Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle: David Cameron makes surprise return as foreign secretary – here’s who is in and out of cabinet
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David Cameron has been appointed as foreign secretary in a cabinet reshuffle.
The former prime minister, who was given the role while in Number 10 this morning, said he “gladly accepted” the offer from Rishi Sunak, despite having “disagreed with some individual decisions” by his successor.
Speaking to broadcasters, the now Lord Cameron said he accepted bringing back an ex-PM was “not usual”, but he “believes in public service” and has “useful experience” to bring to the table.
He also called his new boss a “strong and capable prime minister who is showing exemplary leadership at a difficult time”, adding: “I want to help him to deliver the security and prosperity our country needs and be part of the strongest possible team that serves the United Kingdom and that can be presented to the country when the general election is held.”
Follow live for updates and analysis on reshuffle
The ex-party leader is no longer an elected politician as he stood down as an MP in 2016, having called the Brexit referendum and his campaign to remain in the EU losing the vote.
But the government has confirmed he will now enter the House of Lords as a life peer, giving him the opportunity to serve as a minister once more.
Downing Street confirmed his salary would be that of a secretary of state in the Lords – £104,360 per year – but said Mr Cameron would no longer take his prime ministerial allowance, and would not take the daily allowance given to other peers.
The shock announcement came after the sacking of Suella Braverman as home secretary, who provoked widespread condemnation for an article she wrote in The Times, accusing the police of “playing favourites” with left-wing groups over right-wing and national activists.
It was the latest in a string of controversial remarks by the Tory MP, who is a popular member on the right of the party, including her claiming being homeless was a “lifestyle choice”.
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Posting on social media after the announcements, Mr Sunak said: “Today we have built a united team ready to deliver the changes this country needs for the long term.
“Professionalism, integrity and experience – this is a team that will be bold in making the right decisions for our great country, not the easy ones.”
But Labour’s Pat McFadden took aim at the shake-up, saying: “A few weeks ago, Rishi Sunak said David Cameron was part of a failed status quo, now he’s bringing him back as his life raft.
“This puts to bed the prime minister’s laughable claim to offer change from 13 years of Tory failure.”
Keep up to date with who’s in and who’s out in our list below.
Read more:
Three key questions about Cameron’s comeback
Who is in?
Lord Cameron, who brought the Tories back to power as part of a coalition with the Liberal Democrats in 2010, has returned to government as foreign secretary.
Many of the party’s One Nation MPs – closer to the centre of politics – may welcome the return of Lord Cameron, who secured them two victories at general elections and is well known internationally.
But he does not come without his controversies, including his austerity policies, decisions over Brexit, his push for closer ties with China, and accusations of lobbying when employed by Greensill.
In a lengthy statement released after his appointment, Lord Cameron said the UK faces a “daunting set of international challenges”, including wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
He said: “While I have been out of frontline 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.”
Having served as foreign secretary since September last year – after being appointed by then prime minister Liz Truss – James Cleverly will now move to the Home Office as home secretary.
Speaking to broadcasters from his new department, he said it was a “fantastic job” and it would be “a real privilege to serve”.
He added: “I’m absolutely committed to stopping the boats, as we promised, but also making sure that everybody in the UK feels safe and secure, going around, going about their daily business, knowing that the government is here to protect them”.
Brought in as health secretary when Mr Sunak took over the leadership last October, Steve Barclay may have been hoping to keep his post.
But after a lot of rumours he may be dropped from cabinet altogether, he has now been announced as taking over the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Taking to social media after his appointment, Mr Barclay said: he would be focusing on three areas – “backing British farming and fishing; championing rural communities; and protecting the environment”.
He added: “As an MP for a rural area I know how important these issues are to many people up and down our country.”
Mr Barclay’s job has been handed over to Victoria Atkins, who will now be in charge of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
It will be the first time Ms Atkins will hold a secretary of state role, having held more junior positions in the past.
Most recently, she has been financial secretary to Treasury.
