Copyright
William Collins
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This ebook first published in Great Britain by William Collins 2015
Copyright © 2015 Anthony Seldon and Peter Snowdon
Anthony Seldon and Peter Snowdon assert the moral
right to be identified as the authors of this work
Principal researchers: Jonathan Meakin and Illias Thoms
All profits from Anthony Seldon’s writing are given to charity
A catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library
Cover photograph © Crown Copyright/Arron Hoare
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Source ISBN: 9780007575510
Ebook Edition © September 2015 ISBN: 9780007575527
Version: 2015-08-29
Dedication
To Julia Snowdon and Joanna Seldon
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Frontispiece
Dedication
List of Illustrations
Dramatis Personae
Introduction: The Twenty-First-Century Baldwin?
1 First Night in Downing Street: 11 May 2010
2 Origin of ‘Plan A’: September 2008– February 2010
3 ‘If we win’: 6–12 May 2010
4 Delivering Plan A: May–October 2010
5 Bloody Sunday Statement: 15 June 2010
6 Chequers Summit on Afghanistan: June 2010
7 Life and Death in the Cameron Family: February 2009–September 2010
8 Coulson Departure: May 2010–February 2011
9 Taking on Gaddafi: February–September 2011
10 AV Referendum: Coalition Buckles: January–May 2011
11 Scottish Referendum Call: May 2011–February 2012
12 London Riots: August 2011
13 The Big Society and Beyond: May 2010–April 2012
14 The EU: Back Burner to Veto: May 2010–December 2011
15 The NHS Debacle: November 2009–September 2012
16 Cameron and Obama: March 2012
17 Omnishambles Budget: March 2012
18 Olympian Summer, Olympian Difficulties: May–September 2012
19 Lords and Boundaries: January–December 2012
20 Halfway Point: Autumn Blues: September–December 2012
21 Cameron Pledges a Referendum: April 2012–February 2013
22 Gay Marriage Saga: October 2011–July 2013
23 Lynton to the Rescue?: January 2013–October 2014
24 Warfare Over Welfare: May 2010–December 2014
25 The Darkest Hour Before Dawn: January–June 2013
26 The Iron Lady’s Long Shadow: April 2013
27 Maximum Danger: Syria Vote: August 2013
28 Essay Crisis Autumn: September 2013–February 2014
29 China Warms, Russia Cools: October 2013–March 2014
30 2014 Budget: Powering the North: March 2014–February 2015
31 The UKIP Challenge: 2013–2014
32 The Gove Reshuffle: July 2014
33 Scotland Decides: September 2014
34 EU Tribulations: January–June 2014
35 Final Autumn: September–December 2014
36 Controlling Immigration: November 2014
37 Farewell Washington: January 2015
38 A Diminished Britain?: September 2014–March 2015
39 The Coalition Endures: November 2014–March 2015
40 ‘If we lose’: March–May 2015
Epilogue: ‘The sweetest victory’: 7–8 May 2015
Conclusion: Cameron 2010–2015: The Verdict
Acknowledgements
Bibliography
Notes
Index
By Anthony Seldon and Peter Snowdon
About the Publisher
List of Illustrations
Frontispiece: Cameron and his team inside Number 10 on the morning after the Scottish Referendum, 19 September 2014. Craig Oliver and Kate Fall are on the left of the picture (© Crown Copyright/Arron Hoare)
Chapter 1: David and Samantha Cameron enter Number 10 after winning the general election, 11 May 2010 (© Andrew Parsons/i-Images)
Chapter 2: David Cameron and William Hague at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham, 30 September 2008 (© Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Chapter 3: David Cameron and Nick Clegg inside Number 10 (© Andrew Parsons/i-Images)
Chapter 4: George Osborne leaves 11 Downing Street to deliver his first Budget as chancellor, 22 June 2010 (© ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy)
