David Cameron back in politics as Rishi Sunak makes him Foreign Secretary

The former Prime Minister replaces James Cleverley

Author: Chris MaskeryPublished 13th Nov 2023
Last updated 13th Nov 2023

Former Prime Minister David Cameron has been made Foreign Secretary in a cabinet reshuffle by Rishi Sunak.

Cameron was seen walking into 10 Downing Street this morning as the Prime Minster re-shuffled his cabinet.

Earlier Suella Braverman was sacked as Home Secretary and has since been replaced by James Cleverley the former Foreign Secretary.

Cameron to enter House of Lords

Despite no longer being an MP, David Cameron will be allowed to sit in the cabinet as a member of the House of Lords.

Number 10 confirmed he will be made a peer.

The appointment of Lord Cameron was a massive shock in Westminster, not just because of the return of a former prime minister to government – the first since Alec Douglas-Home – but also because of his views on China.

During the Cameron administration there was a “golden era” of UK-China co-operation, something Mr Sunak described as “naive” last year following growing tensions with Beijing.

Lord Cameron had also been critical of Mr Sunak’s decision to scrap the northern leg of HS2, while the Prime Minister used his Tory conference speech to distance himself from the legacy of his predecessors.

But the former prime minister made clear he backed Mr Sunak and would work with him to help the Tories win the general election expected next year.

The new Foreign Secretary said: “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. ”

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