Rishi Sunak latest: PM’s aide brushes off Braverman concerns as she escapes investigation

Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman said that Labour wants the cabinet secretary to offer a substantive response to its letter about Suella Braverman after shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper wrote to Simon Case demanding an investigation “into the extent of this and other possible security breaches”.

“Clearly, if there is content of the inquiry that has to be retained, that is understandable,” he said.

“If there was advice that went to the prime minister that there was a raised eyebrow within the civil service about this appointment, then absolutely that is something that should be in the public domain.

“It is perfectly possible to do that whilst preserving any operational matters that could be compromised in doing so.”

Downing Street has declined to get into reports that officials were concerned over the re-appointment of Suella Braverman as home secretary.

Cabinet secretary Simon Case, the most senior civil servant, is reportedly “livid” over her swift return and “very concerned” about the breach that led to her sacking.

“I don’t recognise reports to that end that have been published this morning,” the prime minister’s official spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Asked if officials had raised concerns about the matter, he said: “I don’t as standard get into discussing the advice that ministers nor prime ministers receive from their officials, that would not be proper, but certainly I don’t recognise reports as regards the cabinet secretary.”

Green MP Caroline Lucas says she is “delighted” to have secured “confirmation” from Sunak that he will uphold a promise to ban fracking.

Ms Lucas said: “I’m delighted that the new prime minister has just committed to maintain the moratorium on climate-wrecking fracking.

“Fracking has long been deeply unpopular, not only with the Tory Party itself, but with the public too.

“It wouldn’t reduce household bills, as the gas would get sold on international markets; and since global emissions would still increase, the planet has always been firmly against it too.”

Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch has used her first parliamentary appearance in the role to attack the editor of an LGBT+ magazine.

Speaking in the Commons on her first full day in the job Ms Badenoch accused the founder of PinkNews of wanting to “insult or accuse” her.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports:

During PMQs, Sunak indicated he wants to raise benefits in line with inflation.

He also suggested he was still committted to levelling up, Boris Johnson’s flagship policy.

Mr Sunak hinted that he would reverse Liz Truss’s plan to lift the ban on fracking.

Our deputy politics editor Rob Merrick has more on fracking below:

Suella Braverman will not be investigated over alleged security breaches and violations of the ministerial code.

A minister told parliament that even if Rishi Sunak appoints a new independent adviser, it would “not be proper” for them to probe “events in the last administration”.

The newly reappointed home secretary was accused of “running away” from an urgent question on her appointment, leaving the House of Commons chamber minutes before it began.

Our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden reports:

The early verdicts are in for Rishi Sunak’s first PMQs as prime minister.

Sky’s Beth Rigby thinks that both Mr Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer brought their A-game to the House of Commons.

The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar believes that Mr Sunak will have to face more questions on his appointment of Suella Braverman as home secretary.

The Telegraph’s Ben Riley-Smith says Tory MPs were enjoying listening to a “pumped up” Rishi Sunak.

But The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire reckons it was a win for the Labour leader.

Recap: Here’s the moment SNP’s Ian Blackford called for home secretary Suella Braverman to be sacked

PMQs is now over. A strong performance from both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer and a lot of noise from both Labour and Tory benches in support of their leaders.

Mr Sunak deflected a number of questions on the potential security risks generated by appointments of Suella Braverman and Gavin Williamson. He emphasised that he was a trustworthy leader who would bring responsible finance back to government.

Sir Keir focused on the re-appointment of the home secretary, after she resigned for a breach of the ministerial code, and tried to paint millionaire Mr Sunak as out of touch with working people.

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Rishi Sunak of pretending to be on the side of working people, telling the Commons: “I am surprised he’s still defending non-dom status. He pretends he’s on the side of working people, but in private he says something very different.

“Over the summer he was secretly recorded at a garden party in Tunbridge Wells boasting to a group of Tory members that he personally moved money away from deprived areas to wealthy places instead. Rather than apologise or pretend that he meant something else, why doesn’t he now do the right thing and undo the changes he made to those funding formulas?”

To cheers, Mr Sunak replied: “I know (Sir Keir) rarely leaves north London, but if he does he will know that there are deprived areas in our rural communities, in our coastal communities and across the south, and this Government will relentlessly support them because we are a Government that will deliver across the United Kingdom.

“He mentioned the last few weeks – I’m the first to admit mistakes were made and that’s the reason I’m standing here. But that is the difference between him and me.

“This summer I was being honest about the difficulties that we were facing, but when he ran for leader he promised his party he would borrow billions and billions of pounds.”