David Cameron’s departure so sudden that his family won’t have time to return

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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Yikes.

What the hell is going on over there.


David Cameron’s departure so sudden that his family won’t have time to return to pre-Downing Street home

David Cameron will make his last appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday before formally resigning the premiership in his last official meeting with the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

“We will have a new prime minister in that building behind me by Wednesday evening,” Cameron said in a brusque statement before the black door of 10 Downing Street, which has been his office and home for six years and two months.

The timetable that will allow Cameron to chair his final Cabinet meeting today and bid farewell to the House of Commons tomorrow was hastily agreed between Tory officials yesterday.

Theoretically, Theresa May could have been sworn in as prime minister today, although that might have required her and Cameron to make a trip to Sandringham, in Norfolk, to see the Queen.

Instead, officials including Lord Feldman, the Conservative chairman and a close friend of Cameron, agreed to prolong his premiership for a few more hours, allowing him to receive a generous Commons tribute from MPs, much like the send-off members gave Tony Blair in 2007 – a fitting end to the tenure of a Tory leader who once described himself as “the heir to Blair.”

Despite that last-minute extension, Cameron’s departure from Downing Street will still come much sooner than he had expected or wanted, and dashes his hopes of defining his political legacy during a relatively long and leisurely last few months in office.

Cameron announced his intention to resign hours after the EU referendum result was announced in the early hours of June 24, suggesting that he would stay in No. 10 until early October.

Some colleagues had suggested he was trying to “hang on” to office as long as possible, but he is now expected to move his family out of the Downing Street flat before the end of the week.

David Cameron’s departure so sudden that his family won’t have time to return to pre-Downing Street home
 

Blackleaf

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You'll probably find the Camerons have several luxurious homes. They'll be okay.

When Cameron made a speech to the cameras on Downing Street yesterday to confirm May will become PM on Wednesday his microphone picked him up humming the theme tune to The West Wing as he was walking back into Number 10. He's a former PR man so I doubt it was accidental. The video's on YouTube.
 

EagleSmack

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Feb 16, 2005
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USA
YEEEEEER OUT!



Scram!
 

Mowich

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You'll probably find the Camerons have several luxurious homes. They'll be okay.

When Cameron made a speech to the cameras on Downing Street yesterday to confirm May will become PM on Wednesday his microphone picked him up humming the theme tune to The West Wing as he was walking back into Number 10. He's a former PR man so I doubt it was accidental. The video's on YouTube.

I caught that this morning, BL..........the little side-step along with the tune had me thinking he's one happy camper now.
 

Blackleaf

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Oct 9, 2004
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When Cameron made a speech to the cameras on Downing Street yesterday to confirm May will become PM on Wednesday his microphone picked him up humming the theme tune to The West Wing as he was walking back into Number 10.

Here's a dance remix of it...


I caught that this morning, BL..........the little side-step along with the tune had me thinking he's one happy camper now.

Maybe not happy that his early departure from Downing Street has ended even earlier than planned after Leadsom dropped out of the leadership contest on Monday, leaving only May standing. I think he just sees the absurdity of his situation and he's just responding with a good old piece of British, black, self-deprecating humour.

In around five minutes' time, Cameron will host his final Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons before meeting the Queen in Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation. Then Mrs May will meet Her Majesty to be formally crowned as the Queen's 13th PM.

David Cameron prepares to hand over to Theresa May


BBC News
13 June 2016


David Cameron is preparing to take part in his last Prime Minister's Questions in Parliament

David Cameron will leave Downing Street for the final time as PM later, with Theresa May waiting to replace him.

Mr Cameron will face his last Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, before heading to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation to the Queen.

He told the Daily Telegraph: "As I leave today, I hope that people will see a stronger country. It has been a privilege to serve the country I love."

After taking office, Mrs May will set about naming her own frontbench team.

The current home secretary, 59, was the only remaining candidate in the Conservative leadership contest following Andrea Leadsom's withdrawal on Monday.

At midday Mr Cameron, who has said he plans to continue as MP for Witney in Oxfordshire, will face Prime Minister's Questions for the 182nd and final time as PM - his 319th in total as Tory leader.

Later, after saying goodbye to staff at Downing Street, the PM will tender his resignation to the Queen.

Royal audience


The new Prime Minister has vowed to make a success of Brexit and is looking for a building to house the new Brexit department


The BBC's Royal Correspondent Nicholas Witchell said the private audience was likely to be a short one, potentially about twenty minutes.

