David Cameron

David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician. Cameron served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016, and as Member of Parliament for Witney from 2001 until 2016. The Leader of the Conservative Party between 2005 and 2016, Cameron identifies as a One-Nation Conservative, and has been associated with both economically liberal and socially liberal policies. After the referendum on membership of the European Union resulted in a 'leave' vote, Cameron announced that he would leave office after a new party leader was elected. Instead, Cameron offered his formal resignation to the Queen on 13 July because, by that date, Theresa May was the only remaining candidate for party leader. On 13 November 2023, he was appointed Foreign Secretary by prime minister Rishi Sunak and became a life peer in the House of Lords.

2003

 * Greeks complained vigorously that Macedonia already existed as a region of Greece and so could not be a separate country as well. This seems churlish in the extreme. The Greeks have their own country, their own name and have been showered with financial assistance since joining the EU. These people - the Macedonians - have recently escaped communism and have virtually nothing. And as if Greek pettiness wasn't enough the Albanians tend to dream of incorporating a large slice of FYR Macedonia into a Greater Albania while the Bulgars tend to think of the country as part of a Greater Bulgaria. Yet as far as I could see, the country - and I am determined to call it Macedonia - has a perfect right to exist. The population is overwhelmingly Macedonian, with a distinctive language, culture and history. It is poorer than some of the other old Yugoslav republics, but considerably richer than Albania. The people are civilised, friendly and highly educated. Even my tour guide had an MBA... From now on I will call our esteemed EU partner "the former Ottoman possession of Greece".
 * "The Macedonian job" (10 September 2003), David Cameron Diaries, quoted in The Guardian.

2005

 * I am the heir to Blair.
 * Remarks to newspaper executives (3 October 2005), as quoted in "Horror as Cameron brandishes the B-word" by Andrew Pierce, in The Times (5 October 2005), page 9.


 * I joined this party because I believe in freedom. We are the only party believing that if you give people freedom and responsibility, they will grow stronger and society will grow stronger.
 * Speech to Conservative Party Conference (4 October 2005).


 * I want you to come with me. We'll be tested, and challenged, but we'll never give up. We'll never turn back. So let the message go out from this conference, a modern compassionate Conservatism is right for our times, right for our party — and right for our country. If we go for it, if we seize it, if we fight for it with every ounce of passion, vigour and energy from now until the next election, nothing and no one can stop us.
 * Speech to Conservative Party Conference (4 October 2005).


 * I think it was right to remove Saddam Hussein. I think it was the right decision then and I still think it was right now.
 * BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast (21 October 2005).


 * There is such a thing as society. It's just not the same thing as the state.
 * Speech after winning the Conservative Party leadership contest (6 December 2005).


 * I want to talk about the future. He was the future once.
 * On the subject of Tony Blair at Prime Minister's Question Time (7 December 2005).


 * We will reflect the country we aspire to govern, and the sound of modern Britain is a complex harmony, not a male voice choir.
 * Speech aimed at Liberal Democrats: join me in my mission (16 December 2005).

2006

 * I think the prospect of bringing back grammar schools has always been wrong and I've never supported it. And I don't think any Conservative government would have done it.
 * BBC Sunday AM (15 January 2006).


 * I am Conservative to the core of my being, as those who know me best will testify.
 * As quoted in The Daily Telegraph, (23 January 2006).


 * Issues that once divided Conservatives from Liberal Democrats are now issues where we both agree. Our attitude to devolution and localisation of power. Iraq. The environment. I'm a liberal Conservative.
 * Letter to constituents in Dunfermline and West Fife by-election (7 February 2006).


 * UKIP is sort of a bunch of ... fruitcakes and loonies and closet racists, mostly.
 * Comment during a LBC phone-in programme, cited in "UKIP demands apology from Cameron" BBC News (4 April 2006).


 * Lots of people call me Dave, my mum calls me David, my wife calls me Dave, I don't really notice what people call me.
 * Interview with Richard Bacon on XFM, 28 September 2006), as quoted in "Labour in shambles over leadership, says Cameron" in Western Mail (29 September 2006), p. 4.


 * Instead of talking about the things that most people care about, we talked about what we cared about most. While parents worried about childcare, getting the kids to school, balancing work and family life, we were banging on about Europe. As they worried about standards in thousands of secondary schools, we obsessed about a handful of more grammar schools. As rising expectations demanded a better NHS for everyone, we put our faith in opt-out for a few. While people wanted more than anything stability and low mortgage rates, the first thing we talked about was tax cuts.
 * Speech to the Conservative Party Conference in Bournemouth (1 October 2006), quoted in The Times (2 October 2006), p. 6.

2007

 * Look at me and think of Schwarzenegger.
 * "Look at me, think of Arnie Schwarzenegger – David Cameron talks tough as he heads into the hood" by Chris Ayres, in The Times (13 October 2007).

2009

 * When we were first told the extent of Ivan's disability I thought that we would suffer having to care for him but at least he would benefit from our care. Now as I look back I see that it was all the other way round. It was only him that ever really suffered and it was us — Sam, me, Nancy and Elwen — who gained more than I ever believed possible from having and loving such a wonderfully special and beautiful boy.
 * In a letter to activists after the death of his son (28 February 2009).


 * Too many twits make a twat.
 * Expressing his views on Twitter during an interview on Absolute radio (29 July 2009), David Cameron says sorry for 'twat' comment during radio interview.

2010
I'm talking about lobbying – and we all know how it works. The lunches, the hospitality, the quiet word in your ear, the ex-ministers and ex-advisors for hire, helping big business find the right way to get its way. In this party, we believe in competition, not cronyism. We believe in market economics, not crony capitalism. So we must be the party that sorts all this out. We can't go on like this. I believe it's time we shone the light of transparency on lobbying in our country and forced our politics to come clean about who is buying power and influence.
 * It is the next big scandal waiting to happen. It's an issue that crosses party lines and has tainted our politics for too long, an issue that exposes the far-too-cosy relationship between politics, government, business and money.
 * I believe that secret corporate lobbying, like the expenses scandal, goes to the heart of why people are so fed up with politics. It arouses people's worst fears and suspicions about how our political system works, with money buying power, power fishing for money and a cosy club at the top making decisions in their own interest.
 * Speech (8 February 2010), as cited in "David Cameron: Rebuilding trust in politics", Conservative Party website (8 February 2010).


 * Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.
 * Speech (27 July 2010), as quoted in The Guardian.

First speech as UK Prime Minister (2010)

 * First speech as Prime Minister, at 10 Downing Street (11 May 2010)


 * In terms of the future, our country has a hung parliament where no party has an overall majority and we have some deep and pressing problems — a huge deficit, deep social problems, a political system in need of reform. For those reasons, I aim to form a proper and full coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. I believe that is the right way to provide this country with the strong, the stable, the good and decent government that I think we need so badly. Nick Clegg and I are both political leaders who want to put aside party differences and work hard for the common good and for the national interest. I believe that is the best way to get the strong government that we need, decisive Government that we need today.


 * I came into politics because I love this country, I think its best days still lie ahead and I believe deeply in public service, and I think the service our country needs right now is to face up to our really big challenges, to confront our problems, to take difficult decisions, to lead people through those difficult decisions so that together we can reach better times ahead.

We must take everyone through us on some of the difficult decisions that we have ahead. Above all it will be a Government that is built on some clear values, values of freedom, values of fairness and values of responsibility. I want us to build an economy that rewards work, I want us to build a society with stronger families and stronger communities and I want a political system that people can trust and look up to once again.
 * One of the tasks that we clearly have is to rebuild trust in our political system. Yes, that's about cleaning up expenses, yes, that's about reforming parliament, and yes, it's about making sure people are in control and that the politicians are always their servants and never their masters. But I believe it's also something else — it's about being honest about what government can achieve. Real change is not what government can do on its own, real change is when everyone pulls together, comes together, works together, when we all exercise our responsibilities to ourselves, our families, to our communities and to others. And I want to help try and build a more responsible society here in Britain, one where we don't just ask what are my entitlements but what are my responsibilities, one where we don't ask what am I just owed but more what can I give, and a guide for that society that those that can should and those who can't we will always help. I want to make sure that my Government always looks after the elderly, the frail, the poorest in our country.


 * This is going to be hard and difficult work. The coalition will throw up all sorts of challenges, but I believe together we can provide that strong and stable government that our country needs, based on those values, rebuilding family, rebuilding community, above all, rebuilding responsibility in our country. Those are the things I care about, those are the things that this Government will now start work on doing. Thank you very much.

A speech about Turkey's EU membership process

 * Turkey is a secular and democratic state. This is all the more reason to make Turkey feel welcome in Europe... This is something I feel very strongly and very passionately about. Together I want us to pave the road from Ankara to Brussels.
 * "Turkey must be welcome in EU, insists Cameron", The Independent (27 July 2010).


 * I will remain your strongest possible advocate for EU membership and for greater influence at the top table of European diplomacy.
 * Turkey EU accession poses security risk - Michael Gove BBC News (27th July 2010).


 * [I want to] pave the road [for Turkey to join the EU], the country is vital for our economy, vital for our security and vital for our diplomacy
 * David Cameron EU Question Time: PM attacks 'untrue' Leave claims BBC News (27 July 2010).

Speech to the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

 * Too many people thought ‘I’ve paid my taxes, the state will look after everything’. But citizenship isn’t a transaction – in which you put your taxes in and get your services out. It’s a relationship – you’re part of something bigger than you, and it matters what you think and feel and do. So to get out of the mess we’re in, changing the government is not enough. We need to change the way we think about ourselves, and our role in society. Your country needs you.
 * "David Cameron's Conservative conference speech in full", The Telegraph, (6 October 2010).

2011

 * I am very sorry that Andy Coulson has decided to resign as my Director of Communications, although I understand that the continuing pressures on him and his family mean that he feels compelled to do so. Andy has told me that the focus on him was impeding his ability to do his job and was starting to prove a distraction for the Government. During his time working for me, Andy has carried out his role with complete professionalism. He has been a brilliant member of my team and has thrown himself at the job with skill and dedication. He can be extremely proud of the role he has played, including for the last eight months in Government. I wish Andy all the very best for his future, which I am certain will be a successful one.
 * Resignation of Andy Coulson statement (21 January 2011)


 * I think we should be helping the opposition groups because they want a democratic Libya, they want a future for that country.
 * William Hague suggests Libya rebel funding BBC News (13 April 2011)


 * Picture by picture, these criminals are being identified and arrested, and we will not let any phony concerns about human rights get in the way of the publication of these pictures and the arrest of these individuals.
 * On the 2011 England riots, August, 2011. (Andrew Sparrow. "David Cameron: Police can use water cannon to control riots", The Guardian (10 August 2011).


 * I do not believe there is a binary choice for Britain that we can either sacrifice the national interest on issue after issue or lose our influence at the heart of Europe's negotiating process. I am absolutely clear that it is possible to be a both a full, committed and influential member of the EU but to stay out of arrangements where they do not protect our interests.
 * EU veto: Cameron says he negotiated in 'good faith' BBC News (12 December 2011).

2012

 * I think some of these schemes - and I think particularly of the Jimmy Carr scheme - I have had time to read about and I just think this is completely wrong. People work hard, they pay their taxes, they save up to go to one of his shows. They buy the tickets. He is taking the money from those tickets and he, as far as I can see, is putting all of that into some very dodgy tax avoiding schemes. That is wrong. There is nothing wrong with people planning their tax affairs to invest in their pension and plan for their retirement - that sort of tax management is fine. But some of these schemes we have seen are quite frankly morally wrong. The Government is acting by looking at a general anti-avoidance law but we do need to make progress on this. It is not fair on hard working people who do the right thing and pay their taxes to see these sorts of scams taking place.
 * About comedian Jimmy Carr's tax arrangements, speaking to ITV News during a round of TV interviews during his trip to Mexico - "David Cameron Brands Jimmy Carr's Tax Arrangements 'Morally Wrong'", The Huffington Post UK, 20 June 2012).


 * This coalition has a clear new year's resolution: to kill off the health and safety culture for good.
 * http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-i-will-kill-off-safety-culture-6285238.html, The Independent (5 January 2012).

