David Cameron appointed Foreign Secretary
Former Prime Minister, David Cameron has returned to government as Foreign Secretary and will be made a peer, No 10 said.
Lord David Cameron said that while “I may have disagreed with some individual decisions” made by Rishi Sunak, he “is a strong and capable Prime Minister, who is showing exemplary leadership at a difficult time”.
He is the 15th former prime minister to serve in a later government led by someone else.
In a move which raised eyebrows across Westminster, Mr Cameron was seen in Downing Street on Monday morning, and was later appointed as Foreign Secretary by Rishi Sunak.
According to a UK Government blog from November 2012, 14 ex-premiers have previously come back in a different government role since the 18th century.
Sir Alec Douglas-Home, who served for just under a year as prime minister after taking office in October 1963, was later appointed foreign secretary by Edward Heath.
He held the role from 1970 until 1974 and is the last former PM to return to government under a different leader.
In earlier years, Arthur Balfour, who served as prime minister from 1902 until 1905, came back to government in the roles of the first lord of the admiralty in the wartime coalition, and then foreign secretary under David Lloyd George.
During the Second World War, Neville Chamberlain, who was succeeded by Sir Winston Churchill, went on to serve as lord president of the council in his Cabinet.
The news comes as part of the the Prime Minister’s cabinet reshuffle which has seen James Cleverly appointed Home Secretary following the sacking of Suella Braverman.
Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden 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.”
With the autumn statement due next week, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is remaining in his post.
The Chancellor has been under pressure from some Tory MPs to offer tax cuts in the build-up to the general election expected next year but has prioritised efforts to cut inflation.
Downing Street confirmed he would remain in place as Rishi Sunak conducted a reshuffle of his top team.
Therese Coffey has entered Downing Street amid the ministerial reshuffle.
The Environment Secretary walked inside No 10 shortly after 10am.
More to follow…
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Cameron!? That chinless wonder that threw the uk under the brexit bus and ruined the UK? That Cameron?
sheesh. Rishi no think tnere is any talent left then.
Hell, they made him a Lord for it!
A Sith Lord maybe
good luck to him, it’s a pig of a job
it’s a pig joke FFS, how short is your memory people?
Unelected bureaucrat in office again. The silence from the far right brexit type is deafening. The slimeball that lied about the EU, then told people to vote to stay. He could be worse than Johnson was at this job.
Wow so now the Tories finally have someone who knows what it is like to be ELECTED to the role of PM. Just not in this term. Guess this latest affront to the democratic process is their last desperate idea. Bring back the posh boy Flashman who destroyed our relationship with the rest of the world and was the OG for scapegoating immigrants for the global financial crisis that Tory donors caused. “Bring back the past” has always been the Tory mantra. I’m guessing Jacob Rees-Mogg and his creepy cabal are busy working on how to resurrect Margaret Thatcher from… Read more »
He caused Brexit then quit everything including his constituents and now we have to have him back because HE is ‘bored s***less’. Even that is a lie because he’s very much FULL of that stuff. What a shining example of self interest he is having previously demonstrated no interest whatsoever in his country or its’ people. He’ll fit right in with his likeminded colleagues.
I think it’s the Guardian that said something along the lines of – If Cameron is the solution to the problem then you are in very real deep trouble. Sounds like they got it right this time.
I nearly choked on my sandwich when i heard that on the news is it legal he is not an M P but is in the house of Lords he and the ETON COWBOYS should be put in the Funny farm and i mean no disrespect to the people who are in these homes
Westminster is THE National Funny Farm. They closed all the others down and opted for Care in the Community system.
So now you do not have to be elected to get a cabinet post and exert power ?
The UK regime IS an affront to democracy.
There should be NO power without a mandate from the people through a democratic election.
No scrutiny in parliament of the foreign sec, because he can’t take a seat as a non MP
Remember the old days, pre-2020 when the general public elected their representatives?
Guess we’re done with democracy now.
I would point out the ministers have never been elected in the democratic deficit that is Westminster.
Ministers are selected, and hold the job until the elected representatives no longer support them in position.
Oh I am perfectly aware. But they have been elected by the electorate which is my point. And yes I am also aware that in the past, such as the Thatcherite stage managed Falklands “war” she appointed Carrington (who was already a lord) to her clown show. And yet despite Tory rule bending (it’s always been the Tories) it has always been, since the system began that ministers are chosen from those selected by the electorate. Now the electorate was, at the start, massively corrupt and exclusionary. But still that rule remained. Nowadays it’s harder to bribe your way to… Read more »
Too incredulous to express an opinion! The corruption is beyond words!
Placed into a position of power, not elected, while the company that gave him £8 million from his lobbying, ( Greensil ) is under investigation in Germany and Switzerland for fraud, as $2 billion is still unaccounted for. The Tory’s are corrupt to the core. With this latest show of contempt for democracy, can any supporters of us remaining in the UK defend any of this? Insurance anybody?
Baby Boomers have swung each election since 1964. Not the next one.
2024 is the beginning of new values, like 1964 was.
Tories should call an election.
1982 – 1990. We are in charge until 2055. And we can’t buy houses or raise families.
I so hope you are right that the era of the Baby Boomers is over. It is them that the culture wars are targetting. They are the last generation gullible enough to believe what print media tells them and they are angry.
Crooked David Cameron didn’t have to hold the Brexit vote, but did, to appease the far-right ERG loons in the Conservative party, a decision that opened wide the door to the likes of Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg , Suella Braverman , Priti Patel, Nadine Dorries and other fools & fascists before scampering away like a rat from sinking ship he willingly scuppered. And now he’s back like a bad smell to the scene of his crime like a serial killer. On entering No 10 , he said when interviewed that it was a honour to return into frontline politics, how… Read more »