Politics latest: Pressure mounts on PM to launch Braverman probe - as nurses begin vote on fresh strike action (2023)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is still considering whether or not to launch an investigation into Suella Braverman's handling of a speeding offence.

It was reported yesterday that he had discussed the matter with his ethics adviserSir Laurie Magnus - and the home secretary herself - as he mulled over his response.

But further allegations have emerged in today's newspapers - here's what has been claimed:

The Timesreports today that Home Office officials were so concerned by Ms Braverman's actions that they emailed the Cabinet Office's propriety and ethics team - who told them to disregard it.

The newspaper suggested Mrs Braverman instructed them to organise a one-on-one speed awareness course, rather than simply soliciting advice.

Meanwhile,The Guardianclaims that the most senior civil servant in the Home Office was informed about the claims.

A senior official reported Mrs Braverman's request to Matthew Rycroft, the department's permanent secretary, due to concerns about whether it was appropriate, the paper was told by sources.

The story also featured heavily on the front page ofThe i.

The newspaper claimed that Ms Braverman was left "waiting on her future" as Mr Sunak considers his response to the matter.

There could be a difficult day ahead for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who will today chair his weekly cabinet meeting as he faces calls to launch an investigation intoSuella Braverman's handling of a speeding offence.

The scandal, which came to light in the last week, threatens to deepen rifts already emerging in the Tory party.

Mr Sunak is reportedly looking at emails in which officials raised concerns about the cabinet minister's request for help last autumn to arrange a private speed awareness course for her.

The home secretary has been accused of breaching the ministerial code by asking taxpayer-funded civil servants to assist with a private matter.

Ms Braverman insisted yesterday she had done "nothing untoward". She admitted speeding, paid a fine and took penalty points on her licence.

However, she did not deny asking officials for help in trying to arrange a one-to-one speed awareness course, rather than just join the public programme.

Nurses will start voting today on whether to continue taking strike action in their long-running dispute over pay and staffing.

Almost 300,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in England are being asked to renew their mandate for industrial action until the end of the year.

The RCN is urging members to vote "yes" to strike action, saying it would pressure ministers to improve the pay award for nursing staff and boost staffing levels to keep patients safe.

RCN members rejected the government's pay offer in April following several days of strike action since December.

The RCN's new ballot will be aggregated, meaning the union is seeking a country-wide mandate to allow strikes in every NHS trust or other NHS employer in England where RCN members work.

Any future strikes would involve more than twice as many nursing staff at twice as many locations, said the RCN.

To achieve a country-wide mandate, 50% of all eligible members must vote and the majority must say "yes" to strike action.

The ballot will close on 23 June, with the result expected to be announced the following week.

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said: "Once again, we have been forced to ask our members if they want to take to the picket lines in their fight for fair pay. This is unfinished business and the government can get it resolved without the need for more strike action."

Most health unions in England have accepted a 5% pay rise for this year and a cash payment for last year. The RCN and Unite voted to reject the offer.

Downing Street insisted the government had made its final offer on pay.

Former justice secretary and deputy prime minister Dominic Raab will stand down at the next election, Sky News understands.

It comes a month after he quit Rishi Sunak's cabinet over claims he bullied civil servants.

Mr Raab has been the Conservative MP for Esher and Walton in Surrey since 2010.

He has "become increasingly concerned" about the pressure the job has placed on his young family, according to a letter explaining his decision seen by The Telegraph.

Mr Raab is the latest high-profile Tory MP to announce they will not be contesting their seats.

Other former cabinet ministers such as Sajid Javid, Nadine Dorries, Matt Hancock and George Eustice have also announced their intention to stand down.

Last month, a bullying probe into Mr Raab's behaviour concluded he acted in an "intimidating way" and was "unreasonably and persistently aggressive" in meetings.

The findings, from independent investigator Adam Tolley, also said his conduct while working across different government departments "involved an abuse or misuse of power in a way that undermines or humiliates".

Good morning!

Welcome back to the Politics Hub, where we'll bring you live updates from the heart of Westminster.

