British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has finally decided to part ways with his very controversial Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Controversies and provocations are mounting, with peaceful pro-Palestinian parades in London over the last four weekends being labeled “hate marches” without condemning the main troublemakers – far-right activists who have tried to force their way into the Cenotaph (the British monument to the deceased) on November 11 – it had become too toxic for much of Conservative MPs and weakened Mr Sunak’s authority.
Was it to stem the discontent of Ms. Braverman’s many supporters on the right by making her disqualification less personal? In any case, Rishi Sunak has chosen to announce his resignation on Monday November 13th as part of a wider ministerial reshuffle, appointing former Prime Minister David Cameron (2010-2016) as Business Secretary. He replaces James Cleverly, who will take over the post of Home Secretary at short notice.
A debated legacy
Mr Cameron’s return to politics is also a surprise. He is considered a moderate conservative, is well known on the international stage, but his legacy is at least debated: he is the one who brought about Brexit by proposing a referendum on the country’s membership of the European Union, which resulted in victory The “no” vote ended in June 2016.
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He is also the one who, in 2010, at the head of a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, introduced austerity policies that explain the decline of British public services: schools lack teachers, courts lack judges, investment in public infrastructure is stagnating. Almost 8 million people are waiting for an operation or an appointment at a public hospital.
To add to the controversy, Mr Cameron is not even an MP – although it is common for a minister to sit in the House of Commons. He was made a Lord on Monday so that he could at least answer for his actions and the actions of the government in the House of Lords. And his name is associated with one of the worst lobbying scandals in recent memory. According to the BBC and the Financial Times, the former prime minister made millions of pounds lobbying for financial firm Greensill Capital, which is currently under investigation for fraud in Germany and Switzerland.
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