Chapter 5: People cheer outside the Guild Hall in Londonderry, Northern Ireland as David Cameron reads a statement on the Bloody Sunday inquiry, 15 June 2010 (© Peter Muhly/AFP/Getty Images)
Chapter 6: David Cameron addresses British soldiers at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province on 11 June 2010 (© Stefan Rousseau/AFP/Getty Images)
Chapter 7: David Cameron embraces his father Ian in Swindon, 18 April 2010 (© Toby Melville/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Chapter 8: Andy Coulson leaves Number 10 following his resignation on 21 January 2011 (© Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
Chapter 9 : Nicolas Sarkozy speaks to the crowd in Benghazi as David Cameron listens, 15 September 2011 (© Philippe Wojazer/AFP/Getty Images)
Chapter 10: David Cameron before delivering a speech against a proposed change to the UK voting system on 18 April 2011 (© Oli Scarff/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Chapter 11: David Cameron meets Alex Salmond during talks on the Scottish independence referendum in St Andrews House in Edinburgh, 16 February 2012 (© David Cheskin/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Chapter 12: David Cameron talks to Acting Borough Commander Police Superintendent Jo Oakley in Croydon on 9 August 2011, following the London riots (© Stefan Rousseau/AFP/Getty Images)
Chapter 13: Steve Hilton arrives in Downing Street on 21 February 2012 (© Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
Chapter 14: David Cameron greets Angela Merkel outside Chequers, 30 October 2010 (© Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images)
Chapter 15: David Cameron, press officer Gabby Bertin and operations head Liz Sugg leave after meeting workers at Dudley Ambulance Station on 5 May 2010 (© Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
Chapter 16: David Cameron and Barack Obama in the Rose Garden of the White House, 14 March 2012 (© Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Chapter 17: George Osborne is shown making his Budget speech on television screens in an electrical store, 21 March 2012 (© David Moir/Reuters/Corbis)
Chapter 18: David Cameron and Boris Johnson in London, 16 April 2012 (© Olivia Harris/AFP/Getty Images)
Chapter 19: David Cameron and Nick Clegg at the Olympic Park, 12 May 2011 (© Pool/Reuters/Corbis)
Chapter 20: David Cameron with his wife Samantha before delivering his speech on the last day of the Conservative party conference in Birmingham, 9 October 2012 (© Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
Chapter 21: David Cameron, Jeremy Heywood and Ed Llewellyn (standing) during a cabinet meeting in the Olympic handball arena, 9 January 2012 (© REX Shutterstock)
Chapter 22: Rainbow flag flies over Victoria Tower
in support of gay marriage, June 2013 (© Nicolas Chinardet/Demotix/Corbis)
Chapter 23: David Cameron and Lynton Crosby (© Andrew Parsons/i-Images)
Chapter 24: Iain Duncan Smith leaves Number 10 after a Cabinet meeting, 19 March 2014 (© Paul Marriott/Alamy)
Chapter 25: George Osborne arrives at Downing Street with Rupert Harrison, 28 February 2011 (© Steve Back/REX Shutterstock)
Chapter 26: David Cameron and Margaret Thatcher outside Number 10, 8 June 2010 (© Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters/Corbis)
Chapter 27: David Cameron addresses the House of Commons during the Syria debate, 29 August 2013 (© Pool/Reuters/Corbis)
Chapter 28: David Cameron in Fordgate, Somerset, 7 February 2014 (© Tim Ireland/epa/Corbis)
Chapter 29: David Cameron and Vladimir Putin at the G8 summit at Lough Erne, 17 June 2013 (© Yves Herman/Reuters/Corbis)
Chapter 30: George Osborne delivers a speech in Salford on the Northern Powerhouse in May 2015 (© Christopher Furlong – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Chapter 31: Douglas Carswell and Nigel Farage in Clacton-on-Sea, 10 October 2014 (© Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)
