As it happened: Braverman deserves second chance, Gove tells Kuenssberg

That was a busy morning.

With the government barely a week old, Michael Gove was our main guest today and while he, as ever, tried to tread carefully over some awkward terrain, there are now more questions about the Home Secretary's version of events 10 days ago.

Labour is determined to dig in.

The levelling up secretary also signalled the government might end up dropping Boris Johnson's commitment to increase benefits matching inflation, even though the new Prime Minster has promised to stick to the 2019 manifesto.

What was obvious is that even though the government wants you to think it's business as usual, back to boring, dilemmas abound, not least what to do about the home secretary herself.

Our story revealing she had asked the mistaken recipient of her email to "delete and ignore" does raise more question marks about her account of events.

Gove says she deserves a second chance.

Some Conservatives believe it's quite possible that before too long, that chance will be removed.

What was also really noticeable were the comments from the new chair of the gay rights campaign Stonewall.

He said the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly had been wrong to suggest that gay football fans should respect the culture of Qatar, in the way that he did.

Iain Anderson also acknowledged the public debate around trans rights has become extremely heated, he urged respect for a wide range of opinions, including women with so called gender critical views.

He also called on the government to press ahead with the ban on so called conversion therapy - lots more interesting conversations to come!

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After a fortnight of concentrated political drama, the agenda for the coming week is a bit more focused on legislation - and might just look a bit more like "normal" in Westminster.

It won't now be the week of a mini-budget or autumn statement. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's planned market-steadying financial package is postponed to 17 November, but expect plenty of speculation about what will be in it.

On Monday the Speaker is due to receive a report on allegations of bullying and manhandling during the fracking vote on 12 October, the night before Liz Truss’s resignation.

As is routine on Wednesday, Rishi Sunak will face Prime Minister’s Questions at noon. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace will also face his own questions on cooperation between the US, UK and NATO.

We can expect an interest rate decision by the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee on Thursday.

Just joining us or need a recap? Here's what happened on the programme.

Michael Gove defended the reappointment of Suella Braverman as home secretary, insisting she is "absolutely" a politician of integrity.

The levelling up secretary was asked about an email we reported on earlier - which told the recipient of a highly sensitive message that Braverman had sent in error to "delete and ignore" it.

"I am sure there are lots of inferences can be drawn, but it is quite proper for the home secretary to send to the recipient to be ignored and deleted," said Gove.

Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said there was a "serious list of questions"about Sunak's "reckless" reappointment of Braverman,

She accused Gove of "badly minimising issues of national security"in his comments about the issue.

Next Gove was questioned about the Tory 2019 manifesto commitment to build 300,000 homes.

He said the 300,000 target remains, but said there needs to be a "fair way of allocating housing need which takes into account changes in population".

On the PM's decision not to attend the COP27 climate summit, Gove urged people to "judge us by our actions", rather than who is going to the summit.

But Green MP Caroline Lucas on the panel, said it was"absolutely wrong" that Rishi Sunak was not goingbecause the UK is still the holder of the COP presidency. "Symbols matter," she said.

A bit more on housing, which Michael Gove was questioned about during the the programme,

Lord Hammond said it's a "huge challenge" for the Tory party to increase home building given "many of our core supporters and voters in the Tory Party do not want those homes built near them".

"That's the challenge here. Everybody wants to solve the problem, nobody wants it on their doorstep.

Lord Hammond says Michael Gove "carefully distanced himself" from the idea of giving house-building targets to individual local authorities and regions in order to deliver the 2019 manifesto pledge to build 300,000 new homes.

He adds: "I'm afraid without those kind of prescriptive targets, the 300,000 ambition just won't happen."

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During the programme, panel member Lord Hammond, a former Conservate chancellor, reflected on the economic challenges facing new PM Rishi Sunak

"He's got a huge challenge in relation to the economy," he said.

"He has got to re-establish fiscal stability and then he has got to articulate a growth plan because, frankly, that's what we are lacking.

"Liz Truss's growth plan is dead in the water. Boris Johnson's - which was based on big trade deals particularly the US - didn't happen.

"So they will have to set out their growth plan because without growth we are not going to be able to solve the problems that our public services are facing and solve this conundrum that people don't want to pay higher taxes but they do want better public services."

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The shadow home secretary is now responding to questions on Labour's position on immigration.

Yvette Cooper says the whole system needs an "overhaul"

"The decision-making on asylum has collapsed," she says. "Some of the additional legislation brought in has created huge backlogs.

"It is a problem of the Tories' making."

Pressed on whether Labour wants to see net migration fall or rise, she adds that Labour backs a points-based system rather than migration targets.

She says Labour wants an increase in the activities of the National Crime Agency to detect and deter criminal activity.

Cooper also says she wants a new agreement in place with France around migrant Channel crossings.

Next up, shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is asked about the row over Suella Braverman's reappointment to the cabinet.

She describes it as "reckless" and says not only was there an initial breach of ministerial code but there are now questions over whether Braverman has given an accurate description of what happened..

Labour would like as much of this information as possible to addressed in parliament, she says, adding: "It goes to the heart of Rishi Sunak's error of judgment too."

