Today’s news summary – Paper Talk: David Cameron shock return to front line politics & Suella sacked
Almost all of Tuesday’s front pages lead on ex-PM David Cameron being appointed as foreign secretary after seven years out of politics.
Suella Braverman’s sacking as home secretary also features, but the story is not as prominent on the front splashes – perhaps by design of the government.
David Cameron returns
The Daily Telegraph reports the recall of David Cameron to the government has sparked backlash from Brexiteers. The paper says the reshuffle has “triggered a new row” between the prime minister and the right of the Conservative Party.
It also reports that Rishi Sunak offered David Cameron the job as foreign secretary in a face-to-face meeting last Tuesday, before the row about Suella Braverman’s article, in which she called the police biased. Government sources tell the paper that the reshuffle was brought forward by her comments.
Sources are speaking to the Guardian, suggesting David Cameron’s return was facilitated by the former Tory leader, William Hague. The paper says they represent a shift towards securing the Tory base in southern seats – the blue wall seats, but this could cost them the red wall seats they won from Labour in the 2019 election. The paper says it’s probably a “last throw of the dice” for Sunak.
The Daily Mail reports the PM has “gambled” on the reshuffle to restore his political fortunes. The paper also reports that Esther McVey, appointed to the Cabinet as a new minister for “common sense” in charge of rooting out “woke” culture in Whitehall and the public sector.
The Economist considers what Cameron’s return says about British politics at the moment, suggesting it is “peculiar” – given his record. In British politics, it says, “the appearance of competence is more important than the evidence of it. Aesthetics trump achievement. Nothing demonstrates this more than the renaissance of Mr Cameron”.
The Times reports Cameron is “Back from the Wilderness,” and the Sun refers to the fact that he used to ask people to call him “Dave.”