British leader Rishi Sunak has sacked controversial interior minister Suella Braverman on Monday, as he attempts a reset by reshuffling his top team ahead of a general election expected next year.
Sunak had come under growing pressure to remove Braverman, an outspoken right-winger, after critics accused her of heightening tensions during weeks of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and counter-protests in Britain.
The prime minister replaced 43-year-old Braverman, who was appointed to the post when Sunak became prime minister just over a year ago, with James Cleverly, who has been foreign secretary.
Former British leader David Cameron was named as the country's new foreign secretary.
Following her dismissal, Braverman said "it has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as home secretary. I will have more to say in due course".
Major reshuffle
The firing comes as the ruling Conservatives confirmed a major reshuffle of Sunak's top ministers was underway -- his first since becoming the country's leader in October last year.
Braverman had stoked controversy throughout her tenure, taking a hardline stance on immigration in particular and regularly wading into so-called culture wars issues which are seen as dividing the electorate.
But her position became increasingly untenable after she last week wrote an explosive newspaper article, without Sunak's approval, accusing police of bias towards left-wing causes.
In an opinion piece published in the Times daily newspaper, Braverman suggested officers "play favourites" when policing protests and claimed they largely ignored "pro-Palestinian mobs" during the demonstrations against the Israel's attacks on Gaza.
Stoking tensions
The article was blamed for stoking tensions ahead of a weekend of protests calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, which coincided with Armistice Day eve nts, and prompted calls for her to be sacked.
Critics said her comments had encouraged far-right protesters to hold counter demos on the sidelines of the main march on Saturday.
Some 150 people from the mass protest were detained under public order legislation for wearing face coverings and setting off fireworks, while 82 counter-protesters were held to prevent them infiltrating the main march.
Groups of men, many wearing black with their faces covered and waving England's St George's flag and the Union Jack, tried to break through police lines at The Cenotaph war memorial on Whitehall.
Probe
Downing Street launched an investigation into how the article was published without its consent, as required by the ministerial code.
Braverman's comments, seen as red meat to the right wing of the governing Conservative party, were also viewed as an attempt to position herself as a future leader of the Tories.
They came after she described the rallies calling for a ceasefire in Gaza as "hate marches", days after claiming some people were homeless as a "lifestyle choice".
The right-winger has attacked her critics as liberal "tofu-eating wokerati" while saying shortly after she was appointed that sending asylum seekers to Rwanda was her "dream" and "obsession".
