The Conservatives have been criticised by members of their own party and their opponents for their response to Suella Braverman’s defection.

After the former Tory home secretary announced she was joining Reform UK, a Conservative spokesperson 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.”

That reference to Braverman’s mental health has drawn strong criticism from across the political spectrum.

Tory peer Stewart Jackson said: “What a nasty and unpleasant statement… That’s another few thousand votes they’ve lost.”

Reform has also responded, with a spokesperson saying it is “gutter politics – a sign of what the Conservative Party has become”.

‘A full public apology is now required’

Former Tory MP Harvey Proctor also called it a “very poor show”.

“That line should never have been written, let alone ‘sent out in error’. 

“A fulsome public apology is now required, with the person responsible punished. 

“Politics should be free from such attacks.”

The “sent out in error” line refers to reports that the Conservative Party has reissued the response without the line about mental health, and has claimed this was a draft released by mistake.

‘Below the standards we expect’

Meanwhile, migration minister Mike Tapp said: “I have no sympathy for Suella Braverman when it comes to politics and what she did to our immigration system. 

“But 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.”