David Cameron as Foreign Secretary

David Cameron in his 2023 official portrait

David Cameron's tenure as Foreign Secretary 13 November 2023 –5 July 2024

As Cameron was not a sitting MP at the time of his appointment, he received a life peerage, thus making him a member of the House of Lords. Cameron is the first former prime minister to be appointed to a ministerial post since Alec Douglas-Home in 1970, and the first former prime minister to be raised to the peerage since Margaret Thatcher. ^[1] He was created Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton, of Chipping Norton in the County of Oxfordshire on 17 November 2023.

Background

Main article: Premiership of David Cameron

After resigning as prime minister and leaving the House of Commons in 2016, Cameron maintained a low profile, saying he did not want to be a distraction to his successor Theresa May's premiership. ^[2]

Appointment

Main article: November 2023 British cabinet reshuffle

At Downing Street following his appointment as Foreign Secretary, November 2023

In Rishi Sunak's cabinet reshuffle on 13 November 2023, Cameron was appointed foreign secretary, replacing James Cleverly, who became home secretary to replace Suella Braverman. It was also announced simultaneously that he would receive a life peerage, thus making Cameron a member of the House of Lords and the first former prime minister to be raised to the peerage since Margaret Thatcher. ^[1] He was created Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton, of Chipping Norton in the County of Oxfordshire on 17 November 2023. ^{[3] [4]} Lord Carrington, a hereditary peer, was the last foreign secretary to sit in the Lords, serving from 1979 until his resignation in 1982. ^[5] Cameron was introduced to the House of Lords on 20 November, supported by Nicholas True, Baron True and Susan Williams, Baroness Williams of Trafford. ^{[6] [7]} Cameron was deputised in the House of Commons by Andrew Mitchell, who was appointed to the honorific title of Deputy Foreign Secretary on 12 April 2024:

The Prime Minister has asked me to serve as his Foreign Secretary and I have gladly accepted. 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. 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.

— David Cameron after being appointed foreign secretary, 13 November 2023

Tenure

Cameron meets with Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu whilst visiting Jerusalem, 24 January 2024

Taking office amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Cameron made his first working visit to Ukraine as foreign secretary on 16 November, meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, where he reiterated the UK's commitment to provide moral, diplomatic and "above all military support for... however long it takes". ^[8] In November 2023, lawyers representing Cameron in his capacity as foreign secretary fought for sanctions on British journalist Graham Phillips to remain in place. Phillips's barrister Joshua Hitchens, challenging the government, described the sanctions on Phillips as "Orwellian". ^[9]

Cameron visited the site of the Be'eri massacre, part of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, on 23 November to meet Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen. Afterwards, he met the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss among other urgent matters, facilitating further aid to Gaza. ^[10] Cameron said in an interview with the BBC that he told Israeli officials that "they must abide by international humanitarian law" and that the number of Palestinian casualties was "too high". He also said that the "settler violence" against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is "completely unacceptable". ^[11] Cameron backed a "sustainable ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip on 17 December, called for more aid to reach Gaza on 17 December, called for more aid to reach Gaza, and called for the Israeli government to "do more to discriminate sufficiently between terrorists and civilians". He, however, rejected calls for a "general and immediate ceasefire", differentiating this from the "sustainable ceasefire" he called for alongside German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock. ^[12]

In January 2024, he expressed concern about potential breaches of international law by Israel, specifically addressing the need for Israel to restore water supplies to Gaza. ^[13] Cameron said in the same month that "Israel is acting in self-defence after the appalling attack on October 7" and denied that Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza. He dismissed South Africa's ICJ genocide case against Israel as "nonsense", saying that Israel is "a democracy, a country with the rule of law, a country with armed forces that are committed to obeying the rule of law". ^[14]

Cameron announced in late January that the government would consider recognising Palestine as a country, while also adding that would help to make a two-state solution "irreversible". ^[15]