2013

 * Democratic consent for the EU in Britain is now wafer thin... Simply asking the British people to carry on accepting a European settlement over which they have had little choice is a path to ensuring that when the question is finally put - and at some stage it will have to be - it is much more likely that the British people will reject the EU.  That is why I am in favour of a referendum. I believe in confronting this issue - shaping it, leading the debate. Not simply hoping a difficult situation will go away.
 * David Cameron speech: UK and the EU BBC News (23 January 2013).


 * It is time for the British people to have their say. It is time to settle this European question in British politics. I say to the British people: this will be your decision.
 * David Cameron promises in/out referendum on EU BBC News (23 January 2013).


 * When we have negotiated that new settlement, we will give the British people a referendum with a very simple in-or-out choice to stay in the EU on these new terms; or come out altogether. It will be an in/out referendum.
 * David Cameron promises in/out referendum on EU BBC News (23 January 2013).


 * If we left the European Union, it would be a one-way ticket, not a return
 * David Cameron promises in/out referendum on EU BBC News (23 January 2013).


 * Referendum Bill passes first Commons stage, bringing us one step closer to giving the British people a say on Europe.
 * EU referendum: MPs call for public to have their say BBC News (5 July 2013).


 * I want to talk about the internet, the impact it is having on the innocence of our children, how online pornography is corroding childhood and how, in the darkest corners of the internet, there are things going on that are a direct danger to our children, and that must be stamped out.
 * Speech: The internet and pornography: Prime Minister calls for action (22 July 2013).


 * It’s wonderful news from St Mary’s Paddington, and I’m sure that right across the country, and indeed right across the Commonwealth, people will be celebrating and wishing the Royal couple well.
 * Remarks on the Royal birth (22 July 2013).


 * It is an important moment in the life of our nation, and I suppose above all it is a wonderful moment for a warm and loving couple who have got a brand new baby boy.
 * Remarks on the Royal birth (22 July 2013).


 * It’s been a remarkable few years for our Royal family - the Royal Wedding captured people’s hearts, the extraordinary and magnificent Jubilee and now this Royal birth. All to a family that has given this nation so much incredible service and they can know that a proud nation is celebrating with them a very proud, happy couple tonight.
 * Remarks on the Royal birth (22 July 2013).


 * Already London is the biggest centre for Islamic finance outside the . But today our ambition is to go further still. Because I don’t just want London to be a great capital of Islamic finance in the Western world. I want London to stand alongside Dubai and Kuala Lumpur as one of the great capitals of Islamic finance anywhere in the world.
 * Speech at the ninth World Islamic Economic Forum in 2013 - "World Islamic Economic Forum: Prime Minister's speech" [[Wikipedia:Gov.uk|Gov.uk] (29 October 2013).]
 * I know some people look at foreign companies investing in our businesses, financing our infrastructure or taking over our football clubs and ask – shouldn’t we do something to stop it? Well, let me tell you, the answer is “no.”
 * Speech at the ninth World Islamic Economic Forum in 2013 - "World Islamic Economic Forum: Prime Minister's speech" [[Wikipedia:Gov.uk|Gov.uk] (29 October 2013).]
 * First, for years people have been talking about creating an Islamic bond – or – outside the Islamic world. But it’s just never quite happened. Changing that is a question of pragmatism and political will. And here in Britain we’ve got both. This government wants Britain to become the first sovereign outside the Islamic world to issue an Islamic bond.
 * Speech at the ninth World Islamic Economic Forum in 2013 - "World Islamic Economic Forum: Prime Minister's speech" [[Wikipedia:Gov.uk|Gov.uk] (29 October 2013).]

2014

 * I’m against these aggressive tax avoidance schemes but I’m not just against them, this Government has taken a huge amount of steps to legislate and toughen the laws and go after aggressive tax avoidance schemes for the very simple reason that if people go after these schemes and aggressively avoid tax they’re making it the case that everyone else has to pay higher taxes as a result so I think we should be very clear, tax evasion is illegal and for that you can be prosecuted, you can go to prison for tax evasion. Tax avoidance is in these cases, very aggressive tax avoidance schemes, they are wrong and we should really persuade not to do them and that’s why we have these court cases where the court looks at whether a scheme is really about avoiding tax rather than anything else and the court was very clear in this case.
 * On Good Morning Britain speaking about his view of tax avoidance schemes and if Gary Barlow should give back his OBE following claims that the singer took part in one - Prime Minister David Cameron speaks to Good Morning Britain, [[Wikipedia:ITV (TV network)|ITV] (12 May 2014).]
 * Gary Barlow has done a huge amount for the country, he’s raised money for charity, he’s done very well for Children in Need so I’m not sure, the OBE was in respect of that work and what he’s done but clearly what this scheme was was wrong and it’s right that they’re going to pay back the money.
 * On Good Morning Britain speaking about his view of tax avoidance schemes and if Gary Barlow should give back his OBE following claims that the singer took part in one - Prime Minister David Cameron speaks to Good Morning Britain, [[Wikipedia:ITV (TV network)|ITV] (12 May 2014)]
 * They are killing and slaughtering thousands of people... they boast of their brutality... they claim to do this in the name of Islam, that is nonsense, Islam is a religion of peace. They are not Muslims, they are monsters.
 * On ISIS; (14 September 2014).]


 * I care deeply about those who struggle to get by — but I believe the best thing to do is help them stand on their own two feet. And no, that’s not saying, "You're on your own," but, "We are on your side, helping you be all you can." And I believe in something for something; not something for nothing.
 * "The Scarlet Z, for Zombie (Reaganite)" (15 August 2018), by Jay Nordlinger, National Review Online.

2015

 * We are the first party to have a female prime minister, we were the party of the first Jewish prime minister and I know one day, we are going to be the party of the first black or Asian prime minister.
 * Speech outlining plans to increase the number of minority ethnic Conservative MPs BBC News (25 April 2015).


 * We are a shining example of a country where multiple identities work. Where you can be Welsh and Hindu and British, Northern Irish and Jewish and British; where you can wear a kilt and a turban; where you can wear a hijab covered in poppies. Where you can support Man Utd, the Windies and Team GB at the same time. Of course, I’d rather you supported West Ham.
 * Speech in London, which caused derision as Cameron had previously claimed to support Aston Villa. Various sources including The Guardian (April 2015).


