Britain beleaguered Prime Minister Rishi Sunak carried out a dramatic Cabinet reshuffle on Monday, firing his divisive home secretary and bringing back former premier David Cameron to the heart of government after a seven-year absence from politics.
The hardline Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, was dismissed early on Monday morning following contentious comments about the policing of pro-Palestinian protests in central London. Braverman’s tenure had been marked by scandals and divisive remarks, contributing to fractures within the government led by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
In a surprising move with few parallels in recent British political history, Sunak announced the return of David Cameron to frontline politics, appointing him as the new foreign secretary. Cameron previously served as the prime minister from 2010 to 2016, resigning in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum, where the UK voted to leave the European Union. Britain beleaguered Prime Minister
Cameron’s premiership had a significant impact, setting the course for 13 years of Conservative rule. However, the self-inflicted chaos of the Brexit referendum and its aftermath led to years of instability within the party, from which it is still struggling to recover. Following Braverman’s dismissal, James Cleverly, the former foreign secretary, will assume the role, creating space for Cameron’s unexpected return to the Cabinet.
Braverman had served as Sunak’s interior minister throughout his tenure in Downing Street, but her confrontational rhetoric towards migrants, protesters, the police and even the homeless had caused rifts in the government and sparked speculation that she was plotting a future leadership bid.