The Yorkshire Post says: Loss of influence. What is Foreign Secretary's role?

THE Foreign and Commonwealth's Office's perceived lack of influence has been attributed to a lack of policy powers according to a thoughtful speech by prominent '“ and ambitious '“ Tory MP Tom Tugendhat. The chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee believes that the aforementioned FCO needs to be 'the strtageic engine of our foreign policy again'.
Is Boris Johnson a good Foreign Secretary?Is Boris Johnson a good Foreign Secretary?
Is Boris Johnson a good Foreign Secretary?

Yet, while Brexit is, undoubtedly, the Government’s number one focus, some historical context is key. Four Foreign Secretaries since the war subsequently became Prime Minister – Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home and James Callaghan. They weren’t held back by this post. More recently, this great office of state has been occupied by statesmen like Douglas Hurd, men of principle such as Robin Cook and, more recently, David Miliband and William Hague who both commanded respect on the world stage. This is despite the tendency of premiers, like Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, to be more hands-on when it comes to foreign affairs because of the proliferation of international summits and omnipresent demands of the 24/7 news media.

Perhaps Mr Tugendhat’s assessment is a poor reflection on the qualities of Boris Johnson, the current incumbent, as Britain’s top diplomat. He’s done little to dispel the view that he was only given the job because Theresa May did not want him interfering in domestic polities, thereby fuelling his own leadership agenda, and that it is also one of the few Cabinet roles where the postholder does not have to oversee the passage of complicated legislation.

What hope is there for foreign policy if this is how Mrs May regards it?