David Cameron will take up the post of UK Foreign Secretary (Foreign Minister) in a reshuffle that has seen the divisive Home Secretary (Interior Minister) Suella Braverman sacked.  

In yet another dramatic government shake-up after an almost unprecedented prolonged era of turbulence, Braverman was sacked from her post. Meanwhile, in a move that has stunned parliament watchers, former prime minister Cameron is returning to frontline politics after a seven-year absence.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yielded to growing public pressure to sack Braverman, an outspoken right-winger who has been at the center of some of the government's most controversial policies.

After her dismissal was announced Braverman said in a statement that "it had been "the greatest privilege" to serve as Home Secretary, a job that is considered to be one of the most important in the British government. 

She added that she "would have more to say in due course." Braverman has been replaced by James Cleverly, who was until this morning Foreign Secretary.

That role will now go to Cameron, who has been largely out of the spotlight since his resignation as Prime Minister in 2016 – the day after the UK voted by a narrow margin to leave the European Union, in a divisive national referendum.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Cameron said he "gladly accepted" the offer, saying the UK is "facing a daunting set of international challenges."

However, the appointment of the leader that took the UK out of the European Union is likely to be met with skepticism in Brussels.

As he is no longer a serving MP, Cameron will take up the post in a constitutional sidestep, serving as an unelected peer in the House of Lords, the upper chamber of the UK's Parliament.

The reshuffle at the top of government has been lauded by supporters as a possible turning point for the ruling Conservatives and Prime Minister Sunak. After 13 years in power the ruling Conservative party has been trailing heavily in the polls and suffered a series of losses in by-elections called to choose parliamentary MPs.

With a general election looming next year, there have been calls by grassroots members for a return to core party principles of small government, enterprise and low tax to win back support. 

Who is Suella Braverman?

Sue-Ellen (Suella) Braverman is a politician and senior barrister who has served twice as Home Secretary in two Conservative governments. A UK national from an Indian-Kenyan background, she has emerged as a leading figure on the right wing of British politics. 

She entered government in the 2015 general election, taking a hard line on issues like the EU, immigration, and law and order. In 2020 she became Attorney General in Boris Johnson's government, a role in which she regularly courted controversy.

After Johnson's resignation as Prime Minister last year, Braverman was the first candidate to announce she was running to replace him. She lost out in the early stages and was subsequently appointed as Home Secretary by premier Liz Truss but had to resign after admitting to a "technical infringement" by sending an official document from a personal email account.

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When Sunak became Prime Minister six days later, he controversially re-appointed her as Home Secretary.

Her association with a series of bitterly contested policies, like plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda to have their claims processed, has alienated moderates in the Conservative ranks. She has previously claimed that the UK is facing an "invasion" of asylum seekers arriving on small boats.

In recent weeks she has called for a tougher line on homelessness, calling it a "lifestyle choice" made by those sleeping rough. She has also described pro-Palestinian rallies in London and elsewhere as "hate marches" and accused the police of bias in their handling of them. This led London mayor Sadiq Khan to accuse her of stirring up the far-right violence at the events.

Now out of office, Braverman has hinted that she will make an announcement about her plans soon. Few in the Conservative party doubt this will include a future bid to become leader of the party if the Conservatives lose the next election.

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