What The Return Of David Cameron Means For America

By Joseph Hammond

David Cameron is back. Cameron now Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton, is now the foreign minister of the United Kingdom. It’s a move that will likely lead to a further deepening of the UK-US special relationship at a time.

His long tenure as a Prime Minister also offers some hints at his leadership style and indeed how he will act in office. Cameron’s effective leadership is unflappability and willingness to tust his instincts.

Cameron ofcourse became the Tory party at a time in 2005, when they had burned through three leaders in three elections. The Conservative Party’s base, tired of being in the political wilderness, choose Cameron as their man

His return to government encharge the foreing policy portfolio is notable. It was here that his leadership was most instinctual but, also where he spent the time getting to know the issues. While on other topics he could be steered but, on foreing policy meetings he often entered the room having made-up his mind.

Cameron’s arrival in government this time around comes at a time with two serious foreign policy challenges. First, the war in the Ukraine which the United Kingdom has committed billions of dollars and whose forces have in training (and perhaps more) played an outsized role. Furthermore, there is the war in Gaza.

Cameron is no stranger conflict. After all he the first Prime Minister to come to power while the country was at war since the Korean War. That conflict which consumed so much of government attention was the war in Afghanistan. Yet, it would not be his only war. Notably Cameron committed the United Kingdom to the invasion of Libya at a risky moment. The United States initially pledge to only be involved in the first two weeks and secondly the African Union (other entities) were working on last minute negotiated settlements.

On both Libya and Afghanistan, Cameron worked closely with the United States. Notably he will know other figures on the political scene as well. He has known Egyptian dictator Fatah Al-Sissi since he was a general. And Joseph Biden since he was lowly vice president

Cameron has thrown himself completely into the new job. Some have last hurrah and could be a mere matter of months. It’s a rehabilitation that Cameron himself would have approved Given Cameron’s own outreach when he was Prime Minister to former Prime Minister John Major. With Cameron’s support Major came out swinging in support of the referendum.

Cameron receives a lot of blame in some circles for holding a referendum of the European Union. Its an ironic criticism to hold a democratic leader to account for giving more power to the people. He has little choice, the Brexiteers would have eventually had their day as their influence was growing. Also, and this is increasingly forgotten in the United Kingdom, a large portion of Labour voters also supported Brexit.

Cameron also made some foreign policy choices that looks suspect or quaint. His cozy relationship with China needs to be put in the proper historical concept. At the time it was thought China could still be moderated. This was after all before China ramped up its genocide of the Uyghur people.

He is not afraid to act boldy and with little support. His speech regarding Turkish membership in the European Union in which he pointed out that Turkey had guarded Europe during the Cold War. On domestic policy his descision on gay marriage was important and a sop to the libertarian side of the Tory Party.

Cameron has bounced back before. Notably on the campaing trail he forgot his own favorite football club. Proclaiming a love for West Ham over his supposed favorite team Aston Villa. Piers Morgan vowed it would end him yet he went on to win

Cameron went onto win that election. Other doubters might do well to learn from that episode.