The Right Honourable  David Cameron MP
Leader of the Opposition
Incumbent
Assumed office  6 December 2005
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown Tony Blair
Preceded by	Michael Howard
Member of Parliament for Witney
Incumbent
Assumed office  7 June 2001
Preceded by	Shaun Woodward
Majority	14,156 (26. The Right Honourable (abbreviated as The Rt Hon) is an Honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. The Leader of the Opposition (sometimes known as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons) in the United Kingdom is the politician who leads Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Michael Howard QC (born 7 July 1941 is a British Politician, a Conservative MP since the 1983 General Election for the constituency of Witney is a County constituency in Oxfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Shaun Anthony Woodward MP (born 26 October 1958, Bristol) is a British politician Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 3%)
Born	9 October 1966 (1966-10-09) (age 41) London, England
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Samantha Sheffield
Children	Ivan, Nancy and Arthur
Alma mater	Brasenose College, Oxford
Religion	Church of England[1]
Website	www.davidcameronmp.com

David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician and the current leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom, positions he has occupied since December 2005. Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Samantha Gwendoline Cameron (neé Sheffield) (born 18 April, 1971) is an English business executive and wife of the Conservative Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College (in full The King's Hall and College of Brasenose, often referred to by the abbreviation BNC The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. British people, or Britons, are the native inhabitants of Great Britain and their descendants or citizens of the United Kingdom, of the A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The Leader of the Opposition (sometimes known as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons) in the United Kingdom is the politician who leads The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Cameron has been involved in British politics for much of his adult life. The politics of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland takes place in the framework of a Constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is Head He read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford, gaining a first class honours degree. Philosophy Politics and Economics or Politics Philosophy and Economics (often abbreviated to PPE) is a popular Interdisciplinary degree which The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for Undergraduate degrees ( Bachelor's degrees and some Master's degrees He then joined the Conservative Research Department and became Special Adviser to Norman Lamont, and then to Michael Howard. The Conservative Research Department ('CRD' is an integral part of the central organisation of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom. Norman Stewart Hughson Lamont Baron Lamont of Lerwick, PC (born 8 May 1942 is a former Conservative MP for Kingston-upon-Thames, England Michael Howard QC (born 7 July 1941 is a British Politician, a Conservative MP since the 1983 General Election for the constituency of He was Director of Corporate Affairs at Carlton Communications for seven years. Carlton Communications Limited (previously Carlton Communications plc was a British media company

A first candidacy for Parliament at Stafford in 1997 ended in defeat but Cameron was elected in 2001 as Member of Parliament for the Oxfordshire constituency of Witney. Stafford is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Results |} Total votes cast 26368204 All parties with more than 500 votes shown The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the Witney is a County constituency in Oxfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Promoted to the Opposition front bench two years after entering Parliament, he rose rapidly to be head of policy co-ordination during the 2005 general election campaign. Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, or the Official Opposition, in the United Kingdom is led by the Leader of the Opposition. In many Parliaments and other similar assemblies seating is typically arranged in banks or rows with each Political party or Caucus grouped together Results Overview For events leading up to the date of the election see article Pre-election day events of the United Kingdom general ^[2][3]

Cameron won the Conservative leadership later that year after presenting himself as a young and moderate candidate who would appeal to young voters. The 2005 Conservative leadership election was called by party leader Michael Howard on 6 May 2005, when he announced that he would be stepping His early leadership saw the Conservative Party establish a lead in opinion polls over Tony Blair's Labour for the first time in over ten years. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the When Gordon Brown replaced Blair as Labour leader and Prime Minister, Labour regained its lead. WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is ^[4][5] However, in mid October 2007, the Conservatives again overtook Labour in the polls, after Brown was seen to be indecisive over calling an election. ^[6]

Contents 1 Background 1.1 Family 1.2 Education 1.2.1 Heatherdown Preparatory School 1.2.2 Eton College 1.2.3 Oxford 2 Political career 2.1 Conservative Research Department 2.2 Special Advisor 2.3 Home Office 2.4 Carlton 2.5 Parliamentary Candidacy 2.6 Member of Parliament 2.7 Leadership of the Conservative Party 3 Policies and views 3.1 Self-description of views 3.2 Voted as MP (examples) 3.3 Criticism of other parties and politicians 3.4 Shadow Cabinet appointments 3.5 Controversies 3.5.1 Allegations of social elitism 3.5.2 Auschwitz controversy 3.5.3 Satire 3.5.4 Accusations of "flip-flopping" 3.5.5 Allegations of recreational drug use 4 Standing in opinion polls 5 Personal life 6 See also 7 References 8 External links 9 Offices held

Background

Family

David Cameron was born in London, but brought up at Peasemore, near Newbury, in the English county of Berkshire,^[7] the son of stockbroker Ian Donald Cameron and his wife Mary Fleur Mount the second daughter of Sir William Malcolm Mount, 2nd Baronet. Peasemore is a Village and Civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. Newbury is a Civil parish and the principal Town in the west of the County of Berkshire in England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Berkshire (ˈbɑːkʃə or /ˈbɑːkʃɪə/ say Baak-shuh/-sheer sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a Home County in the South A stock broker or stockbroker is a qualified and regulated professional who buys and sells shares and other securities through Market makers or Sir William Malcolm Mount 2nd Baronet TD ( 28 December 1904 &ndash 22 June 1993) was a British Army officer High Sheriff A baronet (traditional abbreviation Bart, modern abbreviation Bt) or the rare female equivalent a baronetess (abbreviation Btss) is the holder ^[8] His father was born at Blairmore House near Huntly in Scotland,^[9] which was built by Cameron's grandfather Ewen Donald Cameron's maternal grandfather Alexander Geddes^[10] who had made a fortune in the grain business in Chicago and had returned to Scotland in the 1880s. Blairmore School was an independent boarding school in Glass near Huntly, Aberdeenshire until its closure in 1993 Huntly ('Hunndaidh' is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, formerly known as Milton of Strathbogie. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. ^[11] The Cameron family were originally from the Inverness area of the Scottish Highlands. Inverness (Inbhir Nis iɲɪɾʲˈniʃ is a city in northern Scotland. The Scottish Highlands ( Scottish Gaelic: A' Ghàidhealtachd, Scots: Hielans) include the rugged and Mountainous ^[12]

His father's family had a long history in the world of finance: David Cameron's great grandfather Arthur Francis Levita (brother of Sir Cecil Levita)^[13] of Panmure Gordon stockbrokers and his great-great grandfather Sir Ewen Cameron,^[12] London head of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank played key roles in discussions led by the Rothschilds with the Japanese central banker (later Prime Minister) Takahashi Korekiyo concerning the selling of war bonds during the Russo-Japanese war. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Cecil Bingham Levita KCVO CBE ( January 18, 1867 - October 10, 1953) was a soldier and public service Sir Ewen Cameron KCMG ( 23 June 1841 - 10 December 1908) was a Scottish born accountant and banker who rose to The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited ( based in Hong Kong, is a wholly owned Subsidiary and the founding member of the HSBC group The Rothschild family (often referred to simply as the Rothschilds) is an international Banking and Finance Dynasty of German For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. ( 27 July 1854 – 26 February 1936) was a Japanese Politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Japan from War bonds are a type of Savings bond used by combatant nations to help fund a war effort and as a Monetary policy for controlling Inflation from an The Russo-Japanese War (日露戦争 Romaji: Nichi-Ro Sensō Русско-японская война Russko-Yaponskaya Voyna;, 10 February 1904 – 5 September ^[14]

