Note: This article was submitted for publication on 10 November 2023. Suella Braverman was dismissed as Home Secretary on 13 November 2023.
Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, proposed issuing fines to charities that provide tents to people experiencing homelessness.
Writing on X, Braverman said that: “while the British are compassionate, the Government cannot allow our streets to be taken over by rows of tents occupied by people”.
She proceeded to describe rough sleeping as: “a lifestyle choice.”
Braverman’s comments attracted criticism from homelessness charities, opposition parties and even some within her Conservative Party.
The homeless charity Shelter said, “Nobody should be punished for being homeless”.
Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party leader, said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak should: “think very carefully about the policies of his Home Secretary.”
Meanwhile, Conservative MP Bob Blackman said: “What we should be doing is helping and assisting people – not stigmatizing them.”
“Home Secretary Suella Braverman speaks at policing conference” by UK Government is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.