Home Office mandarins are demanding a apology from Suella Braverman for giving praise to staff in private only to attack them in public after an email in her name claimed civil servants had blocked attempts to curb migration.
A letter sent to the department's most senior civil servant has accused the home secretary of being an outrageous attack on the integrity and impartiality of thousands of Home Office staff, and she says she most apologise.
An activist blob of leftist lawyers, civil servants and the Labour party have blamed each other for blocking laws that are intended to curb illegal migration, according to an email signed by Braverman. Braverman insists that she did not see nor sanction the email before it was sent to thousands of party activists.
Wynne Parry, the Home Office rep of the FDA union, sent a letter to Sir Matthew Rycroft, the Home Office permanent secretary.
Parry, whose union represents senior grade civil servants, said the home secretary's explanation that she did not sanction the letter is not enough to calm furious staff and she must still say sorry.
The letter sent to Rycroft says: "You will already be aware of the great upset this cowardly attack has caused to Home Office staff.
It is important that the home secretary makes a full apology to staff for their comments.
It is not acceptable to praise staff in private only to attack them in public when civil servants have no recourse to defend themselves. The emails sent to Conservative party members under Braverman s name said: We tried to stop the small-boat crossings without changing our laws. An activist blob of leftist lawyers, civil servants and the Labour party blocked us. Braverman was talking to ITV spokesman Robert Peston Wednesday evening : I didn't write that email. I didn't see it, and it was an error that it was sent out in my name. There is evidence of growing anger within the Home Office at Braverman's comments as well as her language while referring to asylum seekers.
One civil servant wrote: "I have never been so embarrassed and ashamed to work for the department I once loved," he said in a leaked Home Office staff Q&A after the email was sent. Another complaint by the Guardian questions Braverman's description of the number of people seeking refuge in the UK as an invasion. It is disgusting language and encourages the far right in their activities, it said.
In an effort to repair relations with civil servants, Braverman sent an email to Home Office staff, lavishing praise on them for their help with the illegal immigration bill.
Braverman wrote, "I can't possibly name you all, but I have received outstanding support from the whole department."
Braverman was accused of possibly breaching the ministerial code because of the email. Dave Penman, the head of the FDA union, wrote to Rishi Sunak on Wednesday, asking him to investigate.
It comes as Rishi Sunak is going to France in an attempt to shore up the illegal migration bill that Braverman presented to the parliament on Tuesday.