The reshuffle also appears to signal the Prime Minister’s desire to focus on reliable people who have proven experience and who he can count on at a very difficult time, both domestically and internationally.
The unpredictable Suella Braverman, the Interior Minister who has been at the center of controversy in recent weeks because of her provocative statements, then leaves the scene and is fired on the spot. Braverman, a member of the Conservative Party’s far-right wing, wanted to ban any demonstration organized by the pro-Palestinian front, which she had described as “hate-filled extremists.” When the police said there was no legal reason to ban an anti-war protest, Braverman criticized the police and accused them of favoring pro-Palestinian protesters by writing an article without moderating their tone, as Downing Street wanted her to do had requested.
His already precarious situation became untenable over the weekend when the largest-ever demonstration against the Gaza invasion was peaceful, with hundreds of thousands of people marching through central London and other major cities. The British demanded a ceasefire and humanitarian aid.
The only violence, which led to around a hundred arrests, was caused by right-wing extremists, sympathizers of the English Defense League, who shouted at the police: “You are not English enough.” The Labor opposition accused Braverman of making unprecedented allegations against the police Encouraging extremists to take to the streets.
They were just the latest in a series of provocative outbursts from Braverman, who described the homeless as “people who have made a life choice” and described the arrival of migrant boats crossing the English Channel as “an invasion.” Sunak, who had insisted until Friday that he had “full confidence” in the home secretary, decided over the weekend to move on.