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Tag: david cameron

  • Cameron opens up about son’s death  

    Cameron opens up about son’s death  

    The former Tory leader, 58, said the loss of Ivan – who had Ohtahara’s syndrome – was “completely transformational”…reports Asian Lite News

    Former prime minister David Cameron has opened up about the death of his six-year-old son Ivan in 2009 – and described the “chaos” of caring for him while balancing a life in politics.

    The former Tory leader, 58, said the loss of Ivan – who had Ohtahara’s syndrome – was “completely transformational”.

    Cameron said: “Bringing up children is hard enough but if you have a child who is having seizures every day, is having to be fed through a tube and needs to be cared for all night as well as all day, who’s going in and out of hospital.

    “I can still remember the chaos… of you’re in hospital, then you’re back home, then you’re back again. I had just become an MP [when Ivan was born]. I remember turning up for debates in the House of Commons completely exhausted because I’ve been in St Mary’s Paddington [hospital] all night.

    “I remember this great blessing of having your first child. In spite of all the difficulties he had with the seizures and cerebral palsy and everything – you still remember this beautiful, smiling boy that you would rest on your lap and look after and love. The extraordinary thing about grief is to start with, there’s nothing but black clouds. But after a while, happy memories do break through.”

    Cameron, who resigned as prime minister after the 2016 Brexit referendum before returning for a stint as foreign secretary under Rishi Sunak, has recently started working with a joint US-UK venture that aims to develop 40 new treatments for rare diseases in the next decade.

    The partnership between the University of Oxford and the Harrington Discovery Institute in Cleveland, Ohio sets out to bring together academia, pharmaceutical companies, philanthropy and venture capital, Lord Cameron has said. He will be the chair of the centre’s advisory council.

    He said he believes Ivan’s life “could be very different” if he was born today, saying he and his wife Samantha “didn’t really get an answer” on Ivan’s condition.

    “Back then, the first genome was being sequenced, the whole code of the human being – it took seven years and cost $2bn,” he said.

    “Today, you can sequence a genome in an afternoon and it will cost you a few hundred dollars so we can see the full DNA, the genetic, biological makeup of a human being. That might not provide you with an answer but in some cases it will. There are thousands of different rare diseases, but about 80% seem to have a genetic base. There have been children born with those sorts of symptoms [that Ivan had] who’ve been identified through genomic medicine, who’ve had treatments, and that has improved their condition. There would be a very good chance that if Ivan was born today, and we immediately sequenced the genome, you could spot what was wrong, [and] that you might be able to take steps.”

    Cameron also said he felt “lucky” that he and his wife “took the risk” of having more children after Ivan. They share two daughters and another son – Nancy, Florence and Arthur.

    “At the time there was no genomics and genetic counselling back then,” he said. [It] was, ‘well, maybe it’s genetic, maybe it’s not’. Could be one in four, could be one in 1,000 – who knows? I’m lucky we took the risk. We have three happy, healthy children.”

    The former prime minister also opened up about assisted dying, which MPs are set to vote on after a bill was introduced in parliament. He says he’s “got an open mind” and is “thinking about” the issue.

    “I haven’t supported it before on the basis that I’ve always worried about vulnerable people being put under pressure,” he said. “Once you have some form of assisted dying, what’s the pressure put on people by relatives? I’ve always had that worry and concern.”

    But his mind was changed “over the years of watching this debate and listening to the passionate arguments that people have put forward, having also known people with things like motor neurone disease and seen the deterioration and know how awful the end can be”.

    In a wide-ranging interview, he also dismissed claims in Boris Johnson’s new book that Lord Cameron would “f*** him up” if he supported the Leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum, saying: “That’s not my recollection.

