Is David Cameron overshadowing Rishi Sunak?

Rishi Sunak faces a dilemma about how to deploy Foreign Secretary David Cameron as the former PM grabs the spotlight abroad and increasingly at home.

As if to stress his renewed world standing, Cameron made a detour on his US trip to meet with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida on Monday.

As Ukraine allies seek to convince the presumptive Republican presidential nominee of the need for continued US aid, Cameron, "and allies awaiting a debrief, will hope his involvement elevated the argument above the attrition of US politics and offered clarity on a crisis", said Sky News.

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'Weight and heft'

This week's US trip comes after what the Financial Times described as the "extraordinary rehabilitation" of Cameron's reputation, from a former prime minister blamed for calling the Brexit referendum to a "high-profile figure on the international stage" once again.

Senior British diplomats told the paper that since accepting Sunak's cabinet role offer last November,  Cameron had brought "weight and heft" to the Foreign Office, and injected fresh confidence and ideas into British foreign policy.

"Being a former prime minister lends him stature and opens doors," said The Guardian. And as a member of the House of Lords rather than an MP, Cameron "has no constituency to worry about, nor does he have to hurry back from abroad for tricky Commons votes".

A series of short, slick promotional videos posted on X highlighting his first 100 days in office, and his recent trip to Brussels to mark the 75th anniversary of Nato showcased his understanding of what is required of a foreign secretary.

Cameron's communication skills were a "key factor" in his appointment, said Rachel Cunliffe in The New Statesman. "The trouble is it's all working out better than expected." The "contrast" between the former and the current PM is "impossible to miss" and "it's not doing Sunak any favours".

'Won an election for us'

Unusually, said The Guardian, Cameron "seems to have been given licence to set British foreign policy" while Sunak "focuses on domestic issues ahead of the general election".

Downing Street has denied any suggestion of a split with Cameron on high-profile stances such as his suggestion that the UK was prepared to diverge from the US and recognise a Palestinian state.

"Frankly, I don't think Rishi Sunak is very interested in foreign affairs and I think he's happy to leave that to Cameron," said Peter Ricketts, who served as national security adviser and ambassador to Paris.

But there are now "genuine worries in No. 10 that Cameron is overshadowing him", said Cunliffe. "The ease with which Cameron has slipped back into the role of representing Britain on the world stage and the effortless authority he is able to convey highlights the weakness and chaos of the Sunak regime."

Team Sunak also faces the challenge of what to do with three other former Tory PMs – Boris Johnson, Theresa May and Liz Truss – let "off the leash", said i news. But the "arguably thornier dilemma" is what to do with Cameron.

Cameron is “enjoying being back at the frontline of politics", a Conservative insider told the news site. "There's a risk he could steal the limelight from Sunak, but he did win an election for us." And he could also prove pivotal in swaying wavering Tory moderates in the so-called Blue Wall.