Rishi Sunak welcomes ‘strong and united’ cabinet after sacking Suella Braverman – as Cameron joins top team
Rishi Sunak has welcomed a “strong and united” cabinet to its first meeting following the sacking of Suella Braverman as home secretary.
Lord David Cameron, the newly appointed foreign secretary, was a shock return to government, and this morning sat in a cabinet meeting for the first time since he resigned as prime minister in 2016.
Speaking to the cabinet in front of cameras, Mr Sunak welcomed those “for whom it’s their first cabinet”.
And in a quip on Lord Cameron‘s behalf, he added a welcome “to those for whom it may not be their first time”.
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In what seemed like a pointed remark at Ms Braverman – who lost her job yesterday after questioning the police and saying living in a tent on the streets was a “lifestyle” choice – Mr Sunak said “this strong and united team is going to deliver” the changes for the country the government is aiming at.
Mr Sunak said it was an “important week”, with inflation figures and the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Rwanda deportation scheme due on Wednesday, followed by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement next Wednesday.
“Across all of that I’m confident that we can demonstrate to the country that we’re making progress on the priorities that I set out at the beginning of the year – to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists and to stop the boats,” he said.
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Touching on what will be Lord Cameron’s portfolio, the prime minister added: “We want to build a better future for our children and for our grandchildren and that is what this team is going to do, whether it’s navigating the crises in Ukraine, the Middle East, to demonstrate we will stand up for our values and provide security for everyone here at home.
“But also to make the big, bold decisions that will drive change.”
He also spoke of a “new approach” to infrastructure spending – which follows the prime minister’s decision to scrap the northern leg of HS2, a move criticised by Lord Cameron at the time.
Mr Sunak also repeated his plans for a generation of children to “grow up smoke-free”, as well as his changed approach to net zero and reforms to the education system.
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“That’s the change that we’re going to deliver,” he said.
“And looking around this table, I know that we have an energetic, enthusiastic team that is going to deliver for the country. So let’s get to work.”
After the cameras left, the new government continued its meeting behind closed doors.
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Donald Trump’s advisers said they would recommend that the president sign a resolution repealing the IRS rule into law if passed by the House and Senate.
JD Vance has hit back at criticism after saying a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine would be “20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years”.
The US vice president was accused of “disrespecting” British forces who served alongside the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, with a former veterans minister branding him a “clown” who needs to “check his privilege”.
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Although the UK and France are the only countries to have pledged troops to a potential peacekeeping force, Mr Vance said the suggestion he was referring to those two allies is “absurdly dishonest”.
“I don’t even mention the UK or France in the clip, both of whom have fought bravely alongside the US over the last 20 years, and beyond,” he said in a post on X.
“There are many countries who are volunteering (privately or publicly) support who have neither the battlefield experience nor the military equipment to do anything meaningful.”
Mr Vance made the initial comments to Fox News on Tuesday, saying the only security guarantee Donald Trump will provide for Ukraine is a minerals deal.
He said: “The president knows that if you want real US security guarantees, if you want to actually ensure that Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine.
“That is a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”
Several British politicians interpreted this as a dig at the UK and France, who have led the idea of a “coalition of the willing” to provide boots on the ground in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, accused Mr Vance of “ignoring the service and sacrifice” of personnel from the two countries that fought in Afghanistan after 9/11.
He said that is the only time NATO’s Article 5 has been invoked, which holds that members of the alliance will come to the defence of an ally under attack.
He added: “Britain and France came to their aid deploying 1,000s of personnel to Afghanistan, including numerous parliamentary colleagues, past & present. It’s deeply disrespectful to ignore such service & sacrifice.”
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Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine – what now?
Former Tory veterans minister Johnny Mercer called Mr Vance a “clown” who “needs to check his privilege”.
Helen Maguire, the Lib Dem’s defence spokesperson who also served in the army before her career in politics, accused Mr Trump’s deputy of “erasing the hundreds of British troops who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan from history”.
She said: “Six of my own regiment, the Royal Military Police, didn’t return home from Iraq. This is a sinister attempt to deny that reality. Vance has demeaned his office.”
Speaking after Mr Vance clarified his remarks, a Downing Street spokesperson said the US vice president was “talking about other countries” when asked if he should apologise.
They added Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer “is full of admiration for British troops who fought alongside the US and others in wars and their courage and bravery”.
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Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told GB News “a lot of people are getting carried away”.
“They’re saying loads of things and getting quite animated, let’s keep cool heads,” she said.
“I believe President Trump and JD Vance want peace, they’re looking after their national interest, we need to do so as well.”
It is not the first time Mr Vance has riled the UK, after previously attacking it over free speech and saying the UK is “Islamist under Labour”.
The row comes after the Trump administration paused military aid to Ukraine following an extraordinary showdown between the US President and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The falling out has thrown into jeopardy the prospect of a minerals deal, which would give the US access to Ukraine’s deposits of rare earth minerals.
Mr Trump has suggested this would deter Russia from invading Ukraine again if a peace deal is struck – but Sir Keir said yesterday that it would not be enough on its own.
The prime minister told MPs on Monday that Britain must “lead from the front” on supporting Ukraine and Europe must “do the heavy lifting to support peace on our continent”.
However, he said “to succeed, this effort must also have strong US backing”.
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