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  • Chagos islanders stunned as Cameron rules out return

    Chagos islanders stunned as Cameron rules out return

    The former prime minister suggested that a return to the islands was now “not possible” for Chagossians who were forcibly displaced by the British government in the 1960s and 1970s…reports Asian Lite News

    Britain’s foreign secretary, David Cameron, has provoked fury by abruptly ruling out the resettlement of former inhabitants of the Chagos Islands, months after his predecessor revealed that the UK was discussing their potential return.

    The former prime minister suggested that a return to the islands was now “not possible” for Chagossians who were forcibly displaced by the British government in the 1960s and 1970s.

    His stance stunned islanders who a year ago had celebrated the news that the UK was discussing the return of islanders along with a possible future handover of the Chagos archipelago.

    On Thursday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) wrote to Cameron expressing its “extreme concern” over the apparent U-turn after a long-running campaign to repatriate Chagos islanders.

    In their first official statements on the development, Chagossian groups criticised Cameron’s intervention.

    Marie Sabrina Jean, the chair of the Chagos Refugees UK Group, said: “Cameron does not have any respect for human rights. The problem is that all UK politicians continue the fiction that Chagossians are not native to the islands and have no property or other rights.

    “Whether the UK keeps the islands or gives them to Mauritius, the Chagossians’ rights must be restored first.”

    A supporting statement from Chagossian Voices, a grassroots campaigning group, added: “It is our absolute right to return to our islands. Having forcibly removed us, the UK government has both a duty of care and a duty to facilitate our return.

    “The decision as to whether it was ‘possible’ was – and remains – political.”

    Cameron’s stance on the issue emerged during his evidence to a foreign affairs committee hearing on 9 January, in comments that contrasted sharply with those made by his predecessor in a written ministerial statement on 3 November 2022.

    In March last year, the then foreign secretary, James Cleverly, confirmed that talks between the UK and Mauritius over the future of the Indian Ocean islands included “resettlement of the former inhabitants of the Chagos archipelago”.

    Cleverly, who is now home secretary, had said in November 2022 that the aim was to reach a settlement involving the return of former islanders with Mauritius early last year. Twelve months later, Cameron took over his job despite not being an MP.

    Two men protest during the legislative scrutiny of the nationality and borders bill in 2021.

    The HRW letter, signed by its UK director, Yasmine Ahmed, said: “We note that your predecessor acknowledged that resettlement of the Chagossians in their homeland was part of the negotiations with Mauritius.”

    According to HRW, a 2014 KPMG feasibility study – commissioned and completed when Cameron was prime minister – concluded it was possible for islanders to return.

    The UK’s continuing occupation of the islands, a British territory in the Indian Ocean since 1814, has prompted widespread global opposition and two high-profile defeats in the international courts.

    Justifying his intervention on the issue, Cameron highlighted security requirements and the importance of the Diego Garcia military base.

    However, Cleverly’s potential agreement with Mauritius indicated that the strategic Indian Ocean military base in Diego Garcia, which the UK leases to the US, would stay open.

    In fact, not even Chagossian groups were advocating for the closure of the military base, but wanted to return to live on the unoccupied islands and the unoccupied part of Diego Garcia.

    Cameron also caused disquiet by failing to mention the rights of the Chagossians when discussing the future of the islands.

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  • UK Foreign secretary Cameron to visit US

    UK Foreign secretary Cameron to visit US

    Cameron made his first overseas trip in his new post to Ukraine just days after he was appointed…reports Asian Lite News

    Foreign Secretary David Cameron, a former prime minister brought back into government last month, will visit Washington from Wednesday, his office said.

    The trip will be a chance to “reaffirm the strength of the UK’s relationship with its closest strategic ally,” the foreign office said in a statement on Sunday.

    Cameron, who served as Conservative prime minister from 2010 to 2016, was named as Britain’s top diplomat on November 13 as current premier Rishi Sunak shuffled his ministerial team.

    He is due in the US capital on Wednesday where he will meet with “key members of the Biden Administration, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as well as meeting Republican and Democratic Congressional figures,” the foreign office said.