Chapter 32: Michael Gove leaves Downing Street on the day of the reshuffle, 15 July 2014 (© Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
Chapter 33: Cameron and his core team inside Number 10 on the morning after the Scottish Referendum at about 5 a.m., 19 September 2014. Chris Martin, Kate Fall and Ed Llewellyn standing (l–r), George Osborne sitting, Craig Oliver to the right of Cameron (© Crown Copyright/Arron Hoare)
Chapter 34: David Cameron and Jean-Claude Juncker at the EU summit in Brussels, 30 August 2014 (© John Thys/AFP/Getty Images)
Chapter 35: George Osborne leaves the Treasury for Parliament, 3 December 2014 (© WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Chapter 36: David Cameron delivers a speech on immigration in Rocester, 28 November 2014 (Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images)
Chapter 37: David Cameron and Barack Obama in the White House, 16 January 2015 (© Ron Sachs/Corbis)
Chapter 38: David Cameron at the NATO summit in Newport, 3 September 2014 (© Ben Gurr – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Chapter 39: Oliver Letwin and Danny Alexander, 26 February 2013 (© REX Shutterstock)
Chapter 40: David Cameron campaigns in Carlisle, 6 May 2015 (© Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Epilogue: David and Samantha Cameron celebrate the general election results, 8 May 2015 (© Andrew Parsons/i-Images)
Dramatis Personae
The lists below are not exhaustive, and only contain names that appear in the book.
‘LD’ = Liberal Democrat
‘2015’ = Still in position at the time of the 2015 general election
The Quad
CAMERON, DAVID – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2010–15. Leader of the Conservative Party, 2005–15.
CLEGG, NICK – Deputy Prime Minister, 2010–15. Leader of the Liberal Democrats, 2007–15.
OSBORNE, GEORGE – Chancellor of the Exchequer, 2010–15. Shadow Chancellor, 2005–10.
ALEXANDER, DANNY – Secretary of State for Scotland, 12–29 May 2010. Chief Secretary to the Treasury, 2010–15. LD.
No 10 (Officials and Political Staff)
BERTIN, GABBY – Press Secretary, 2005–12. Director of External Relations, 2013–15.
BOWLER, JAMES – Principal Private Secretary, 2010–12.
CASE, SIMON – Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, 2012–13. Deputy Principal Private Secretary, 2013–14. Executive Director, Implementation Group at the Cabinet Office, 2014–15.
CASEY, NIGEL – Foreign Affairs Private Secretary, 2014–15.
CASSON, JOHN – Foreign Affairs Private Secretary, 2011–14.
CHAMBERS, MAX – Policy Unit, 2014–15.
CHATWIN, TIM – Head of Strategic Communications, 2010–11.
COOPER, ANDREW – Director of Strategy, 2011–13.
COULSON, ANDY – Director of Communications, 2010–11.
DOWDEN, OLIVER – Political Adviser, 2010–13. Deputy Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, 2013–14.
DUNLOP, ANDREW – Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Scotland, 2011–15.
FALL, KATE – Deputy Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, 2010–15
FELDMAN, ANDREW – Chairman of the Conservative Party, 2010–15.
FIELD, STEVE – Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman, 2010–12.
FLETCHER, TOM – Foreign Affairs Private Secretary, 2010–11.
FOGES, CLARE – Speechwriter, 2009–15.
GILBERT, STEPHEN – Political Secretary, 2010–15.
GILL, AMEET – Special Adviser, Head of ‘Grid’ Planning, 2010–15.
GLOVER, JULIAN – Speechwriter, 2011–12. Special Adviser, Department of Transport, 2012–15.
HEYWOOD, JEREMY – Downing Street Permanent Secretary, 2010–11. Cabinet Secretary, 2012–15.
HILTON, STEVE – Director of Strategy, 2010–12.
JOHNSON, JO – Head of the Policy Unit, 2013–15. Cabinet Office Minister, 2013–15.