 * Britain faces a simple and inescapable choice - stability and strong Government with me, or chaos with Ed Miliband.
 * Tweet by @David_Cameron (3 May 2015).


 * For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'.
 * Planned speech to the National Security Council — Various sources (e.g. The Guardian, BBC) (13 May 2015).


 * Islamic State (IS) is a perversion of the religion of Islam - a poisonous death cult that poses an existential threat.
 * Cameron is not asking the big question on Islamic State BBC News (2 July 2015).


 * If you are a boy, they will brainwash you, strap bombs to your body and blow you up. If you are a girl, they will enslave and abuse you.
 * Message to teenage Britons wanting to join ISIS — "David Cameron tells teenage jihadists they are 'cannon fodder'" by Tim Ross, The Telegraph (19 July 2015).


 * [On the Calais crisis.] I accept that, because you have got a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean, seeking a better life, wanting to come to Britain because Britain has got jobs, it's got a growing economy, it's an incredible place to live.
 * David Cameron criticised over migrant 'swarm' language BBC News (30 July 2015).


 * [e]verything that can be done will be done to make sure our borders are secure and make sure that British holidaymakers are able to go on their holidays
 * David Cameron criticised over migrant 'swarm' language BBC News (30 July 2015).


 * We just thought people in Yorkshire hated everyone else, we didn’t realise they hated each other so much.
 * Unguarded comment in Leeds while discussing rival devolution bids — "Cameron caught on camera making 'people in Yorkshire hate each other' jibe" Press Association, The Guardian (11 September 2015).


 * I have a simple view, which is the terrorism we faced was wrong, it was unjustifiable, the death and the killing was wrong. It was never justified and people who seek to justify it should be ashamed of themselves.
 * Jeremy Corbyn asks David Cameron 'questions from public', BBC News (16 September 2015).


 * I am ready to campaign with all my heart and soul to keep Britain inside a reformed European Union.
 * David Cameron sets out EU reform goals BBC News (11 November 2015).


 * Of course, this extremist ideology is not true Islam. That cannot be said clearly enough. But it is not good enough to say simply that Islam is a religion of peace and then to deny any connection between the religion of Islam and the extremists. Why? Because these extremists are self-identifying as Muslims.
 * On Islamic extremism at 2015 Lord Mayor’s Banquet - "Lord Mayor’s Banquet 2015: Prime Minister’s speech" [[Wikipedia:Gov.uk|Gov.uk] (16 November 2015).]


 * You should not be walking through the lobbies with Jeremy Corbyn and a bunch of terrorist sympathisers.
 * During a private meeting of Tory MPs the evening before a crucial debate and vote on whether Britain will go to war in Syria - "David Cameron brands Jeremy Corbyn a 'terrorist sympathiser' for opposing Syria air strikes"  (2 December 2015).


 * It was never envisaged that free movement would trigger quite such vast numbers of people moving across our continent. And countries have got to be able to cope with all the pressures that can bring - on our schools, our hospitals and other public services.
 * UK net migration levels 'unsustainable', says David Cameron BBC News (9 December 2015).

