Mint Explainer: What does Rishi Sunak's cabinet reshuffle mean for India?
Mint breaks down the situation. On Monday, Britain’s first Asian-origin premier fired his controversial Home Secretary Suella Braverman and brought former Prime Minister David Cameron back to frontline politics as foreign minister. Observers of British politics speculate that Sunak is trying to return his government to a policy of centrist pragmatism.
Braverman, who was ostensibly let go for her comments criticising the “lenient" handling of pro-Palestinian protests in the UK, was seen as a key figure in the hard-right wing of Sunak’s party. Her vocal criticism of immigration and multiculturalism, which have become increasingly common in Britain, has made her the subject of much controversy. Bringing Cameron back as foreign minister is being seen as an attempt to cultivate a more measured and mature image for the government on the world stage.
As prime minister from 2010 to 2016, Cameron was an advocate for closer ties with India. He visited India in July 2010, just two months after he took office for the first time. He returned for two more visits in 2013, and hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a summit in London in 2015.
During his tenure, he pushed for increased trade and investment from the UK into India, particularly in infrastructure. His government signed a civil nuclear deal with India and also backed a closer defence partnership between the two countries. As prime minister, Cameron also backed India’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
He also met with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on his first day as Britain’s foreign minister. Yes – in a word, China. As prime minister, Cameron tried to push for a much closer relationship with Beijing and even went so far as to mention a “golden era" in
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