Suella Braverman should “concentrate on the job” she has as home secretary rather than giving speeches, a former Conservative cabinet minister has said.
The home secretary’s address to the right-wing National Conservatism conference in Westminster on Monday was widely interpreted as a thinly-veiled leadership bid.
In the high profile address, Braverman set out her life story as well as outlining her vision of what it meant to be a Conservative.
Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday morning, Robert Buckland said the government needed to deliver a “clear and consistent message” to voters ahead of the election.
“I am saying to the home secretary, she has got a big job to do. I know she wants to do it. I think getting on and doing that job is exactly where she needs to be,” the former justice secretary said.
“I think all departmental ministers should stick to their brief and talk to their brief.”
Buckland said cabinet ministers should “concentrate on the job” they had at the moment and save their speeches for the official Conservative Party autumn and spring conferences.
“We have scheduled conferences which can be used by senior members of the government,” he said.
Asked if Braverman was pitching herself to the party membership to take the job of leader when the prime minister leaves office, Buckland said: “The top job is filled by Rishi Sunak.
“I want him and most Conservatives want him to stay post and to be our prime minister, winning a general election and governing our country with maturity.
“Now is the time for the team to work with him, to support him and to project the five priorities he set out.”
The National Conservatism conference this week has also seen speeches from Jacob Rees-Mogg and other leading culturally conservative Tory MPs. Later today it will be addressed by levelling up secretary Michael Gove.
Over the weekend another event hosted by the Conservative Democratic Organisation (CDO) saw Sunak come in for criticism from other senior Tories, including former home secretary Priti Patel and former culture secretary Nadine Dorries.