It's a busy day ahead - here's what's coming up:

• Reaction will continue today after news that ex-deputy prime minister Dominic Raab will stand down as an MP at the next general election. It comes a month after he quit Rishi Sunak's cabinet over claims he bullied civil servants;
• Intrigue will also likely continue after reportsHome Secretary Suella Bravermanasked civil servants to see if she could have a private speed awareness course after being caught speeding;
• Labour yesterday called for an investigation into the allegations, and it was revealed the prime minister had spoken to his ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus;
• Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will hold his weekly cabinet meeting. We don't know exactly what they will discuss, but we will most likely find out afterwards - so stay with us;
• TheInternational Monetary Fund will provide an update on the economy, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt set to hold a news conference at the Treasury;
• Labour will hold two Opposition Day debates - one on forcing the publication of the locations and extent of crumbling school buildings, and one on ending leasehold;
• We'll be speaking to Labour's Lisa Nandy at 8.05am.

We'll have all the latest right here as it happens.

Controversial low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) are about "taking back control" from Whitehall, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said.

Mr Khan was defending the schemes which are in place in a number of London boroughs but have been criticised for being ineffective in the fight against climate change and making life too difficult for motorists.

The idea of LTNs is to make residential areas of London cleaner and safer to live and walk around in.

But opponents of the scheme say the changes have created hotspots of traffic which means people end up spending more time in their car.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Khan said there is evidence of fewer road traffic accidents and deaths in LTNs in areas such as Waltham Forest, Lambeth and Newham.

"If everyone jumps in their car there simply isn't enough road space for people to drive around our city. So we have to encourage people to walk, cycle or use public transport," he said.

Read his full comments here:

Earlier this year, MPs voted to stop trophy hunters bringing back the body parts of endangered animals - such as rhino horns - into Britain.

Not everyone agrees with a blanket ban, however.

Some conservationists and local community leaders in parts of Africa warn it unintentionally risks reversing their efforts to grow populations of animals including elephants, lions and the critically endangered black rhino.

They also worry bans like this could undermine the livelihoods of people in these rural areas.

On the Sky News Daily, Leah Boleto speaks to Jens Ulrik Høgh, who has hunted in Africa dozens of times, and conservationist Maxi Pia Louis, who talks about what communities in Namibia are doing to protect species and their relationship with hunting groups.

Plus, Leah is joined by wildlife expert Professor Amy Dickman, from the University of Oxford, to discuss what evidence there is that trophy hunting supports conservation – and we hear from Henry Smith, the MP who put forward the import ban which is currently going through the House of Lords.

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

MPs will be updated on any response to the allegations facing Suella Braverman "in due course", Rishi Sunak has said.

The prime minister stood in the House of Commons this afternoon to give a statement on the recent G7 summit and take questions from MPs.

He said he had met with Sir Laurie Magnus and the home secretary, amid reports she asked officials to try to arrange a private speed awareness course for her rather than take penalty points on her driving licence.

"I have always been clear that where issues like this are raised, they should be dealt with properly, and they should be dealt with professionally," he said.

"I have asked for further information and I will update on the appropriate course of action in due course."

We're stepping away from the House of Commons for a moment as the mayor of London has revealed he may have suffered a "minor heart attack" after falling ill at a climate conference.

Sadiq Khan said he "felt a knot" in his chest and had to be helped off-stage at the COP26 summit in Glasgow in 2021.

In his book Breathe, which was released earlier this week, he wrote about the incident, saying: "I seemed to be having a heart attack".

He fell ill on 10 November 2021, and spent around seven hours in A&E where he underwent a range of tests including an electrocardiogram, a chest -ray and several rounds of blood tests.

He wrote that the results detected "a protein called troponin, which is released into the blood after unusual heart activity".

Home Secretary Suella Braverman takes to her feet to discuss the government's plan to create a new redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse.

The government says it will consult with victims, survivors and charities to develop the scheme.

This consultation will help the government develop who the scheme should support and the best ways to support them.

Ministers say the scheme "will acknowledge the institutional failures that allowed children to suffer at the hands of despicable predators".

It follows the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse,which found widespread failings in both state and non-state institutions to properly safeguard and protect children in England and Wales.

Alongside the redress scheme, the government says it is also looking to improve access to therapeutic support for victims and survivors.

And it will look at improving the way police collect data on child sexual abuse to better understand the scale and nature of the crime.