Rumors of a possible return to politics by David Cameron, the former UK prime minister who failed to persuade voters to remain in the EU, have sparked bemusement among opposition Labour MPs, who urged him to stay in the political wilderness.
Cameron resigned as Prime Minister and as a Conservative MP in the aftermath of the Brexit vote in 2016.
But now, according to a report in The Sun newspaper, he is ready to return to the front benches, telling friends he would consider a place in a future Tory cabinet without current Prime Minister Theresa May.
“David is dedicated to public service and has often said he wouldn’t rule out a public role one day, domestically or internationally,” a source told The Sun. “But he is only 52, and still a young man.”
Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, tweeted:
Another prominent Labour MP, Yvette Cooper, tweeted:
David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham, wrote:
Andrew Gwynne, the shadow communities and local government secretary, wrote: “God. No. Didn’t he do enough damage first time round?? Please spare us all.”
Anna Turley, the MP for Redcar, said: “The sense of entitlement is unreal. Please go away and think about what you’ve done.”
Cameron told CNN earlier this year he did not regret calling a referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union – but wished the result had gone the other way.
“I made a promise to the British people – I kept that promise,” he told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.
Cameron’s fateful decision to call the referendum led to his political downfall and left his successor, Theresa May, to handle the ensuing complications. Brexit negotiations have been fraught, and key sticking points remain outstanding just months before Britain is due formally to leave the EU.
Cameron, who campaigned to stay in the EU, continues to believe the outcome of the vote was a mistake. “I think we’ve taken the wrong course,” he said.
