Tag: Suella Braverman

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‘Stop making white people feel guilty about being white’

To illustrate her point, she also published a picture of herself on a camping holiday with her Indian-origin family in the 1980s and said not once in 30 years of such holidays did they experience hostility…reports Asian Lite News

Britain’s former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has lashed out at a report handed to a parliamentary group that warned of “racist colonial legacies” as she said it was wrong to make “white people feel guilty”.

Braverman writes in ‘The Daily Telegraph’ on Tuesday to defend perceptions of racism in the rural areas of Britain. It follows a report by Wildlife and Countryside Link, a coalition of voluntary organisations, handed to the all-party ­parliamentary group on race and community in the House of Commons.

“Just because there are more white people than non-white people somewhere does not make it racist,” the 43-year-old politician writes in the newspaper.

“The UK is a majority white country, so of course there will be many areas where there is very little, and sometimes no, ethnic minority participation. I do not see a problem. Ethnic minority people tend to live in urban areas. Does that make Wembley, where I come from and which is now a majority non-white area, racist because there are fewer white people who live there? Of course not,” she said.

To illustrate her point, she also published a picture of herself on a camping holiday with her Indian-origin family in the 1980s and said not once in 30 years of such holidays did they experience hostility.

The Link report, which triggered her defence of the English countryside, notes: “Cultural barriers reflect that in the UK, it is white British cultural values that have been embedded into the design and management of green spaces and into society’s expectations of how people should engage with them.

“Racist colonial legacies that frame nature as a ‘white space’ create further barriers, suggesting that people of colour are not legitimate users of green spaces.”

Braverman countered that to claim that the countryside is racist is one of the most “ridiculous examples” of left-wing iden­tity politics.

“It’s a symptom of a deeper problem within our society: the urge to constantly view everything through the lens of race or gender, plead victimhood and point the finger at an oppressor… We need to stop making white people feel guilty for being white,” she noted.

Braverman, now on the backbenches of the House of Commons since being sacked as a Cabinet minister by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last year, has been very vocal about race and migration issues.

ALSO READ-Braverman Accuses Sunak of ‘Betrayal’ in Fiery Letter

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CABINET REJIG: Cameron Makes Surprise Return as Cleverly Replaces Braverman

David Cameron replaced James Cleverly who has been appointed as the new Home Secretary after Indian-origin Suella Braverman was sacked from the post, days after she wrote a controversial article in The Times newspaper, criticising the Met Police over pro-Palestine protests in London.

As UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is currently reshuffling his Cabinet, former British premier David Cameron was on Monday appointed as the new Foreign Secretary.

In a post on X, the Downing Street said that Cameron had been appointed as the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.

Cameron replaced James Cleverly who has been appointed as the new Home Secretary after Indian-origin Suella Braverman was sacked from the post, days after she wrote a controversial article in The Times newspaper, criticising the Met Police over pro-Palestine protests in London.

It was later confirmed that she had ignored advice from Downing Street to make changes to the article.

“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as home secretary,” the BBC quoted Braverman as saying after she was sacked,

“I will have more to say in due course.”

Braverman was appointed Home Secretary by Liz Truss in September 2022.

But she was made to resign from her post after sending an official document from her personal email – against ministerial rules.

Just six days later, Sunak brought her back into position.

ALSO READ: UK House Speaker Hosts Indian Envoy For Diwali Celebrations

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UK imposes visa requirements on five nations

Braverman was allowing a four-week transition period for those who hold confirmed bookings to the UK to travel without visas before the new requirements come into force…reports Asian Lite News

The UK is imposing visa requirements for all visitors from five nations, with Suella Braverman citing “abuse” of the migration system as a reason.

The home secretary said the changes were being made “solely for migration and border security reasons” and insisted it is “not a sign of poor relations” with Dominica, Honduras, Namibia, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

In a written statement to MPs on Wednesday, she said Dominica and Vanuatu’s “operation of a citizenship by investment scheme has shown clear and evident abuse”. The two Commonwealth allies have been granting “citizenship to individuals known to pose a risk to the UK”, she said.

Braverman said there had been a “sustained and significant increase” in nationals from Namibia and Honduras who had “abused” their right to visit the UK for a limited period without a visa in order to claim asylum.

“As such, Namibians and Hondurans rank first amongst non-visa nationals for asylum claims,” she wrote. “These high numbers are unsustainable, contributing significantly to operational pressures which have resulted in frontline resource being diverted from other operational priorities.”

As for Timor-Leste, Braverman said there had been a “sustained increase” in its nationals arriving at the border as “non-genuine visitors”. She said they often had “the intention to fraudulently claim EU Settlement Scheme status as dependants or to work illegally in the UK”.

Braverman was allowing a four-week transition period for those who hold confirmed bookings to the UK to travel without visas before the new requirements come into force.

It comes as the government cracks down on migrants attempting to claim asylum in the UK by crossing the Channel, with the Illegal Migration Bill now poised to become law. It passed its controversial plans to tackle the small boats crisis this week after defeating a final series of Commons challenges by Tory moderates.

