Top Conservatives in Swindon have supported the surprise move by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to bring back David Cameron to his cabinet.

The leader of Swindon’s Conservative councillors, Councillor Gary Sumner, and the borough’s Mayor, Barbra Parry, herself a Conservative councillor, have applauded the PM’s bringing back to active politics of Mr Cameron – who was last in government in 2016, four Prime Ministers ago.

The now-Lord Cameron will be given a peerage to take the job of Foreign Secretary.

Cllr Sumner was quoted by the i newspaper as saying he would be pleased if the move brought the Tories back towards the centre.

He said: “It was a surprise, and a pleasant surprise.

“The PM has come from the left field and brought somebody in who’s going to make a genuine difference. He’s got a depth of experience to bring to the role and I think what people want is the Cabinet around the PM getting on with the job and not making headlines for other reasons.

“I think the party are better placed when they’re more towards the centre. At the end of the day that’s where the majority of the country sit and certainly the majority of the Tory party.

“The opposition is the Labour Party and we don’t need to keep giving open goals to people in terms of unnecessary behaviour from senior people who should really know an awful lot better.”

Mayor Barbara Parry was briefly quoted and said she was “personally delighted” to see Mr Cameron return.