TRANSCRIPT:
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been under intense pressure for the last week, ever since her newspaper article criticising the police response to a pro-Palestinian rally in London was published.
Now, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has removed her from Cabinet, paving the way for James Cleverly to step into the Home affairs portfolio.
The move comes just days before the government and the interior ministry find out whether they have succeeded in one of their key policy areas - winning a legal battle at the Supreme Court to be able to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
There are already clear indications that the new Home Secretary will not distance himself from the controversial hardline stance of his predecessor, telling reporters his time as Foreign Secretary has prepared him for this job.
"In that time I've worked very closely with my colleagues in the Home Office cracking down on illegal migration, reducing the number of small boat arrivals. And now, as the Home Secretary, I'm absolutely committed to stopping the boats, as we promised."
But the biggest surprise has been the return of former U-K prime minister David Cameron, who quit after losing the Brexit referendum seven years ago.
He's been appointed in the role of foreign secretary.
"Well, I know it's not usual for a prime minister to come back in this way, but I believe in public service. The prime minister asked me to do this job and it's a time where we have some daunting challenges as a country, the conflict in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine. And of course, I hope that six years as prime minister, 11 years leading the Conservative Party gives me some useful experience and contacts and relationships and knowledge that I can help the prime minister to make sure we build our alliances, we build partnerships with our friends, we deter our enemies, and we keep our country strong. That's why I'm doing the job and I'm delighted to accept."
Associated Press reporter Jill Lawless says the appointment is unprecedented.
"To say it's unusual for a former prime minister to return to the Cabinet in another job is an understatement. I mean, the last time it happened was in the 1950s, when Prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home, who later became foreign secretary. It's also extremely unusual because David Cameron's not a member of parliament."
Mr Cameron was Britain's leader from 2010 to 2016 with a controversial legacy in foreign policy that included trying to improve relations with China, praising the UK's role in the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, and holding the so-called Brexit referendum that he hoped would see Britain remain in the European Union.
Speaker of the U-K's House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, says the former PM's return has raised concerns about accountability because Cameron is no longer an elected member of parliament.
"This is not the first time in recent years that a cabinet minister has been appointed in the House of Lords, but given the gravity of the current international situation, it is especially important that this House is able to scrutinise the work of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office effectively."
The reshuffle is part of Rishi Sunak's attempt to reassert his authority over the Conservative Party, with the Tories trailing the Labour opposition in the polls and a general election due to be held no later than January 2025.
Londoners so far have had mixed reactions to the play, like this 35 year old Londoner, Amiad Hussein.
"I'm not sure if the government is doing a good deal right now. For somebody to be in power before and come back. I was never personally against Cameron. I think he made a lot of good decisions in the past, but to have him back as the Foreign Secretary is...I don't think it's a good decision. I think he should be left what he was and get some fresh people into those positions, you know, with a different view potentially, because right now we need to get more involved in foreign politics as we used to do before or now."
Another Londoner, Robin Nathan, says he is glad to see Ms Braverman gone.
"I think Braverman going was a good idea and I think Cameron is probably a reasonably sensible choice for Foreign Secretary. But it just shows the bit of a sad state of affairs really where the Home Secretary almost had to depart government because she undermined the Prime Minister."