Soon after, Mrs May will then make her own way to Buckingham Palace, accompanied by her husband Philip, when she will be asked to accept the monarch's offer to form a new government.

Our correspondent said Queen Elizabeth II was likely to ask the new PM, who will be the 13th leader of her reign, about her "intentions and programme" for government.

Mrs May will then return to No 10 as the country's second female prime minister, following in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher.

She is expected to briefly address the nation before meeting top officials, including Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heyward, and receiving a full national security and defence briefing.

She will be asked to hand-write letters to the commanders of the UK's four Trident submarines about what to do in the event of a catastrophic nuclear attack on the UK and to appoint two nuclear "deputies" - ministers who will take decisions on the deterrent if she has been rendered incapable.

She is also expected to take calls from a number of foreign leaders. Later on Wednesday, she will get down to the work of putting together her government - with key appointments set to be announced within hours.

Factfile


Cameron following his victory in the 2010 general election

David Cameron held office for six years, 62 days

This makes him the UK's 22nd longest-serving prime minister

Aged 49, he will be the youngest PM to leave office since Archibald Primrose, the Earl of Rosebery, in 1895

Theresa May, at 59, becomes the oldest incoming prime minister since Jim Callaghan in 1976



David Cameron prepares to hand over to Theresa May - BBC News


 
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Danbones

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My God, she looks like the whickid whitch of the north
Her, Hillary and Merkel...
boil boil toil and trouble!
 

Blackleaf

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It's David Cameron's final question session as prime minister. Douglas Carswell was the first MP to ask David Cameron a question on 2 June 2010. Now a UKIP MP, he was then a Conservative.

So who's going to be getting to their feet to ask him a question today?

  1. Danny Kinahan (South Antrim)
  2. Jeff Smith (Manchester Withington)
  3. Graham Stringer (Blackley and Broughton)
  4. Jack Lopresti (Filton and Bradley Stoke)
  5. Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West)
  6. Peter Lilley (Hitchin and Harpenden)
  7. Jo Churchill (Bury St Edmunds)
  8. Carol Monaghan (Glasgow North West)
  9. John McNally (Falkirk)
  10. Jo Stevens (Cardiff Central)
  11. Margaret Ferrier (Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
  12. Steve Brine (Winchester)
  13. Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills)
  14. Ian Blackford (Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
  15. Robin Walker (Worcester)
David Cameron gets final PMQs under way



We're off. David Cameron is on his feet to host what will be his last Prime Minister's Questions. As is customary, he begins by setting out his engagements for the day - and says he'll be off to see the Queen this afternoon.

"The diary for the rest of my day is remarkably light," he quips, to laughter in the chamber.




David Cameron's last PMQs and Theresa May takes over - BBC News

My God, she looks like the whickid whitch of the north
Her, Hillary and Merkel...
boil boil toil and trouble!


Who is Theresa May: A profile of UK's next prime minister

Who is Theresa May: A profile of UK's next prime minister - BBC News



Theresa May - Britain's longest-serving Home Secretary in 100 years - bumps into rock star Alice Cooper outside a BBC studio in 2010


Theresa May
(née Brasier) has described her husband Philip as her rock


Mrs May first stood for Parliament in 1992 in North West Durham (above). She has been MP for Maidenhead in Berkshire since 1997



Britain's 75th Prime Minister is seen here as a child with her parents Hubert and Zaidee. Her father was a Church of England clergyman who was killed in a car accident



The young Theresa Brasier at a function in the village hall


Theresa May married her husband Philip in 1980


As Home Secretary, Mrs May has confronted what she sees as vested interests in the police
 
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Blackleaf

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Oct 9, 2004
48,412
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MP for Maidenhead? I didn't know there were any maidenheads left in the UK.

Yeah. It's a large and affluent town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire.





Pictures: Cameron leaves Parliament for Downing Street after completing his final Prime Minister's Questions. As he entered the car, MPs gave him a standing ovation. He will soon travel to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation to the Queen





 

Blackleaf

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Oct 9, 2004
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The new British Prime Minister is from an affluent town.


She's not from Maidenhead. She was born in Eastbourne.

David Cameron is about to depart Downing Street shortly to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II.

