‘Fresh start’ is not the phrase that comes to mind when I think of David Cameron, but it seems Rishi Sunak may hold a different view. Sunak named Cameron as his new foreign secretary on Monday, as part of a wider reshuffle in the wake of the dismissal of former home secretary Suella Braverman.

Sunak’s decision to parachute David Cameron back into government is an understandable attempt to project stability and moderacy. A steady ship will be required. Braverman has emerged as the leading figure on the right of the Conservative party and her support was essential to Sunak’s successful tilt at the top job last year. Unmoored from her obligation to cabinet solidarity, Braverman will no doubt begin to rock the boat from the outside, hoping that if a Labour red wave strikes at the next election, as is expected, she will be left sitting in the captain’s chair.

Cameron has been granted a life peerage and will serve in the House of Lords, having resigned from the House of Commons shortly after his departure from 10 Downing Street in 2016. Sunak’s problems are not quite Job-like, but even so, he would be wise to bear in mind the good book’s reminder that ‘the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away’. While the new Lord’s presence in the cabinet does signal that the government wishes to be viewed as serious and mature, his elevation also detracts from Sunak’s message in important ways.

In recent months Sunak has sought to cast his government as a catalyst for change.

That case will be hard to prosecute in the shadow of the man who returned the Tories to power thirteen years ago. By elevating the longest-serving Prime Minister since Tony Blair to one of the most senior positions in government, Sunak risks seeming like the junior partner to an elder statesman.

The problems don’t end there. The appointment of a parliamentary outsider – even one who was once the ultimate insider – to one of the Great Offices of State is tantamount to an admission of lack of depth. The Tories hold 350 seats in the House of Commons. Cameron’s appointment sends the message that Sunak does not consider any of his 349 colleagues to be equipped for high office.

True or not, that is the allegation that Keir Starmer and co will bellow across the chamber at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, and every Wednesday afterwards until the next election. Fortunately for the new foreign secretary, he won’t be in the Commons to deal with those attacks.