Britain's reputation abroad has lifted - because of David Cameron

It was viewed as an extraordinary decision when UK Prime Minister Rishu Sunak appointed David Cameron, one of his predecessors, as foreign secretary. But the appointment was undoubtedly shrewd and clever. Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, as he is these days, has turned out to be an inspired choice. Few people, I suspect, will forgive him for holding the referendum on leaving or staying in the European Union which led to disastrous Brexit. But since becoming foreign secretary in November last year, Cameron has added gravitas to the job and has been welcomed by leaders around the world who knew him when he was prime minister for six years. He has been in the thick of all the major foreign policy issues of the day and is today in the US talking about Ukraine and the need for Congress to stop obstructing the provision of $60 billion in US aid to the Kyiv government. He even went to see Donald Trump at his "palace" resort in Florida to try and persuade him to unblock the impasse caused by the Republicans. That was quite a brave move, seeing as how Cameron has called Trump "stupid" in the past. Cameron looks and sounds good. He looks and sounds experienced and sensible, characteristics needed for such a job which has been somewhat lacking in UK foreign secretaries for quite some time. So, despite his Brexit legacy, Cameron's sure-footed presence as Britain's top diplomat has given this poor country of ours a bit of a boost. It's a shame that before the end of the year, it's almost definite that both he and the man who appointed him will be out of office once Labour's Keir Starmer takes over the reigns of government. In the meantime, let us hope Cameron can play a significant role in reviving support for Ukraine against Vladimir Putin and, perhaps, contributing towards an end to the terrible war in Gaza.