David Cameron’s return to the Conservative front row is an indication that stance on Brexit is no longer the party’s defining friend-enemy criterion. Cameron bears responsibility for his country’s exit from the EU, which he himself did not want by allowing the referendum on this issue, which led to the Brexit vote seven years ago in the summer.
The then Prime Minister had already won a referendum on Scottish independence (2014) in the interests of the British Unionists. He then hoped that the dispute over leaving the EU, which divided and paralyzed his own party, could be resolved in the same way through a popular vote.
“Golden Age” in relation to Beijing
This time things went wrong for the European Unionists. Cameron, who had previously asserted that he would not consider defeat in the referendum as a reason for resignation, subsequently resigned immediately. Many Brits still have in their minds the scene in which Cameron, after his farewell words in front of the black-painted front door of 10 Downing Street, stepped back from the lectern and left the scene, whistling quietly but cheerfully.
Now he’s back – and brings back more memories. For example, the efforts to forge foreign and economic policy partnerships with India and especially with China. The “golden age” in the relationship between London and Beijing, which Cameron invoked at the time, has been officially declared over by his successor Sunak in recent months.
Cameron’s foreign policy legacies include efforts to establish a closer partnership with France, particularly with a focus on security policy. This new “entente cordiale”, which Cameron announced at the time, has not presented itself as particularly cordial in recent years – mainly because of Brexit – but the defense policy agreement between London and Paris that was concluded at the time still exists. And now, in a world that has become more uncertain and confusing, the British side is also increasingly interested in strengthening this cooperation again.
Cameron said that although he had been out of politics for seven years, he hoped that his political experience, gained for 11 years as Conservative leader and six years as Prime Minister, would be useful to him in “being the Prime Minister help”. Cameron also admitted that he disagreed with Sunak on some of Sunak’s “individual decisions” (such as Brexit), but still considered him “a strong and capable leader.”
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