Rishi Sunak consulted an ‘ethics advisor’ over Suella Braveman’s speeding & I have one too, it’s the Bible

It seems that there’s been another potential breach of the ministerial code from inside the cabinet and this time it’s at the hands of the Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Last summer the MP was caught exceeding the speed limit and, according to The Sunday Times, asked officials to organise a private speed awareness course for her so she wouldn’t have to participate in a group session.

Now, don’t for one second think that I am standing in judgement of Suella. I too have been the recipient of an invitation to a speed awareness course. I have to say, it was remarkably effective in quashing my need for speed. At the start of the course, when the leaders introduced the day, they were very clear that telling others who you saw on the course was prohibited. On mine there was a very minor celebrity from the 90s but their name will stay under my hat, just as Suella’s would had we found ourselves in the same session.

It doesn’t speak well of someone’s charcter when they try to pull strings in order to shirk their punishment.

I understand her reluctance. She’s not super popular. She’s in a position of authority and she broke a rule. Plus she is pretty recognisable. But it doesn’t speak well of someone’s charcter when they try to pull strings in order to shirk their punishment. Let’s be real – none of us actually wanted to spend the day in an adult learning centre discussing the highway code. It would have been lovely not to sit with a load of strangers and share in discussions for the group work. It’s an introvert’s nightmare. But we did the crime, so we did the time.

Faced with the news of his senior cabinet member’s behaviour, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was fined for failing to wear a seatbelt last year, has decided to consult an “ethics advisor” to determine the best way forward. After calls from Labour and Lib Dem MPs to take action, Rishi has called in his ethics advisor Sir Laurie Magnus, an independent official who will help ascertain whether she acted properly in trying to arrange a one-to-one awareness course.

Much like Rishi, I have an ethics advisor. I call it… the Bible. And while Jesus doesn’t directly address attempting to side-step procedure following a speeding offence, he did cover a lot of applicable ground. I would suggest that the following verses could help inform the government on the best way through this ethical conundrum:

1. Someone in leadership should hold themselves to a high standard of behaviour. 1 Timothy 3:1-2: “Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.”
2. But we all make mistakes.Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
3. So, who are we to judge? John 8:7: “When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’”
4. Let’s not bask in other’s indiscretions. Proverbs 24:17: “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice.”
5. Instead let’s remember what’s important. Philippians 1:9-10: “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.”
6. And move on. Ephesians 4:26: And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.