Prime Minister Rishi Sunak carried out a major crossroads to his Cabinet, terminating the infamous home secretary, Suella Braverman (right), and welcoming back former prime minister David Cameron (left) after seven years out of politics. Sunak gave Braverman the boot early Monday, following her controversial comments on policing pro-Palestinian protests in central London over the weekend. Sunak then announced that Cameron was rejoining government as Foreign Secretary.
David Cameron, who served as prime minister from 2010 to 2016, has now returned to frontline politics in a move that has few parallels in recent British political history.
Downing Street confirmed that James Cleverly, former Foreign Secretary, would take over from Braverman, which made space for Cameron’s return. Sunak has bet that bringing Cameron back into the fold will bring stability that has been lacking in politics for some time, but not without risk.
Braverman’s departure from government comes at a time when Sunak’s party remains deeply unpopular among voters, risking deepening the public’s view that the party is out of ideas.
Cameron, having resigned as an MP after leaving Downing Street, required King Charles to rapidly approve his ascension to the House of Lords on Monday in order for him to become a minister.
Braverman had long sparked division and had recently made inflammatory remarks about homeless people and the policing of protesting, which made her quite the controversial figure in the incumbent Conservative Party.
Should the Conservatives lose power to the buoyant opposition Labour Party, Braverman may be eyeing a leadership run, positioning herself as an alternative to Sunak. This could foreshadow a power shift within the party, further complicating Sunak’s leadership in the upcoming new year.
Braverman, having previously served as home secretary under Liz Truss’s premiership last year, returned to the same position under Sunak. During her tenure, she championed anti-asylum-seeker initiatives, illegal migration bills, and strongly advocated against “woke” culture, transgender rights, and climate protesters. Her inflammatory remarks have undoubtedly fueled the fire of the government’s critics, prompting opposition leader Keir Starmer to express concerns about her commitment.
