the ministerial code and three days later, after the collapse of Liz Truss’s government, he endorsed Sunak. The move was seen as a crucial victory for Sunak, allowing him to demonstrate that he had support from the party’s right. The Sunday Times had reported that Braverman emailed cabinet documents from her ministerial email account to a private Gmail account, before forwarding them to a colleague and a staff member she believed to be his wife. The newspaper said it claimed it made the mistake in part because it happened at about 4 a.m., but the message was actually sent several hours later. Starmer asked Sunak if she was right to resign last week and said the home secretary’s integrity and professionalism should be “beyond question”. The prime minister said Braverman had made an error of judgment and acknowledged her error, adding: “That’s why I was delighted to welcome her back to a united cabinet that brings experience and stability to the heart of government.” He said Braverman would focus on “crackdown on criminals” and defending the UK’s borders and argued that Labor is soft on crime and pro “unrestricted immigration”. Asked if officials had raised concerns about the appointment since Cabinet Secretary Simon Case was said to be furious, Sunak dodged the question and said he had already “dealt with the matter”. Starmer said the defection showed that while there was a “new Tory at the top”, Mr Sunack had proved he would put “party first and country second”. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Other attacks leveled at Sunak during PMQs included increasing his wife’s former tax status, which she was able to use as an Indian citizen. Starmer said scrapping this method of tax relief would generate £3.2bn a year. ‘Crushed by a Prime Minister who lost to a lettuce’: Starmer attacks Sunak at first PMQs – video highlights But the Prime Minister rejected the suggestion, saying he was glad Labor had “finally realized that spending has to be paid” and promised to “protect the most vulnerable” when “difficult decisions” were made in the Autumn Statement next month. Starmer also uploaded a video of Sunak speaking to party campaigners who appeared in the summer, showing him bragging about scrapping the types of government funding that “directed all the funding to deprived urban areas”. Sunak said there are underserved areas in rural and coastal communities, as well as across the southeast, adding, “Leadership doesn’t sell fairy tales, it faces challenges.” Starmer urged Sunak to call a general election and “let the workers have their say”. Amidst the political malaise, there was a tribute from Starmer to Sunak for being the first person of Indian origin to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Labor leader said it was an “important moment” and that Britain was “a place where people of all races and beliefs can fulfill their dreams”. PMQs: Rishi Sunak goes head-to-head with Keir Starmer for the first time – watch the whole thing
