Analysis: Rishi Sunak won leadership on competency, but his Suella Braverman appointment has already undermined it

Rishi Sunak is facing questions over his appointment of Suella Braverman because of course he is.

The former Home Secretary who is now once again the Home Secretary despite the fact she was involved in a security breach.

Originally this was claimed to have been sending an email in error, which she immediately reported, but that line is already starting to buckle.

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Sunday saw new messages emerge seeming to show Ms Braverman telling the recipient of a message sent in error to “ignore and delete”.

Labour will try to force the Government to publish its assessments of Suella Braverman's security breach.Labour will try to force the Government to publish its assessments of Suella Braverman's security breach.
Labour will try to force the Government to publish its assessments of Suella Braverman's security breach.

Ms Braverman, who has been dubbed “Leaky Sue”, is believed to have been previously investigated by Government officials after the leaking of a story involving the security services.

This comes with new claims the Home Secretary ignored legal warnings that the Home Office was breaking the law by keeping asylum seekers in overcrowded, disease-ridden processing centres for too long.

Now I have little to no experience of Government or the official secrets act, but I’m fairly sure none of this is good or even normal.

Yet in the time it takes to recover from flu, Ms Braverman is back with a bang, appointed Home Secretary just days after endorsing Mr Sunak for Prime Minister.

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In an incredible stroke of luck, the person he needed to endorse him to secure support among the right of the party and see off Boris Johnson also happens to want him to be leader, fancy that!

But questions are now being asked, and after two previous leaders, or maybe one and a half who deflected genuine questions, we’re back to it again.

Michael Gove, newly returned to cabinet suggested Ms Braverman is facing opposition because she is “brave” and “making changes”.

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Much like Tory MPs were encouraged to tweet support when Priti Patel broke the ministerial code for a second time, valid questions are being framed as politically motivated.

Mr Sunak knew this would happen, so why has he done it? George Osborne claimed the Prime Minister was presuming she'd mess up again so wasn’t a risk.

Picking someone hoping you can fire them again doesn’t scream safe pair of hands, and suggests politics is just a game.

With no explanation, opposition parties can now accuse Mr Sunak of being yet another Prime Minister making appointments for his benefit rather than good Government.

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