UK Latest: Braverman’s Exit Paves Way for Sunak Cabinet Makeover
(Bloomberg) -- UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak named former premier David Cameron as foreign secretary, a shock move that followed his firing of Home Secretary Suella Braverman and her replacement by James Cleverly. He followed up with further changes to the cabinet as part of a wider reshuffle.
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Sunak fired Braverman after she defied his authority over police handling of pro-Palestinian marches and was accused of emboldening a far-right counter-protest which turned violent on Saturday. He then moved Cleverly, previously foreign secretary, to replace her, and brought in Cameron, who was elevated to the House of Lords so that he could take up his post.
Key Developments
Cameron named as foreign secretary.
Cleverly appointed as Braverman’s replacement.
Suella Braverman says she’ll have “more to say in due course.”
May, Heseltine, welcome Cameron’s appointment; Rees-Mogg is critical
Barclay moves to environment, Atkins to health and Trott named chief secretary to Treasury
Table of Main Changes to Sunak’s Cabinet
Glen, Hands Given New Roles (3:25 p.m.)
Two of the ministers who lost jobs in the reshuffle have been handed new roles: Former Chief Secretary to the Treasury John Glen becomes a minister in the Cabinet Office — replacing Jeremy Quin, who had attended cabinet meetings in that role. former Tory Chairman Greg Hands is moved to a ministerial position at the Department for Business and Trade.
Trott Replaces Glen as Chief Secretary to Treasury (2.35 p.m.)
Laura Trott has been named chief secretary to the Treasury, the second most senior role in the department beneath Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt. She replaces John Glen, and takes charge of public spending, a significant change in the Treasury a week before the Autumn Statement when Hunt is due to unveil the next stage of the government’s economic plans.
Victoria Atkins Named Health Secretary (2:25 p.m.)
Sunak has named another centrist, Victoria Atkins, as his new health secretary, replacing Steve Barclay. A Member of Parliament since 2015, Atkins has held a string of junior ministerial roles, most recently at the Treasury.
Holden Replaces Hands as Tory Chairman (2:15 p.m.)
The Conservative Party posted on the social media platform X that Richard Holden is their new chairman. He replaces Greg Hands, who served as chairman for just nine months, and oversaw four by-elections where Conservative MPs lost large majorities to both the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats.
The premier’s office said in a statement that Holden, a centrist and Sunak loyalist, has been made a minister without portfolio. Before entering Parliament, Holden served for years as an adviser in the administrations of David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson. He was a surprise winner in the North West Durham constituency in northern England, winning over a seat that Labour had held since its creation in 1950.
Barclay Demoted to Environment Secretary From Health (2:10 p.m.)
Rishi Sunak demoted Steve Barclay to environment secretary from his previous brief as health secretary, overseeing the UK’s largest employer, the National Health Service. Barclay, who takes over the environment portfolio from Therese Coffey, has presided over months of strikes by doctors, consultants and nurses, most recently last month. That’s pushed up NHS waiting lists, at a time Sunak has made reducing them one of his core pledges to voters.
Coffey Quits Sunak’s Cabinet (12:45 p.m.)
Therese Coffey quit as environment secretary in Rishi Sunak’s cabinet, and pledged to support the premier from the back benches, according to a resignation letter emailed to reporters by 10 Downing Street. Coffey, served as deputy prime minster during the tenure of Sunak’s predecessor, Liz Truss, and had been a minister since 2014.
France, Germany Congratulate Cameron (12:15 p.m.)
David Cameron’s French and German counterparts offered their congratulations to Britain’s new foreign secretary. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on the social media platform X that she’s looking forward to working with the former premier, adding that the UK-European Union relationship is “more important than ever.” French counterpart Catherine Colonna said on X that France and Britain have “much to do together.”
Heseltine Says Cameron Appointment Kills Rightward Tory Lurch (11:35 a.m.)
Tory Party grandee Michael Heseltine joined voices praising Sunak’s appointment of Cameron, telling Times Radio the move will “put to bed” the Conservative Party’s recent “right-wing lurch.
