Braverman’s humiliation of Sunak has echoes of Geoffrey Howe’s deadly attack on Thatcher

Her furious swipe at Rishi Sunak will go down in history, writes John Rentoul, but will it be a fatal blow?

Sir Geoffrey Howe’s resignation speech to the House of Commons in November, 1990 (PA)

Her departure was followed by a delayed explosion. Suella Braverman’s resignation letter was quite a bang: it is one of the most remarkable political documents ever published. The tone of fury is unmistakeable.

It recalls that other great act of revenge in resignation, of Sir Geoffrey Howe, who triggered the events that brought Margaret Thatcher down in 1990. He was a normally undemonstrative figure, who calmly launched an Exocet at his boss, releasing the pent-up anger of 11 years with quiet venom and deadly accuracy.

Braverman, on the other hand, is like an out-of-control punter starting a bar brawl with a broken bottle; she has been noisy and objectionable for some time, but has now gone into a rage.