    At the center of Cameron’s discussion will be “support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression and work to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East,” it added.

    Cameron made his first overseas trip in his new post to Ukraine just days after he was appointed.

    While in Kyiv, he promised that London would “continue to give you the moral support, diplomatic support, the economic support, but above all, the military support, that you need… for however long it takes.”

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  • India-UK Ties Get Fresh Impetus with Jaishankar’s Visit

    India-UK Ties Get Fresh Impetus with Jaishankar’s Visit

    The visit also unfolded against the backdrop of significant strides in the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the ambitious Roadmap 2030.

    In a diplomatic stride that reverberated with historical resonance, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar concluded his recent visit to the United Kingdom, solidifying the enduring ties between the two nations.

    The visit not only provided a fresh impetus to bilateral cooperation but also unfolded against the backdrop of significant strides in the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the ambitious Roadmap 2030.

    “External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recent visit to the United Kingdom further consolidated the long-standing historical ties between the two countries and provided a new impetus to bilateral cooperation in diverse areas against the backdrop of progress on the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and Roadmap 2030,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a release.

    Jaishankar paid an official visit to the United Kingdom from November 11-15. The EAM called on UK PM Rishi Sunak, and held talks with his new counterpart, Foreign Secretary David Cameron. He also met Secretary of State for Home, James Cleverly; Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps; and National Security Adviser, Tim Barrow.

    In his meeting with the Prime Minister, EAM extended Diwali greetings and conveyed best wishes on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Sunak and EAM expressed satisfaction at positive momentum in enhancing the India-UK relationship as an important factor in addressing contemporary challenges. They also reviewed implementation of Roadmap 2030 and discussed ongoing negotiations for a India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the MEA’s release added.

    EAM met Foreign Secretary Cameron on his first day in office and congratulated him on his appointment. They discussed avenues to realise the full potential of India-UK partnership in avenues ranging from cooperation in political, economic and trade, defence and security, science and technology, innovation, health, education, people-to-people connections and mobility. They also exchanged views on important global developments including the Indo-Pacific, the situation in West Asia, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it also said.

    With Home Secretary Cleverly, EAM discussed the importance of mobility in skills and talent in the development of bilateral cooperation, and exchanged views on addressing extremism, trans-border crimes including economic offences and trafficking.

    In EAM’s meeting with Defence Secretary Shapps, they focused on enhancing defence and security cooperation, recognizing that ‘Make in India’ offers a wealth of opportunities to UK companies for potential industrial partnerships. EAM and NSA Tim Barrow discussed recent developments including in West Asia, Indo-Pacific and Russia-Ukraine. They underscored the need for close collaboration on combating violent extremism and radicalism and agreed to deepen and expand dialogue on these and other shared concerns.

    The EAM also met the former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer, Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy, along with Shadow Minister of State for Asia & the Pacific, Catherine West.

    Jaishankar addressed the Indian diaspora at a Diwali Reception at Westminster Palace, in which Minister of State Lord Tariq Ahmad also offered greetings on behalf of His Majesty’s Government. EAM also visited the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple at Neasden. He also unveiled two 8th Century Yogini sculptures from a temple in the village of Lokhari in Uttar Pradesh, which have been recovered in the UK and will shortly be sent back to India.

    Meeting with former UK PM Tony Blair

    During the visit, EAM also participated in a conversation on ‘How a Billion People See the World’at a Policy Event held in partnership with Wilton Park and the Royal Overseas League. The event, moderated by the eminent political commentator Lionel Barber, was attended by parliamentarians, diplomats, journalists, academicians and business leaders.

    India-UK FTA discussed

    Ministry of External Affairs Official Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi has said the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was discussed during (EAM) Jaishankar’s meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on his recent visit to the country.

    “The EAM discussed the FTA with the UK PM and the newly sworn-in foreign secretary. There are discussions going on. But if you want to know the exact status of negotiations, I would refer you to the trade negotiators,” Bagchi said while speaking on the India-UK FTA during the MEA Weekly Media Briefing on Thursday.

