Suella Braverman, Slammed for ‘Indian Migrants Overstay’ Remark, Back As Home Secy in Sunak Cabinet

Indian-origin Conservative MP Suella Braverman, who had quit the Liz Truss government last week, returned as the UK Home Secretary as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled his team on Tuesday. Braverman, a fellow Bexiteer like Sunak, had only spent 43 days in the role of home secretary under the Truss government.

The Rt Hon Suella Braverman KC MP @SuellaBraverman has been appointed Secretary of State for the Home Department @UKHomeOffice. #Reshuffle pic.twitter.com/mOMmurvnGs

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) October 25, 2022

She had resigned after there was a “mistake” in using her private email for ministerial communication in London. Braverman had used her personal email to send an official document to a colleague. While calling it a “technical infringement” of government rules, she wrote in her resignation letter: “I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign.”

Braverman’s resignation letter led to the start of a crisis culminating in Truss’ exit from Downing Street last week. She had also courted controversy with her remarks about Indian visa overstayers, causing much damage to the ongoing India-UK free trade agreement talks.

The MP had said she had “reservations” about the trade deal as she felt it will increase migration to the UK, and that Indians represented the largest group of visa overstayers. “I do have some reservations. Look at migration in this country — the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants,” she reportedly said.

Responding to her remarks, the Indian High Commission in the UK said that New Delhi had initiated action on all cases raised with it under the Migration and Mobility Partnership (MMP).

It remains to be seen how her stance on immigration will square off in the new Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Braverman was not just the only MP who retained her portfolios. Sunak reappointed Jeremy Hunt as the finance minister, Ben Wallace as the Defence Secretary, and James Cleverly as the Foreign Minister.

Penny Mordaunt has also been reappointed as Leader of the House of Commons.

Earlier in the day, Sunak – in his first address as the UK Prime Minister – warned that “difficult decisions” are going to come as the country faces a “profound economic crisis”.

Sunak also promised to put the crisis-hit country’s needs “above politics” and “fix the mistakes” made by his predecessor Truss. The 42-year-old investment banker-turned-politician is the youngest British prime minister in 210 years. He is also Britain’s first Hindu Prime Minister.

(With PTI inputs)

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