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Former Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken for the first time since his appointment as the UK’s Foreign Secretary.

David Cameron’s First Interview as Foreign Secretary

13 November 2023

David Cameron: I know it’s not usual for a prime minister to come back in this way, but I believe in public service. The Prime Minister asked me to do this job, and it’s a time where we have some daunting challenges as a country: the conflict in the Middle East; the war in Ukraine. And of course, I hope that 6 years as prime minister, 11 years leading the Conservative Party, gives me some useful experience and contacts, relationships and knowledge that I can help the Prime Minister to make sure we build our alliances, we build partnerships with our friends, we deter our enemies, and we keep our country strong. That’s why I’m doing the job, and I’m delighted to accept. 

Sky News: You have expressed publicly recently disagreements with the Prime Minister. Have you promised to…to button it? Is it a collective responsibility from here on in?

David Cameron: On the whole, as an ex-prime minister, I’ve tried to keep quiet about politics, stay out of politics. It’s hard enough being prime minister without having your predecessors endlessly giving a running commentary. But look, of course, I’ve disagreed with some individual decisions, but politics is a team enterprise. I’ve decided to join this team because I believe Rishi Sunak is a good Prime Minister, doing a difficult job at a hard time. I want to support him. I’m a member of the team and I accept the Cabinet collective responsibility that comes with that.

Sky News: Let’s explore what you’ve been doing since you were prime minister. The Treasury Select Committee accused you of a significant lack of judgement over your lobbying of ministers on behalf of the finance company, Greensill. Why should voters trust your judgement now?

David Cameron: Well, the most important thing I’ve done since...since leaving office was to act as President of Alzheimer’s Research and to raise millions of pounds and help our scientists to get closer to a diagnosis and a cure for something that affects almost 1 million people in our country. Um, but today, I resign from all of those things, from all of the businesses I’ve been helping, and all the other things I’ve been doing, including being a professor at NYU. That all stops. I now have one job – as Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom. And I’m very proud to work with our Prime Minister to try and make sure our country can be as secure and as prosperous as possible.

Sky News: I noticed you ducked my question on Geensill. There’s a specific answer to that question. The Treasury Select Committee branding a significant lack of judgement.

David Cameron: I think all those things were dealt with by the Treasury Select Committee, by other inquiries at the time. And as far as I’m concerned, that is all dealt with and in the past. And I now have one job as Britain’s Foreign Secretary, as part of Rishi Sunak’s team, to try and make sure this country can be as secure and as prosperous in a difficult and dangerous world.

Sky News: You’re going to be Foreign Secretary in the House of Lords. It’s not unprecedented, but it’s unconventional. What do you say to the Speaker of the House of Commons, who has articulated a concern this afternoon about how you can be held to account when you can’t appear in the House of Commons and face questions directly from MPs in there?

David Cameron: Well, I will be held to account in the House of Lords where I have to account…to…for…for myself and for the Government. And, of course, Andrew Mitchell and a very talented team of ministers at the Foreign Office will be held to account in the House of Commons. I’ll obviously appear in front of the House of Commons Select Committees as appropriate to answer the questions. And, of course, this Government, my role in it, all of that will be accountable to the electorate at the general election when it comes. But in the meantime, I want to do everything to strengthen our alliances, to work with our friends, to build those vital partnerships, to make sure our country is secure and prosperous in a difficult and dangerous world. That work starts now, and I’ve got to get on with it.

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