David Cameron: what has Rishi Sunak said about former PM in the past - relationship explained as Cameron appointed Foreign Secretary

Rishi Sunak has made a surprising move and welcomed former Prime Minister David Cameron back into frontline politics, appointing him as the new Foreign Secretary.

Cameron, who stood down as an MP in 2016, will be made a life peer, allowing him to serve in the government without sitting as an MP. He replaces James Cleverly, who moved to the Home Office after the high-profile sacking of Suella Braverman.

The move by Sunak has astonished the political world, with the Prime Minister seemingly pivoting further to the centre. But what is the history between the two, and how could it affect the Prime Minister's new cabinet?

What has Rishi Sunak said about David Cameron in the past?

Sunak was made an MP in 2015, overlapping with Cameron's time in Downing Street for one year. However, quickly rising up the ranks of the Tory party saw Sunak form a working relationship with Cameron in certain aspects.

In 2020, Cameron became involved in a scandal after he was reported to have lobbied the former Chancellor on behalf of financial services company Greensill Capital to join a Covid scheme which provided support to companies impacted by the pandemic. After leaving politics, Cameron became an adviser for the now-insolvent company and held shares. He lobbied Sunak via a series of text messages and phone calls, with Sunak reportedly replying to one message saying: “No guarantees, but the Bank are currently looking at it and Charles [Roxburgh] should be in touch. Best, Rishi.”

In a speech during his party conference appearance at the Tory conference in Manchester last month, Sunak appeared to point towards his unhappiness with the previous direction of Conservative leaders, including Cameron, position himself as a 'change' candidate.

He said: "Politics doesn’t work the way it should. We’ve had 30 years of a political system which incentivises the easy decision, not the right one. Thirty years of vested interests standing in the way of change. Thirty years of rhetorical ambition which achieves little more than a short-term headline. And why? Because our political system is too focused on short term advantage, not long-term success."

What issues do Rishi Sunak and David Cameron clash on?

Sunak's decision to bring Cameron back to government came as a surprise to many not only because of the former PM's hiatus in frontline politics. The pair have often been in opposing camps of major issues to divide the Tory Party in many years.

Cameron was in power when he called the Brexit referendum for 2016 and campaigned for the Remain camp. Sunak on the other hand backed the Johnson-led 'Leave' camp, eventually being rewarded with the position of Chancellor in Johnson's cabinet when he replaced Cameron's successor Theresa May.

Sunak has also controversially taken the decision to scrap HS2, a project which Cameron championed during his time in office. In a statement following his appointment to 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. I want to help him to deliver the security and prosperity our country needs and be part of the strongest possible team that serves the United Kingdom and that can be presented to the country when the General Election is held."