Doubts arise over Braverman’s claim to have come forward about code breach

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Suella Braverman is under pressure to answer fresh questions about her resignation as home secretary for breaching the ministerial code last week, after new details emerged that cast doubt on her and Rishi Sunak’s version of events.

Sources have told the Guardian that Braverman was challenged by the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, about the leaking of a sensitive document, rather than coming forward herself about what had happened.

A government insider said: “She only owned up to it when she was confronted with the evidence.”

It follows an intervention by Jake Berry, the former Conservative party chairman, who said the issue was “really serious” and added: “As I understand it, the evidence was put to her and she accepted the evidence, rather than the other way round.”

The account appears to contradict what Sunak said had happened during his first prime minister’s questions on Wednesday.

While justifying the reappointment of Braverman as home secretary just six days after her departure, he insisted: “She raised the matter and she accepted her mistake.”

The sensitive government information, which Berry said related to cybersecurity, was sent by Braverman using a private email address to a fellow Tory MP, John Hayes, and while trying to copy in Hayes’s wife, she mistakenly sent it to a staff member working for another backbencher, Andrew Percy, who informed the chief whip of the breach.

Case then spoke to the Home Office permanent secretary, Matthew Rycroft, and advised the then-prime minister, Liz Truss, that the ministerial code had been broken.

There are also questions over the version of events Braverman gave to officials – claiming not to have had her government phone on her because she was taking part in a police operation. Sources said the timestamp on the email showed it was sent several hours after the police raid. They added that at no point did Braverman notify Case of her mistake.

On Thursday, Downing Street defended Sunak’s version of events. “He said she had raised it, but we are not going to get into conversations and timelines around this. As we have said before, the home secretary made an error of judgment and took accountability for her actions.”

Asked if the prime minister’s words were accurate, the spokesman said: “Yes.”

In her resignation letter last week, Braverman said: “As soon as I realised my mistake, I rapidly reported this on official channels, and informed the cabinet secretary.”

She admitted to a “technical infringement of the rules” but insisted much of the contents of the document she leaked “had already been briefed to MPs”.

Braverman also came under fire after the Daily Mail reported she was part of a leak inquiry that raised “concern” in MI5 when she was attorney general.

Labour has called for an “urgent investigation” into the “extremely serious allegations” and told Sunak to confirm whether he knew about them.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said: “Ignoring warnings about security risks when appointing a home secretary is highly irresponsible and dangerous. We need answers now.”

Mark Pritchard, a Tory MP and former member of parliament’s intelligence and security committee, said MI5 needed confidence in the home secretary and any breakdown in that relationship was bad for the government and the security services. “It needs to be sorted ASAP,” he said.

Caroline Nokes, another Conservative backbencher who chairs the equalities select committee, said there were “big questions hanging over this whole issue”.

Sunak was accused by the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, of hatching a “grubby deal” to give Braverman her job back in exchange for her supporting his Tory leadership campaign.

But the new prime minister said Braverman accepted she made an error of judgment and he had been “delighted to welcome her back into a united cabinet that brings experience and stability to the heart of government”.

Labour is demanding that the government publish any advice received from Case about the decision to reappoint Braverman.

Two sections of the code were thought to have been broken – one on the “security of government business” and another ensuring the internal processes that lead to a collective cabinet decision being made stay secret.

Nadhim Zahawi, the new Conservative party chair, disputed suggestions Braverman tried to cling on to her job when the breach arose.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “She fell on her sword. She didn’t try and ride it out and try to hang on to her job. She said: ‘No, I’ve made a mistake, I’m not going to shy away from it, I’m going to resign immediately.’ She did that.”

Zahawi added: “This prime minister looked at the detail of this case and he believes in second chances and he’s giving Suella Braverman that second chance. I believe in redemption, as I’m sure many of your listeners would do as well.”

Braverman has not commented on the issue since her resignation last week.