Rishi Sunak has sacked Suella Braverman as home secretary after she accused Metropolitan Police chiefs of bias in their handling of the pro-Palestine protests.
Her sacking was welcomed by Tory moderates who had called on the PM to fire Ms Braverman when she controversially claimed the police were “playing favourites”.
But Mr Sunak has been warned of a new Tory “war”, since the move could provoke a full-scale revolt by her right-wing supporters keen for her to succeed Mr Sunak as party leader.
James Cleverly has become home secretary after Ms Braverman‘s exit on Monday morning, with Former Tory PM David Cameron named as his replacement as foreign secretary in a shock appointment.
Tory HQ said Mr Sunak was undertaking a reshuffle to “strengthen his team in government to deliver long-term decisions for a brighter future”.
It comes after Ms Braverman sparked outrage with her accusation of Met favouritism, opening her up to claims that she incited violent protests by far-right thugs at the Cenotaph at the weekend.
She doubled down on the comments on Sunday night, claiming Britain’s streets were being “polluted by hate, violence, and antisemitism”.
After Armistice Day commemorations were disrupted by far-right thugs, Ms Braverman condemned only the “protesters and counter protesters”.
Responding to her sacking, Ms Braverman said: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as home secretary.” Ominously for Mr Sunak, she added: “I will have more to say in due course.”
Suella Braverman leaves her house before being sacked by Rishi Sunak
In a sign of bitter divisions have been reignited, the former Tory minister Andrea Jenkyns said Ms Braverman had been “sacked for speaking the truth”. The right-winger said it was a “bad call by Rishi caving in to the left”.
Mr Sunak should “prepare for war” following the sacking of Ms Braverman, according to the former Tory MP Neil Parish.
The right-winger said: “Rishi Sunak better prepare for war I think because of course she is very much, Suella, the standard bearer of the right of the party.”
No 10 did not approve the final text an incendiary op-ed for The Times Ms Braverman wrote, with Mr Sunak’s officials’ requests for changes ignored by the home secretary.
Many Tory MPs believed the radical right-winger was trying to get fired to further her leadership ambitions – having made a series of provocative comments about Palestinian “hate marches” and homelessness being a “lifestyle choice”.
Rishi Sunak sacked Braverman after mulling decision over weekend
(AP)
Conservative moderates fear Ms Braverman will cause fresh headaches on the backbenches – as she attempts to become the flagbearer of the Tory right in the likely event a general election defeat sparks a fresh leadership contest.
The PM appeared to intially put off getting rid of Ms Braverman, fearing she could lead a rebellion among right-wing backers. Former Tory MEP David Campbell Bannerman said getting rid of Ms Braverman would be a “kamikaze” move.
Mr Campbell Bannerman, chairman of the grassroots Conservative Democratic Organisation, told The Independent: “If Sunak gets rid of Suella he might as well put in 54 no confidence letters in himself.”
But others have warned that it was “disgraceful” Mr Sunak has not sacked Ms Braverman already.
A senior Tory MP told The Independent at the weekend: “The home secretary continues to nurse her leadership ambitions in plain sight. Her and her allies’ are making a mockery of the civilised government and it’s disgraceful that the PM has yet to dismiss her.”
After she was sacked, the MP said: “Rejoice.”
Her article about Saturday’s Gaza rally – in which she also compared the pro-Palestine protest to extremist rallies in Northern Ireland linked to terrorism – had sparked another major row within the Tory party.
Senior Conservatives had demanded that Mr Sunak sack Ms Braverman after her “unhinged” and “appalling” comments. “She must go,” a former Tory cabinet minister told The Independent.
Braverman was ‘trying to get fired’ to launch leadership bid, say some Tory MPs
(PA Wire)
Labour had accused the home secretary of being “out of control” – challenging Mr Sunak to sack his home secretary or say whether he agreed with her views.
And, after the far right clashed with police on Armistice Day, Labour accused Ms Braverman of “whipping up division” and “sowing the seeds of hatred and distrust” which caused the violence.
Sir Keir of accused Ms Braverman of “demeaning the office” of home secretary, while shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper urged Mr Sunak to get rid of her.
In her fateful op-ed, Ms Braverman claimed “there is a perception that senior police officers play favourites when it comes to protesters”, before claiming some current police officers have also complained about a “double standard”.
She added: “Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law?”
The home secretary also wrote: “I do not believe that these marches are merely a cry for help for Gaza. They are an assertion of primacy by certain groups – particularly Islamists – of the kind we are more used to seeing in Northern Ireland.”
Ms Braverman added: “Also disturbingly reminiscent of Ulster are the reports that some of Saturday’s march group organisers have links to terrorist groups, including Hamas.”