According to a poll, home secretary Suella Braverman’s popularity has fallen a day after she addressed a right-ring Conservative conference.
On Monday, Braverman was the star attraction at the National Conservatism Conference in Westminster.
The Tory MP put out her ideas on departure in a wide-ranging speech that has since been viewed in the context of her leadership ambitions.
But on Tuesday, a YouGov poll showed she had lost three percentage points in favourability rating among senior British politicians.
The latest politician favourability statistics from 14 to May 15 showed that Braverman was at 14%, prime minister Rishi Sunak remained at 31%, and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was at 35%, down two points from 5 to May 9.
Braverman’s popularity was still above her fellow Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch (12%), who is also seen as a potential future Tory leadership candidate.
Popularity Plummeting After Right-Wing Conference Address
It comes after Braverman spoke about “the importance of controlling legal migration” during her speech.
She said: “It’s not racist for anyone, ethnic minority or otherwise, to desire to control our borders.”
After her remarks, Downing Street’s cutting net relocation aligned with the government’s approach.
But Sunak’s announcement on Wednesday that more fitful fruit pickers would be permitted into the UK contradicted Braverman’s push for lower migration.
Suella Braverman should “focus on the job” she has as home secretary rather than giving speeches, a former Conservative cabinet minister has said.
On Monday, the home secretary’s address to the right-wing National Conservatism conference in Westminster was widely interpreted as a thinly-veiled leadership bid.
Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday morning, Robert Buckland said the government needed to take a “clear and consistent message” to voters before the election.
“I am telling the home secretary; she has a big job. I know she wants to do it, and I think obtaining and doing that job is precisely where she needs to be,” the former justice secretary said.
“I think all departmental ministers should stick to and talk to their brief.”
Buckland said cabinet ministers should “obtain on the job” they had at the instant and save their speech for the official Conservative Party autumn and spring conferences.
“We have scheduled conferences that senior government members can use,” he said.
Buckland asked if Braverman was pitching herself to the party membership to take the lead job when the prime minister leaves office, saying: “Rishi Sunak fills the top position.
Suella Braverman’s Popularity Dips
“I want him, and most Conservatives want him to continue post and to be our prime minister, successful a general election and governing our country with maturity.
“Now is the time for the squad to work with him, support him and project the five priorities he set out.”
The National Conservatism meeting this week has also seen speeches from Jacob Rees-Mogg and other leading culturally traditionalist Tory MPs. Later today, it will be addressed by flattening up Secretary Michael Gove.
Over the weekend, another end hosted by the Conservative Democratic Organisation (CDO) saw Sunak come in for censure from other senior Tories, including former home secretary Priti Patel and former painting secretary Nadine Dorries.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss described herself as “a fighter and not a quitter” on October 19 as she faced hostile opposition and fury from her Conservative Party over her botched economic plan. Within hours of the defiant statement, her government was teetering on the verge of collapse. A senior government member left her post with a barrage of criticism at Ms Truss, and a House of Commons vote descended into anger and accusations of bullying; Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she resigned after breaching rules by sending an official document from her email account. She used her resignation letter to lambaste Ms Truss, saying she had “cover about the direction of this government.”
“The business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes,” she said. “Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, conveying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them and expect that things will magically come right is not serious politics.”
Ms Braverman is a like figure on the Conservative Party’s right-wing and a champion of more restrictive immigration policies, which ran unsuccessfully for party leader this summer, a contest won by Ms Truss.
Ms Braverman was replaced as home secretary, the minister responsible for exodus and law and order, by former Cabinet minister Grant Shapps. He’s a high-profile supporter of Rishi Sunak, the former Treasury chief defeated by Ms Truss in the final circular of the Conservative leadership race.
Ms Truss faced more turmoil in Parliament on October 19 evening on a vote over fracking for shale gas — a practice that she wants to resume even as opposition from many Conservatives.
With a vast Conservative majority in Parliament, a resistance call for a fracking ban was easily beaten by 326 votes to 230. Still, some lawmakers were furious that Conservative Party whips said the vote would be a confidence motion, meaning the government would drop if the motion passed.