Jeremy Hunt will remain chancellor, having been brought in by Ms Truss after the disaster of her mini-budget, and kept on by Mr Sunak.
It has been three years since this MP has found herself on the frontbench, and five years since she was in cabinet.
But Esther McVey has now made a return as a Cabinet Office minister and will attend cabinet with her colleagues.
Reports claim she is being brought in as “the minister for common sense”, but this is not the official role.
And it is not yet clear whether she will be allowed to continue her work as a GB News presenter.
After holding a minor ministerial role at transport – albeit an important one, covering roads and local transport – Richard Holden is now a fully-fledged cabinet member.
He has become the new party chairman, and will be leading on the Tories’ next election campaign.
Former party chairman Greg Hands, who up until this morning was posting chairman-like attacks on social media against his opponents, has now been demoted.
No longer leading on the electoral mission, he will hold a mid-range ministerial role at the Department for Business and Trade.
Mr Hands said he was “disappointed to be leaving the job”, but revealed he was “able to choose” to return to work in trade – an area where he has been a minister three times before and “a job I also love”.
He added: “I even kept my business cards from last time.”
Having been a junior minister at the Department for Work and Pensions, Laura Trott has now been made chief secretary to the Treasury.
Ousted from that role, is John Glen.
A treasury colleague of Mr Sunak’s and a close ally, there had been rumours of a bigger office of state.
But instead he now takes on the role of paymaster general – a defender and, sometimes, attack dog for the prime minister in the Commons.
Having worked as a junior minister in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities since September last year, Lee Rowley gets a promotion in this reshuffle to housing secretary.
It makes him the 16th person to hold the post since the Tories came to power in 2010.
Who is out?
As we have reported, Ms Braverman has been sacked as home secretary and is no longer a minister of any kind, so will return to the backbenches as an MP.
In a statement released after her dismissal, Ms Braverman said: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as home secretary. I will have more to say in due course.”
It is the second time she has lost the job of home secretary after she resigned from Ms Truss’s government for breaking the ministerial code.
The former housing minister announced on Twitter that she had been sacked – or “asked to step down”.
Ms Maclean said she was “disappointed” by Mr Sunak’s decision, but added: “It has been a privilege to hold the position and I wish my successor well.”
A former mayoral hopeful, Paul Scully has been sacked as the minister for London, as well as his role as minister for tech and digital economy, Sky News understands.
After she was seen walking into Number 10 this morning – following a brief pause to stroke Larry the cat – it was thought Environment Secretary Therese Coffey may have kept a role in government.
But an exchange of letters between her and the prime minister released two hours later shows she is off, telling Mr Sunak: “I consider it is now the right time to step back from government.”
She marked having served “all five Conservative prime ministers” since getting a role back in 2014, but said she had “always been most proud of in representing my constituents… and acting on local issues”.
Mr Sunak wrote back to “express my gratitude to you for your years of dedicated ministerial service”, as well as her “friendship to me personally”.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb said he had quit the government and would not stand at the next general election, adding: “I campaigned for Rishi last summer and I remain an enthusiastic supporter of the prime minister’s leadership.”
Health minister Neil O’Brien also announced he was stepping down – despite being due to play a key role in delivering Mr Sunak’s ban on smoking and vaping in the younger generation.
Another health minister, Will Quince, has also stepped down from his role in a letter to the prime minister.
In it, he said due to his decision to stand down as an MP at the next election and recently becoming a specialist reserve officer in the army, “now feels like the right time to leave government”.
Transport minister Jesse Norman has also quit, revealing in a letter that he had let the chief whip know his plans to step down “some months ago”.
The now former paymaster general Jeremy Quin said he was offered “reassurance” that he could stay in government by the prime minister, but he has decided to “step back to concentrate on projects in Horsham” – his constituency.
Another MP to stand down from his post is George Freeman, who had been a science minister since February – but held a number of roles beforehand.
In a letter to the prime minister, he said he had made the decision “with a heavy heart”, but added: “The time has come for me to focus on my health, family wellbeing and life beyond the frontbench”.
