The return of David Cameron & What this may mean for the future Conservative Government

Following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet reshuffle, David Cameron has returned for a new stint in a high-ranking role in the UK’s government. Mr Cameron’s acceptance of a peerage extended by Sunak left the media in shock following 10 Downing Street, seeing the former PM assume the role of Foreign Secretary last Monday (13th November 2023). By reinstating the former Prime Minister to a cabinet position Mr Sunak has proven his willingness to take risks, in view of an experienced and more united cabinet. 

It seems that at present, former PM Cameron has dissented from several of Sunak’s policy changes which could pose a threat to the authority of Sunak’s term as PM, noting his own views on the scraped HS2 line between Birmingham and Manchester, saying of Sunak’s choice “we are heading in the wrong direction” (Wheeler, 2023). Cameron’s outwards expression of distaste for Sunak’s policy changes, however in good humour noted, may still lead to civil hostility between the opposing Tory Party factions (Elgot, 2023). Prime Minister Sunak’s aim in the cabinet reshuffle was as much to assert his own allegiances within the party and create a round table of supporting ministers, as it was to appease and unite the factions of the conservative party that may pose a threat to his authority as leader of the Party, and head of state. As Cameron’s new station as the foreign secretary comes onto the horizon, it is questionable whether this decision aims at conquering both goals or may be the undoing of Rishi Sunak’s leadership over his newly minted cabinet and government. The question of backbenchers in his dissent may be asking: how will the reinstatement of David Cameron as Foreign Minister help shape Sunak’s new government after the reshuffle? Certainly, having an experienced and longstanding former PM in-house for points of call and support might help. However, will Cameron’s past allegiances with the still strong standing One Nation Conservative prove to hinder instead of help Sunak’s authority as a decision maker in parliament? The current Prime Minister doesn’t seem to think so. 

However, it is still important to note the risks the Prime Minister takes by reinstating Cameron into government, a former - and still well-supported - Prime Minister, now a high-ranking government official with his own stance, firmly in the One Nation Conservative camp (Daponte-Smith, 2015). With Cameron’s history of supporting policies such as the government’s commitment to the allocation of 0.7% of gross national income for foreign aid (Stacey, 2023), a policy which Sunak binned in the 2021 budget (BBC, 2021), the possibility of friction between the Euro-Sceptic and One Nation sub-sectors of the Conservative party becoming increasingly polarised is well within the range of possibly future’s for the current government. 

Although Prime Minister Sunak’s aim in the cabinet reshuffle may have been to unite the different factions of the Tory party, pleasing some with the return of Cameron, and inciting fury in the sacking of Suella Braverman, Sunak is running the risk of Cameron’s potential future insurgence, if more policy changes result in the butting heads of current and former UK PMs.

Bibliography:

BBC, 2021. Budget 2021: Foreign aid cut until at least 2024 - Sunak. [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59065697[Accessed 23 November 2023].

Daponte-Smith, N., 2015. Is David Cameron Really A One-Nation Conservative?. [Online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/noahdapontesmith/2015/06/02/is-david-cameron-really-a-one-nation-conservative/?sh=42f1cf187c3b[Accessed 23 November 2023].

Elgot, J., 2023. Why Rishi Sunak may be the most socially conservative PM of his generation. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/apr/18/why-rishi-sunak-is-perhaps-the-most-socially-conservative-pm-of-his-generation[Accessed 24 2023 November].

Stacey, K., 2023. David Cameron returns to UK government as foreign secretary. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/13/david-cameron-returns-to-uk-government-as-foreign-secretary[Accessed 24 November 2023].

Wheeler, R., 2023. Rishi Sunak faces backlash from former PMs over decision to axe HS2 northern leg. [Online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/rishi-sunak-hs2-david-cameron-pms-nicola-sturgeon-b2424256.html[Accessed 15 December 2023].