The provisional number of migrant crossings for 2023 so far is 13,774, which is still lower than the more than 15,000 arrivals recorded this time last year. Overall, 45,755 people made the journey in 2022.

The reforms will prevent people from claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive through unauthorised means. The government also hopes the changes will ensure detained people are promptly removed, either to their home country or a third country such as Rwanda, which is currently the subject of a legal challenge.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk and UN high commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi led outrage at the plans. In an unusually critical joint statement, they warned the Bill “will have profound consequences for people in need of international protection” and breaks the UK’s obligations under international law.

Downing Street defended the Bill, with the prime minister’s official spokesman saying: “We are confident we are acting within international law.”

ALSO READ-US to double H-1B visas, to benefit Indian techies

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‘Train fruit pickers and lorry drivers to cut migration’

Some Conservative leaders have said that it is needed in the long run for the welfare of the country…reports Asian Lite News

Home secretary Suella Braverman, is due to speak at a Conservative press conference on Monday where she will propose that more people of the country should be trained as lorry drivers, fruit pickers and butchers so that they don’t have to rely on foreign workers, according to the BBC. The Conservative Party leader will also argue that it is “not racist” to want to control borders, the outlet further said. His party was elected on a promise to cut net migration, but it has instead hit a record.

As per the BBC, the Conservatives had promised to bring down the number of migrants to below 100,000 in a year. But this year, it is expected to hit a record of 700,000.

“There is no good reason why we can’t train up enough HGV drivers, butchers or fruit pickers,” according to excerpt of the speech released by the BBC.

Braverman will also say that “we must not forget how to do things for ourselves”.

“It’s not xenophobic to say that mass and rapid migration is unsustainable in terms of housing supply, service and community relations,” she is expected to say in her speech.

Her speech is being seen as a warning to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to act on his promise of cutting immigration.

Some Conservative leaders have said that it is needed in the long run for the welfare of the country.

“In the long term, we need immigration to come down because that’s what has been causing some challenges in local areas for a long period of time,” Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Braverman’s comments at the National Conservativism Conference will come days after Rishi Sunak’s party lost nearly 1,000 councillors at local elections.

At the three-day conference, she is expected to emphasises that there is a need to reduce the overall immigration numbers – “the 2019 manifesto pledge and what we must deliver”, as per Independent.

The home secretary will tell the National Conservatism conference Brexit enables a high-skilled, high wage economy to be built “that is less dependent on low-skilled foreign labour”.

ALSO READ-Braverman pledges to curb migration

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Sunak defends Braverman pick

. Newly Appointed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds his first Cabinet Meeting the morning after assuming office. 10 Downing Street. Picture by Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street

This was in contrast with Truss’s term, whose sweeping tax cut plan raised fears about the country’s fiscal health, triggering a crash in markets and the pound…reports Asian Lite News

Rishi Sunak on Wednesday defended the reappointment of party colleague Suella Braverman as the home secretary, ruled out an early election, and indicated “difficult decisions” will be taken soon for the economy, deflecting attacks from the Opposition in parliament on his first full day as premier.

Sunak and his Conservative Party have been under pressure to call general elections, not due until 2024, as Britain got its third PM in less than two months, with each taking significantly different policy lines than their predecessor.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt – retained in Sunak’s cabinet along with several other senior ministers – said that Monday’s planned “medium-term fiscal statement” was no longer so pressing.

Instead, there will be a full budget statement on November 17 to lay out the new government’s tax and spending plans, Hunt told reporters. Markets were unperturbed by the postponement, suggesting Hunt and Sunak have successfully calmed investors’ nerves.

This was in contrast with Truss’s term, whose sweeping tax cut plan raised fears about the country’s fiscal health, triggering a crash in markets and the pound. 

In addition to the economic challenge that Sunak’s administration faces, he will also need to balance internal party politics and the international commitments. The key concern here stems from his induction of Braverman in one of the top four ministerial posts.

Braverman, 42, resigned from the cabinet of former prime minister Truss last week, having breached the ministerial code by sending secure information from her private email. Starmer asked Sunak: “Was the home secretary right to resign last week for a breach of security?” He noted that Sunak has promised to govern with “integrity, professionalism and accountability”, but points out that he has put in charge of the Home Office a woman forced to leave her job just a week ago.

“Have officials raised concerns about his decision to appoint her?” Starmer asked Sunak. On the issue of the reappointment of Braverman, Sunak said she made “an error of judgement,” but she had recognised the “mistake”.

Countering the Labour leader, Sunak said Braverman will be focused on “cracking down on criminals” and “defending borders”, while the party in opposition (Labour) remains “soft on crime” and in favour of “unlimited immigration”. A second complication with Braverman is her stance on UK’s trade deals with India. The UK is in talks with India over whether to increase the number of business visas to Indian nationals as part of a potential free trade agreement, a stance that risks causing friction with Braverman.