His great grandfather Ewen Allan Cameron, a senior partner with Panmure Gordon stockbrokers was also a notable figure in the financial world serving on the Council for Foreign Bondholders^[15] and the Committee for Chinese Bondholders set up by the then Governor of the Bank of England Montagu Norman in November, 1935. William IV (William Henry 21 August 1765 &ndash 20 June 1837 was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until The Governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. Montagu Collet Norman 1st Baron Norman, DSO ( 6 September 1871 &ndash 4 February 1950) was an English Banker, best known ^[16] His grandfather Ewen Donald and father Ian Donald also worked for Panmure Gordon stockbrokers, his father also serving as a director of the estate agents John D Wood. Estate Agent is a British English term for a person or business that arranges the selling renting or management of Homes land and other ^[2]

Cameron is a direct descendant of King William IV and his mistress Dorothea Jordan (and thus 5th cousin, twice removed of Queen Elizabeth II) through his father's maternal grandmother Stephanie Levita, daughter of the society surgeon Sir Alfred Cooper who was also father of the statesman and author Duff Cooper, grandfather of the publisher and man of letters Rupert Hart-Davis and historian John Julius Norwich, and great grandfather of the TV presenter Adam Hart-Davis and journalist and writer Duff Hart-Davis (David Cameron's second cousins once removed). William IV (William Henry 21 August 1765 &ndash 20 June 1837 was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until Dorothy Jordan ( November 21, 1761 – July 5, 1816) was a British actress, Courtesan and the mistress and famous For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II Sir Alfred Cooper ( 1838 - 3 March, 1908) was a fashionable English surgeon and clubman of the late 19th century whose clients included Alfred Duff Cooper 1st Viscount Norwich GCMG DSO PC (22 February 1890-1 January 1954 known as Duff Cooper, was a British diplomat An intellectual (from the adjective meaning "involving thought and reason" is a person who tries to use his or her Intelligence and analytical thinking, Sir Rupert Charles Hart-Davis ( 28 August 1907 – 8 December 1999) was a British Publisher, literary editor, John Julius Cooper 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO (born 15 September 1929) is an English historian travel writer and television personality A presenter, or host (sometimes hostess, in feminine form is a Person or Organization responsible for running an event Dr Adam John Hart-Davis (born 4 July 1943 is an English scientist Author, Photographer, Historian and broadcaster, well-known in Peter Duff Hart-Davis (born 1936 generally known as Duff Hart-Davis, is a British Biographer, naturalist and Journalist, who writes cousin in Kinship terminology is a relative with whom one shares a common Ancestor, but in modern usage the term is rarely used when referring to a His mother is first cousin of the writer and political commentator Ferdinand Mount. A pundit is someone who offers to mass-media his/her opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically political analysis, the Social sciences Sir William Robert Ferdinand Mount 3rd Baronet (born 2 July 1939) known simply as Ferdinand Mount, is a British writer and novelist Columnist ^[17]

Education

Heatherdown Preparatory School

At the age of seven, Cameron attended the independent Heatherdown Preparatory School at Winkfield in Berkshire, which counted Prince Andrew and Prince Edward among its alumni. Heatherdown was a preparatory school in the Civil parish of Winkfield, near Ascot, in the English county of Berkshire. Winkfield is a Village and Civil parish in the Bracknell Forest Unitary authority of Berkshire, England. Berkshire (ˈbɑːkʃə or /ˈbɑːkʃɪə/ say Baak-shuh/-sheer sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a Home County in the South The school closed in the early 1980s, and the grounds are now occupied by the Licensed Victuallers' School. The Licensed Victuallers' School is an independent private school in Ascot Berkshire. A feature on Cameron in The Mail on Sunday of 18 March 2007^[18] reported that in July 1978, when Cameron was 11, Mrs Gordon Getty flew her son Peter, grandson of the oil billionaire John Paul Getty and four of his classmates to the United States to celebrate his birthday. The Mail on Sunday is a British newspaper currently published in a tabloid format Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Gordon Peter Getty was born on December 20, 1934. He is the fourth child of oil tycoon J Sir John Paul Getty, KBE ( September 7, 1932 &ndash April 17, 2003) was a wealthy American-born British The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Cameron was one of the classmates chosen to accompany him.

Eton College

Cameron was educated at Eton College, a prestigious and exclusive independent school, known in England as a public school,^[19] following his elder brother Alex who was three years above him;^[20] where his early interest was in art. Eton College, or just Eton, is a world-famous British Independent school for boys founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. An independent school in the United Kingdom is a school relying upon private sources for all of its funding predominantly in the form of school fees ^[20] Cameron hit trouble in May 1983 six weeks before taking his O-levels when he was named as having smoked cannabis. The General Certificate of Education or GCE is a secondary-level academic qualification that Examination boards in the United Kingdom confer to students Cannabis, also known as marijuana or marihuana, or ganja (from Hindi / Sanskrit: गांजा gānjā hemp) is a Because he admitted the offence and had not been involved in selling drugs, he was not expelled, but he was fined, prevented from leaving school grounds, and given a "Georgic" (a punishment which involved copying 500 lines of Latin text). The Georgics, published in 29 BCE, is the second major work by the Latin poet Virgil. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. ^[21]

Cameron recovered from this episode and passed 12 O-levels, and then studied three A-Levels in History of Art, History and Economics with Politics. The A-level, short for Advanced Level, is a General Certificate of Education qualification in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, The history of art usually refers to the History of the Visual arts, such as Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. He obtained three 'A' grades and a '1' grade in the Scholarship level exam in Economics and Politics. ^[22] He then stayed on to sit the entrance exam for the University of Oxford, which was sat the following autumn. The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the He passed, did well at interview, and was given a place at Brasenose College, his first choice. Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College (in full The King's Hall and College of Brasenose, often referred to by the abbreviation BNC ^[23]

After finally leaving Eton just before Christmas 1984, Cameron had nine months of a gap year before going up to Oxford. A gap year (also known as "year out" "year off" "deferred year" "bridging year" " Overseas experience " "time off" In January he began work as a researcher for Tim Rathbone, Conservative MP for Lewes and his godfather, in his Parliamentary office. John Rankin Rathbone ( 17 March 1933 &ndash 12 July 2002) commonly known as Tim Rathbone, was the Conservative Member Lewes is a Constituency located in East Sussex and centred on the town of Lewes. He was there only for three months, but used the time to attend debates in the House of Commons. ^[24] Through his father, he was then employed for a further three months in Hong Kong by Jardine Matheson as a 'ship jumper', an administrative post for which no experience was needed but which gave him some experience of work. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited (,) often called Jardines or Jardine's (怡和 is a Multinational corporation that is incorporated in ^[25]

Returning from Hong Kong he visited Moscow and a Yalta beach in the Soviet Union, and was at one point approached by two Russian men speaking fluent English. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Yalta (Ялта Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Cameron was later told by one of his professors that it was 'definitely an attempt' by the KGB to recruit him. KGB ( Transliteration of "КГБ" is the Russian abbreviation of Committee for State Security ( Komityet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosty ^[26]

