Tories Retract 'Error' Statement on Braverman's Mental Health After Defection Backlash
The Conservative Party has been forced into an embarrassing climbdown after withdrawing a statement that controversially linked former home secretary Suella Braverman's defection to Reform UK with her mental health. The party has now apologised, describing the original comments as having been "sent out in error".
Swift Condemnation Across Political Spectrum
In an initial official statement circulated to journalists on Monday, the Conservative Party said: "It was always a matter of when, not if, Suella would defect. The Conservatives did all we could to look after Suella's mental health, but she was clearly very unhappy."
The remarks were met with immediate condemnation from across Westminster. Nigel Evans, a former Conservative MP, told GB News the statement was an "absolute disgrace" and "completely underhand."
Tory peer Stewart Jackson wrote on social media platform X: "What a nasty and unpleasant statement from @Conservatives. That's another few thousand votes they've lost."
Mental Health Charities Voice Strong Disapproval
Mental health organisations joined politicians in criticising what they saw as the trivialisation of mental health struggles for political purposes.
Tom Pollard, head of policy at Mind, said: "Using mental health as a criticism of someone's actions is stigmatising and unhelpful for anyone who has a mental health problem."
Brian Dow, deputy chief executive of Rethink Mental Illness, added: "Employers should never disclose any details about the mental health of their employees or former staff. Doing so says far more about them than the person they are referring to."
Labour MPs and Reform UK Respond
Sojan Joseph, a Labour MP and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on mental health, described the Conservative statement as "frankly appalling." He emphasised that "conflating a political defection with mental illness downplays an incredibly important issue."
A Reform UK source told the Guardian the Tory statement was "not true" and "a gross affront to millions of people in this country." The source defended Braverman as "a Cambridge-educated barrister who has served in a series of extraordinary senior positions" and stated she had never been diagnosed with a mental health condition.
Conservative Apology and Revised Statement
Following the widespread criticism, a Conservative Party spokesperson apologised for what they termed an error and circulated a revised statement that omitted all references to Braverman's mental health.
Even within Conservative ranks, some ministers expressed discomfort. Mike Tapp, a Home Office minister, posted on X that while he had "no sympathy" for Braverman's immigration policies, "the Tories attacking her mental health is below the standards we expect."
Labour MP Josh Fenton-Glynn described the original statement as "horrible," writing: "Attacking someone on mental health is wrong. The whole thing reads as petty and churlish."
The incident has highlighted growing tensions within the Conservative Party following Braverman's high-profile defection to Reform UK, with critics suggesting the episode reflects deeper panic within Tory ranks as they face electoral challenges.
