LONDON

In a surprise move, former Prime Minister David Cameron was appointed the UK’s new foreign secretary in a major Cabinet reshuffle on Monday.

Cameron, who served as prime minister from 2010 to 2016 and famously stepped down after Brexit passed in a referendum, against his urging, took the new role after James Cleverly, who was foreign secretary, replaced the controversial Suella Braverman as home secretary.

Braverman was sacked by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier in the day after a row with police over protests in London.

King Charles III has confirmed Cameron as a life peer in the House of Lords, enabling him to take up the post as he is currently not an MP.

Cameron said Sunak – a fellow member of the ruling Conservative Party – asked him to serve as foreign secretary and that he "gladly accepted."

"Though I may have disagreed with some individual decisions, it is clear to me that Rishi Sunak is a strong and capable Prime Minister, who is showing exemplary leadership at a difficult time," he wrote on X.

Imran Hussain, Labour MP for Bradford East, said that bringing Cameron back into the government shows that the Conservative Party is "completely out of ideas and utterly out of touch."

'Greatest privilege of my life'

Braverman, after being removed from the government, said: "It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as home secretary. I will have more to say in due course." She is the Conservative Party MP for Fareham, and has been in office since September 2022.

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf, who earlier called on her to resign, said on X: “Never has someone been so unfit for public office as Suella Braverman ... The Tories are out of ideas and out of time, there should be a General Election now.”

The sacking came after a row over her controversial remarks on pro-Palestinian protests and a piece she wrote for The Times of London drew a massive backlash. Earlier, she had called pro-Palestine protests in the UK "hate marches."

In her piece for The Times, she said: "I do not believe that these marches are merely a cry for help for Gaza."

She also accused the Metropolitan Police of "playing favorites" with protesters, after the London police force decided not to seek a ban on a planned march on Armistice Day, which took place last Saturday.

Steve Barclay named environment secretary

Also in the reshuffle, Steve Barclay was appointed secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, while Victoria Atkins took his former post as secretary of state for health and social care.

Richard Holden was named the Conservative Party's new chairman and will lead its campaign for the next year’s general election.

Laura Trott, who was a junior minister at the Department for Work and Pensions, has been appointed chief secretary to the Treasury, while former party Chairman Greg Hands has been appointed business and trade minister.

Rachel Maclean was sacked as housing minister, saying she was "asked to step down" from her role.

"Disappointed and was looking forward to introducing the Renters Reform Bill to Committee tomorrow and later the Leasehold and Freehold Bill," she wrote on X.

Maclean was the 15th housing minister since the Conservative Party came to power in 2010.

Therese Coffew resigned from her post as environment secretary, saying: "I consider it is now the right time to step back from government."

Nick Gibb stepped down as schools minister, Neil O'Brien and Will Quince stepped down as health ministers, Jesse Norman resigned from his role as transport minister, Jeremy Quin stepped down as paymaster general, and George Freeman left his post as science minister.