Cameron supported the February 2024 US Senate bill to allocate military aid to Ukraine Taiwan and Israel, saying that he did not want the West to "show weakness displayed against Vladimir Putin in 2008, when he invaded Georgia, or the uncertainty of the response in 2014, when he took Crimea and much of the Donbas—before coming back to cost us far more with his aggression in 2022". ^[16] In the event the Senate bill failed to pass in the House of Representatives, where it was stalled by the GOP partisans of Donald Trump. ^{[17] [18]} At last a redrafted legislative package was put forward by Speaker Mike Johnson each of which passed the House with bipartisan support and large majorities on 20 April, ^[19] but not before Cameron was snubbed by Johnson. ^[20]

Iran attacked Israel in April 2024 with 301 drones and missiles, and the UK aided Israel to shoot them all down with RAF Eurofighter Typhoons. ^[21] Cameron told LBC radio host Nick Ferrari that, were the UK to offer the same sort of support to Ukraine, it would represent a "dangerous escalation." ^[22] In the same month, he became the first British foreign secretary to visit Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. ^[23]

In June 2024, Cameron was tricked by Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus, posing as former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko. Cameron, duped into believing he was actually speaking to Poroshenko, made a series of disclosures relating to the war in Ukraine, including details from a private dinner he had with U.S. presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump. ^{[24] [25]}

Cameron attended D-Day commemorations on 6 June, the 80th anniversary. He met with world leaders including Joe Biden. Sunak was heavily criticised for leaving events early to do an interview with ITV, a decision Cameron defended. ^{[26] [27] [28]} After the Conservatives lost the 2024 general election in a landslide to the opposition Labour Party led by Keir Starmer, Cameron was succeeded by David Lammy.

After the Conservatives lost the 2024 general election in a landslide to the opposition Labour Party led by Keir Starmer, Cameron was succeeded by David Lammy, whom he congratulated. ^[29] He announced a few days later that he would be retiring from frontline politics whilst continuing to support the party, with Mitchell becoming shadow foreign secretary in Sunak's shadow cabinet instead. ^{[30] [31] [32]}

It’s been a huge honour to serve as Foreign Secretary, but clearly the Conservative Party in opposition will need to shadow the new Foreign Secretary from the Commons. So I told Rishi Sunak that I would step back. I’m delighted that the Shadow Foreign Secretary role has gone to my good friend Andrew Mitchell. As a committed Conservative I will continue to support the Party and help where I can as we rebuild from the very disappointing election result.

— David Cameron's retirement statement, 8 July 2024

International trips

Main article: List of international trips made by David Cameron as Foreign Secretary

This is a list of international visits undertaken by Cameron while serving as the Foreign Secretary. ^[33] The list includes both private travel and official visits. The list includes only foreign travel which the Foreign Secretary made during his tenure in the position. During his tenure he made a number of original visits, including being the first Minister to visit the Falkland Islands since 2016 and the first to ever visit Paraguay, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.^{[ citation needed ]}

Cameron visited 35 countries and territories during his tenure as Foreign Secretary. The number of visits per country or territory where Cameron traveled are:

• One visit to Albania, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Falkland Islands, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, North Macedonia, Oman, Paraguay, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the UAE and Uzbekistan.
• Two visits to France, Germany, Italy, the Palestinian National Authority and Ukraine.
• Three visits to Israel and the USA.
• Four visits to Belgium.

See also

• Premiership of David Cameron
• Premiership of Rishi Sunak
• Boris Johnson's tenure as Foreign Secretary

References

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3. "No. 64237". The London Gazette . 22 November 2023. p. 23554.
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29. "Congratulations @DavidLammy on your appointment as Foreign Secretary. At a time when the world is more dangerous, more volatile, more confrontational, than most of us have ever known, your new role is more important than ever. The @FCDOGovUK is full of great talent and experience that exemplifies the very best of the British civil service. I know they will serve you as well as they have served me. I will be willing you on as you get to work, standing up for Britain's interests, and wish you well". Twitter.
30. Hymas, Charles (8 July 2024). "David Cameron to step back from frontline politics". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
31. "It's been a huge honour to serve as Foreign Secretary, but clearly the Conservative Party in opposition will need to shadow the new Foreign Secretary from the Commons. So I told Rishi Sunak that I would step back. I'm delighted that the Shadow Foreign Secretary role has gone to my good friend Andrew Mitchell. As a committed Conservative I will continue to support the Party and help where I can as we rebuild from the very disappointing election result". Twitter.
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