The government reshuffle in Great Britain had long been expected, but British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak managed to surprise a former resident of 10 Downing Street by choosing David Cameron as head of diplomacy. The former head of government, who was in power between 2010 and 2016 and left after the defeat in the Brexit referendum, returns to the highest political level at a time when there is war in Europe and war in the Middle East .
Cameron – who was appointed to a life position in the House of Lords so he could take on the role in government as he was no longer in Parliament and is now a Lord – replaces James Cleverly. This was chosen by Sunak for the Home Office, following the resignation of Suella Braverman. The former minister, representative of the most right wing of the Conservative Party, was the first to fall during last Monday’s government reshuffle. All because of an unauthorized article published on Teams accusing police of favoring left-wing protesters and setting fire to the environment ahead of a pro-Palestinian demonstration
Representative of the most central wing of the Conservative Party, who could help take votes away from Labor but cost others in areas that voted in favor of Brexit, Cameron returns to politics with several skeletons in his closet. During his time in office, he faced the 2011 Arab Spring and was criticized for his involvement in the military operation that led to the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, leaving Libya in chaos and sparking a refugee crisis in the European Union – while at the same time time that gives the Islamic State room to maneuver.
In Syria, the British joined the coalition that attacked the Islamic terrorist group, saying the aim was to “make the UK safer”. However, when he asked parliamentarians to authorize a military operation against Bashar al-Assad’s regime in 2013 after an alleged chemical attack that killed hundreds of people, he lost the vote.
When Cameron was in power, Britain and China enjoyed the so-called ‘golden era’ in relations, with a photo of the then prime minister having a beer with Chinese President Xi Jinping becoming famous. And after leaving politics, Cameron was involved in several contacts with the Chinese. But Beijing is no longer seen in the same light, following the democracy protests in Hong Kong or the threat of military action in Taiwan. Currently, China is described by Sunak as “a threat to our open and democratic way of life”.
On the Palestinians, Cameron in 2010 compared the experience in Gaza – then the target of Israel’s blockade – to a ‘prison camp’. However, five years later the Israeli newspaper reported Haaretz said he was the “most pro-Israel British Prime Minister ever”. The British position on the current war is one of support for Israel and its right to defence, but also of ‘humanitarian pauses’ to allow aid to enter Gaza.
“We are facing a huge range of international challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East. At this time of profound global change, it has rarely been more important for this country to support our allies, strengthen our partnerships and ensure our voices are heard.” Cameron wrote on Twitter after the appointment was announced. “While I may not agree with some of the individual decisions, it is clear to me that Rishi Sunak is a strong and capable Prime Minister who is showing exemplary leadership at a difficult time,” he added. For example, Cameron had criticized Sunak for his decision to drop the train line to Manchester. It remains to be seen what the relationship between the two will look like now.
Source: DN
