Explained | Five things to know about UK ex-PM, now foreign secretary David Cameron

British Prime Minster Rishi Sunak surprised the political observers in the UK when he pushed for his predecessor David Cameron for the post of foreign secretary.

This marks the return of the British leader who had taken a break from active politics after he lost his premiership in 2016 following the Brexit referendum.

Cameron said that he was “delighted to accept” Sunak’s offer, adding, “I believe in public service.”

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“While I have been out of front-line 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,” he said on X.

Cameron, after having stood down as an MP in 2016, will take a seat in the upper house, the House of Lords, to enable him to take up the post.

As the UK embarks on a new foreign policy discourse under Cameron, here are a few important things to know about the former prime minister.

Cameron was once Britain’s youngest prime minister in almost two centuries

Cameron created history while assuming office in 2010 when he was 43-and-a-half years old. No prime minister hadbeen younger since Robert Banks Jenkinson, the 2nd Earl of Liverpool, who took office in 1812, one day after his 43rd birthday. Later, in 2022, Rishi Sunak became the youngest PM in the country when he assumed office at the age of42.

Cameron eclipsed Tony Blair, who was only days away from turning 44 when he took office in 1997.

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Origins

Cameron is a descendant of King William IV and the son of a stockbroker.

He was educated at elite boarding school Eton and Oxford University, where he was admitted to the Bullingdon Club, a hard-drinking, socially exclusive student group.

He worked for the Conservatives as an adviser before a stint in public relations, which ended when he was elected to parliament in 2001.

Cameron's first election victory in 2010 ended 13 years of Labour government. He had been widely praised for giving his party a broader centrist appeal.

Reviving the economy

Cameron is regarded for reviving the British economy when it was struggling to get over the 2008 global financial crisis.

The Bank of England continued a loose monetary policy. At the same time, Cameron and his Treasury Minister George Osbourne cut spending, which saw Britain’s budget deficit fall from 10.8 per cent of GDP in 2009 to 4.4 per cent in 2015.

His supporters claim that Cameron helped create 2 million new private sector jobs when the public sector was laying off.

Speaking to the BBC in 2015, Cameron spoke of his government’s successes: “Over the last five years we’ve created a thousand jobs a day, and we commit to continuing that record because we’re going to continue supporting business and industry.”

However, critics argued that the jobs generated under his tenure were not high-paying and did not guarantee job security. Notably, the argument gained currency when the government cut spending, hurting the most vulnerable.

EU referendum

Perhaps one of the biggest failures of Cameron was his inability to persuade voters not to opt for Brexit.

In 2013, Cameron pledged to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the EU with an in/out referendum.

“It is time for the British people to have their say. It is time to settle this European question in British politics. I say to the British people: this will be your decision,”said Cameron in a 2013 speech.

Unfortunately, Cameron couldn’t convince voters and he decided to step down after the Brexit referendum.

Pro-Gaza views

In 2010, while addressing business leaders in Turkey, Cameron criticised Israel, calling for restrictions to be relaxed on Gaza.

"The situation in Gaza has to change. Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp," he said.

In another address in 2010, he said, “Everybody knows that we are not going to sort out the problem of the Middle East peace process while there is, effectively, a giant open prison in Gaza."

Thirteen years later, with the Israel-Hamas war at its peak, the former PM offered a slightly different take on the whole issue.

"We are facing a daunting set 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 stand by our allies, strengthen our partnerships and make sure our voice is heard …” he said.

“Britain is a truly international country. Our people live all over the world and our businesses trade in every corner of the globe. Working to help ensure stability and security on the global stage is both essential and squarely in our national interest. International security is vital for our domestic security,” Cameron added.

(With inputs from agencies)