Ex-Prime Minister David Cameron appointed Foreign Secretary in shock return to UK politics
Ex-British Prime Minister David Cameron has been appointed Foreign Secretary in a surprise return for the ex-PM who was responsible for austerity and the Brexit referendum that took Britain out of the European Union.
Cameron took the role on Monday in a major shake-up of the Conversative government that also saw the firing of divisive Suella Braverman.
Cameron, who led the UK government between 2010 and 2016, was appointed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a Cabinet shuffle in which he sacked Braverman, a divisive figure who drew anger for accusing police of being too lenient with pro-Palestinian protesters and saying being homeless was a “lifestyle choice”.
She was replaced by James Cleverly, who had been foreign secretary.
Cameron's appointment came as a surprise to seasoned politics-watchers. It's rare for a non-lawmaker to take a senior government post, and it has been decades since a former prime minister held a Cabinet job.
The government said Cameron will be appointed to Parliament's unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords. The last foreign secretary to serve in the Lords, rather than the elected House of Commons, was Peter Carrington, who was part of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's government in the 1980s.
Cameron said Britain was “facing a daunting set of international challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East.”
“While I have been out of front-line politics for the last seven years, I hope that my experience – as Conservative leader for 11 years and prime minister for six – will assist me in helping the prime minister to meet these vital challenges," he said in a statement.
His appointment brings back to government a leader brought down by Britain's decision to leave the European Union. Cameron called the 2016 EU membership referendum, confident the country would vote to stay in the bloc. He resigned the day after voters opted to leave.
