Watch: TV presenters burst into laughter as David Cameron arrives at No 10 during reshuffle
TV presenters burst into shocked laughter when David Cameron turned up at Downing Street on Monday after Suella Braverman had been sacked as home secretary.
The former prime minister and Conservative Party leader, who has been confirmed as the new foreign secretary, stepped out of a car at No 10, to the guffaws of Sky News presenters Kay Burley and Sam Coates.
The King has confirmed Cameron is now a life peer and can take on the role of foreign secretary.
SUELLA BRAVERMAN SACKED LIVE: LATEST UPDATES
Cameron walked inside No 10 shortly before 9am as prime minister Rishi Sunak reshuffles his cabinet, starting with the sacking of Braverman after her controversial newspaper article criticising the Metropolitan Police ahead of Saturday’s pro-Palestine march in London.
James Cleverly, who Cameron replaces as foreign secretary, has replaced Braverman as home secretary.
On Sky News, presenter Kay Burley said: “A car coming up Downing Street. Not quite sure who this might be. That’s the security detail just opening the door for… David Cameron!”
She and fellow presenter Sam Coates then burst into hysterical laughter.
In his first statement since becoming foreign secretary, Cameron said: “Though I may have disagreed with some individual decisions, it is clear to me that Rishi Sunak is a strong and capable prime minister, who is showing exemplary leadership at a difficult time.”
Cameron said: “We are facing a daunting set of international challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East.
“While I have been out of front-line politics for the last seven years, I hope that my experience – as Conservative leader for 11 years and prime minister for six – will assist me in helping the prime minister to meet these vital challenges.”
Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden said: “A few weeks ago Rishi Sunak said David Cameron was part of a failed status quo, now he’s bringing him back as his life raft.
“This puts to bed the prime minister’s laughable claim to offer change from 13 years of Tory failure.”
Labour MP Jess Phillips posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Nothing says change and future like… David Cameron. It’s as if they want the people to sing ‘you’ve had 13 years!'”
Former prime minister David Cameron strides into Downing Street on Monday. (Sky News) (Sky News)
Cameron is the 15th former prime minister to serve in a later government led by someone else.
A No 10 source said Sunak “asked Suella Braverman to leave government and she has accepted”.
After being sacked, Braverman said “it has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as home secretary”, adding: “I will have more to say in due course.”
News of Mrs Braverman’s exit came as armed forces minister James Heappey was touring broadcast studios.
Former prime minister David Cameron arriving at 10 Downing Street, London, in the middle of a cabinet reshuffle. (PA) (Sam Hall/PA Wire)
Minutes before she was sacked, he had told LBC that Mr Sunak and his team in No 10 had been “very clear she (Braverman) has his confidence and, in that sense, one would imagine that she will continue”.
But he was told on air during an ITV Good Morning Britain interview that she had been sacked, leaving him to say: “Your viewers will be enjoying my discomfort, but it is in this case difficult to offer commentary when I just don’t know what is going on.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Suella Braverman was never fit to be home secretary. Rishi Sunak knew this and he still appointed her.
“It was the prime minister’s sheer cowardice that kept her in the job even for this long. We are witnessing a broken party and a broken government, both of which are breaking this country.”
Watch: Suella Braverman sacked as home secretary by Rishi Sunak