Oxford

Cameron studied at the University of Oxford, where he read for a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) at Brasenose College. The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the Philosophy Politics and Economics or Politics Philosophy and Economics (often abbreviated to PPE) is a popular Interdisciplinary degree which Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College (in full The King's Hall and College of Brasenose, often referred to by the abbreviation BNC His tutor at Oxford, Professor Vernon Bogdanor, described him as "one of the ablest and nicest"^[27] students he has taught, whose political views were "moderate and sensible conservative". Vernon Bogdanor CBE, FBA (born 1943 is professor of government at Oxford University, England, and a Fellow of Brasenose College. An ideology is a set of beliefs aims and Ideas especially in politics ^[2]

While at Oxford, Cameron was captain of Brasenose College's tennis team. Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College (in full The King's Hall and College of Brasenose, often referred to by the abbreviation BNC Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) ^[2] He was also a member of the student dining society the Bullingdon Club,^[28] which has a reputation for a outlandish drinking culture associated with boisterous behaviour and damaging property - usually in the private rooms of restaurants and pubs hired out to the club. The Bullingdon Club is a socially exclusive student Dining club at Oxford University, without any permanent rooms infamous for its members' wealth and destructive ^[29] A photograph showing Cameron in a tailcoat with other members of the club, including Boris Johnson, surfaced in 2007, but was later withdrawn by the copyright holder. A tailcoat is a coat with the front of the skirt cut away so as to leave only the rear section of the skirt known as the tails. Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964 is a British Politician and Journalist. ^[30] He also belonged to the Octagon Club,^[28] another dining society. Cameron graduated in 1988 with a first class honours degree. The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for Undergraduate degrees ( Bachelor's degrees and some Master's degrees ^[19] Cameron is still in touch with many of his former Oxford classmates, including Boris Johnson and close family friend Reverend James Hand^[31]

Political career

Conservative Research Department

After graduation, Cameron worked for the Conservative Research Department between 1988 and 1992. Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964 is a British Politician and Journalist. The Conservative Research Department ('CRD' is an integral part of the central organisation of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom. A feature on Cameron in The Mail on Sunday on 18 March 2007 reported that on the day he was due to attend a job interview at Conservative Central Office a phone call was received from Buckingham Palace. The Mail on Sunday is a British newspaper currently published in a tabloid format Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ formerly known as Conservative Central Office (CCO is the headquarters of the British Conservative Party Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. The male caller stated, "I understand you are to see David Cameron. I've tried everything I can to dissuade him from wasting his time on politics but I have failed. I am ringing to tell you that you are about to meet a truly remarkable young man. "^[18]

In 1991, Cameron was seconded to Downing Street to work on briefing John Major for his then biweekly session of Prime Minister's Questions. Downing Street is the street in London, England, which for over two hundred years has contained the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers Sir John Major KG CH ACIB (born 29 March 1943 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Prime Minister's Questions ( PMQs) (officially Questions to the Prime Minister) is a constitutional convention in the United Kingdom, where every One newspaper gave Cameron the credit for "sharper . . . despatch box performances" by Major,^[32] which included highlighting for Major, "a dreadful piece of doublespeak" by Tony Blair (then the Labour Employment spokesman) over the effect of a national minimum wage. A dispatch box, or despatch box, is a box for holding official papers and transporting them from place to place Doublespeak (sometimes double talk) is language constructed to disguise or distort its actual meaning, often resulting in a communication bypass. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the A minimum wage is the lowest hourly daily or monthly Wage that employers may legally pay to employees or workers ^[33] He became head of the political section of the Conservative Research Department, and in August 1991 was tipped to follow Judith Chaplin as Political Secretary to the Prime Minister. Sybil Judith Chaplin, known as Judith Chaplin, ( 19 August 1939 &ndash 19 February 1993) was a politician in the United Kingdom ^[34]

However, Cameron lost out to Jonathan Hill who was appointed in March 1992. He was given the responsibility for briefing John Major for his press conferences during the 1992 general election. Results |} The turnout was 33514074 from an Electorate of 43275316 voting in a total of 651 seats ^[35] During the campaign, Cameron was one of the young "Brat pack" of party strategists who worked between 12 and 20 hours a day, sleeping in the house of Alan Duncan in Gayfere Street which had been Major's campaign headquarters during his bid for the Conservative leadership. Alan James Carter Duncan (born 31 March 1957 is a British Politician. ^[36] Cameron headed the economic section; it was while working on this campaign that Cameron first worked closely with Steve Hilton, who was later to become Director of Strategy during his party leadership. Steve Hilton is the director of strategy for David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. ^[37] The strain of getting up at 4:45 AM every day was reported to have led Cameron to decide to leave politics in favour of journalism. ^[38]

Special Advisor

The Conservatives' unexpected success in the 1992 election led Cameron to hit back at older party members who had criticised him and his colleagues. He was quoted as saying, the day after the election, "whatever people say about us, we got the campaign right," and that they had listened to their campaign workers on the ground rather than the newspapers. He revealed he had led other members of the team across Smith Square to jeer at Transport House, the former Labour headquarters. Smith Square is a square located in Westminster, part of the City of Westminster in London, which is notable for St John's Smith Square, the Transport House on Smith Square and Dean Bradley Street, London, England, was the headquarters of the Transport and General Workers' ^[39] Cameron was rewarded with a promotion to Special Advisor to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all Economic and Financial Norman Stewart Hughson Lamont Baron Lamont of Lerwick, PC (born 8 May 1942 is a former Conservative MP for Kingston-upon-Thames, England ^[40]

Cameron was working for Lamont at the time of Black Wednesday, when pressure from currency speculators forced the Pound sterling out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. In British Politics and Economics, Black Wednesday refers to the events of 16 September 1992 when the Conservative The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency The European Exchange Rate Mechanism, ERM, was a system introduced by the European Community in March 1979 as part of the European Monetary System (EMS At the 1992 Conservative Party conference in October, Cameron had a tough time trying to arrange to brief the speakers in the economic debate, having to resort to putting messages on the internal television system imploring the mover of the motion, Patricia Morris, to contact him. ^[41] Later that month Cameron joined a delegation of Special Advisers who visited Germany to build better relations with the Christian Democratic Union; he was reported to be "still smarting" over the Bundesbank's contribution to the economic crisis. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands) is the largest Political party in Germany. The Deutsche Bundesbank ( German for German Federal Bank) is the Central bank of the Federal Republic of Germany and as such part of the ^[42]

Cameron's boss Norman Lamont fell out with John Major after Black Wednesday and became highly unpopular with the public. Taxes needed to be raised in the 1993 budget, and Cameron fed the options Lamont was considering through to Conservative Central Office for their political acceptability to be assessed. ^[43] However, Lamont's unpopularity did not necessarily affect Cameron: he was considered as a potential "kamikaze" candidate for the Newbury by-election, which included the area where he grew up. ( is a word of Japanese origin which in English usually refers to the Suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against The Newbury By-election, in West Berkshire, England, of 1993 was held after Conservative Member of Parliament ^[44] However, Cameron decided not to run.

