There will be a cabinet reshuffle in Downing Street this Monday, November 13th. Controversial Home Secretary Suella Braverman was sacked by Rishi Sunak and replaced by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. David Cameron taking office marks his return to politics.
The domino that triggers a chain reaction. After several controversies, Home Secretary Suella Braverman was fired by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this Monday, November 13th. In her place, the head of the executive branch appointed Secretary of State James Cleverly. His vacant seat quickly found a new owner in the person of David Cameron, the former British Prime Minister. Known for triggering the Brexit referendum in 2016, his return to politics is as spectacular as it is unexpected, just months before the general election scheduled for 2025.
“Although I have not been at the forefront of politics for seven years, I hope that my experience – leader of the Conservative Party for eleven years and prime minister for six years – will enable me to help the prime minister,” responded David Cameron his appointment, in a message published on X (formerly Twitter). Although he may have disagreed with “some of Rishi Sunak’s individual decisions”, the current prime minister is a “strong and competent” leader, his predecessor flattered.
David Cameron, 57, left power in 2016 after triggering a high-risk referendum on the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. He himself was against this issue, which tore the long-standing Conservative Party apart. Victory for Leave, a losing bet, the former prime minister had no choice but to resign.
Cameron replaces 54-year-old James Cleverly at the Foreign Office, who is moving to the Home Office. “My job is to ensure the security of the citizens of this country,” emphasized Cleverly, elected from Essex (East of England) since 2015 and co-leader of the Conservative Party since 2019. British diplomacy was taken over by the short-lived Liz Truss in September 2022, before being reappointed by Rishi Sunak the following month.
“The most hated woman in British politics”
At the start of the cascading changes, last week there was an article by Suella Braverman published in the British newspaper Times. The 43-year-old Conservative minister criticized London police for allowing Saturday’s pro-Palestinian march. The Labor opposition described the protest scenes as “hate marches” and claimed they were “disturbingly reminiscent” of scenes seen in Northern Ireland.
Contrary to usual rules, these statements were not given the green light in Downing Street. Critics say they helped stoke tensions and encouraged right-wing protesters to take to the streets of London and pushed the prime minister to take drastic action.
These controversial statements from Suella Braverman follow a series of controversies provoked by the “most hated woman in the British political class” in recent months, according to Politico. When she’s not calling the arrival of refugees an “invasion” while warning of a migration “hurricane,” it’s the homeless she’s targeting, believing that sleeping in a tent is a “chosen way of life.” .
Braverman was also appointed by Liz Truss in September 2022 and was forced to resign after she sent an official document from her personal email, defying ministerial rules for the first time. Six days later she was reinstated in her role by Rishi Sunak. A seat from which she will be expelled again after a year.
To update : at 1:13 p.m., with additional testimony from David Cameron and James Cleverly, as well as recent controversies from Suella Braverman.