Speech on (20 July 2015)
Speech at,. ([transcript http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-extremism-speech-read-the-transcript-in-full-10401948.html] by )
 * Over generations, we have built something extraordinary in Britain – a successful multi-racial, multi-faith democracy. It’s open, diverse, welcoming – these characteristics are as British as queuing and talking about the weather.
 * It is here in Britain where different people, from different backgrounds, who follow different religions and different customs don’t just rub alongside each other but are relatives and friends; husbands, wives, cousins, neighbours and colleagues. It is here in Britain where in one or two generations people can come with nothing and rise as high as their talent allows. It is here in Britain where success is achieved not in spite of our diversity, but because of our diversity.
 * As we talk about the threat of extremism and the challenge of integration, we should not do our country down – we are, without a shadow of doubt, a beacon to the world.
 * Every one of the communities that has come to call our country home has made Britain a better place.
 * I know what a profound contribution Muslims from all backgrounds and denominations are making in every sphere of our society, proud to be both British and Muslim, without conflict or contradiction. ... I know too how much you hate the extremists who are seeking to divide our communities and how you loathe that damage they do.
 * What we are fighting, in Islamist extremism, is an ideology. It is an extreme doctrine. And like any extreme doctrine, it is subversive. At its furthest end it seeks to destroy nation-states to invent its own barbaric realm. And it often backs violence to achieve this aim – mostly violence against fellow Muslims – who don’t subscribe to its sick worldview. But you don’t have to support violence to subscribe to certain intolerant ideas which create a climate in which extremists can flourish. Ideas which are hostile to basic liberal values such as democracy, freedom and sexual equality. Ideas which actively promote discrimination, sectarianism and segregation. Ideas – like those of the despicable far right – which privilege one identity to the detriment of the rights and freedoms of others. And ideas also based on conspiracy: that Jews exercise malevolent power; or that Western powers, in concert with Israel, are deliberately humiliating Muslims, because they aim to destroy Islam. In this warped worldview, such conclusions are reached – that 9/11 was actually inspired by Mossad to provoke the invasion of Afghanistan; that British security services knew about 7/7, but didn’t do anything about it because they wanted to provoke an anti-Muslim backlash. And like so many ideologies that have existed before – whether fascist or communist – many people, especially young people, are being drawn to it. We need to understand why it is proving so attractive.
 * The root cause of the threat we face is the extremist ideology itself.
 * No-one becomes a terrorist from a standing start. It starts with a process of radicalisation. When you look in detail at the backgrounds of those convicted of terrorist offences, it is clear that many of them were first influenced by what some would call non-violent extremists.
 * The extremist world view is the gateway, and violence is the ultimate destination.
 * The adherents of this ideology are overpowering other voices within Muslim debate, especially those trying to challenge it. There are so many strong, positive Muslim voices that are being drowned out.
 * For all our successes as multi-racial, multi-faith democracy, we have to confront a tragic truth that there are people born and raised in this country who don’t really identify with Britain – and who feel little or no attachment to other people here. Indeed, there is a danger in some of our communities that you can go your whole life and have little to do with people from other faiths and backgrounds.
 * When groups like ISIL seek to rally our young people to their poisonous cause, it can offer them a sense of belonging that they can lack here at home, leaving them more susceptible to radicalisation and even violence against other British people to whom they feel no real allegiance. ... This is what we face – a radical ideology – that is not just subversive, but can seem exciting; one that has often sucked people in from non-violence to violence; one that is overpowering moderate voices within the debate and one which can gain traction because of issues of identity and failures of integration.
 * Let’s not forget our strongest weapon: our own liberal values.
 * We are all British. We respect democracy and the rule of law. We believe in freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of worship, equal rights regardless of race, sex, sexuality or faith. We believe in respecting different faiths but also expecting those faiths to support the British way of life. These are British values. And are underpinned by distinct British institutions. Our freedom comes from our Parliamentary democracy. The rule of law exists because of our independent judiciary. This is the home that we are building together.
 * We should together challenge the ludicrous conspiracy theories of the extremists. The world is not conspiring against Islam; the security services aren’t behind terrorist attacks; our new Prevent duty for schools is not about criminalising or spying on Muslim children. This is paranoia in the extreme.
 * We must stand up to those who try to suggest that there is some kind of secret Muslim conspiracy to take over our government, or that Islam and Britain are somehow incompatible. People who say these things are trying to undermine our shared values and make Muslims feel like they don’t belong here, and we will not let these conspiracy theorists win.
 * You won’t be some valued member of a movement. You are cannon fodder for them. They will use you. If you are a boy, they will brainwash you, strap bombs to your body and blow you up. If you are a girl, they will enslave and abuse you. That is the sick and brutal reality of ISIL.
 * We need to have a total rethink of what we do in our prisons to tackle extremism. And we need our internet companies to go further in helping us identify potential terrorists online. Many of their commercial models are built around monitoring platforms for personal data, packaging it up and selling it on to third parties. And when it comes to doing what’s right for their business, they are happy to engineer technologies to track our likes and dislikes. But when it comes to doing what’s right in the fight against terrorism, we too often hear that it’s all too difficult.
 * As we do all of this work to counter the Islamist extremist ideology, let’s also recognise that we will have to enter some pretty uncomfortable debates – especially cultural ones. Too often we have lacked the confidence to enforce our values, for fear of causing offence. The failure in the past to confront the horrors of forced marriage I view as a case in point. So is the utter brutality of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
 * We need more co-ordinated efforts to drive this out of our society. More prosecutions. No more turning a blind eye on the false basis of cultural sensitivities.
 * There are other examples of this passive tolerance of practices running totally contrary to our values. The failure of social services, the police and local authorities, to deal with child sex abuse in places like Rotherham was frankly unforgiveable.
 * Look what happened in Tower Hamlets, in the heart of our capital city. We had political corruption on an epic scale: with voters intimidated and a court adjudicating on accusations of ‘undue spiritual influence’ for the first time since the 19th century. As the judge said: those in authority were too afraid to ‘confront wrongdoing for fear of allegations of racism’. Well this has got to stop.
 * As we counter this ideology, a key part of our strategy must be to tackle both parts of the creed – the non-violent and violent. This means confronting groups and organisations that may not advocate violence – but which do promote other parts of the extremist narrative.
 * We’ve got to show that if you say “yes I condemn terror – but the are inferior”, or “violence in London isn’t justified, but suicide bombs in Israel are a different matter” – then you too are part of the problem. Unwittingly or not, and in a lot of cases it’s not unwittingly, you are providing succour to those who want to commit, or get others to commit to, violence.
 * I find it remarkable that some groups say “We don’t support ISIL” as if that alone proves their anti-extremist credentials. And let’s be clear Al-Qaeda don’t support ISIL. So we can’t let the bar sink to that level. Condemning a mass-murdering, child-raping organisation cannot be enough to prove you’re challenging the extremists.
 * We must demand that people also condemn the wild conspiracy theories, the anti-Semitism, and the sectarianism too. Being tough on this is entirely keeping with our values. We should challenge every part of the hateful ideology spread by neo-Nazis.
 * We need to put out of action the key extremist influencers who are careful to operate just inside the law, but who clearly detest British society and everything we stand for. These people aren’t just extremists. There are despicable far right groups too. And what links them all is their aim to groom young people and brainwash their minds.
 * Universities are bastions of free speech and incubators of new and challenging ideas. But sometimes they fail to see the creeping extremism on their campuses. When David Irving goes to a university to deny the Holocaust – university leaders rightly come out and condemn him. They don’t deny his right to speak but they do challenge what he says. But when an Islamist extremist goes there to promote their poisonous ideology, too often university leaders look the other way through a mixture of misguided liberalism and cultural sensitivity.
 * I want to say something to the National Union of Students. When you choose to ally yourselves with an organisation like CAGE, which called a “beautiful young man” and told people to “support the jihad” in Iraq and Afghanistan, it really does, in my opinion, shame your organisation and your noble history of campaigning for justice.
 * This extremist ideology is not true Islam. I have said it myself many, many times, and it’s absolutely right to do so. And I’ll say it again today. But simply denying any connection between the religion of Islam and the extremists doesn’t work, because these extremists are self-identifying as Muslims. ... It is an exercise in futility to deny that. And more than that, it can be dangerous. To deny it has anything to do with Islam means you disempower the critical reforming voices; the voices that are challenging the fusing of religion and politics; the voices that want to challenge the scriptural basis which extremists claim to be acting on; the voices that are crucial in providing an alternative worldview that could stop a teenager’s slide along the spectrum of extremism.
 * The extremists are the ones who have the money, the leaders, the iconography and the propaganda machines. We need to turn the tables.
 * We can’t stand neutral in this battle of ideas. We have to back those who share our values.
 * It’s only the extremists who divide people into good Muslims and bad Muslims, by forcing their warped doctrine onto fellow Muslims and telling them that it is the only way to believe.
 * I know that for as long as injustice remains – be it with racism, discrimination or sickening Islamophobia - you may feel there is no place for you in Britain. But I want you to know: there is a place for you and I will do everything I can to support you.
 * As well as tackling isolation, there is one other area we must look at if we are to build a truly cohesive society – and that is segregation. It cannot be right, for example, that people can grow up and go to school and hardly ever come into meaningful contact with people from other backgrounds and faiths. That doesn’t foster a sense of shared belonging and understanding – it can drive people apart.
 * The government needs to start asking searching questions about social housing, to promote integration, to avoid segregated social housing estates where people living there are from the same single minority ethnic background. Similarly in education, while overall segregation in schooling is declining, in our most divided communities, the education that our young people receive is actually even more segregated than the neighbourhoods they live in.
 * Many faith schools achieve excellent results and I’m the first to support the great education they provide. I chose one for my own children. Today I visited King David’s school, a Jewish school here in Birmingham where the majority of children are from faith backgrounds.
 * This is how I believe we can win the struggle of our generation. Countering the extremist ideology by standing up and promoting our shared British values. Taking on extremism in all its forms – both violent and non-violent. Empowering those moderate and reforming voices who speak for the vast majority of Muslims that want to reclaim their religion. And addressing the identity crisis that some young people feel by bringing our communities together and extending opportunity to all.
 * Britain has never been cowed by fear or hatred or terror. Our Great British resolve faced down Hitler; it defeated Communism; it saw off the IRA’s assaults on our way of life. Time and again we have stood up to aggression and tyranny.
 * We have refused to compromise on our values or to give up our way of life. And we shall do so again. Together we will defeat the extremists and build a stronger and more cohesive country, for our children, our grandchildren and for every generation to come.

