Suella Braverman was first elected as the Conservative MP for Fareham in 2015, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 26,086.
The Fareham constituency is found on the Hampshire coast along the M27 between Southampton and Portsmouth. Alongside Fareham, the seat contains the towns of Portchester, Warsash, and Titchfield. Over four fifths of the population here own their own homes. This area has long been safe Conservative territory, being held by the party continuously since 1885.
Braverman was appointed Home Secretary by Liz Truss in September 2021, but resigned in october 2022 in the final days of the Truss premiership after what was described as a minor breach of the ministerial code relating to her personal email account. Ms Braverman was reappointed to the role some six days later by the new prime minister, Rishi Sunak.
She was sacked from her post as part of the prime minister’s November 2023 reshuffle. It followed a controversial Times op-ed, written by the then-home secretary, which No 10 said had not been entirely signed off.
Braverman previously served as Attorney General under Boris Johnson between 2020, and 2022. Braverman was Under Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union in 2018, but soon resigned in protest at Theresa May’s then Brexit deal.
In July 2022, Braverman became the first person to announce she would stand for the Conservative party leadership when Boris Johnson resigned. In doing so she attempted to steal a march on her potential rivals. Braverman exceeded expectations and came fifth in the contest, in terms of votes from fellow Conservative MPs.
Braverman took maternity leave in 2021 after the birth of her second child. In doing so she became the first ever British Cabinet minister to take maternity leave.
Born in 1980, Braverman grew up in Wembley, West London, as the daughter of Kenyan and Mauritian immigrants. Her mother became a local councillor. Braverman later attended Cambridge University, where she was Chair of the University Conservative Association.
‘You have manifestly and repeatedly failed to deliver’ – Braverman’s letter to Sunak in full
She worked as a barrister specialising in planning, before being elected to Parliament.
Braverman has described her political beliefs as being that whereby, “You can make your life and that of others better by taking responsibility, self-empowerment and service. Aspiration, to me, means: rewarding endeavour, enabling compassion and liberating people from the shackles of the state”.
Braverman is the co-founder of Africa Justice Foundation, a UK charity that supports justice systems in Africa through education and training.
She supported Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum and was previously Chair of the European Research Group of Conservative MPs. She regularly voted against Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal agreement when it came before Parliament.
She backed Boris Johnson in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election.
It has previously been reported that Braverman is a Buddhist who attends the London Buddhist centre.
Suella Braverman wants to be a martyr — but what’s her cause and who will follow?
Personal Website: https://www.suellabraverman.co.uk/
Twitter: @SuellaBraverman
