EARLIER this week anti-racists welcomed the sacking of Suella Braverman as home secretary. After violent fascist and far-right mobs took to the streets of central London on Saturday, attacking police officers and others, Braverman’s position was obviously untenable in light of her article in the Times which said that “unfortunately, there is a perception that senior police officers play favourites when it comes to protesters. During Covid, why was it that lockdown objectors were given no quarter by public order police yet Black Lives Matter demonstrators were enabled, allowed to break rules and even greeted with officers taking the knee?”

There is no doubt that these comments emboldened far-right and fascist thugs — that is why she was sacked by a Prime Minister who had consistently supported her prior to last week’s Times article. 

Braverman will go down in history as the Conservative home secretary who galvanised the far right. It is worth remembering that last Saturday was not the first time comments by Braverman had wound up far-right and fascist thugs, leading to violence. This has been a permanent feature of Braverman’s tenure as home secretary.