May 14, 2024

David Cameron becomes British Foreign Secretary. – Politics

When David Cameron suddenly appeared in Downing Street in London on Monday morning, he greeted journalists with a terse “Good morning.” It took a while for someone to ask Cameron if he would be Foreign Secretary, but by then he had all but disappeared behind the black door bearing the number ten. His appearance was so sudden and dramatic that some reporters couldn’t believe it: David Cameron, truly?

In recent years we have seen many prime ministers come and go from Downing Street, but no one expected this: former Prime Minister David Cameron is back – and will become Great Britain’s Foreign Secretary. Ironically, it was Cameron, who was responsible for the Brexit referendum in 2016. It was he who wanted to clear up the question of EU membership once and for all, thus allowing citizens to vote on whether to remain or leave. Cameron tried to secure his power. He was convinced that nothing would happen. But things turned out differently: a narrow majority voted for Brexit, thus ending his term in office.

Cameron must help Sunak catch up. The backlog is large

Cameron was prime minister from 2010 to 2016. Now, aged 57, he will take over as foreign secretary under Rishi Sunak, the prime minister who, unlike Cameron, voted for Brexit. The two may not yet know exactly how this will fit together. However, Cameron sent a statement after his appointment noting some differences of opinion: “Although I disagreed with some individual decisions, it is clear to me that Rishi Sunak is a strong and capable Prime Minister under difficult circumstances.” The situation “takes on an exemplary leadership role over time.” Cameron wanted to help him and “be part of the strongest team serving the United Kingdom that could be delivered to the country at the general election.”

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The elections are scheduled to be held in January 2025 at the latest, and perhaps earlier. The Prime Minister decides when this happens. He lags far behind the Labor Party in opinion polls. Since Sunak moved into 10 Downing Street just over a year ago, the Tory deficit has been a fairly steady 20 per cent. Now Cameron must help him catch up. But the question Sunak must face first is: why would he, who presents himself as a Prime Minister for change, bring someone into his cabinet who supports some things, but not for change?

Labor MP Pat Macfadyen sees it this way: “A few weeks ago, Sunak said Cameron was part of the failed status quo, and now he’s bringing it back as a lifeline. This is the Prime Minister’s ridiculous claim that after 13 years of failure, the Tories want to offer change that is not righteous.” The Conservatives have been in power for 13 years without interruption. For most of this time, Cameron ran business in Downing Street.

He is now a peer for life

On foreign policy, beyond the Brexit referendum, what we particularly remember is that Cameron, as Prime Minister, was not afraid to engage with Beijing. It remains to be seen whether he remains that friendly with China. What is at least certain is that the majority of Tory MPs have no interest in moving closer to the People’s Republic. Thus, many people view Cameron’s appointment with suspicion.

In his first statement as Minister of Foreign Affairs He said the UK would “stand with our allies” and “ensure our voice is heard” on challenges extending from the Middle East to Ukraine. This is the voice of someone who does not lack self-confidence. We can assume that Cameron knows how to use his new role to his advantage. Although, he says, he has “not been at the forefront of politics” in recent years, he hopes his experience will help him: “I was leader of the Conservative Party for eleven years and prime minister for six.”

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Will he become leader of the Conservative Party again?

In order to become Foreign Secretary, Cameron was awarded a lifetime knighthood. Nobility of life That’s what they call it in Great Britain. He is now a member of the House of Lords and thus fulfills the requirements for the position of Minister. According to the unwritten British constitution, this is only possible if you are a member of the House of Commons or a member of the House of Lords. It is assumed that the offer was for Cameron Nobility of life Very convincing to take on the new role.

However, Cameron comes from the British upper class, as does his wife Samantha. He attended Eton College and studied at Oxford. What followed was a political life that ended abruptly with the Brexit referendum, at least for the time being. After that, Cameron went into hiding, wrote his memoirs and worked as a lobbyist for Australian billionaire Lex Greensill. Most recently, Cameron chaired a charity dedicated to Alzheimer’s research.

Cameron did not interfere in day-to-day political affairs for a long time. Just a month ago, when Prime Minister Sunak halted the expansion of the HS2 high-speed train line from London to Manchester, he spoke out. He described the decision as fundamentally wrong. By halting construction, the Prime Minister was abandoning a 15-year cross-party consensus, and criticized Cameron. From former Labor Prime Minister Gordon Brown to Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss, there was consensus that HS2 should be built. Cameron’s criticism of Sunak was clear: “In the coming years, many will look back and wonder how I wasted this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

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It remains to be seen whether Cameron will choose equally clear words at the Cabinet table when he disagrees with something. There are already bets in London that if Sunak loses the election, he could become what he already was: leader of the Conservative Party.