It’s “unbelieveable” Cameron has recommended Lansley for top UN job, say Labour

It’s rumoured that David Cameron has recommended former health secretary Andrew Lansley for a senior position in the UN.

When health secretary – before he was replaced by Jeremy Hunt in 2012 – it was Lansley who oversaw the Government’s extremely controversial Health and Social Care Act 2012. He then became Leader of the House of Commons before being replaced by William Hague, meaning Lansley is no longer in the cabinet. He also announced that he would be standing down as an MP at the next election.

The job that he is now, reportedly, being nominated for by the PM is the co-ordinator of the the UN’s humanitarian affairs and emergency relief – and while Downing Street has not commented on whether these rumours are true, Lansley’s office told Channel 4 News: “There will be a UN recruitment process and he would not wish to pre-empt that or take it for granted.”

In response to these rumours, Labour have said if true it is an “unbelievable” decision, and Mary Creagh, Shadow Development Secretary, said it looked as if David Cameron had given a “top UN humanitarian job as consolation prize to Andrew Lansley for sacking him.”

Former UN Deputy Secretary-General and now a crossbench peer, Lord Malloch Brown, echoed Creagh’s criticism, arguing  “This is one of the most difficult, important jobs in the world. There are millions of people in desperate situations from Ebola victims to victims of war in Syria who are highly dependent on the humanitarian activities of the UN. It’s an act of great cynicism to allow someone who does not have background and qualification in this area to be put forward.”