David Cameron back in UK government as foreign secretary - Braverman out, Cleverly replaces her as home secretary

[muriel_volestrangler]

David Cameron has returned to government as UK foreign secretary, in a stunning comeback for the former prime minister that highlighted 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.
...
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.
...
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.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/13/david-cameron-returns-to-uk-government-as-foreign-secretary

Not surprised Sunak sacked Braverman - publishing her TImes article without the changes Downing St wanted, saying the police are biased to pro-Palestinian demonstrators, and then, after the Met Commissioner's judgement had turned out to be basically good, saying they needed to allow fewer marches, all pointed to a publicity hound with bad judgement.

But I had no idea Cameron felt like coming back. This doesn't exactly match with Sunak's claim to be a "change" candidate - bringing back the PM from 2010!

[2naSalit]

1. That is a surprise.

[Emrys]

2. Cameron's return from the wilderness is a surprise.

Given he was the Arch Remainer in the Brexit referendum, I wonder how that will play with the tory right.

I'd have thought he's unlikely to excite much enthusiasm among the current electorate given as he was seen to bail out to his garden shed whistling cheerily when the referendum didn't go his way.

In other news, Therese Coffey is out as Environment Secretary. I haven't heard who's replacing her yet, but she'll be a hard act to fiollow ...

[peppertree]

3. True. It's surprising for how stupid it is.

Reviving one of the most hated men in the UK, like a Panama Papers-shrouded zombie - and a year before general elections the Tories already stand to lose as it is?

Sunak's lucky his wife's money laundering keeps them in curry.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Zoicks just zoicks

Cameron???? I suppose they'll have to make him Lord Cameron of the Shed.

That's one that I was NOT expecting!

Glad Cruella's out, but I bet she'll now have even more opportunity to campaign for the leadership from the backbenches, and get the support of all the far-right nutcases.

'In other news, Therese Coffey is out as Environment Secretary. I haven't heard who's replacing her yet, but she'll be a hard act to follow" ...

Steve Barclay. I suppose Rishi is doing one environmentally friendly thing: plenty of recycling!

Barclay is being replaced as Health Secretary by Victoria Atkins.

[T_i_B]

4. If the definition of insanity....

....is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results, then what was Sunak thinking re-appointing Suella Braverman given her behaviour during Liz Truss's brief premiership?

Politics is a team effort, but Braverman is not a team player and will quite happily undermine everyone around her in an effort to further her own ambitions. Can't have a home secretary who goes around calling the police "woke" for trying to maintain public order or who utterly disregards cabinet collective responsibility.

[Celerity]

6. time to put CCTV on all the pig pens again

#Hameron

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. They really are full of it - Esther McVey to be "common sense tsar"

Sunak seeks to appease Tory right by giving Esther McVey ministerial role

The GB News presenter, who was one of the first to be ousted from the 2019 Conservative leadership race, is reported to have been tasked with leading the government’s anti-woke agenda, acting as a “common sense tsar”.

McVey’s appointment, officially as a minister without portfolio, is one of the final moves of the prime minister’s wider reshuffle, which kicked off with Suella Braverman being sacked from his cabinet.
...
Andrea Jenkyns said “enough is enough … it’s time for Rishi Sunak to go”, and submitted a letter of no confidence to the 1922 Committee.

She said that forcing Boris Johnson out was “unforgivable enough”, before criticising the removal of Braverman – the “only person in the cabinet with the balls to speak the truth of the appalling state of our streets and a two-tier policing system that leaves Jewish community in fear for their lives and safety [sic]”.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/13/sunak-seeks-to-appease-tory-right-by-giving-esther-mcvey-ministerial-role

I guess this means all airwaves, not just GB News, will now be filled with McVey spouting buzzwords and stupid attacks on treating people like humans, dressed up as "what normal people want".

[T_i_B]

8. Common sense isn't common....

Certainly nothing "common sense" about a minister for going about the place calling anything they don't like "woke".

The current right wing obsession with calling anything they don't like "woke" is tedious beyond all measure. You know whenever anyone uses that word that they are certain to be talking utter drivel.

[LeftishBrit]

9. If it was 'common sense' you wouldn't need a 'tsar' for it.

McVey is probably the second-worst MP in Parliament. She's married to the worst: Philip Davies.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

10. Every cloud

I felt a little sick hearing David Cameron’s name again. However I soon cheered up seeing how haggard he looks from the ravages of time.