Suella says nothing happened...

[SueEllen]

"I didn't ask anyone nuffthink"

And I will only answer the question you didn't ask.



https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/22/suell...fine-18823467/

Suella Braverman says she is 'confident that nothing untoward happened' in the handling of her speeding offence.

The Home Secretary broke her silence following reports that she had asked civil servants to arrange a private speed awareness course for her.

Mrs Braverman said she regrets breaking the speed limit, but denied wrongdoing regarding the handling of her fine.

However, she did not deny asking civil servants to intervene.

Asked directly if she asked officials to arrange a one-to-one course for her, she told Sky News: 'Last summer, I was speeding. I regret that. I paid the fine and I took the points but we're focused now on delivering for the British people and working for them.'

Pressed on the same question, she said: 'In relation to the process, I'm focused on delivering for the British people, doing my job as Home Secretary and what I will say is that, in my view, I'm confident that nothing untoward has happened.'

The speeding offence reportedly took place on a road outside London last year when Mrs Braverman was serving as attorney general.

She would have avoided sitting with other motorists, had her request for a private speed awareness course been granted.

[NotAllThere]

I tell you I didn’t do it cos’ I wasn’t there
Don’t blame me it just isn’t fair
You listened to their side now listen to mine
Can’t think of a story sure you’ll find me some time

Now pass the blame and don’t blame me...

[malvolio]

Got to say this constant drip feed of such stories is getting very tedious...

She asked if it was possible. Nowhere does it say she asked if anyone could arrange it. She's paid the fine and has three points on her licence. Nowhere does it say she tried to avoid any punishment, only if her security (she is, after all, holder of one of the great offices of state) could be maintained.

By all means attack her record as Home Secretary, but trivialities like these are counter-productive.


Purely my opinion, of course. The more hysterical conspiracy theorists among us may well disagree.

[SueEllen]

The issue is not asking for a private speed awareness course but asking for civil servants to help her arrange one as explained by the i.

https://inews.co.uk/news/suella-brav...ourses-2355731

Criminal defence lawyer Stuart Nolan said there are no legal rules preventing a high-profile individual from requesting a private course, but that it is up to providers to decide who may be eligible.

Mr Nolan, chair of the law society’s criminal defence committee, told i: “It could be said that the other members of the group might find their attention could be driven to the footballer, popstar or whatever, instead of to the course provider. So I can see an argument for [celebrities’ doing it in private].”

He added: “The question mark that is being raised is over the alleged attempts to ask for assistance from civil servants to give special treatment.”

Alexander Horne, a barrister and former parliamentary lawyer, said: “It was, in the very least, poor judgement to seek to involve officials in what appears to be an attempt to avoid embarrassment over a private matter,” he told i.

“One of the questions is, what was she hoping to achieve when putting the request through the Civil Service.”

Mr Freeman said Ms Braverman should have gotten a lawyer and dealt with the speeding fine herself, rather than involve civil servants, then “come clean immediately” and accept responsibility.

“My own view is that if you commit an offence of speeding or any offence, it’s a private matter and you should deal with it on a private basis and you shouldn’t be using tax-funded employees to help you out with that private problem.”

He added: “She’s the author of her own misfortune; one for speeding, two for speaking to civil servants about arranging the course, three for not getting a lawyer to deal with it for her and four for not coming out straight away and holding her hands up.”

[dsc]

Am I the only one who thought that you either pay the fine / get points OR do the course, not both at the same time?

[malvolio]

The issue is not asking for a private speed awareness course but asking for civil servants to help her arrange one as explained by the i.

https://inews.co.uk/news/suella-brav...ourses-2355731

Criminal defence lawyer Stuart Nolan said there are no legal rules preventing a high-profile individual from requesting a private course, but that it is up to providers to decide who may be eligible.

Mr Nolan, chair of the law society’s criminal defence committee, told i: “It could be said that the other members of the group might find their attention could be driven to the footballer, popstar or whatever, instead of to the course provider. So I can see an argument for [celebrities’ doing it in private].”

He added: “The question mark that is being raised is over the alleged attempts to ask for assistance from civil servants to give special treatment.”

Alexander Horne, a barrister and former parliamentary lawyer, said: “It was, in the very least, poor judgement to seek to involve officials in what appears to be an attempt to avoid embarrassment over a private matter,” he told i.

“One of the questions is, what was she hoping to achieve when putting the request through the Civil Service.”

Mr Freeman said Ms Braverman should have gotten a lawyer and dealt with the speeding fine herself, rather than involve civil servants, then “come clean immediately” and accept responsibility.

“My own view is that if you commit an offence of speeding or any offence, it’s a private matter and you should deal with it on a private basis and you shouldn’t be using tax-funded employees to help you out with that private problem.”

He added: “She’s the author of her own misfortune; one for speeding, two for speaking to civil servants about arranging the course, three for not getting a lawyer to deal with it for her and four for not coming out straight away and holding her hands up.”

She did hold her hands up, hence the discussion about speed awareness course options...

This sounds an awful lot like some over-rated civil servant jumping on the Ministerial Standards bandwagon after being asked a perfectly innocuous question.

[malvolio]

Am I the only one who thought that you either pay the fine / get points OR do the course, not both at the same time?

She paid the fine and took the points. She tried to do the course but decided it wasn't practical to do so.

We need a Storm in a Teacup smiley.

[NotAllThere]

I think Malvolio has a crush.

[Paralytic]

She paid the fine and took the points. She tried to do the course but decided it wasn't practical to do so.

She tried to take the course on the quiet as she knew doing a public course would lead to her being exposed. When she could not take a private course, she took the points and hoped it wouldn't be made public. Anyone who thinks the reasons she took her actions are anything other than this is either naive or stupid.

[malvolio]

I think Malvolio has a crush.

No, he has a clearer view of reality than some. Put it down to excess age and much cynicism.

I was working in the Treasury when Brown was the head man. Outside his personal cadre of supporters, nobody had a good word to say about him and his habit of throwing things at people who disagreed with him. Funny he never got pulled up for bullying.