During the by-election, Lamont gave the response "Je ne regrette rien" to a question about whether he most regretted claiming to see "the green shoots of recovery" or admitted "singing in his bath" with happiness at leaving the ERM. " Non je ne regrette rien " is a French song written in 1956 which is best known through the recording made by French singer Édith Piaf, on 10 November Cameron was identified by one journalist as having inspired this gaffe; it was speculated that the heavy Conservative defeat in Newbury may have cost Cameron his chance of becoming Chancellor himself (even though as he was not a Member of Parliament he could not have been). The word error has different meanings and usages relative to how it is conceptually applied ^[45] Lamont was sacked at the end of May 1993, and decided not to write the usual letter of resignation; Cameron was given the responsibility to issue to the press a statement of self-justification. ^[46]

Home Office

After Lamont was sacked, Cameron remained at the Treasury for less than a month before being specifically recruited by Home Secretary Michael Howard; it was commented that he was still "very much in favour". The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office Michael Howard QC (born 7 July 1941 is a British Politician, a Conservative MP since the 1983 General Election for the constituency of ^[47] It was later reported that many at the Treasury would have preferred Cameron to carry on. HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing ^[48] At the beginning of September 1993, Cameron applied to go on Conservative Central Office's list of Parliamentary candidates. ^[49]

According to Derek Lewis, then Director-General of the Prison Service, Cameron showed him a "his and hers list" of proposals made by Howard and his wife, Sandra. For the prison governor involved in a political controversy involving Michael Howard see Derek Lewis Derek Ivor Edwin Lewis (born Edmonton London Lewis said that Sandra Howard's list included reducing the quality of prison food, although Sandra Howard denied this claim. Sandra Howard was born in 1940 the daughter of an RAF Wing Commander. Lewis reported that Cameron was "uncomfortable" about the list. ^[50] In defending Sandra Howard and insisting that she made no such proposal, the journalist Bruce Anderson wrote that Cameron had proposed a much shorter definition on prison catering which revolved around the phrase "balanced diet", and that Lewis had written thanking Cameron for a valuable contribution. For the Medal of Honor recipient see Bruce Anderson (soldier For the kidnapped American child see Bobby Dunbar Bruce ^[51]

During his work for Howard, Cameron often briefed the press. In March 1994, someone leaked to the press that the Labour Party had called for a meeting with John Major to discuss a consensus on the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The Prevention of Terrorism Acts were a series of Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1974 to 1989 that conferred emergency powers upon police forces After a leak inquiry failed to find the culprit, Labour MP Peter Mandelson demanded of Howard that he give an assurance that Cameron had not been responsible, which Howard gave. Peter Benjamin Mandelson (born 21 October 1953 called "Mandy" by much of the British News media, is a British Labour Politician who is the serving ^[52][53]

Carlton

In July 1994, Cameron left his role as Special Adviser to work as the Director of Corporate Affairs at Carlton Communications. Carlton Communications Limited (previously Carlton Communications plc was a British media company ^[54] Carlton, which had won the ITV franchise for London weekdays in 1991, were a growing media company which also had film distribution and video producing arms. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent In 1997 Cameron played up the company's prospects for digital terrestrial television, for which it joined with Granada television and BSkyB to form British Digital Broadcasting. Digital Terrestrial Television ( DTTV or DTT) is an implementation of digital technology to provide a greater number of channels and/or better quality of picture and Granada Television is the United Kingdom ITV contractor for North West England. British Sky Broadcasting ( BSkyB — Sky Television and BSB) is a company that operates Sky Digital, a subscription television service in the ITV Digital was a British Digital terrestrial television broadcaster, which launched a pay-TV service on the world's first digital terrestrial television network ^[55] In a roundtable discussion on the future of broadcasting in 1998 he criticised the effect of overlapping different regulators on the industry. ^[56]

The company chairman described him as "board material". ^[2]

Carlton's consortium did win the digital terrestrial franchise but the resulting company suffered difficulties in attracting subscribers. In 1999 the Express on Sunday newspaper claimed Cameron had rubbished one of its stories which had given an accurate number of subscribers, because he wanted the number to appear higher than expected. The Daily Express is a conservative Middle-market British Tabloid Newspaper. ^[57] Cameron resigned as Director of Corporate Affairs in February 2001 in order to fight for election to Parliament, although he remained on the payroll as a consultant. ^[58]

Parliamentary Candidacy

Having been approved for the candidates' list, Cameron began looking for a seat to contest. He was reported to have missed out on selection for Ashford in December 1994 after failing to get to the selection meeting due to train delays. Ashford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ^[59] Early in 1996, he was selected for Stafford, a new constituency created in boundary changes, which was projected to have a Conservative majority. Stafford is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ^[60] At the 1996 Conservative Party conference he called for tax cuts in the forthcoming budget to be targeted at the low paid and to "small businesses where people took money out of their own pockets to put into companies to keep them going". ^[61] He also said the party, "Should be proud of the Tory tax record but that people needed reminding of its achievements. . . It's time to return to our tax cutting agenda. The Socialist Prime Ministers of Europe have endorsed Tony Blair because they want a federal pussy cat and not a British lion. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution "^[62]

When writing his election address, Cameron made his own opposition to British membership of the single European currency clear, pledging not to support it. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e This was a break with official Conservative policy but about 200 other candidates were making similar declarations. ^[63] Otherwise, Cameron kept very closely to the national party line. He also campaigned using the claim that a Labour government would increase the cost of a pint of beer by 24p; however the Labour candidate David Kidney portrayed Cameron as "a right-wing Tory". David Neil Kidney (born 21 March 1955 Meir, Stoke-on-Trent) is a Labour politician in the United Kingdom. Stafford had a swing almost the same as the national swing, which made it one of the many seats to fall to Labour: David Kidney had a majority of 4,314. Swing in a British political context is a single figure used as an indication of the scale of voter change between two political parties ^[64][65] In the round of selection contests taking place in the run-up to the 2001 general election, Cameron again attempted to be selected for a winnable seat. Results |} Total votes cast 26368204 All parties with more than 500 votes shown He tried out for the Kensington and Chelsea seat after the death of Alan Clark,^[66] but did not make the shortlist. The Member of Parliament for Kensington and Chelsea, and outstanding political diarist the Rt Alan Kenneth Mackenzie Clark (13 April 1928 &ndash 5 September 1999 was a British Conservative Politician, Historian and Diarist

He was in the final two but narrowly lost at Wealden in March 2000,^[67] a loss ascribed by Samantha Cameron to his lack of spontaneity when speaking. Wealden is a Constituency covering the Wealden district in East Sussex. ^[68]

On 4 April 2000 Cameron was selected as prospective candidate for Witney in Oxfordshire. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Witney is a County constituency in Oxfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the This was a safe Conservative seat but its sitting MP Shaun Woodward (who had worked with Cameron on the 1992 election campaign) had joined the Labour Party; newspapers claimed Cameron and Woodward had "loathed each other",^[69] although Cameron's biographers Francis Elliott and James Hanning describe them as being "on fairly friendly terms". Shaun Anthony Woodward MP (born 26 October 1958, Bristol) is a British politician Secretary of State for Northern Ireland ^[68] Cameron put a great deal of effort into "nursing" his constituency, turning up at social functions, and attacked Woodward for changing his mind on fox hunting to support a ban. Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking chase and sometimes killing of a fox traditionally a Red fox, by trained Foxhounds or other Scent hounds ^[70]

During the election campaign, Cameron accepted the offer of writing a regular column for The Guardian's online section. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ^[71] He won the seat with a 1. 9% swing to the Conservatives and a majority of 7,973. ^[72][73]

