Suella Braverman is a British politician and barrister. She held the position of Home Secretary in two separate periods, first from September 6, 2022, to October 19, 2022, and then again from October 25, 2022, to November 13, 2023.
Bio/Wiki
Age- 43 years
Height- 5 feet 7 inches
Weight- 67 kg
Full name- Sue-Ellen Cassiana Braverman
Born- 3 April 1980
Birth place- Harrow, United Kingdom
Spouse- Rael Braverman (m. 2018)
Profession- Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom
Nationality- British
Previous offices- Secretary of State for the Home Department (2022–2023), MORE
Office-Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2015
Party-Conservative Party
Parents
Suella Braverman is the daughter of Uma (née Mootien-Pillay) and Christie Fernandes, both of Indian origin, who migrated to Britain in the 1960s from Mauritius and Kenya. Her mother, of Hindu Tamil Mauritian descent, served as a nurse and councilor in Brent. Her father, of Goan Christian ancestry and formerly an Indian in Kenya, worked for a housing association. Additionally, she is the niece of Mahen Kundasamy, a former Mauritian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Husband
In 2018, she wed Rael Braverman, a manager at the Mercedes-Benz Group, whom she affectionately described as a “very proud member of the Jewish community.” The House of Commons hosted their wedding ceremony in February 2018. The couple is blessed with two children: a son named George, born in 2019, and a daughter named Gabriella, born in 2021.
Education
Suella Braverman went to Uxendon Manor Primary School in Brent and received a partial scholarship to attend Heathfield School, Pinner. Later, she pursued a law degree at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where she also served as the chairman of the Cambridge University Conservative Association. Following her undergraduate studies, Braverman spent two years in France, initially as an Erasmus Programme student and later as an Entente Cordiale Scholar, completing a master’s degree in European and French law at Panthéon-Sorbonne University.
Career
Suella Braverman commenced her legal career by being called to the bar at Middle Temple in 2005. After completing her pupillage at 2–3 Gray’s Inn Square (now Cornerstone Barristers), she chose to begin her practice at No5 Chambers, the London branch of a prominent Birmingham set, rather than pursuing tenancy at her initial location. Specializing in litigation, she focused on the foundational aspects of immigration and planning law through judicial reviews for a government practitioner. She successfully passed the New York bar examination in 2006, obtaining a license to practice law in the state. However, her license was suspended in 2021 when she failed to re-register as an attorney.
In 2010, Braverman joined the Attorney General’s C panel of counsel, handling basic government cases. Simultaneously, she co-founded the Africa Justice Foundation alongside barristers Cherie Booth and Philip Riches.
In the January 2018 cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Theresa May appointed Braverman as the parliamentary under-secretary of state for exiting the European Union. However, in November 2018, she resigned in protest against May’s draft Brexit withdrawal agreement. Braverman was subsequently appointed as attorney general for England and Wales and advocate general for Northern Ireland by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the February 2020 cabinet reshuffle, automatically receiving the title of Queen’s Counsel.
After Boris Johnson’s resignation in July 2022, Braverman contested the July–September Conservative Party leadership election but was eliminated after the second round of voting. She later supported Liz Truss’s leadership bid and was appointed home secretary on September 6, 2022, when Truss became prime minister. However, Braverman resigned from the position on October 19, 2022, following allegations that she violated the Ministerial Code by using her personal email address to send a Cabinet document. She was reinstated as home secretary by Rishi Sunak six days later but was ultimately dismissed from the post in the November 2023 British cabinet reshuffle by Sunak due to controversial comments made regarding pro-Palestine rallies.
Suella Braverman Allegations
In May 2023, nine organizations penned a letter to the Bar Standards Board, alleging that Braverman violated the Bar’s code of conduct, accusing her of making false claims on the No5 Chambers website. The details in question suggested her contribution to Philip Kolvin QC’s book on gambling, a claim later refuted by Kolvin himself, stating she only assisted with photocopying. After The Big Issue’s inquiry, the contested claim was removed from the website.
“The Secret Barrister” informed The Big Issue that including knowingly false information on a chambers profile is a serious matter warranting attention from the Bar Standards Board. Subsequently, Private Eye reported an investigation into a complaint against Braverman for making a “dishonest statement out of self-interest to promote her career.”
Private Eye also uncovered discrepancies on her MP’s website, which asserted her involvement in the Guantanamo Bay Inquiry. However, her name does not appear in the inquiry report, suggesting she may have been one of many lawyers reviewing documents.
In another incident, it was reported in May 2023 that Braverman, caught speeding while serving as Attorney General for England and Wales, sought special treatment for a driving awareness course. Despite the refusal by civil servants, she enlisted political aides to explore options, including using aliases and disabling cameras during online courses. The Liberal Democrats and Labour called for an inquiry into potential breaches of the ministerial code, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak deemed further investigation unnecessary.
Moreover, concerns about Braverman’s conduct were raised by the Liberal Democrats and Labour, pointing to her 2022 comments characterizing those crossing the Channel in small boats as an ‘invasion’ and her remarks on sexual grooming gangs. These comments were criticized for perpetuating discriminatory narratives.
Achievements/Honors
- On 19 February 2020, Braverman was sworn in as a member of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council at Buckingham Palace, granting her the honorific prefix “The Right Honourable.”
- On 24 February 2020, she was appointed as Queen’s Counsel (QC), acknowledging her elevated status and expertise in the legal profession.
Net Worth 2023
As of 2023, Suella Braverman’s estimated net worth is $7 million.
Latest News about Suella Braverman
Suella Braverman Sacked, Cameron Returns to UK Cabinet
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has removed the controversial home secretary, Suella Braverman, one of his senior ministers, following comments she made about the police’s handling of a pro-Palestinian march. Facing pressure from opposition MPs and members within his own Conservative Party to dismiss Braverman, Sunak took action during a reshuffle of his top team. Foreign minister James Cleverly has taken over the role of home secretary.
Braverman, after her dismissal, expressed that serving as home secretary had been the greatest privilege of her life and hinted at providing further comments in the future. Meanwhile, former UK Prime Minister David Cameron has made a surprising return to government as the new foreign secretary. Cameron led Britain from 2010 to 2016 and reenters politics after seven years spent on memoir writing and business involvement, including with Greensill Capital, a collapsed finance firm.
The unexpected return of Cameron raises questions about the influence of former leaders on government policy. Sunak’s office confirmed that King Charles approved Cameron’s appointment to the House of Lords, allowing him to rejoin the government as a minister without being an elected member of parliament. Cameron, expressing readiness for his new role, emphasized the importance of the UK standing by its allies in times of global change.
Last week, Braverman contradicted Sunak with an unauthorized article accusing the police of “double standards” at protests, alleging tougher treatment of right-wing demonstrators compared to pro-Palestinian marchers. This added tension to a pro-Palestinian demonstration and a far-right counter-protest, resulting in nearly 150 arrests. Braverman had previously referred to pro-Palestinian demonstrations as “hate marches.”
The timing of Braverman’s removal coincides with the government and the interior ministry awaiting a Supreme Court decision on a key policy issue: the ability to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