Muslim Brotherhood Review (20 July 2015)
Written statement
 * It is a complex subject: the Muslim Brotherhood comprises both a transnational network, with links in the UK, and national organisations in and outside the Islamic world. The movement is deliberately opaque, and habitually secretive.
 * The Muslim Brotherhood’s foundational texts call for the progressive moral purification of individuals and Muslim societies and their eventual political unification in a Caliphate under Sharia law. To this day the Muslim Brotherhood characterises Western societies and liberal Muslims as decadent and immoral. It can be seen primarily as a political project.
 * Parts of the Muslim Brotherhood have a highly ambiguous relationship with violent extremism. Both as an ideology and as a network it has been a rite of passage for some individuals and groups who have gone on to engage in violence and terrorism. It has stated its opposition to al-Qaida (AQ) but it has never credibly denounced the use made by terrorist organisations of the work of Sayyid Qutb, one of the Brotherhood’s most prominent ideologues. Individuals closely associated with the Muslim Brotherhood in the UK have supported suicide bombing and other attacks in Israel by Hamas, an organisation whose military wing has been proscribed in the UK since 2001 as a terrorist organisation, and which describes itself as the Palestinian chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood.
 * Aspects of the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology and activities therefore run counter to British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, equality and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. The Muslim Brotherhood is not the only movement that promotes values which appear intolerant of equality and freedom of faith and belief. Nor is it the only movement or group dedicated in theory to revolutionising societies and changing existing ways of life. But I have made clear this government’s determination to reject intolerance, and to counter not just violent Islamist extremism, but also to tackle those who create the conditions for it to flourish.

2016

 * Because of Britain's generous in-work benefits system, a graduate from the Czech Republic could be financially better off stacking shelves in a supermarket in Britain rather than undertaking skilled work in the Czech Republic. That doesn't make sense for Britain or for the Czech Republic.
 * EU referendum: Cameron in talks over migration 'brake' BBC News (22 January 2016).


 * If he came to visit our country, I think he would unite us all against him.
 * Regarding Donald Trump's proposal to prohibit expatriate Muslims from entering the U.S., as quoted in "Donald Trump debate: Could UK really ban him?" (18 January 2016), by Max Foster, CNN, Georgia: Cable News Network.


 * I believe that Britain will be safer, stronger and better off by remaining in a reformed European Union
 * Quoted on Yle.Fi (20 February 2016) "Finland responds positively to Britain's EU deal".


 * If an EU migrant's child is living abroad, then they should receive no child benefit or child tax credit, no matter how long they have worked in the UK and no matter how much tax they have paid
 * EU reform deal: What Cameron wanted and what he got BBC News (20 February 2016).


 * I would say to Boris what I say to everybody else which is that we will be safer, we'll be stronger, we'll be better off inside the EU. I think the prospect of you know linking arms with Nigel Farage and George Galloway and taking a leap into the dark is the wrong step for our country and if Boris and if others really care about being able to get things done in our world then the EU is one of the ways in which we get them done.
 * Interviewer on The Andrew Marr Show (BBC), as cited in "Referendum on knife edge as Boris joins exit campaign" The Times (21 February 2016)


 * [Leaving the European Union] could hurt working people for years to come
 * EU referendum: Leaving EU a 'leap in the dark' says Cameron BBC News (22 February 2016).


 * [Having to negotiate new trading rules from scratch would lead to a long period of unacceptable uncertainty for British business.] Seven years of not knowing what the arrangements would be for trading with Europe... Seven years of uncertainty for businesses wanting to invest in Britain not knowing what our relationship with Britain would be. They cannot be justified. They cannot be in our national interest. We should reject that out of hand.
 * Boris Johnson: EU exit 'win-win for us all', in the BBC (published 11 March 2016).


 * I make no apology for the fact that we are sending to every household in this country this leaflet, which sets out what the government's view is and why we come to that view. We're not neutral in this. We think it would be a bad decision to leave - for the economy, jobs, investment, family finances and universities.
 * EU referendum: PM 'makes no apology' for £9m EU leaflets BBC News (7 April 2016).

