Tory MPs in bitter WhatsApp row over Suella Braverman’s ‘homeless’ comments

8 November 2023, 18:29

Tory MPs have launched right into a spherical of bitter infighting on WhatsApp over Suella Braverman’s homelessness comments.

The Home Secretary has been underneath hearth for comments final weekend the place she stated homelessness is a selection for some – which has sparked a livid backlash.

And Gloucester MP Richard Graham sparked off an enormous spat when he hit out on the Home Secretary in an inside chat, LBC can reveal.

Ms Braverman stated final weekend: “We cannot allow our streets to be taken over by rows of tents occupied by people, many of them from abroad, living on the streets as a lifestyle choice.”

Read extra: Suella Braverman claims sleeping tough is ‘a way of life selection’ as she requires crackdown on homeless pitching tents

Read extra: Pro-Palestine protesters who vandalise Cenotaph ‘have to be jailed sooner than toes can contact the bottom’, warns Braverman

Sharing a message on Twitter in a Home Office WhatsApp group, Mr Graham stated: “Tone issues. It’s our obligation to calm not inflame: to scale back, not improve, tensions.

“The language of the Home Secretary whether or not on tents or on marches is unhelpful to cohesion in our communities and isn’t in my title: nor does it mirror how we deal with points in Gloucester.”

But instantly a string of Braverman-backing MPs piled in to defend her.

Ipswitch MP Tom Hunt stated: “I noticed that. I completely disagree.

“It’s extremely unhelpful so that you can begin taking public pot pictures.

“I could have considerations about plenty of ministers however I do not take to twitter and begin slagging them off.”

Jill Mortimer replied: “Nice little bit of unity there – what about that tone?

“What you will have tweeted is extra akin to washing soiled linen.

“Gloating and sharing an anti-Home Secretary tweet on a Home Office WhatsApp group was in all probability not the brightest resolution by our light colleague.”

And Tory Deputy Chair Lee Anderson added: “Quite proper Tom. I believed we had been alleged to criticise the opposition, not one in all our personal. Maybe I bought this politics all flawed.”

Stoke On Trent’s Jonathan Gullis stated: “Well executed on the self-promotion, I’m certain all of the likes on Twitter will make you’re feeling higher.”

Mr Graham defended his message, saying “democracy is all about disagreeing agreeably”.

And he stated the Home Secretary’s language was “harmful for us all” – including that it was the primary time in fourteen years he was publicly attacking a colleague.

There have been a number of complaints made to the Chief Whip about Ms Braverman’s comments, LBC understands.

The Home Secretary had been pushing for brand spanking new legal guidelines to incorporate fines for tough sleepers who’ve been warned by cops about their tents inflicting a nuisance.

And there could be civil penalties for charities that equipped tents to folks recognized by cops as inflicting a nuisance.
Despite the coverage not showing in yesterday’s King’s Speech, sources near the Home Secretary confirmed to LBC that she continues to be pushing for it.

No10 stated no selections had but been made.