PEACE in the Middle East looked a long way off today as former prime minister David Cameron was set to be appointed foreign secretary in the Cabinet reshuffle.

Stop the War Coalition said the architect of austerity’s “foreign policy legacy is one of death, destruction and misery in Libya and Syria.

“There’s zero chance of him bringing any peace to the Middle East. Just more war and misery.”

No longer an MP, Mr Cameron will be given a peerage and sit in the Lords, replacing former foreign secretary James Cleverly, who becomes Home Secretary.

Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said he will do everything he can to ensure MPs can scrutinise the foreign secretary, warning: “Given the gravity of the current international situation, it is especially important that this House is able to scrutinise the work of the Foreign Office effectively.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle has meant that all four great offices of state are now held by men after Suella Braverman was sacked.

It also came just a month after Mr Sunak pledged to be the candidate for change and vowed to shake up 30 years of political consensus at the Tory Party conference.

Pat McFadden MP, Labour’s national campaign coordinator, said: “A few weeks ago Rishi Sunak said David Cameron was part of a failed status quo, now he’s bringing him back as his life raft.

“This puts to bed the Prime Minister’s laughable claim to offer change from 13 years of Tory failure.”

Mr Sunak has previously attacked Mr Cameron for promoting good relations with China, dismissing this as “naive” now Britain has followed the US into a new cold war, while the former prime minister has been critical of Mr Sunak’s decision to scrap the northern leg of HS2.

Today he said: “Though I may have disagreed with some individual decisions, it is clear to me that Rishi Sunak is a strong and capable Prime Minister, who is showing exemplary leadership at a difficult time.”

Mr Cameron kept a low profile since quitting as PM following the Brexit referendum result, until becoming embroiled in the Greensill Capital lobbying scandal two years ago – where he lobbied ministers on behalf of the financial services firm.

The reshuffle also saw Victoria Atkins become the new Health Secretary and Steve Barclay replace Therese Coffey as Environment Secretary.

National Education Union general secretary Daniel Kebede said of Nick Gibb standing down as schools minister: “Since 2010, Nick Gibb has been a near constant presence throughout a period in which the education system in England has been battered from pillar to post.”