She accused Michael Gove of "badly minimising issues of national security" in his interview earlier on the programme.

Asked if she thinks Braverman should be sacked she says: "Keir Starmer has already made clear Sunak should be replacing her."

A bit more from Michael Gove's interview now - he was asked about the Tory 2019 manifesto commitment to build 300,000 homes.

He said the target still remains, but there needs to be a fair way of allocating housing need which takes into account changes in population.

"No one can deny that it is going to be made more difficult because of the economic circumstances that we face," he said.

"As Rishi [Sunak] said, we need to be straight with people: the cost of materials has increased because of the problems with global supply chains and also a very tight labour market means that the capacity to build those homes at the rate we want is constrained."

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On the impact of the cost of living on the most vulnerable, Green MP Caroline Lucas suggests that there are political choices that could be made on taxes on people's assets rather than on income.

She also feels that the prime minister should re-think his decision not to attend the upcoming COP27 climate summit in Egypt next month.

"It is absolutely wrong that Rishi Sunak is not going because the UK is still the holder of the COP presidency," Lucas says.

"Symbols matter."

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Asked whether the government takes climate change seriously - given the prime minister is not going to the COP27 climate summit - the levelling up secretary says the UK is the G7 country de-carbonising "fastest".

"We have a 25-year environment plan that ensures we enhance protection for nature and that we do more for biodiviersity,

He says we're moving towards electric vehicles and renewable energy.

Judge us by our actions, rather than who is going to the summit, he says.

Asked if benefits should rise in line with inflation as Boris Johnson promised, Gove responds: "I can't anticipate what the chancellor will announce."

"I want to make sure we protect the vulnerable and I know Rishi is locked on to that."

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Housing campaigner Kwajo has recorded a question for the levelling up secretary.

He says he is regularly contacted by people who are renting and living in poor living conditions adding that the same landlords are getting away "scott free" while tenants live in squalor.

Michael Gove says the government wants to make sure that social landlords live up to their responsibilities.

He pledges "tougher regulation" and a "stronger voice for tenants".

Gove says this legislation is being brought forward.

The levelling up secretary is now answering questions on housing.

One viewer in Gosport says she and millions of others are at risk of losing their homes due to rising rents.

Gove says: "We know people in the private and social renting sector are facing tough times.

"We are looking at a range of options.

"It could mean targeted support for people who are in all sorts of difficulty.

"Rent is simply one of the challenges people will face."

Gove said the combination of food price inflation and soaring rising energy prices is a combination which "creates difficulties" - but he doesn't comment on specific help as he doesn't want to pre-empt Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement next month.

Gove says he's confident the home secretary has given everyone the full details of what happened regarding the email security breach.

Responding to public calls for documents to be published, he says: "If we publish everything, we also potentially publicise things of national security importance."

He says he wants to "ensure we don't rush to judgement in a way that would seem to me inappropriate".

Gove adds that he is "more than satisfied" in that resigning, apologising, accepting responsibility and being brought back by the PM, Braverman should be in the role.

He says Suella Braverman deserves a “second chance”.

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Michael Gove is now commenting on a screenshot which shows the email we reported about earlier - which told the recipient of a highly sensitive message that Braverman had sent in error to "delete and ignore" it.

The levelling up secretary says it was "appropriate" for Braverman to ask for the email to be asked to be ignored and deleted.

"I am sure there are lots of inferences can be drawn, but it is quite proper for the home secretary to send to the recipient to be ignored and deleted."

Home Secretary Suella Braverman is "absolutely" a politician of integrity, Michael Gove tells Laura Kuenssberg.

The levelling up secretary says she had "apologised and resigned from government".

He says he is glad the PM gave her a second chance and that she is in the post.

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The Laura Kuenssberg programme is now getting under way. Stay with us as we bring you updates on interviews with the levelling up secretary, Michael Gove, and the shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper. On this morning's panel are:

Lord Philip Hammond: He served as chancellor under Theresa May’s premiership from 2017 to 2019. He was MP for Runnymede and Weybridge for 22 years, until he stood down as an MP in 2019 after his rebellions over Brexit led to him being kicked out of the parliamentary Conservative Party. However, in 2020 he was reinstated to the party and awarded a peerage, so he now sits in the House of Lords.

Caroline Lucas has been Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilionsince May 2010. She is the only Green MP in the House of Commons and has done two stints as the party’s leader - firstly between 2008 and 2012, and then as a co-leader with Jonathan Bartley from 2016 - 2018.

Iain Anderson is a former government LGBTQ+ business champion and is due to take up the role of chair of trustees within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights charity Stonewall.

Ahead of his interview with Laura Kuenssberg this morning, Michael Gove has apologised for what he says was the "wrong choice" made by the Conservative Party.

Writing in the Sun on Sunday, he said: "We made the wrong choice this summer about the path we should take.

"Plans to cut taxes targeted on the richest were a holiday from reality.

"A mini-budget that didn’t explain how spending plans would be paid for was an error. To put it mildly.

"So I understand why people are angry. We must earn your trust again."

But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is the right man for the job, he insisted, writing: "Sunak has led us through equally daunting challenges before."