No 10 backs Suella Braverman amid MI5 leak row

No 10 has said Suella Braverman has "strong relationships" with the security services, following concerns about her return as home secretary.

Reports have emerged suggesting that, as attorney general, she was investigated over the leak of a story involving MI5.

Ms Braverman was reappointed as home secretary just days after she resigned over separate data breaches.

Several Conservative MPs have raised questions about her reappointment.

Mark Pritchard - a former member of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee - said in a tweet: "MI5 need to have confidence in the home secretary, whoever that might be.

"It's a vital relationship of trust, key to the UK's security and democratic oversight of MI5. Any breakdown in that relationship is bad for the security service and the government. It needs to be sorted asap."

Asked whether Prime Minister Rishi Sunak believed MI5 had confidence in Ms Braverman, his official spokesperson said: "Yes, the home secretary continues to have strong relationships with all the operational bodies that report into the Home Office and are focused very much on keeping the country safe."

Asked if Mr Sunak was concerned security analysts might be reluctant to share information with the Home Office, the official said: "No, and any suggestion of that would be entirely false."

In January, the Daily Telegraph reported that Ms Braverman was seeking an injunction to block a BBC story about a spy working for British intelligence.

The briefing received by the newspaper damaged the government's argument that publishing details of the court case could harm national security.

Mr Justice Chamberlain said it would be a "matter of concern" if Ms Braverman was seeking to hold part of the hearing in private while, at the same time, the government was briefing the press.

The senior judge said he had been provided with no evidence to undermine the inference that a government source was responsible for briefing the paper.

The High Court later ruled the BBC could publish the story, though an injunction still bars the corporation from identifying the man.

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An inquiry was launched to find out who had leaked confidential details of the court case to the Telegraph.

The High Court permits publication of the fact there was a leak inquiry, but the government has so far refused to comment.

The Cabinet Office has not responded to the BBC's questions about the leak inquiry including whether or not Ms Braverman was questioned, if the police were involved, or if anyone was arrested or questioned under caution. The attorney general's office also did not respond to queries.

Labour is calling for a probe into the reports in the Daily Mail that Ms Braverman was investigated over the leak.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The prime minister needs to say whether he knew about these allegations when he reappointed her. Ignoring warnings about security risks when appointing a home secretary is highly irresponsible and dangerous. We need answers now."

Raising the matter in the House of Lords, former Home Secretary Lord David Blunkett told peers the security and intelligence services could be reluctant to brief the home secretary and that other international security agencies would be reluctant to share information with the UK "if they're fearful that information will be passed out from government itself".

Separately, opposition parties and some Tory MPs have also questioned Ms Braverman's reappointment as home secretary after she admitted sending an official document to someone not authorised to receive it.

She stepped down from her cabinet position last week in the final days of Liz Truss's premiership.

In her resignation letter, she admitted committing a "technical infringement" of the rules.

"I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign," she wrote.

However, just six days later Mr Sunak reappointed Ms Braverman as home secretary.

It came two days after Ms Braverman had thrown her support behind him in the contest to replace Ms Truss, in what was widely seen as a significant endorsement by an influential figure on the right of the Conservative Party.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the new prime minister of giving Ms Braverman a job in exchange for her support.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called for inquiries into Ms Braverman's appointment.

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Caroline Nokes - Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North - agreed there should be an inquiry, saying there were "big questions" hanging over the issue.

"To be frank I would like to see them cleared up so that the home secretary can get on with her job," she told BBC Radio Solent.

Jake Berry - who served as party chairman under Ms Truss but was fired by Mr Sunak - has also questioned Ms Braverman's return to the cabinet, saying there had been "multiple breaches" of the rules.

He told Talk TV that Ms Braverman had sent a document "from a private email address to another MP, she then sought to copy in that individual's wife but accidentally sent it to a staffer in Parliament".

"To me, that seems to be a really serious breach - the cabinet secretary had his say at the time. I doubt he has changed his mind in the last six days," he added.

A No 10 spokesperson has denied reports that Cabinet Secretary Simon Case - the head of the civil service - was "livid" about the appointment.

New party chairman Nadhim Zahawi defended Ms Braverman's reappointment, telling the BBC he believed in "redemption".

"The prime minister looked at this case and he decided to give her a second chance," he added.

The BBC has been told that the home secretary has requested further briefings on email security.