SNP Westminster deputy leader Mhairi Black expressed her belief that Scots would be “appalled” by David Cameron‘s unexpected comeback to the government. She asserted that Cameron’s tenure as prime minister had “set the UK on a path to long-term decay and decline.”
Black voiced her criticism after Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet reshuffle, prompted by the dismissal of Suella Braverman as home secretary. Sunak reintroduced the former Conservative Party leader into frontline politics and planned to confer upon him a peerage, allowing him to replace James Cleverly as Foreign Secretary. This move followed Cleverly’s transfer to the Home Office, assuming the role vacated by Braverman, who faced termination due to contentious remarks regarding homeless individuals and the policing of pro-Palestinian marches.
While reflecting on her time as home secretary, Braverman referred to it as “the greatest privilege of my life” and hinted at having “more to say in due course,” potentially foreshadowing a response to Sunak’s decisions.
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf seized upon Braverman’s removal to advocate for a general election. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Yousaf criticized Braverman’s suitability for public office, accusing her of exacerbating divisions when unity was crucial. He urged an immediate general election, asserting that the Tories were bereft of ideas and time.
Simultaneously, Mhairi Black expressed her discontent with the return of former Prime Minister David Cameron to the government. Cameron had dramatically resigned from Downing Street in June 2016, shortly after the UK voted for Brexit in a referendum on EU membership.
According to Black, the move to resurrect Cameron demonstrated the exhaustion of the Tory government. She emphasized that people in Scotland would be dismayed by the return of the architect behind 13 years of Tory austerity cuts and the tumultuous Brexit referendum. Black accused Cameron of implementing damaging Tory policies that adversely impacted Scotland’s budget, economy, and public services. She labeled his stance on Brexit as a catastrophic error of judgment, comparing it to the Iraq War and asserting that it had set the UK on a course of long-term deterioration.