I know there are lessons to learn and I will learn them. Don't blame Number 10 Downing Street or nameless advisers, blame me... I want to be open. [...] I was obviously very angry about what people were saying about my dad. I loved my dad, I miss him every day... He was a wonderful father and I'm very proud of everything he did. But I mustn't let that cloud the picture. The facts are these: I bought shares in a unit trust, shares that are like any other sorts of shares and I paid taxes on them in exactly the same way. I sold those shares. In fact, I sold all the shares that I owned, on becoming prime minister. [...] Later on I will be publishing the information that goes into my tax return, not just for this year but the years gone past because I want to be completely open and transparent about these things. I will be the first prime minister, the first leader of a major political party, to do that and I think it is the right thing to do.
 * It has not been a great week. I know that I should have handled this better, I could have handled this better.
 * After his father was named in the Panama Papers, as cited in "David Cameron: I could have handled tax row better", BBC News (9 April 2016)


 * If there is one constant in the ebb and flow of our island story, it is the character of the British people.
 * Quoted from 'British strength and security in the world' speech (9 May 2016).- 11:50 -12:00
 * Above all we are obstinately practical, rigorously down-to-earth, natural debunkers. We approach issues with a cast of mind rooted in common sense, we're rightly suspicious of ideology and sceptical of grand schemes and grandiose promises.
 * Quoted from 'British strength and security in the world' speech (9 May 2016).- 11:50 -12:00


 * You shouldn't try to hold an independent sovereign nation in an organisation against its will.
 * EU referendum: Cameron says UK exit could put peace at risk BBC News (9 May 2016).


 * isolationism has never served this country well
 * EU referendum: Cameron says UK exit could put peace at risk BBC News (9 May 2016).


 * Nine out of 10 economists say there'll be a profound shock if we leave the EU. That means there will be less money - not more. It's also why so many doctors and nurses support remaining in the EU.
 * EU referendum: Kinnock urges young voters to prevent 'Brexit by default' BBC News (4 June 2016).


 * An EU exit would put a bomb under our economy
 * Cameron likens Brexit to putting 'bomb under economy' BBC News (6 June 2016).


 * The right thing to do is to fight for a great Britain in the EU and not take the Little England option of Nigel Farage
 * ITV debate: Farage and Cameron face EU questions BBC News (8 June 2016).


 * our economy would be smaller [if the UK left the single market]
 * EU referendum: Cameron issues Brexit pensions warning BBC News (12 June 2016).


 * If we restrict our access [to the single market] we will be less well off and that obviously affects what we can spend on our public services,
 * Reality Check: Would Brexit mean cuts to pensions, defence and the NHS? BBC News (12 June 2016).


 * It is deeply concerning that the Leave campaign is criticising the independent Bank of England. We should listen to experts when they warn us of the dangers to our economy of leaving the European Union.
 * EU referendum: Leave Tories attack 'scare stories' BBC News (16 June 2016).


 * [leaving the EU and the single market is] not the right way to control immigration
 * David Cameron EU Question Time: PM attacks 'untrue' Leave claims BBC News (19 June 2016).


 * The British people have voted to leave the European Union and their will must be respected
 * Brexit: David Cameron to quit after UK votes to leave EU BBC News (24 June 2016).


 * I have also always believed that we have to confront big decisions, not duck them. That is why we delivered the first coalition government in 70 years, to bring our economy back from the brink.
 * Speech delivered outside outside 10 Downing Street, announcing that he would resign as prime minister after British voters chose to leave the European Union in a referendum (June 24, 2016), see David Cameron's resignation speech in full (published by CNN).


 * I will do everything I can as Prime Minister to steady the ship over the coming weeks and months but I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination.
 * Speech delivered outside outside 10 Downing Street, announcing that he would resign as prime minister after British voters chose to leave the European Union in a referendum (June 24, 2016), see David Cameron's resignation speech in full (published by CNN).


 * Britain is a special country. We have so many great advantages: a Parliamentary democracy where we resolve great issues about our future through peaceful debate; a great trading nation, with our science and arts, our engineering and our creativity, respected the world over. And while we are not perfect, I do believe we can be a model for the multi-racial, multi-faith democracy, where people can come and make a contribution and rise to the very highest that their talent allows.
 * Speech delivered outside outside 10 Downing Street, announcing that he would resign as prime minister after British voters chose to leave the European Union in a referendum (June 24, 2016), see David Cameron's resignation speech in full (published by CNN).


 * It might be in my party's interest for him to sit there, it's not in the national interest and I would say, for heaven's sake man, go.
 * Speaking to Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn in the House of Commons during Prime Minister's Questions (June 29, 2016), see David Cameron to Jeremy Corbyn: For heaven's sake, go, BBC News (June 29, 2016)


 * while Britain is leaving the European Union, it will not, it should not and in my view it won't turn its back on Europe
 * David Cameron: UK 'will not turn its back on Europe' BBC News (29 June 2016)


 * The last thing I would say is that you can achieve a lot of things in politics and get a lot of things done; in the end, public service and the national interest is what it is all about. Nothing is really impossible if you put your mind to it. After all, as I once said, I was the future once.
 * Last statement to the House of Commons as Prime Minister, ending by paraphrasing his 2005 comment to Tony Blair, "he was the future once" (July 13, 2016), see Hansard

2017

 * [A strong election victory would allow Theresa May to] stand up to people who want an extreme Brexit either here or in Brussels
 * General election 2017: David Cameron on need to stop 'extreme Brexit' BBC News (11 May 2017).

2018

 * Brexit turned out less badly than we first thought. [The Leave vote was] a mistake not a disaster.
 * David Cameron: Brexit's turned out 'less badly than first thought' BBC News (24 January 2018).

2019

 * [I regret the] difficulties and the problems we've been having trying to implement the [Brexit] result
 * David Cameron: I don't regret calling EU referendum BBC News (16 January 2019).


 * I hope [Theresa May] wins the vote tonight, I'm sure she will. I hope then that Parliament can come together and find an alternative partnership agreement with the European Union, that's the right way forward, that's what her deal was about last night and she has my support as she does this.
 * David Cameron: I don't regret calling EU referendum BBC News (16 January 2019).


 * The thing about the greased piglet is that he manages to slip through other people’s hands where mere mortals fail
 * 'Greased piglet' Boris Johnson could pass deal says David Cameron Guardian (17 October 2019).

2023
It will help to fuel the views of those who argue that we can no longer think or act for the long term as a country; that we are heading in the wrong direction. [...] I regret this decision and in years to come I suspect many will look back at today’s announcement and wonder how this once-in-a-generation opportunity was lost.
 * Today’s decision on HS2 is the wrong one.
 * "Johnson and Cameron lambast Sunak’s decision to scrap HS2 northern leg", The Telegraph (5 October 2023)
 * In his Conservative Party conference speech (4 October 2023), prime minister Rishi Sunak announced the northern section of HS2, a high-speed rail line (from Birmingham to Manchester), was not being constructed.