ALSO READ-Rishi’s Reshuffle: Hunt Stays, Braverman and Gove Return

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Suella Braverman wins 1st Queen Elizabeth II award

“My mum and dad came to this country from Kenya and Mauritius in the 1960s,” said Ms Braverman in her message…reports Asian Lite News

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been named winner of the first-ever Queen Elizabeth II Woman of the Year award at a ceremony in London.

The 42-year-old barrister, who was appointed to the Cabinet earlier this month by British Prime Minister Liz Truss, said it was the “honour of her life” to take on the new role at the Asian Achievers Awards (AAA) 2022 ceremony, dedicated to the memory of the late monarch who passed away recently.

Braverman, the London-born daughter of Tamil mother Uma and Goan-origin father Christie Fernandes, sent a recorded message to the ceremony where her parents collected the award on her behalf.

“My mum and dad came to this country from Kenya and Mauritius in the 1960s,” said Ms Braverman in her message.

“They’ve been proud members of our Asian community and I was born in Wembley, the heart of the Asian community, and to be elected to serve in the UK Parliament and now to serve our phenomenal and amazing and welcoming country as Home Secretary is the honour of my life. I hope to do you proud,” she said.

The awards, now in their 20th year, recognise the achievements of individuals from across Britain’s South Asian community via public nominations.

Other Indian-origin winners across the different categories included broadcaster Naga Munchetty in the media category, chairman and CEO of celebrated visual effects firm DNEG Namit Malhotra in the Arts and Culture category, and Captain Harpreet Chandi in the Uniformed and Civil Service category for her solo expedition across the Antarctic to the South Pole earlier this year.

Professor Sir Shankar Balasubramanian was named Professional of Year for his pioneering DNA sequencing discovery and Karenjeet Kaur Bains won Sports Personality of the Year as the first female Sikh powerlifter to represent Britain on the global stage.

Sherry Vaswani, CEO of IT services firm Xalient, won Entrepreneur of the Year and restaurateur brothers Shamil and Kavi Thakrar were named Business Persons of the Year as the founders of the successful Dishoom chain of restaurants. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Kartar Lalvani, the founder of the UK’s well-known health supplements brand Vitabiotics.

“The AAA will continue to be the platform to identify, recognise and support the innovators, visionaries and community giants that will build Britain and make the world a better place,” said Pratik Dattani, Managing Director of EPG – the global advisory firm behind the awards founded in 2000 by Asian Business Publications Limited (ABPL).

The organisers said more than 500 nominations were received across the 10 categories, which were then shortlisted by judges to be evenly divided between male and female candidates.

The judging panel was made up of a diverse range of professionals, including Former Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bas Javid, former president of the Royal College of General Practitioners Mayur Lakhani, Monzo Bank COO Sujata Bhatia, music producer Bally Sagoo, Welsh Assembly Member Natasha Asghar, and Artistic Director of Darbar Festival, Sandeep Virdee.

A charity auction conducted by celebrated author Lord Jeffery Archer raised around 100,000 pounds for the educational non-profit organisation Pardada Pardadi – which is focussed on girls’ education in India.

ALSO READ-Indian-origin Suella Braverman appointed UK’s Home Secretary

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Suella Braverman to be next Home Secretary

Her main task will be to crack down on Channel crossings by illegal migrants and to make sure those who do reach England are deported to Rwanda, which current Home Secretary Priti Patel has failed to do…reports Asian Lite News

Indian origin UK Attorney General Suella Braverman is tipped to replace Priti Patel as UK Home Secretary in the Liz Truss cabinet.

Braverman would become the third minority home secretary, after Priti Patel and Sajid Javid. Suella Fernandes Braverman traces her roots to Goa.

Braverman stood against Truss in the leadership contest but her ‘anti-woke’ stance and opposition to the European Convention on Human Rights is set to see her promoted from Attorney General to Home Secretary, Daily Mail reported.

Her main task will be to crack down on Channel crossings by illegal migrants and to make sure those who do reach England are deported to Rwanda, which current Home Secretary Priti Patel has failed to do.

During her leadership campaign in July, the attorney general said it was ‘unacceptable’ that a last-minute intervention by the European Court of Human Rights had scuppered the first attempt at a Rwanda deportation flight, Daily Mail reported.

Suella Fernandes Braverman’s father Christie Fernandes of Assagao and Nairobi (he married an Indian from Mauritius) stepped off the plane just weeks before Enoch Powell delivered his bilious “Rivers of Blood” speech warning of cultural ruin that would ensue if Indian subjects from Kenya were allowed to settle in the UK, Herald Goa reported.

Suella Fernandes’ mother, Uma Fernandes, a nurse and a local Councillor and was a Parliamentary candidate. Her father, Christie Fernandes, (ex- Nairobi – Dr Ribeiro School – Class of ’63 and Assagao, Goa) a local activist, Goan Voice reported.

She was Chairman of Cambridge Conservatives whilst studing at the University there. She was a post-graduate student at the Paris Sorbonne and speaks fluent French and Spanish.

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