Suella Braverman rejoined the cabinet on Tuesday, despite being sacked last Wednesday.
As the home secretary once again she leads the home office, meaning she’ll likely pick up her old policies but this time under prime minister Rishi Sunak rather than his predecessor Liz Truss.
Despite only being in the home office for just over a month, Braverman caused a major backlash after saying it was her “dream” to see a plane full of asylum seekers being deported to Rwanda.
She caused further frustration when she attacked “Guardian-reading tofu-eating wokerati” in a strange Commons speech.
Then, she had to resign after admitting to sending an official document from her private email account, breaching the ministerial code.
Having caused such a stir in a matter of weeks, Sunak’s decision to bring her back to the home office during his reshuffle on Tuesday definitely raised eyebrows.
And then, at 10pm, the home office tweeted: “We were delighted to welcome @SuellaBraverman back to the home office to continue keeping the British public safe in her role as home secretary.”
Considering the home office is run by civil servants, just headed up by a politician in a ministerial role, this was highly unusual.
The civil service is expected to be non-partisan at all times, so that it operates efficiently regardless of the party in power.
So the rest of Twitter was quick to seize on the tweet in question, particularly the use of the word “delighted” and the claim Braverman will “continue keeping the British public safe” after last week’s security breach.
We were delighted? https://t.co/AaBrJOeFvl
— Sarah Phelps (@PhelpsieSarah) October 26, 2022
I bet you are. ???? https://t.co/Tt1TalhTzJ
— Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) October 26, 2022
No you weren’t. https://t.co/VpPygPml3l
— David Aaronovitch (@DAaronovitch) October 26, 2022
Sure you were ! https://t.co/03lKDNlD1opic.twitter.com/BjezQQvNIo
— libera masklo ???????? ????????????????????????????☘ (@LiberHuman) October 26, 2022
Not convinced any depts should be tweeting their "delight". Only would be at all meaningful if some were tweeting "OMG not them.. we are all rushing to the pub". https://t.co/w1qaWAWZH9
— Jill Rutter (@jillongovt) October 26, 2022
It’s worth pointing out that the foreign, commonwealth and development office used almost identical wording to welcome back foreign secretary James Cleverly on Tuesday.
It tweeted: “We are delighted to welcome @JamesCleverly back as secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs.”
However, Cleverly caused much less controversy during his six-week stint under Truss than Braverman, which explains why Twitter mostly overlooked it.
Am objecting again to a taxpayer-funded government department tweeting a party political message.
— Sarah Ludford ???????? ???????????????? ???????? (@SarahLudford) October 26, 2022
This time it’s the @ukhomeoffice re Braverman, yesterday it was the @FCDOGovUK re Cleverley.
And @RishiSunak said he would restore integrity in governance? https://t.co/A6xIzC74i1
Others pointed out the neutrality demanded of all civil servants – and how this tweet appeared out of place, to say the least.
Strange.. when I was a Civil Servant we were expected to remain politically neutral when communicating with the public.Since when is it acceptable to spout propaganda like this @ukhomeoffice ? https://t.co/3j53mtMNsH
— John Clarke (@johnclarkeffc) October 26, 2022
Now say it with a straight face ???? https://t.co/W7QgV057Hk
— Ian Wallis (@gajido_ian) October 26, 2022
I think that makes you the Home Alone Office on that one. https://t.co/iaQshdez0c
— K A Armstrong (@ProfKAArmstrong) October 26, 2022
Were you really or were you threatened with a one way flight to Rwanda if you didn't tweet this? Asking for a failing nation. https://t.co/RStPnQPabb
— Grant Webster (@vintage_thorns) October 26, 2022
PS we had to say this or we’d have been transferred to environment https://t.co/yKRt7PYkFu
— Jamie Wrench (@jamie_wrench) October 26, 2022
I hope whoever had to write this was sobbing at the time https://t.co/HSX7tyJ0p2
— Fran (@FranPayne) October 26, 2022
It's getting increasingly difficult to spot parody accounts. https://t.co/BKBKToHTe4
— Mark Ayres (@MarkAyresRWS) October 26, 2022
This is a highly politicised message put out by what are supposed to be neutral civil servants. Yet another way in which the Tories are debasing our democracy. https://t.co/DMMPkx9BsY
— JWExTheSpa (@SpaJw) October 26, 2022
This is trolling, surely? https://t.co/Kr7yht8kOA
— Lady Scarborough ???? (@Scarborough_GB) October 26, 2022
The civil service needs to stop posting these stupid tweets; not your job to promote your minister’s personal brand! https://t.co/dDBe8u3LtW
— Chris Cook (@xtophercook) October 26, 2022
I know they say that a week is a long time in politics but a reminder that @SuellaBraverman had to resign *just 6 days ago* for a security breach.
— David Linden MP (@DavidLinden) October 26, 2022
Today the @ukhomeoffice has the audacity to say she’s “keeping the British public safe”. ????
You couldn’t make this stuff up. https://t.co/Lm4X5qdARc
Slogans and words just don't mean anything anymore!!! https://t.co/2QVnYp0I4Hpic.twitter.com/uhiVaIcK1q
— Graham Clair (@GrahamClair3) October 26, 2022
'Delighted' https://t.co/BfUvDFmFu4pic.twitter.com/ued177aMbp
— Tony ???????????????????????????? (@Sergbytes) October 26, 2022
