In a major cabinet reshuffle, former Prime Minister David Cameron has made a dramatic return to government as the new foreign secretary. His appointment has shocked Westminster and marks the first time a former prime minister has re-entered government since the 1970s. Cameron, who accepted a peerage to take on the post, expressed his desire to support Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during challenging times.

The cabinet reshuffle began with the sacking of Suella Braverman as the home secretary, who was replaced by James Cleverly. This move by Sunak, who leads a party lagging behind Labour in opinion polls, has risked deepening divisions among Conservative Party MPs. It was noted that there were "differences of style" between Braverman and Sunak, and the prime minister emphasized the importance of having a "united team."

Cameron's decision to join the government comes at a time when the country is facing daunting challenges in the Middle East and Ukraine. The former prime minister, despite having campaigned to remain in the EU, believes that Sunak is doing a difficult job as prime minister and expressed his intention to support him. While acknowledging that he had disagreed with some individual decisions made by Sunak's government, Cameron stated that politics is a team enterprise and he accepts the cabinet collective responsibility that comes with being a member of the team.

As an established figure on the world stage, Cameron's appointment as foreign secretary is expected to bring valuable experience to the role. However, his return to frontline politics has been met with mixed reactions. Centrist Tory MPs have welcomed his comeback, while Brexit supporters on the right of the party have derided it. The Liberal Democrats are calling for Cameron's peerage to be blocked due to his past lobbying for collapsed finance company Greensill Capital.

Cameron, who had kept a low profile since leaving politics, acknowledged in his 2019 memoir, that his political career ended unexpectedly and expressed his lament over it. As foreign secretary, Cameron has resigned from his various business and charitable roles, emphasizing that his focus is solely on supporting the prime minister in ensuring the security and prosperity of the UK in a difficult and dangerous world. He dismissed concerns about the Greensill affair, stating that it is in the past and has been dealt with.

The ministerial reshuffle also saw other key changes, with Steve Barclay replacing Therese Coffey as environment secretary and Victoria Atkins taking on the role of health secretary. Despite these changes, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan remained in their posts.

With David Cameron's surprise comeback, the political landscape in the UK shifts once again, raising questions about the future direction of the Conservative Party and its handling of critical issues both domestically and internationally.