LONDON: Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron made a dramatic return to the British government as foreign secretary on Monday, as PM Rishi Sunak shook up his top team ahead of a general election expected next year.
Sunak removed right-wing firebrand Suella Braverman as interior minister after critics accused her of heightening tensions during weeks of contentious pro-Palestinian protests and counter-demonstrations in Britain.
Sunak replaced her with James Cleverly, who had been foreign secretary, before announcing David Cameron as Cleverly’s surprise replacement, AFP news agency reported.
Cameron, 57, resigned as prime minister in 2016 after losing the Brexit referendum. He quit as an MP the same year.
He became mired in scandal in 2021 after lobbying the British government for finance group Greensill Capital, which later collapsed, and the episode badly damaged his reputation.
Cameron Can Sit in Government
Downing Street announced that Cameron will be made a life peer in the House of Lords, Britain’s upper chamber of parliament, which means that he can sit in government.
The former leader said he “gladly accepted” the role as the country faced “a daunting set of international challenges”.
Cameron added that while he has been out of front-line politics for the last seven years, he hoped that his experience — as Conservative leader for eleven years and prime minister for 6– will assist him in helping PM Sunak to meet these vital challenges.
The Prime Minister has asked me to serve as his Foreign Secretary and I have gladly accepted.
We are facing a daunting set of international challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East. At this time of profound global change, it has rarely been more…
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) November 13, 2023