We are facing a daunting set of international challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East. At this time of profound global change, it has rarely been more important for this country to stand by our allies, strengthen our partnerships and make sure our voice is heard. While I have been out of front-line politics for the last seven years, I hope that my experience – as Conservative Leader for eleven years and Prime Minister for six – will assist me in helping the Prime Minister to meet these vital challenges.
 * The Prime Minister has asked me to serve as his Foreign Secretary and I have gladly accepted.
 * Post on X/Twitter (13 November 2023), as cited in "David Cameron returns to UK government as foreign secretary", The Guardian (13 November 2023)

2024

 * [On his appointment as foreign secretary] I said yes surprisingly quickly actually, because I wasn't expecting it at all.
 * When you are PM you are doing so many things at once. It's nice to focus on one thing, even if that one thing is the whole world!
 * From an interview, as cited in Christina Lamb "David Cameron: ‘Why did I take the job? Rishi Sunak asked!’", The Sunday Times (12 May 2024).


 * He [Nigel Farage] is currently trying to destroy the Conservative Party by standing for Reform. [...] I want to be as sure as we can that we get no Reform members of parliament and the Conservative Party can move forward.
 * [W]hat I want is robust policy and measured language. I think with these populists what you get is inflammatory language and hopeless policy.
 * From an interview, as cited in "David Cameron: Reject Farage’s 'inflammatory language and hopeless policy'", The Times (14 June 2024).

Misattributed

 * Hug a hoodie.
 * A paraphrase deriving from article headlines previewing a speech to be delivered the following day (10 July 2006) which was written by Danny Kruger. It was used by newspapers (such as The Guardian the previous day) and Cameron did not use the phrase in the speech. He did say, in part: "So when you see a child walking down the road, hoodie up, head down, moody, swaggering, dominating the pavement - think what has brought that child to that moment. If the first thing we have to do is understand what's gone wrong, the second thing is to realise that putting things right is not just about law enforcement. It's about the quality of the work we do with young people. It's about relationships" (full speech).

Quotes about Cameron

 * In alphabetical order by author or source.


 * He wants a Bill of Rights for Britain drafted by a Committee of Lawyers. Have you ever tried drafting anything with a Committee of Lawyers?
 * Prime Minister Tony Blair Farewell speech to the Labour Party conference. (26 September 2006).


 * I'm sure he's got a very great many merits, but thus far they've been fairly effectively concealed from public view.
 * Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow on The Last Leg (9 March 2020).


 * There is nothing to him. He is like a hollow Easter egg with no bag of sweets inside.
 * Charlie Brooker, Comments for The Guardian (2 April 2007).


 * It seems to me he has lost the art of communication; but not, alas, the gift of speech.
 * Prime Minister Gordon Brown


 * I'm all for apprenticeships, but this is no time for a novice.
 * Prime Minister Gordon Brown Speech to the Labour Party conference The Guardian (23 September 2008).


 * So what's happened to that twat David Cameron, who called it on? Let's be fair, how comes he can scuttle off? He called all this on, yeah, he called it on, where is he? He's in Europe, in Nice, with his trotters up, yeah, where is the geezer? I think he should be held account for it. He should be held account for it. Twat.
 * Danny Dyer, talking about Brexit, during an interview on Good Evening Britain (28 June 2018).


 * He seems content-free to me. Never had a job, except in PR, and it shows. People ask, "What do you think of him?" and my answer is: "He doesn't make me think."
 * Christopher Hitchens as quoted in


 * As Europe struggled to recover from recession, in 2015 the British prime minister David Cameron tossed Brussels a grenade. He said he would hold a referendum on the UK’s continued EU membership the following year. The torch of British Euroscepticism had passed from left to right. It was now Conservatives rather than Labour who were most anti-European. Cameron’s attempts to appease his ‘leave’ voters by negotiating reforms to the EU were dismissed by the ever cautious Merkel and, in June 2016, to Cameron’s surprise and dismay, the British electorate voted narrowly to leave the EU. The vote was taken as binding by the government. The date decided by Parliament for departure was March 2019.
 * Simon Jenkins, A Short History of Europe: From Pericles to Putin (2018)


 * His premiership will be defined, like Anthony Eden's, by a single disastrous decision. Unlike the Suez debacle, however, Cameron's misjudgement has caused a rupture not just with Britain's most important ally but with all our allies simultaneously.
 * Cameron is a politician of principle and talent who bequeaths to his successor a legacy of constitutional crisis, diplomatic isolation and economic danger. The provisional judgment on his premiership must, in the circumstances, be that it is pure failure.
 * Oliver Kamm "David Cameron’s pure failure", Prospect (1 July 2016)


 * Even Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask when he robbed people.
 * Former Labour leader Ed Miliband, on the 2015 budget.


 * As I said the first time I came to London as President, for the G-20 summit, the days are gone when Roosevelt and Churchill could sit in a room and solve the world's problems over a glass of brandy, although I'm sure that Prime Minister Cameron would agree that some days we could both use a stiff drink. In this century, our joint leadership will require building new partnerships, adapting to new circumstances, and remaking ourselves to meet the demands of a new era.
 * Barack Obama, Remarks to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, 21 May 2011


 * Part of Cameron's problem is that he was excessively influenced by his experience of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, when he put his premiership on the line for another knife-edge, in/out, winner-take-all vote, and won. But the Brexit referendum was different and in refusing to acknowledge the differences he ended up losing everything. As far as I can see, two things went wrong. In one crucial respect, Cameron failed to follow the formula that served him so well in Scotland. Separately, he failed to appreciate that an in/out vote, which suited his purposes in Scotland, was a big mistake for the question of EU membership. This mistake didn't just cost Cameron his political career. It cost the country its political sanity.
 * David Runciman "His Fucking Referendum", London Review of Books, 41:19 (10 October 2019)
 * From a review of Cameron's For the Record (Collins)


 * He struck me as the type of guy who would stand at the back of the dance hall and just move his shoulders. He has got no rhythm. He looked like the kind of guy who would be an embarrassing uncle.
 * George Sampson, as quoted in "Stinging in the rain" by Gordon Smart in The Sun (1 July 2008).