“It is the clearest signal that the sort of right-wing lurch that we’ve seen and the anti-European movement that we’ve seen has been put to bed,” said Heseltine, a former deputy prime minister and current member of the House of Lords. “That will get a message across to people. But you have to always cling on to reality. The economic situation is very difficult indeed.”
Mixed Reactions to Cameron From Tory MPs (10:45 a.m.)
Sunak has received mixed reactions to his reshuffle from different parts of his party, with some centrists backing the surprise appointment and more right-wing Tories opposing it. Former Prime Minister Theresa May wrote on X that Cameron’s international experience will be “invaluable.” Fellow Tory MP Lucy Allan said on the same platform that Cameron’s “era was the last time we saw stable government.” Another, Tobias Ellwood, told Times Radio that Cameron would be “very good” at exercising Britain’s “soft power” on the international stage.
However, pro-Brexit former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg questioned whether the appointment of Cameron – who campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU – would antagonize some Tory voters. “Will this potentially push some people to Reform is a question for the pollsters,” he told GB News, referring to a fringe party to the right of the Tories.
Cameron Says Experience Will Help Him (10:27 a.m.)
New UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he will “stand by our allies” and “make sure our voice is heard” on challenges from the Middle East to Ukraine. In a statement posted on social media, Cameron said: “While I have been out of front-line politics for the last seven years, I hope that my experience – as Conservative Leader for eleven years and Prime Minister for six – will assist me in helping the Prime Minister to meet these vital challenges.”
Cameron also acknowledged in his statement that he had publicly disagreed with Sunak on “some individual decisions,” but described him as a “strong and capable” prime minister. Cameron last month criticized Sunak’s cancellation of a high speed rail line.
Just a Quarter of Brits View Cameron Favorably (10:20 a.m.)
If Rishi Sunak was hoping bringing David Cameron back into government would give him a polling boost, he may be disappointed. Just 24% of UK adults view him favorably, compared to 45% who see him unfavorably, the polling company Savanta said on Monday, circulating a survey it conducted about a month ago.
“This data implies it perhaps isn’t the wisest of moves from Sunak in terms of public opinion,” Savanta’s political research director, Chris Hopkins, said in a statement.
David Cameron Appointed New UK Foreign Secretary (9:59 a.m.)
It’s confirmed: David Cameron is Britain’s new foreign secretary, after Rishi Sunak appointed the former prime minister to the House of Lords and made him the country’s top diplomat. It marks an unlikely comeback for Cameron, who will take charge of the UK’s response to the crisis in Israel and Gaza, as well as contending with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Cleverly Named Home Secretary, Freeing Up Foreign Job (9:41 a.m.)
Sunak appointed James Cleverly as the new home secretary, replacing Braverman, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office. Cleverly had been foreign secretary, meaning Britain will imminently get a new top diplomat at a critical time during the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
David Cameron Seen Walking Into Downing Street (08:56 a.m.)
In a development not predicted by anyone in Westminster, former prime minister David Cameron has just walked up Downing Street and into No. 10. That’s set off speculation that he is about to be appointed to the House of Lords and a Cabinet job, in what would be an extraordinary return to front-line politics for the premier who quit after losing the Brexit referendum in 2016.
Sunak Sacks Home Secretary Braverman, Shuffles Cabinet (8:38 a.m.)
Sunak has fired his Home Secretary Suella Braverman after she defied him by criticizing the policing of pro-Palestine protests in remarks that were not authorized by Downing Street. The sacking kicks off a wider Cabinet reshuffle, with the prime minister expected to announce a raft of other senior ministerial changes on Monday. Braverman said in a statement: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as Home Secretary. I will have more to say in due course.”
Junior Ministers Gibb, O’Brien Step Down (Earlier)
Junior Ministers Nick Gibb and Neil O’Brien both said that they’ve stepped down from their posts. Gibb, the long-serving schools minister, said he’s in talks to take up a diplomatic role after the next general election and had asked Sunak if he could step down in the government reshuffle.
O’Brien, who served as a health minister, said he’d asked to return to the back benches so that he could focus on his constituency work. Both men made their announcements in posts on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
--With assistance from Unni Krishnan, Ellen Milligan, Emily Ashton and Joe Mayes.
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