Tories say mental health claim about Suella Braverman was ‘sent out in error’
The Conservatives have withdrawn a claim that Suella Braverman’s defection to Reform UK on Monday was connected to her mental health after criticism from across the political spectrum.Earlier, in an official statement it now says was “sent out in error”, the 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 statement was shared with journalists by a Conservative party spokesperson and swiftly condemned by MPs, peers and mental health charities for its brutality and indiscretion, as well as for trivialising and weaponising mental health struggles.Speaking to GB News after the statement was released, Nigel Evans, a former Conservative MP, said it was an “absolute disgrace” and “completely underhand”.
Stewart Jackson, a Tory peer, wrote on X: “What a nasty and unpleasant statement from @Conservatives,That’s another few thousand votes they’ve lost,”The Conservative spokesperson subsequently apologised for the error and circulated a statement that omitted the reference to Braverman’s mental health,Sojan Joseph, a Labour MP and the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on mental health, described the comments as “frankly appalling”,He added: “Conflating a political defection with mental illness downplays an incredibly important issue and undermines the hard work of mental health staff and the genuine struggle of people living with mental health issues.
”A Reform source told the Guardian that the Tory statement was “not true” and “a gross affront to millions of people in this country”.The source said: “Whether you like Suella or not, she is a Cambridge-educated barrister who has served in a series of extraordinary senior positions in this country.“To just throw around a wild claim of this nature – it goes without saying that she has never been diagnosed with a mental health condition.It is a testament to the extent to which the Tory party is in real panic mode and is prepared to say anything.”Mike Tapp, a Home Office minister, posted on X that while he had “no sympathy” for Braverman and her immigration policies, “the Tories attacking her mental health is below the standards we expect.
British values are strong but decent, firm but fair.Neither the Tories nor Reform sign up to that.”Josh Fenton-Glynn, the Labour MP for Calder Valley, said the statement was “horrible”.He wrote on X: “Attacking someone on mental health is wrong.The whole thing reads as petty and churlish.
The kind of first draft of an email you do before having a cup of tea and letting your better angels take over.”Mental health charities also shared their disapproval.Tom Pollard, the head of policy at Mind, said it was “disappointing to see a political party commenting publicly on someone’s mental health”.He added: “Using mental health as a criticism of someone’s actions is stigmatising and unhelpful for anyone who has a mental health problem.”Brian Dow, the deputy chief executive of Rethink Mental Illness, said: “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.People living with mental ill-health do not deserve to have their experiences trivialised or used as a political football.”
Aston Martin become second F1 team to miss vital testing in Barcelona
The Aston Martin team have admitted they are to miss at least one day of their allotted three at Formula One’s first pre-season test in Barcelona and will not run their car before Thursday at the earliest. They are the second team to fail to take full advantage of the opening test after Williams also announced they would be unable to take to the track at all in Spain.Testing is taking place from Monday to Friday this week at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with teams able to use three of the five days to assess their cars. They have been designed to entirely new regulations and with new engines this season and consequently three full pre-season tests are being held. But as the track running began, Aston Martin conceded they would not be there at the off and issued a statement
Cheltenham’s hole in the track an unfortunate postscript after Sir Gino setback
Before the first of the eight races at Cheltenham on Saturday, the afternoon promised to deliver on its Trials Day billing from start to finish, with serious contenders for festival glory in March scattered throughout the card. By the end, the main lesson concerned the vagaries of chance, after a serious injury to Sir Gino, and then a long delay to the final race after a hole was discovered in the turf, close to the final flight on the hurdles course.Trainers, jockeys and officials inspected the course before agreeing that conditions were safe to continue, with the runners rerouted around the problem. By the time Kripticjim and Taurus Bay eventually crossed the line almost as one, the sun had set and the photo-finish image was too murky to determine the result. Instead, the stewards resorted to the video footage to declare Kripticjim the winner by a short head
Ruud makes timely exit from Australian Open as Shelton storms into last eight
Casper Ruud endured a frustrating 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 defeat against Ben Shelton in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Monday night, but the silver lining of the three-time grand slam finalist’s loss is that he will finally be able to return home.Ruud, the 12th seed, has had one eye on events back home during his time in Melbourne owing to the fact that his wife, Maria, is pregnant with their first child and is due to give birth this weekend. Ruud had stated repeatedly that he would withdraw and immediately begin the long journey home to Norway if she went into labour during the tournament.Ruud said last week: “She’s due later in the tournament, so we’ll see. It’s not until the final weekend of the tournament, the due date
Always in reserve: Liam Dawson’s moment beckons at T20 World Cup after decade ‘on call’ for England
Hampshire all-rounder has made his mark on return to white-ball team and will finally make his global tournament debut next monthLiam Dawson has been around for England’s finest white-ball moments in the past decade. He was an uncapped inclusion in the 2016 World T20 touring party, when Eoin Morgan’s fresh-faced team were denied right at the end by Carlos Brathwaite’s “remember the name” sixes. He was there as a squad member on that golden day at Lord’s in 2019 and a travelling reserve when England won the T20 World Cup in Australia three years later.But, remarkably, the 35-year-old is still waiting to make his debut at a global tournament. It has been an international career spent on call, limited to 33 appearances in all formats, his left-arm spin and handy batting there to use in case of emergency
How Alex de Minaur can beat Carlos Alcaraz in Australian Open quarter-final
Alex de Minaur went into his quarter-final with Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open hopeful that he could make life difficult for the defending champion. Not only did that not happen, but the manner of his one-sided defeat left him wondering if he really had the game to trouble the top players.Fast forward a year and the Australian again finds himself in the last eight, again facing one of the sport’s superstars, this time Carlos Alcaraz. As with Sinner, the head to head doesn’t make pretty reading for De Minaur, with Alcaraz leading 5-0. This, though, is their first grand slam meeting and there is a growing feeling that things can be different
RFU targets transport revamp and undercover police to sway Twickenham residents over concert plan
The Rugby Football Union is hopeful that a proposed overhaul of Twickenham rail station and the deployment of undercover police officers on matchdays will help to sway opponents of plans to host more concerts to pay for the £660m stadium upgrade.The union is seeking to increase the number of non-sporting events held at Twickenham each year from three to 15 in order to pay for the stadium overhaul, but it encountered a roadblock last year when Richmond council expressed “significant concerns” over transport links. The council also determined in October that a limit of three concerts – and only one not on a Saturday – would remain as part of its new licence amid considerable opposition from residents.On Tuesday, the RFU will seek to convince residents at a drop-in session where new plans will be revealed. It is understood they include a revamp of Twickenham station which could double the number of passengers per train and the presence of “plain clothes officers” – including a mix of police and stewards – and the introduction of “civil enforcement officers” in an effort to tackle antisocial behaviour
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