Member of Parliament

Upon his election to Parliament, he served as a member of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, a plum choice for a new MP. See also Committee A Select Committee is a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues It was Cameron's proposal that the Committee launch an inquiry into the law on drugs,^[74] and during the inquiry he urged the consideration of "radical options". ^[75] The report recommended a downgrading of Ecstasy from Class A to Class B, as well as moves towards a policy of 'harm reduction', which Cameron defended. MDMA ( 34-methylenedioxy- N -methylamphetamine) most commonly known today by the street name Ecstasy (often abbreviated E, X, Harm reduction is a Philosophy of Public health, intended to be a progressive alternative to the prohibition of certain potentially dangerous ^[76]

Cameron determinedly attempted to increase his public profile, offering quotes on matters of public controversy. He opposed the payment of compensation to Gurbux Singh, who had resigned as head of the Commission for Racial Equality after a confrontation with the police;^[77] and commented that the Home Affairs Select Committee had taken a long time to discuss whether the phrase "black market" should be used. The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE was a Non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to tackle Racial discrimination and promote ^[78] However, he was passed over for a front bench promotion in July 2002; Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith did invite Cameron and his ally George Osborne to coach him on Prime Minister's Questions in November 2002. George Iain Duncan Smith, PC, MP, (born 9 April 1954 is a British politician Gideon George Oliver Osborne (born 23 May, 1971 in London) is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom, and has been The next week, Cameron deliberately abstained in a vote on allowing same sex and unmarried couples to adopt children jointly, against a whip to oppose; his abstention was noted. ^[79] The wide scale of abstentions and rebellious votes destabilised the Iain Duncan Smith leadership.

In June 2003, Cameron was appointed as a shadow minister in the Privy Council Office as a deputy to Eric Forth who was then Shadow Leader of the House. (Michael Eric Forth ( 9 September 1944 &ndash 17 May 2006) was a British Politician. He also became a vice-chairman of the Conservative Party when Michael Howard took over the leadership in November of that year. In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of the Conservative Party is responsible for running the party machine overseeing Conservative Central Office. Michael Howard QC (born 7 July 1941 is a British Politician, a Conservative MP since the 1983 General Election for the constituency of He was appointed to the opposition frontbench local government spokesman in 2004 before being promoted into the shadow cabinet that June as head of policy co-ordination. Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a State. The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Shadow Front Bench) is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the Later he became shadow education secretary in the post-election reshuffle. The Secretary of State for Education and Skills was the chief minister of the Department for Education and Skills in the United Kingdom government ^[3]

From February 2002^[80] until August 2005 he was a non-executive director of Urbium PLC, operator of the Tiger Tiger bar chain. PortalCurrent events News collections and sources WikipediaNews collections and sources. A non-executive director (NED also NXD or outside director is a member of the Board of directors of a company who does not form part of the executive management Tiger Tiger is a chain of British nightclubs owned by Novus Leisure. ^[81]

Leadership of the Conservative Party

Main article: Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2005

Following the Labour victory in the May 2005 General Election, Michael Howard announced his resignation as leader of the Conservative Party and set a lengthy timetable for the leadership election, as part of a plan (subsequently rejected) to change the leadership election rules. Newcastle upon Tyne ( (often shortened to Newcastle) is a city and Metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, England The 2005 Conservative leadership election was called by party leader Michael Howard on 6 May 2005, when he announced that he would be stepping May 2005 was the fifth month of that year It began on a Sunday and ended after 31 days on a Tuesday. A general election is an Election in which all or most members of a given political body are up for election Michael Howard QC (born 7 July 1941 is a British Politician, a Conservative MP since the 1983 General Election for the constituency of The 2005 Conservative leadership election was called by party leader Michael Howard on 6 May 2005, when he announced that he would be stepping ^[82]

Cameron announced formally that he would be a candidate for the position on 29 September 2005. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Parliamentary colleagues supporting him initially included Boris Johnson, Shadow Chancellor George Osborne, then Shadow Defence Secretary and deputy leader of the party Michael Ancram, Oliver Letwin^[83] and former party leader William Hague. Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964 is a British Politician and Journalist. Gideon George Oliver Osborne (born 23 May, 1971 in London) is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom, and has been The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence. Deputy Leader in the Westminster system is the second-in-command of a Political party, behind the Party leader. Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr 13th Marquess of Lothian PC, QC, MP (born 7 July 1945 known as Michael Ancram, is a United Kingdom Oliver Letwin (born 19 May 1956, Hampstead) is the British Member of Parliament for West Dorset, Chairman of the Policy William Jefferson Hague (born 26 March 1961 is a British Politician. ^[84] Despite this, his campaign did not gain significant support prior to the 2005 Conservative Party Conference. The term Party Conference usually refers to a general meeting of a political party However his speech, delivered without notes, proved a significant turning point. In the speech he vowed to make people, "feel good about being Conservatives again" and said he wanted, "to switch on a whole new generation. "^[85]

In the first ballot of Conservative MPs on 18 October 2005, Cameron came second, with 56 votes, slightly more than expected; David Davis had fewer than predicted at 62 votes; Liam Fox came third with 42 votes and Ken Clarke was eliminated with 38 votes. Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. David Michael Davis (born 23 December 1948 is a British Politician who is the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the constituency of Liam Fox (born 22 September 1961) is a British Conservative Politician, currently Shadow Defence Secretary and Kenneth Harry "Ken" Clarke QC MP (born 2 July 1940) is a British Politician. In the second ballot on 20 October 2005, Cameron came first with 90 votes; David Davis was second, with 57, and Liam Fox was eliminated with 51 votes. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[86] All 198 Conservative MPs voted in both ballots.

The next stage of the election process, between Davis and Cameron, was a vote open to the entire Conservative party membership. Cameron was elected with more than twice as many votes as Davis and more than half of all ballots issued; Cameron won 134,446 votes on a 78% turnout, beating Davis's 64,398 votes. ^[87] His election as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition, was announced on 6 December 2005. The Leader of the Opposition (sometimes known as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons) in the United Kingdom is the politician who leads Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. As is customary for an Opposition leader not already a member, upon election Cameron became a member of the Privy Council, being formally approved to join on 14 December 2005, and sworn of the Council on 8 March 2006. Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[88]

Policies and views

Main article: Political positions of David Cameron

Self-description of views

Cameron describes himself as a "modern compassionate conservative" and has spoken of a need for a new style of politics, saying that he was "fed up with the Punch and Judy politics of Westminster". See also David Cameron This article concerns the policies views and voting record of David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party in the United Compassionate conservatism is a Political philosophy that stresses using traditionally conservative techniques and concepts in order to improve the general welfare of society Punch and Judy is a traditional popular English Puppet show featuring the characters of Punch and his wife Judy Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. ^[89] He has stated that he is "certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite. Margaret Hilda Thatcher Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925 "^[90] He has also claimed to be a "liberal Conservative", and "not a deeply ideological person. "^[91] Cameron has stated that he does not intend to oppose the government as a matter of course, and will offer his support in areas of agreement. He has urged politicians to concentrate more on improving people's happiness and "general well-being", instead of focusing solely on "financial wealth". ^[92] There have been claims that he described himself to journalists at a dinner during the leadership contest as the "heir to Blair". A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends "Heir" and "Heiress" redirect here For the men and women fragrances endorsed by Paris Hilton see Heiress (fragrance. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to ^[93]

