'We used to have scandals about sex': Tories back Braverman over speeding saga

What does the Braverman controversy mean for the government? Carl Dinnen explains

Suella Braverman has received an outpouring of Tory support over her speeding ticket controversy - but Rishi Sunak is still considering whether to launch an investigation into the conduct of his home secretary.

The prime minister is under pressure to order his independent standards adviser to look into whether Ms Braverman broke the ministerial code over claims she asked officials to help her arrange a private speed awareness course rather than being part of a group.

The home secretary has not denied the allegation but insisted she did "nothing untoward".

She has admitted speeding, paying a fine and accepting penalty points on her licence rather than attending a course which would have allowed her to avoid the sanction.

The PM's official spokesman told reporters "he is still looking at all the requisite information," and denied accusations of "dithering".

"I wouldn't characterise it like that," the spokesman said, "I think people would understand that it's right to gather all the facts before making a decision."

But it appears from a Commons debate about the controversy that most Tory MPs do not believe a probe is necessary.

Conservative Sir Edward Leigh asked "what's wrong with this country?" adding that the "moral outrage is ludicrous".

"We used to have proper scandals about sex or money, or about prime ministers invading Iraq on dodgy evidence in which hundreds of thousands of people died," he told MPs.

He and other backbench Tories said opposition MPs were seeking to capitalise on the controversy in order to distract from the home secretary's work of reducing migration levels.

Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner asked "how many strikes before she's out" and "when can we expect to know what the Prime Minister is thinking on this matter?"

Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin, speaking on behalf of the government, told MPs: "The prime minister made clear to the House yesterday that he is receiving information on the issues raised.

"Since returning from the G7, the prime minister has met both the independent adviser and the Home Secretary and asked for further information.

"It is right that the prime minister, as the head of the executive and the arbiter of the Ministerial Code, be allowed time to receive relevant information on this matter.

"Honourable members will be updated on this in due course."

Conservative MP Sir Charles Walker questioned why the controversy was being given so much prominence in the national news.

"I find it hard to get my head around the fact that the BBC sent its political editor half way across the world to a G7 conference summit where we were discussing energy security, Ukraine, defence, to ask our prime minister a question about a speed awareness course.

"This is the question, why, why?"

Amy Leversidge, assistant general secretary of the FDA union which represents senior civil servants, said: "It is clear in the ministerial code that public duties must be separate from private interests and Suella Braverman really should have known better."

Tory MP Miriam Cates said the Commons debate initiated by Labour was a "clear attempt to play the woman not the ball".

Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis (Stoke-on-Trent North) said voters were more interested in policies than the "witch-hunt from the party opposite", adding: "The Home Secretary has already taken accountability."

Ms Cates, Conservative MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, said: "This leak is a clear attempt to play the woman not the ball, an attempt that undermines our democracy and distracts from the important job of delivering on ordinary people's priorities."

Nick Fletcher, Conservative MP for Don Valley, said: "Whilst this nonsense is being dealt with we should be asking why, when and how this was leaked, because there is also a civil service code to be adhered to."

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has also suggested there was no need for an investigation.

He told BBC Radio 4's World at One: "I would have thought the Prime Minister could think this through pretty clearly, that this is not a big story."

He added: "What goes on in private offices is that a minister is busy, has many things to do and sometimes will ask for something that civil servants can't do.

"But as long as, once they've said no, you accept it, then you haven't done anything wrong."