UK home secretary resigns, notes 'serious concerns' over Truss gov't

Reuters

Suella Braverman, home secretary of the United Kingdom, resigned on Wednesday after breaching a security rule. However, she also noted her "serious concerns" about the direction of Prime Minister Liz Truss's government.

In her resignation letter posted on Twitter, Braverman cited her "technical infringement of the rules" as she had sent an official document from her personal e-mail.

She, however, went on to express concerns over Truss's government and its U-turns on its promises to the people.

"It is obvious to everyone that we are going through a tumultuous time," she wrote. "I have concerns about the direction of this government. Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government's commitment to honoring manifesto commitments, such as reducing overall migration numbers and stopping illegal migration, particularly the dangerous small boats crossings."

In her letter to Braverman, Truss said that "I accept your resignation and respect the decision you have made. It is important the ministerial code is upheld and that Cabinet confidentiality is respected."

Grant Shapps, former transport minister, succeeds Braverman as home secretary, Downing Street said.

Braverman's resignation came five days after Kwasi Kwarteng left the government as chancellor of the exchequer after the mini-budget he introduced last month caused market turmoil and tanked the ruling Conservative Party's poll rating.

The mini-budget, which contained controversial debt-funded tax cuts, has been blamed for plunging the British pound to a 37-year low against the US dollar, while pushing up the cost of government borrowing and mortgage rates.

His successor, Jeremy Hunt, has torn up almost all the announced tax cuts and limited the government's cap on rising energy prices. With her economic strategy reversed and Kwarteng gone, Truss's premiership is thought to be increasingly untenable.

In an interview with the BBC on Monday, Truss apologized for going "too far and too fast" with the economic policies and took responsibility for "the mistakes that have been made" in the first weeks of her premiership.

However, the prime minister, who has been in office for only six weeks, vowed to stay on and take the party to the next general election. During the weekly Prime Minister's Questions in Parliament earlier in the day, Truss said: "I am a fighter and not a quitter."