Voted as MP (examples)

In November 2001, David Cameron voted in favour of only allowing people detained at a police station to be fingerprinted and searched for an identifying birthmark if it is in connection with a terrorism investigation. November 2001: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - ^[94] In March 2002, he voted against banning the hunting of wild mammals with dogs,^[95] being an occasional hunter himself. March 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September ^[96] In April 2003, he voted against the introduction of a bill to ban smoking in restaurants. April 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September ^[97] In June 2003, he voted against NHS Foundation Trusts. June 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - NHS Foundation Trusts (often referred to as "foundation hospitals" are hospitals which are part of the National Health Service in England. ^[98]

In March 2003, he voted against a motion that the case had not yet been made for war against Iraq,^[99] and voted to declare war. March 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September ^[100] In October 2003, however, he voted in favour of setting up a judicial inquiry into the Iraq War. October 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign ^[101] In October 2004, he voted in favour of the Civil Partnership Bill. October 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - ^[102] In February 2005, he voted in favour of changing the text in the Prevention of Terrorism Bill from "The Secretary of State may make a control order against an individual" to "The Secretary of State may apply to the court for a control order. February 2005: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August A control order is an order made by the Home Secretary of the United Kingdom to restrict an individual's liberty for the purpose of "protecting members of the . . "^[103] In October 2005, he voted against the Identity Cards Bill. PortalCurrent events News collections and sources See WikipediaNews collections and sources. Enabling legislation for the British national identity card was passed under the Identity Cards Act 2006 ^[104]

Criticism of other parties and politicians

Cameron has criticised Prime Minister Gordon Brown (Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time) for being "an analogue politician in a digital age" and repeatedly refers to him as "the roadblock to reform". This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all Economic and Financial ^[105] He has also said that John Prescott "clearly looks a fool" in light of allegations of ministerial misconduct. John Leslie Prescott (born 31 May 1938 is a British Labour Party Politician, former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First ^[106] During a speech to the Ethnic Media Conference on 29 November 2006^[107] Cameron also described Ken Livingstone, the then Mayor of London, as an "ageing far left politician" in reference to Livingstone's views on multiculturalism. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945 is a British Socialist Politician. The Mayor of London is an elected politician who along with the London Assembly of 25 members is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London (see The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of racial, cultural and ethnic diversity within the Demographics of a specified ^[108]

Cameron has accused the United Kingdom Independence Party of being "fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists, mostly,"^[109] leading UKIP leader Nigel Farage to demand an apology for the remarks. The United Kingdom Independence Party (commonly known as UKIP, ˈjuːkɪp Nigel Paul Farage (born 3 April 1964 in Farnborough) is a British politician and leader of the Eurosceptic United Kingdom Right-wing Conservative MP Bob Spink, who has since defected to UKIP, also criticised the remarks,^[110] as did the The Daily Telegraph. Dr Robert Michael Spink (born 1 August 1948 Worth Valley, Yorkshire) is a politician in the United Kingdom. For "The Daily Telegraph" in Australia see The Daily Telegraph (Australia. ^[111]

However, Cameron was seen encouraging Conservative MPs to join the standing ovation given to Tony Blair at the end of his last Prime Minister's Question Time; he had paid tribute to the "huge efforts" Blair had made and said Blair had "considerable achievements to his credit, whether it is peace in Northern Ireland or his work in the developing world, which will endure". A standing ovation is a form of Applause where members of a seated Audience stand up while applauding ^[112]

Shadow Cabinet appointments

His Shadow Cabinet appointments have included MPs associated with the various wings of the party. In British parliamentary practice the Official Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet (usually known simply as 'The Shadow Cabinet' is a group of members from Her Majesty's Loyal Former leader William Hague was appointed to the Foreign Affairs brief and David Davis was retained as Shadow Home Secretary. William Jefferson Hague (born 26 March 1961 is a British Politician. David Michael Davis (born 23 December 1948 is a British Politician who is the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the constituency of In British politics, the Shadow Home Secretary is the person within the shadow cabinet who 'shadows' the Home Secretary; this effectively means scrutinising Hague, assisted by Davis, stood in for Cameron during his paternity leave in February 2006. ^[113]

Controversies

New Statesman has unfavourably likened his "new style of politics" to Tony Blair's early leadership years. The New Statesman is a British Left-wing political Magazine published weekly in London. ^[114] Cameron has been accused of paying excessive attention to image. ITV News broadcast footage from the 2006 Conservative Party Conference in Bournemouth which showed Cameron wearing four different sets of clothes within the space of a few hours. ITV News is the name given to news broadcasts on the British television network ITV. Bournemouth ( is a large coastal resort town in the Borough of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. ^[115] On the right, Peter Hitchens has written that, "Mr Cameron has abandoned the last significant difference between his party and the established left", by embracing social liberalism. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities Peter Jonathan Hitchens (born 28 October 1951 in Sliema, Malta) is a British Journalist and Author, noted ^[116] Norman Tebbit has likened Cameron to Pol Pot, "intent on purging even the memory of Thatcherism before building a New Modern Compassionate Green Globally Aware Party". Norman Beresford Tebbit Baron Tebbit CH, PC (born 29 March 1931 is a British Conservative politician and former Member of Parliament Saloth Sar ( May 19, 1925 – April 15, 1998) also known as Pol Pot, was leader of the Communist movement known as Thatcherism is the system of political thought attributed to the governments of Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 ^[117] Cameron has responded to criticism from Hitchens by branding him a "maniac", according to Hitchens himself in his The Mail on Sunday column. The Mail on Sunday is a British newspaper currently published in a tabloid format ^[118] Ex-Conservative MP Quentin Davies, who defected to Labour on 26 June 2007, branded him "superficial, unreliable and [with] an apparent lack of any clear convictions" and stated that David Cameron had turned the Conservative Party's mission into a "PR agenda". John Quentin Davies (born 29 May 1944) is a British Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament for Grantham and Stamford Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. ^[119]

On 22 July 2007 it was reported that at least two and as many as six Conservative MPs had sent letters to Sir Michael Spicer, chairman of the Conservative 1922 Committee, demanding a no confidence vote in Mr Cameron's leadership. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Sir William Michael Hardy Spicer (born January 22, 1943) is the British Member of Parliament for West Worcestershire. In British politics, the 1922 Committee consists of all backbench Conservative Members of Parliament, though when the party is in opposition A motion of no confidence (also vote of no confidence, censure motion, no-confidence motion, or confidence motion) is a Parliamentary motion ^[120]

In November 2007, Cameron was criticised by Labour MP Hazel Blears for "dithering" and failing to condemn remarks made in a newspaper column by a Conservative parliamentary candidate, Nigel Hastilow, claiming that Enoch Powell had been "right" about immigration. Hazel Anne Blears MP (born 14 May 1956 is a British Politician and is the Labour Member of Parliament for Salford. Nigel Hastilow (born 1956 was a prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC for the British Conservative Party who tendered his resignation as PPC in November 2007 after sparking Brigadier John Enoch Powell, MBE ( June 16 1912 &ndash February 8 1998) was a British Politician, Both David Davis and George Osborne had already condemned Hastilow's comments. ^[121]