Crowds building outside Downing Street ahead of PM's departure

Members of the public wait outside Downing Street to catch a glimpse of David Cameron as he departs for Buckingham Palace.



Anticipation is also building among members of the media, who are poised and waiting for the big event.



The UK is briefly without a prime minister

For a few minutes this afternoon, the UK will be without a prime minister.

Vernon Bogdanor, a constitutional expert and Professor of Government at King's College, London, explained to PM's Eddie Mair.

"During the very short time between David Cameron having offered his resignation and the Queen appointing Theresa May, Britain is without a prime minister. Heaven knows what would happen if a key decision had to be made in those moments. In the past it was rather longer - some for a few hours. In 1922, for all sorts of complicated reasons, we were 4 days without a prime minister. Fortunately those sort of days are gone."


PM: The UK is much stronger now than in 2010

Posted at
16:42



David Cameron emerges through Number 10's black front door with his wife, Samantha, and his three children by his side.

In a statement, he says when he first arrived at Downing Street in May 2010 he pledged to confront the UK's problems and "reach better times".

"It's not been an easy journey and of course we've not got every decision right," he says, but adds that today the country is "much stronger".

"Our economy is immeasurably stronger," he adds.



David Cameron bows out with ovation at last PMQs - BBC News

PM: Proud of school reforms and international aid

Posted at
16:47

David Cameron talks about what has made him most proud in his time in office, listing the number of children that have taken advantage of new places at free schools and children overseas who have benefited from clean drinking water because of the UK's commitment to overseas aid.


16:48

David Cameron takes the opportunity to pay this thanks and tributes to those who have been by his side during his six year tenure as prime minister.

"I want to thank everyone who has given so much support to me personally over these years," he says, including his team at Number 10 and his political advisers.

"I want to thank my children... for whom Downing Street has been a lovely home," he says. He recalls how Florence once climbed in to one of his red boxes before a foreign trip, asking him to take her with him.

"No more boxes," he adds.

And, he pays tribute to "the love of my life", Samantha, who he praises as a an "amazing" wife, mother and businesswoman.


16:50

The Camerons wave goodbye, and share a hug, as they leave Downing Street






Cameron on UK's 'remarkable spirit of service'

Posted at
16:53

Some more from David Cameron's last words as Prime Minister, which included him saying his successor Theresa May would provide strong and stable leadership and wishes her well in her task of negotiating the UK's exit from the European Union.

He then reflects on the "spirit of service" which he says is "one of the most remarkable qualities" of the British character. He praises the commitment of the armed forces and volunteers - including the 600 or so that have been recognised through his Points of Light scheme.

He thanks all those who have written to him over the last six years, to wish him well, many of whom he has not been able to respond to, saying this is a shining example of the British spirit of "fair play".


PM: I wish the country the 'greatest success'

Posted at
16:55



David Cameron concludes his farewell statement by saying that it has been the "greatest honour of his life" to serve as prime minister, adding that his one hope on leaving Downing Street is for the "continued success of this great country I love".

he then poses for photos and a group hug on th steps of Number 10 before the family walk hand-in-hand away to the waiting cars. It is a remarkably similar scene to that when Gordon Brown left No 10 for the last time as PM.


David Cameron's family join him for No 10 farewell - BBC News

The Camerons arrive at Buckingham Palace







Witchell: Queen 'will have watched' PM's statement

Posted at
16:59

The BBC's royal correspondent Nick Witchell says The Queen will probably have watched David Cameron's "poignant" statement in Downing Street. Although the handover of power is a massive constitutional moment, he points out that there is also a very human side to it as well. He suggests that this is probably the first time that David Cameron's children will have met the sovereign.


David Cameron's family join him for No 10 farewell - BBC News



Arnold ✔
‎@Schwarzenegger

Best wishes to my friend @David_Cameron. You are the definition of a great public servant.

5:06 PM - 13 Jul 2016

242 Retweets 527 likes


May waits as Cameron's Palace visit continues

Posted at
17:23

The Camerons have now been in Buckingham Palace for about half an hour. Meanwhile the car waiting to take Theresa May for her first royal audience is ready and waiting to go at the House of Commons.

Don't forget - the UK has no Prime Minister during the bit between Mr Cameron resigning to the Queen and Mrs May being appointed.


17:23

Buckingham Palace has now issued a statement saying that the Queen has "graciously accepted" David Cameron's resignation as prime minister and first Lord of the Treasury