British premier under pressure over claims interior minister sought special treatment

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday sought guidance from his ethics adviser over whether the country's home secretary broke the rules by asking about arranging for a private speed awareness course after being caught speeding.

After being caught going over the speed limit in 2022, Suella Braverman faced the possibility of a fine and losing three points from her license or attending a speed awareness course as part of a group.

Her conduct is being examined not primarily for the speeding offense itself but for the civil service's handling of her request for a one-on-one speed awareness course, according to British media.

"I got a speeding ticket, paid the fine, took the points. In my view nothing untoward happened," Braverman said on TV.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has urged Sunak to initiate an immediate formal investigation into whether Braverman violated the ministerial code, saying if the investigation confirms her breach, she should step down.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) also accused Sunak of "double standards" over Braverman.

In a statement the PCS general secretary, Mark Serwotka, said: "How many more lives will Rishi Sunak give her? This is double standards. If she was a PCS member she would not expect to be treated so leniently."

"Suella Braverman is quick to criticize civil servants when it suits her, but even quicker to ask for their help when she needs it. Civil servants' role is to deliver government policy not to act as her personal assistants," he added.

Last October, when she was serving under short-lived Prime Minister Liz Truss, Braverman had to resign over sharing an official document from her personal email, a rules violation. But Sunak, who succeeded Truss, reappointed her just six days later.