Allegations of social elitism

The Guardian has accused Cameron of relying on, "the most prestigious of old-boy networks in his attempt to return the Tories to power", pointing out that three members of his shadow cabinet and 15 members of his front bench team are "Old Etonians". The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. In many Parliaments and other similar assemblies seating is typically arranged in banks or rows with each Political party or Caucus grouped together Eton College, or just Eton, is a world-famous British Independent school for boys founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. ^[122] Similarly, The Sunday Times has commented that "David Cameron has more Etonians around him than any leader since Macmillan" and asked whether he can "represent Britain from such a narrow base. The Sunday Times is a Sunday Broadsheet Newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. (Maurice Harold Macmillan 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC (10 February 1894 &ndash 29 December 1986 was a British Conservative Politician "^[123] Cabinet minister Hazel Blears has said of Cameron "You have to wonder about a man who surrounds himself with so many people who went to the same school. Hazel Anne Blears MP (born 14 May 1956 is a British Politician and is the Labour Member of Parliament for Salford. I'm pretty sure I don't want 21st-century Britain run by people who went to just one school. "^[124] Cameron's background was the subject, in part, of a Dispatches programme on March 2007 on Channel 4 written and presented by Peter Hitchens. Dispatches is the British television current affairs documentary series on Channel 4, first transmitted in 1987 Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began Peter Jonathan Hitchens (born 28 October 1951 in Sliema, Malta) is a British Journalist and Author, noted ^[125]

In a similar way, Cameron's "A-List" of prospective Parliamentary Candidates has been attacked by members of his party. ^[126] The "A-List" policy has now been discontinued in favour of gender balanced final short lists, criticised by senior Conservative MP and Prisons Spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe as an "insult to women". Ann Noreen Widdecombe (born 4 October 1947 is a British Conservative Party Politician and more recently television Presenter and Novelist ^[127]

Even staunch supporters of the party have begun to criticise what they see as cronyism on the front benches, with Sir Tom Cowie, working class founder of Arriva and former Conservative donor, ceasing his donations in August 2007 due to disillusionment with Cameron's leadership, saying, "the Tory party seems to be run now by Old Etonians and they don't seem to understand how other people live. Photo Sir Tom Cowie was born in 1922 in Sunderland. He is the honorary Life President of the Arriva Group formerly know as Cowie Group plc Arriva plc ( is a British -based international public transport operator headquartered in Sunderland. " In reply, Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said when a party was changing "there will always be people who are uncomfortable with that process". William Jefferson Hague (born 26 March 1961 is a British Politician. ^[128]

Auschwitz controversy

In February 2008, the Conservative Party released a document entitled "Government by Gimmick", which described twenty six announcements, which it claimed "have sought to grab the headlines, but amounted to nothing". ^[129] Among the examples given was a plan to allow sixteen to eighteen year old students to make memorial visits to the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp:

“

What was announced: "Two pupils from every sixth form and college in the country will be able to visit Auschwitz and learn about the Holocaust thanks to £4. 65 million of funding" (DCSF press release, 4 February 2008) In fact schools would have to find £100 to fund every sixth-former’s trip (Times, 4 February 2008)

”

The announcement received widespread criticism, with Channel Four News accusing Cameron of calling trips to Auschwitz gimmicks,^[130] and Labour MP Jim Murphy branding Cameron's remark "sick and ignorant"; the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews said that they were surprised and disappointed by his comments, calling for an apology for his criticism. James Murphy (born 23 August 1967 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. ^[131] Cameron's spokesman responded by saying that trips to Auschwitz were a "brilliant idea" but that the Conservatives were intending to accuse the Government of announcing trips to Auschwitz "without providing the necessary funding". ^[132]

Satire

Cameron's relatively young age and inexperience before becoming leader have invited satirical comparison with Blair. Private Eye soon published a picture of both leaders on their front cover, with the caption "World's first face transplant a success. Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical Magazine, edited by Ian Hislop. Isabelle Dinoire, born 1967 was the first person to undergo a partial Face transplant, after her Labrador dog mauled her in May 2005 A face transplant is a still-experimental procedure to replace all or part of a person's face "^[133] He has also been described by comedy writer and broadcaster Charlie Brooker as being like "a hollow Easter egg with no bag of sweets inside" in his Guardian column. Charlton Brooker, commonly known as Charlie Brooker, (born 3 March 1971 Reading, Berkshire) is a British Comedy writer, Cartoonist ^[134]

Cameron is reported to be known to friends and family as 'Dave' rather than David, although he invariably uses 'David' in public. ^[135] However, critics of Cameron often refer to him as "Call me Dave" in an attempt to imply populism in the same way as "Call me Tony" was used in 1997. Populism is a discourse which supports "the people" versus "the Elites " Populism may involve either a political philosophy urging social and political ^[136] The Times columnist Daniel Finkelstein has condemned those who attempt to belittle Cameron by calling him 'Dave'. The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ^[137]

Cameron was characterised as "Dave the Chameleon", who would change what he said to match the expectations of his audience, in a Labour Party Political Broadcast. Dave the Chameleon was the British Labour Party 's advertising slogan and the basis of their political campaign for the 2006 elections to local government. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Cameron later claimed that the broadcast had become his daughter's "favourite video". ^[138]

Accusations of "flip-flopping"

Both the Labour and the Conservative Parties have accused each other of going back on policy decisions during Cameron's tenure as Conservative leader. ^[139][140]

Allegations of recreational drug use

During the leadership election allegations were made that Cameron had used cannabis and cocaine recreationally before becoming an MP. Cannabis, also known as marijuana or marihuana, or ganja (from Hindi / Sanskrit: गांजा gānjā hemp) is a Cocaine ( benzoylmethyl ecgonine) is a Crystalline Tropane Alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the Coca plant ^[141] Pressed on this point during the BBC programme Question Time, Cameron said "I'm allowed to have had a private life before politics in which we make mistakes and we do things that we should not and we are all human and we err and stray. Question Time is a topical Debate Television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. "^[142] Hours before the second ballot of MPs on 20 October 2005, he stated in an interview with Channel 4 that he had not taken Class A drugs since being elected to Parliament in 2001. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c38 is an Act of Parliament, by which the United Kingdom aims to control the possession and supply of numerous drugs ^{[143][144][145]}

A 2007 book revealed his Eton punishment for cannabis use and claims Cameron continued to smoke the drug while studying at Oxford. ^[146] According to friends he described his school experience as a "wake-up call". ^[147]

Standing in opinion polls

During the first month of Cameron's leadership, the Conservatives' standing in opinion polls rose, with several pollsters putting the Conservative party ahead of the ruling Labour party. An opinion poll is a survey of Public opinion from a particular sample. In early Spring 2006 the Conservative and Labour parties drew even, but after the May 2006 local elections various polls once again generally showed Conservative leads. May 2006 was a month with thirty-one days The following events also occurred during the month ^[148] One poll for The Independent in April 2007 showed Labour falling to 27% and the Conservatives rising one point to 36%, widening the Conservative lead again to nine-points. The Independent is a British compact Newspaper published by Tony O'Reilly 's Independent News & Media. ^[149]