    The MEA spokesperson further said: “Both India and UK are engaged on this important issue to see if we can find, a solution or reach a final stage…”

    EAM Jaishankar on his recent five-day visit to the UK, met with his British counterpart David Cameron and discussed progressing a Free Trade Agreement and partnerships on defence, science and technology.

    During the meeting on Monday, the two leaders reflected on the strength of the UK-India relationship, including meeting the ambition of the UK-India 2030 Roadmap, according to the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

    Jaishankar meets with UK Labour Party Leader Sir Keir Starmer

    “The Foreign Secretary and Jaishankar also discussed progressing a free trade agreement and partnerships on defence, science and technology,” it said.

    The duo also discussed shared global challenges, including the situation in Israel and Gaza and the war between Russia and Ukraine. (ANI)

  • CABINET REJIG: Cameron Makes Surprise Return as Cleverly Replaces Braverman

    CABINET REJIG: Cameron Makes Surprise Return as Cleverly Replaces Braverman

    David Cameron replaced James Cleverly who has been appointed as the new Home Secretary after Indian-origin Suella Braverman was sacked from the post, days after she wrote a controversial article in The Times newspaper, criticising the Met Police over pro-Palestine protests in London.

    As UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is currently reshuffling his Cabinet, former British premier David Cameron was on Monday appointed as the new Foreign Secretary.

    In a post on X, the Downing Street said that Cameron had been appointed as the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.

    Cameron replaced James Cleverly who has been appointed as the new Home Secretary after Indian-origin Suella Braverman was sacked from the post, days after she wrote a controversial article in The Times newspaper, criticising the Met Police over pro-Palestine protests in London.

    It was later confirmed that she had ignored advice from Downing Street to make changes to the article.

    “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as home secretary,” the BBC quoted Braverman as saying after she was sacked,

    “I will have more to say in due course.”

    Braverman was appointed Home Secretary by Liz Truss in September 2022.

    But she was made to resign from her post after sending an official document from her personal email – against ministerial rules.

    Just six days later, Sunak brought her back into position.

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  • Next few decades can be India’s, says Cameron

    Next few decades can be India’s, says Cameron

    He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi combines very powerful rhetoric and powerful arguments with the track record of delivering and implementing changes on the ground…reports Asian Lite News

    There is every chance that the next few decades can be India’s as it is one of the fastest growing major economies in the world that is also pushing up global growth rates, former British prime minister David Cameron said on Saturday.

    “There is a real opportunity for India to be a real thought leader on all the three fronts – the challenge on how we grow our economies, the challenge how we show that democracy is relevant and still works today and the challenge how we tackle climate,” Cameron said.

    Given the skills, energy, growing economy and leadership that the country has, the next few decades can belong to India, the former British prime minister said while speaking at a session ‘India in the New International Order’ on the second day of TV9 Global Summit.

    Speaking on India’s potential to aspire for a leadership position on the world stage, Cameron said, “I feel there is every chance that the next few decades can be India’s. India is one of the fastest growing major economies in the world that is also pushing up global growth rates.”

    He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi combines very powerful rhetoric and powerful arguments with the track record of delivering and implementing changes on the ground.

    To a question of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Cameron said only Russian President Vladimir Putin was responsible for the war.

    “You have to blame for what has happened in Ukraine on one person and one person alone – Vladimir Putin. He has invaded a sovereign country and has been pounding it with artillery. It is an appalling act,” he Cameron.

    The former British prime minister also said China’s continued rise in manufacturing was inevitable.

    “The great economic rise of China will continue. China’s rise is inevitable. It is something we have to try to manage and try to ensure that we have a safe world without conflict. There is a big opportunity for India as the world’s biggest democracy,” said Cameron who served as the Prime Minister of the UK between May 2010 and July 2016.

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