Rishi Sunak stunned Westminster by appointing David Cameron Foreign Secretary as he sacked Suella Braverman in a big-gamble reshuffle which risked sparking a Tory civil war.
The Prime Minister dismissed Mrs Braverman as Home Secretary after she was accused of stoking community tensions by alleging that the Metropolitan Police was biased in the way it dealt with protests ahead of the pro-Gaza march in London on Armistice Day.
Then, in a move at the far end of the political Richter scale, he made Mr Cameron — who agreed the referendum which led to Brexit — a peer and brought him back into government.
James Cleverly replaced Mrs Braverman as Home Secretary, moving from the Foreign Office, in a reshuffle which sent shock waves through Westminster.
Shortly after his appointment, Mr Cameron said: “We are facing a daunting set of international challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East. While I have been out of front line politics for the last seven years, I hope that my experience — as Conservative leader for 11 years and Prime Minister for six — will assist me in helping the Prime Minister to meet these vital challenges.”
However, his appointment is likely to prove controversial, especially given his role in the Greensill scandal, even though he was cleared of breaking lobbying rules.
It could also rile Brexiteer MPs given that he campaigned strongly for Remain. There are now no women in any of the four great offices of state, Prime Minister, Chancellor, Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary.
But Mr Sunak hopes his appointment will mean he has a less divided Cabinet.
A No10 spokesman said: “This reshuffle will give the PM a united team to deliver the change this country needs for the long term.”
Mr Sunak dismissed Mrs Braverman after being urged to do so by a number of ministers following a series of controversies including branding pro-Palestinian demonstrations as “hate marches” and claiming that some homeless people live on the streets in tents due to “lifestyle choices”. After being sacked, she said: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as Home Secretary.”
She added, in what will be seen by some MPs as a threat to the PM: “I will have more to say in due course.” The reshuffle leaves Mr Sunak with one ex-prime minister back in his Cabinet but two potential senior critics on his backbenches, Mrs Braverman and former PM Liz Truss, who may well foment trouble against him, in pushing for a more Right-wing agenda, including immediate tax cuts.
Former prime minister Theresa May, who served as home secretary in Mr Cameron’s government, said the former leader’s experience on the international stage “will be invaluable” in his role as Foreign Secretary. Some Right-wingers were quick to criticise the PM’s reshuffle. Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns tweeted: “I support Suella Braverman... sacked for speaking the truth. Bad call by Rishi caving in to the Left!”
However, there will be relief among many ministers and other Conservative MPs who became increasingly appalled at Mrs Braverman’s behaviour which was seen as manoeuvring for a possible future Tory leadership contest.
New Home Secretary Mr Cleverly faces a potential baptism of fire on Wednesday when the Supreme Court rules on the Government’s plan to deport migrants to Rwanda. A dismissal by the topmost judges would force Mr Cleverly back to the drawing board to deliver on the PM’s vow to get a grip on the “small-boats” crisis.
Several middle-ranking and junior ministers announced they were quitting including long-serving education minister Nick Gibb, Brexiteer Neil O’Brien and Will Quince, both health ministers.
Shadow Cabinet minister Pat McFadden tweeted: “Reshuffling the ministers won’t change the Tory record over the past 13 years. It won’t make any difference to the cost of living or to public services. The only way to bring about change is to get rid of this failed Tory Government.”
Jeremy Hunt remains Chancellor and is due to deliver the Autumn Statement next week with growing pressure to deliver measures to kick-start the UK’s stalled economy.
The drama at Westminster began shortly after 8.30am when it was confirmed that Mrs Braverman had been axed as Home Secretary.
A No10 source said the Prime Minister “asked Suella Braverman to leave Government and she has accepted”.
The Fareham MP last week was hit with a backlash by saying that aggressive Right-wing protesters were “rightly met with a stern response” by police officers while “pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law”.
She claimed police were showing “double standards” and made a widely-criticised comparisons with marches in Northern Ireland.
After far-Right protesters clashed with the police on Armistice Day, Scotland Yard made clear it believed Mrs Braverman’s intervention had not been helpful.
Alicia Kearns, chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee, tweeted: “Congratulations to David Cameron on his appointment — the best job in government.
“I look forward to working with him, and scrutinising his vision and leadership of the department at this most important of times.”
