On 13th November (Monday), Former British Prime Minister David Cameron returned to the UK government as Foreign Secretary. Cameron will now replace James Cleverly, who was appointed Home Secretary after Suella Braverman was sacked reportedly for her remarks on pro-Palestinian protests in the country.
The shocking return of Former PM Cameron, who had been away from politics for almost seven years, came during UK PM Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle which was triggered after Braverman’s sacking. Earlier in the day, Cameron was spotted entering PM Rishi Sunak’s office after Braverman was sacked, which raised speculations about his return. Consequently, the speculations were confirmed when Rishi Sunak’s office announced Cameron’s appointment as Foreign Secretary.
Following his appointment, the Conservative leader Cameron took to X sharing why he chose to accept Sunak’s proposal. He said, “The Prime Minister has asked me to serve as his Foreign Secretary and I have gladly accepted.” He also highlighted the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict and Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East emphasising that Britain is a “truly international country”.
David Cameron noted, “While I have been out of front-line politics for the last seven years, I hope that my experience – as Conservative Leader for eleven years and Prime Minister for six – will assist me in helping the Prime Minister to meet these vital challenges.”
Regarding his disagreements with Rishi Sunak and praising Sunak’s overall leadership, David Cameron stated, “Though I may have disagreed with some individual decisions, it is clear to me that Rishi Sunak is a strong and capable Prime Minister, who is showing exemplary leadership at a difficult time. I want to help him to deliver the security and prosperity our country needs and be part of the strongest possible team that serves the United Kingdom and that can be presented to the country when the General Election is held.”
Earlier in the day, British media reported that Braverman was sacked as she had criticised the police on how it handled the pro-Palestinian protests. She also dubbed such protests “hate marches” and accused the country’s largest police force of having a “double standard” in dealing with aggression during the protests. Her statements put pressure on Rishi Sunak to sack her.
In an article in ‘The Times’ newspaper, Suella Braverman said the pro-Palestinian protests in London “are an assertion of primacy by certain groups – particularly Islamists – of the kind we are more used to seeing in Northern Ireland”.
Braverman also claimed that the police officers “play favourites” and alleged that right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are met with a “stern response” while “pro-Palestinian mobs” are “largely ignored”.
Commenting on her article, PM Rishi Sunak’s office said her article was published without his clearance, as per the ministerial code.
