Suella Braverman on the Politics of Conviction

Suella Braverman

Being an MP is no ordinary job. It’s a calling where you must juggle many roles— representative, employer, employee, team player, and even entrepreneur—all at once. You need to be proactive, tough, determined, and adaptable. These are qualities that are just as important in business as they are in politics.

After a decade in Parliament, one thing is clear you must stay true to yourself and stick to your principles. They’re the politicians who act, not just follow the crowd. I’ve always hoped to be one of them—someone who prioritises the country’s needs over personal or party interests.

Sadly, many newly elected Labour MPs are realising the hard way that politics doesn’t always match up with their ideals. Just weeks after taking office, they were forced to vote to cut the Winter Fuel Allowance and back a tax on small family farms. Privately, many are torn between their conscience and the party machine. But in today’s Labour Party, you can’t rise through the ranks without compromising your principles.

It’s clear from history that some of the most well-known MPs have been among the most controversial. Thatcher, Blair, Corbyn, Johnson and Farage. Whether you agree with them or not, one thing is true: they are politicians who didn’t shy away from standing up for what they believed in, even if it wasn’t popular. Love or loathe them, they were and are unapologetically themselves. Politics is about making difficult decisions, not trying to please everyone. After all, outside Westminster, in pubs and living rooms across the country, people speak their minds. So, why should politicians be any different?

I came into politics because I genuinely care about this country. My parents came here as immigrants, worked hard, integrated, and embraced everything that makes Britain great. When I see mismanagement and decline, I don’t just get angry—I become motivated. This is a wonderful nation, but we’ve lost some of our confidence. We are not realising our potential. We need leaders who believe in Britain and can restore pride in what made it great.

Being an MP is a busy and varied job. There’s the day-to-day work of helping constituents with issues like school places, roads and pensions. It doesn’t matter whether people voted for me or not—my job is to represent everyone in Fareham and Waterlooville and help them as best I can. Whether it’s holding surgeries or public meetings, I’m always learning what matters most to the people who put their trust in me.

Then there’s the big stuff —the issues that grab the headlines. These are the moments when you need to be sure of your position. In politics, confidence matters. If you’re clear about your views, your message will come across strongly. It’s like any other field: if you believe in what you’re doing and work hard at it, you’ll succeed.

I’ve had the privilege of holding several Ministerial roles, including as Home Secretary, which is the job I’m probably best known for. But even from the centre of power, I found myself frustrated by how hard it is to make real, lasting change. I pushed for us to leave the ECHR and cut levels of immigration, but I kept hitting a brick wall. That’s the nature of politics—frustrating, slow, and often maddening.

Being an MP is a balancing act. On the one hand, I’m a local representative, working hard to fix the issues that matter most to my constituents. On the other, I’m constantly campaigning for causes that impact the country. Every five years, I’m judged by the public, which is both the privilege and challenge of being an elected official. And as we saw with the Conservative Party’s crushing defeat last year, the public’s judgment can be swift and unforgiving.

The Conservative Party, which I’ve had the honour of representing at four General Elections (2015, 2017, 2019, and 2024), is still recovering from its biggest defeat. Too many in the party are reluctant to admit that more of the same isn’t enough anymore. The political landscape has changed, and we need to adapt.

In 2019, millions of people voted for a party that promised to govern with conservative values. But instead, we became too focused on appeasing critics and trying to win over the wokerati elite of Westminster. We lost sight of the real concerns of everyday British people. People don’t want to pay higher taxes—they want to keep more of their money. They want better services, strong borders and less interference from the government. That’s the essence of common-sense conservatism, but for too long, we missed the mark.

We raised taxes on individuals and small businesses to levels never seen before when we should have been cutting them. We allowed immigration to spiral when it should have been brought under control. And we got caught up in virtue signalling—whether it was kneeling for BLM or embracing net-zero energy policies at a time when we should have been securing energy independence. These were missed opportunities, and the consequences are clear.

We need to learn from leaders like President Trump, who shook up the political system in ways that left the establishment stunned. I was lucky enough to attend his Inauguration, and it was obvious: the old ways of doing politics no longer work. People are demanding politicians who stand by their principles and act with conviction. From Italy to Argentina, from the Netherlands to the El Salvador, the political mainstream is being shaken up. It’s time for us to listen.

If you’re thinking about getting into politics, my advice is simple: go for it—but make sure you know what you’re signing up for. Start small—get involved in local politics and focus on the issues that matter in your community. Even small actions can have a big impact if
you stay focused on the bigger picture. Politics is about people—so be decent, be honest, and stay true to your values. If you do, success will follow.

The writer is the MP for Fareham and Waterlooville and formerly Home Secretary