Toby Perkins MP Standing up for Chesterfield and Staveley
It has been a stunning start to the week in Westminster, with the sacking of Suella Braverman as Home Secretary and then the appointment of former Prime Minister, David Cameron, as the new Foreign Secretary.
The sacking of Ms Braverman is welcome and is a clear acceptance by the Prime Minister that the remarks she made last week were a contributing factor to the disorder we saw in London this weekend. The Prime Minister was warned that Ms Braverman was an irresponsible appointment, and warned many times since that it was irresponsible to keep her in post, but has been too weak to take immediate action.
Whilst everyone involved in the disorder and disgraceful scenes at the weekend needs to take individual responsibility for their actions – and I hope that the police are able to quickly identify and deal with all those involved in criminal behaviour – the former Home Secretary had clearly failed in her main job, which is to keep the country safe. The actions and rhetoric used by Ms Braverman was making the public less safe and so it is right the decision to sack her, something which Keir Starmer was calling for last week. It reflects very badly on the Prime Minister that she was allowed to stay in her position for as long as she did.
With regards to the appointment of David Cameron as Foreign Secretary, this is a stunning acceptance of the failure of this Government. Just a few weeks ago in his conference speech, the Prime Minister implicitly criticised David Cameron when he denounced the failed politics of the last 13 years, which included Cameron’s six years in office, but is now desperately turning to him with this government in disarray.
What people will be saying seeing the mess in front of them today, is that we need a General Election now and the end of this tired and failed government. The public are ready for a new government with fresh agenda rather than the continued failure and disarray seen under the Conservatives.