David Cameron has returned to government as UK foreign secretary, in a stunning comeback for the former prime minister which highlights Rishi Sunak’s willingness to take risks as he looks to revive his political fortunes.
Downing Street announced on Monday that Cameron would join the government, accepting a peerage in order to do so, as part of a wider reshuffle in which Suella Braverman was sacked as home secretary and replaced by the foreign secretary, James Cleverly.
A spokesperson also confirmed Jeremy Hunt would remain as chancellor. However, the environment secretary, Thérèse Coffey, who was deputy prime minister under Liz Truss, resigned from her position, to be replaced by the health secretary, Steve Barclay.
Barclay will be replaced at health by Victoria Atkins, a junior Treasury minister, while Richard Holden, a junior transport minister, will replace Greg Hands as party chair.
Cameron said on Monday afternoon he was “delighted to accept” Sunak’s offer, adding: “I believe in public service.”
He said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “While I have been out of frontline 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.”
Cameron stood down in 2016 after losing the Brexit referendum, but reportedly told friends in 2018 he wanted to return to frontline politics, preferably as foreign secretary.
Since then he has maintained a relatively low profile, though he became embroiled in scandal two years ago when he lobbied government ministers to provide financing for the now-insolvent financial services company Greensill Capital.
He insisted the Greensill scandal would not cause him problems in his new job, saying: “All those things were dealt with by the Treasury select committee and other inquiries at the time, and as far as I’m concerned they have been all dealt with and in the past. I now have one job and that is as Britain’s foreign secretary.”
He returned to the headlines last month when he said Sunak’s decision to cancel the HS2 high-speed train line between Birmingham and Manchester was wrong, adding: “We are heading in the wrong direction.”
Cameron has also been a strong supporter of the UK retaining its commitment to spending 0.7% of gross national income on international aid, a commitment Sunak has since junked.
Downing Street said on Monday that Cameron would be expected to uphold collective responsibility in his new role, hinting Braverman had been sacked for not doing so. The former home secretary caused controversy last week by writing an article in the Times accusing the police of being biased in the way they police protests. The piece caused consternation in Downing Street, not least because she did not incorporate some significant changes the prime minister’s advisers had demanded.
Sunak’s decision to bring back Cameron is likely to please moderates in the Conservative party who have been dismayed by Braverman’s aggressively rightwing rhetoric on issues such as immigration, policing and homelessness.
It could also fuel anger on the right of the party, especially given Cameron’s last meaningful political action was to lead the failed campaign to remain in the EU.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Conservative MP, told GB News: “I think from the point of view of the Conservatives winning the next election, today is a mistake because Suella understood what the British voter thought and was trying to do something about it.
“It seems to me that the prime minister is not as well attuned to the voters’ concerns as Suella Braverman.”
Simon Clarke, a backbench MP and ally of both Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, posted an apparently pointed tweet about the footballer Raheem Sterling being omitted from the England squad. “Some controversial choices here from the manager, putting it very mildly,” Clarke posted. “Never wise to lack options on the right wing – the squad risks being badly unbalanced.
Some MPs also appeared unhappy about Sunak’s decision to remove Rachel Maclean as housing secretary. Kemi Badenoch, the trade secretary, tweeted: “Very sorry to see you leave government, @redditchrachel. You were an excellent, minister, always attentive to MPs and their constituents and got some very tricky legislation over the line!”
Downing Street had not appointed a replacement housing secretary by mid-afternoon, amid reports that several MPs had turned the job down.
Reacting to Cameron’s appointment: Pat McFadden MP, Labour’s national campaign coordinator, said: “A few weeks ago Rishi Sunak said David Cameron was part of a failed status quo, now he’s bringing him back as his life raft.
“This puts to bed the prime minister’s laughable claim to offer change from 13 years of Tory failure.”