Following Gordon Brown's ascension to the premiership on 27 June 2007, Labour experienced an increase in their poll ratings, taking them ahead of the Conservatives. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Although the Conservatives dismissed this phenomenon as a short-term "Brown bounce", Labour's poll ratings continued to grow steadily at Cameron's expense: an ICM poll^[150] on 15 July 2007 had Labour rating at 40% and the Conservatives at 33%, in the wake of controversies over Cameron's policies on grammar schools and museum fees and his proposals for marriage tax incentives. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

An ICM poll^[151] on 19 September 2007 found not only that Labour were leading the Conservative by eight-points (40% to 32%), but that Cameron was now rated as the least popular of the three main party leaders (behind Gordon Brown and Sir Menzies Campbell). Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. A YouGov poll for Channel 4^[152] one week later (and after the Labour Party conference) extended Brown's lead to 11-points, enough to secure a three-figure parliamentary majority, prompting further speculation about an early election. After the Conservative Party conference in the first week of October 2007, The Guardian reported that the Conservatives had drawn level with Labour on 38% each. ^[153]

On 6 October, Gordon Brown declared he would not call an election for Autumn 2007 despite weeks of speculation. ^[154] This reversal was the start of a decline in Brown's and the Labour party's standings in the polls, made worse by the Northern Rock Banking crisis, the loss of 25 million child benefit records, and scandals centred on political donations ("Donorgate") involving David Abrahams, Harriet Harman and Peter Hain. See also Nationalisation of Northern Rock Northern Rock plc is a British Bank, currently under public ownership Donorgate is the colloquial name for the political scandal involving the British Labour Party in November and December 2007, when it was discovered that contrary Donorgate is the colloquial name for the political scandal involving the British Labour Party in November and December 2007, when it was discovered that contrary Harriet Ruth Harman Peter Gerald Hain (born 16 February 1950, Nairobi, Kenya) is a British Labour Party Politician who has During November a series of polls showed improved support for the Conservatives so that on 2 December, an ICM poll^[155] gave the Conservatives an 11 point lead over Labour (41% to 30%). This lead decreased in 2008 during the Second Reading of the Bill ratifying the Treaty of Lisbon; on 26 January a poll found Conservative support had fallen three points to 37%, only two points ahead of Labour, which was up one point at 35%, the highest since October 2007. The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. ^[156] By March 2008, following Chancellor Alistair Darling's release of the annual Budget, a YouGov survey on behalf of The Sunday Times reported that Conservatives had their largest lead in opinion polls since October 1987 with a 16 point lead over Labour (43% to 27%). The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all Economic and Financial Alistair Maclean Darling (born 28 November 1953 is a British Politician and Chancellor of the Exchequer since 28 June 2007 The Sunday Times is a Sunday Broadsheet Newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. ^[157] In May 2008, following the worst local election performance from the labour party in 40 years , a YouGov survey on behalf of The Sun showed the Conservatives' lead had increased to 26 points (49% to 23%), its largest lead since 1968, with Labour support at its lowest ever. The Sun is a Tabloid daily newspaper published in the United Kingdom and Ireland with the highest circulation of any daily English-language ^[158]

Personal life

Cameron married Samantha Sheffield, daughter of Sir Reginald Sheffield, 8th Baronet and Annabel Astor, Viscountess Astor, on 1 June 1996 at Ginge Manor in Oxfordshire. Samantha Gwendoline Cameron (neé Sheffield) (born 18 April, 1971) is an English business executive and wife of the Conservative Annabel Lucy Veronica Astor Viscountess Astor (born 1948 is an English Socialite is known as the former owner of a jewellery business Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Among the guests at the wedding were Jade Jagger, a friend of the Sheffield family. Jade Sheena Jezebel Jagger (born October 21, 1971 in Paris, France) is an English Jewelry designer, Socialite ^[159] The Camerons have three children. Their first child Ivan Reginald Ian was born on 8 April 2002. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. He was born with cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy. Cerebral palsy ( CP) is an Umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non- contagious conditions that cause Physical disability Epilepsy is a common chronic Neurological disorder that is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. Recalling the receipt of this news, Cameron is quoted as saying: "The news hits you like a freight train. . . You are depressed for a while because you are grieving for the difference between your hopes and the reality. But then you get over that, because he's wonderful!"^[160]

The Camerons also have a daughter, Nancy Gwendoline^[161] (born 19 January 2004), and another son, Arthur Elwen (born 14 February 2006). Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[162] Cameron took paternity leave when his second son was born, and this decision received broad coverage. ^[163] However, Cameron has been urged by a Telegraph commentator to mention his family less in public. ^[164]

A Daily Mail article from June 2007 quoted Sunday Times Rich List compiler Philip Beresford, who had valued the Conservative leader for the first time, as saying: "I put the combined family wealth of David and Samantha Cameron at £30m plus. The Daily Mail is a British newspaper currently published in a tabloid format The Sunday Times is a Sunday Broadsheet Newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined Both sides of the family are extremely wealthy. They certainly have no need to worry about poverty or paying school fees. "^[165]

In early May 2008, David Cameron took the decision to enrol his daughter Nancy at a state school. International holidays May 1 - Labour Day ( Pakistan) May 1 - Labour Day ( Singapore) She will attend St Mary Abbots Church of England School in Kensington, the Camerons had been attending its Church for three years; which is relatively near to the Cameron family home in North Kensington. Kensington is a district of West London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, located west of Charing Cross. ^[166]

David Cameron supports Aston Villa football club. ^[167]

See also

• Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2005
• Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (UK)
• 54th UK general election
• UK general election, 2005
• UK general election, 2001

References

External links

• David Cameron MP official site
• Webcameron – David Cameron's official video blog and discussion website
• Conservative Party official biography
• ePolitix.com – David Cameron profile
• William Addams Reitwiesner. "Ancestry of David Cameron". Retrieved 11 May 2007. Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: David Cameron MP
• David Cameron's Guardian columns (2001-2005) as Conservative Party diarist
• They Work For You – David Cameron MP
• The Public Whip – David Cameron MP voting record
• Open Directory Project - David Cameron directory category

Offices held

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Shaun Woodward	Member of Parliament for Witney 2001–present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Tim Collins	Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills 2005	Succeeded by David Willetts
Preceded by Michael Howard	Leader of the Opposition 2005–present	Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Michael Howard	Leader of the British Conservative Party 2005–present	Incumbent

Persondata
NAME	Cameron, David
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	The Right Honourable David Cameron MP
SHORT DESCRIPTION	UK Leader of the Opposition
DATE OF BIRTH	9 October 1966
PLACE OF BIRTH	Oxfordshire, England
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories Shaun Anthony Woodward MP (born 26 October 1958, Bristol) is a British politician Secretary of State for Northern Ireland A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Witney is a County constituency in Oxfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Results |} Total votes cast 26368204 All parties with more than 500 votes shown Timothy William George Collins, CBE, (born 7 May, 1964) is a British politician The Secretary of State for Education and Skills was the chief minister of the Department for Education and Skills in the United Kingdom government David Linsay Willetts (born 9 March 1956 is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Havant, in the United Kingdom. Michael Howard QC (born 7 July 1941 is a British Politician, a Conservative MP since the 1983 General Election for the constituency of The Leader of the Opposition (sometimes known as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons) in the United Kingdom is the politician who leads Michael Howard QC (born 7 July 1941 is a British Politician, a Conservative MP since the 1983 General Election for the constituency of Leaders of the UK Conservative Party since 1834 Background Until 1922 there was no formal "Leader of the Conservative Party" Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar.

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