Rishi Sunak’s decision to bring David Cameron back into government is a bold act of surrender. It is an admission that the only way out of the mess the Tories are in might be back the way they came.
There is practical utility in having a former prime minister at the Foreign Office in times of global crisis. Cameron has experience in diplomacy and security matters that no candidate in the cabinet can match. His restoration, coupled with Suella Braverman’s departure, also has a domestic function in reminding voters of a level-headed brand of Conservatism that was elbowed aside by the swivel-eyed nationalist tendency.