KIDDELL, TIM – Private Secretary to the Prime Minister and Speechwriter, 2010–15.
KIRBY, PAUL – Head of Policy Unit, 2011–13.
KORSKI, DAN – Special Adviser, 2013–15.
LLEWELLYN, ED – Downing Street Chief of Staff, 2010–15.
LOCKWOOD, CHRIS – Deputy Head, Policy Unit, 2013–15.
MANN, LAURENCE – Political Private Secretary, 2010–15.
MARTIN, CHRIS – Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, 2012–15.
MCDONALD, SIMON – Foreign Policy Adviser, 2010–11. Ambassador to Germany, 2011–15.
O’DONNELL, GUS – Cabinet Secretary, 2005–11.
O’SHAUGHNESSY, JAMES – Director of Policy, 2007–11.
OLIVER, CRAIG – Director of Communications, 2011–15.
SALTER, MICHAEL – Political Head of Broadcasting, 2010–15.
SCHOLAR, TOM – Second Permanent Secretary at the Treasury, 2009–13. Adviser, European and Global Issues, 2013–15.
SEDDON, NICK – Policy Unit, 2013–15.
SILVA, ROHAN – Senior Policy Adviser, 2010–13.
SUGG, LIZ – Head of Operations, 2010–15.
WILLIAMSON, GAVIN – Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, 2013–15.
WORTH, SEAN – Special Adviser, 2010–12. LD.
Cabinet
CABLE, VINCE – Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, 2010–15. LD.
CARMICHAEL, ALISTAIR – Secretary of State for Scotland, 2013–15. LD.
CLARKE, KENNETH – Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice, 2010–12. Minister without Portfolio, 2012–14. Chancellor, 1993–7.
DUNCAN SMITH, IAIN – Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, 2010–15. Leader of the Conservative Party, 2001–3.
FALLON, MICHAEL – Secretary of State for Defence, 2014–15.
FOX, LIAM – Secretary of State for Defence, 2010–11.
GOVE, MICHAEL – Secretary of State for Education, 2010–14. Chief Whip, 2014–15. Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice, 2015.
GRAYLING, CHRIS – Minister for Employment, 2010–12. Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice, 2012–15.
GREENING, JUSTINE – Secretary of State for Transport, 2011–12. Secretary of State for International Development, 2012–15.
HAGUE, WILLIAM – Foreign Secretary, 2010–14. First Secretary of State, 2010–15. Leader of the House of Commons, 2014–15. Leader of the Conservative Party, 1997–2001.
HAMMOND, PHILIP – Secretary of State for Transport, 2010–11. Secretary of State for Defence, 2011–14. Foreign Secretary, 2014–15.
HILL, JONATHAN – Leader of the House of Lords, 2013–14. European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, 2014–15.
HUHNE, CHRIS – Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, 2010–12. LD.
HUNT, JEREMY – Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, M
edia and Sport, 2010–12. Secretary of State for Health, 2012–15.
JAVID, SAJID – Secretary to the Treasury, 2012–14. Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, 2014–15.
LANSLEY, ANDREW – Secretary of State for Health, 2010–12. Leader of the House of Commons, 2012–14.
MAY, THERESA – Home Secretary, 2010–15.
MCLOUGHLIN, PATRICK – Chief Whip, 2010–12. Secretary of State for Transport, 2012–15.
MILLER, MARIA – Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, 2012–14.
MITCHELL, ANDREW – Secretary of State for International Development, 2010–12. Chief Whip, 2012.
MOORE, MICHAEL – Secretary of State for Scotland, 2010–13. LD.
MORGAN, NICKY – Secretary of State for Education, 2014–15.
PATERSON, OWEN – Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, 2010–12. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2012–14.
PICKLES, ERIC – Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, 2010–15.
SPELMAN, CAROLINE – Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2010–12.
STRATHCLYDE, TOM – Leader of the House of Lords, 2010–13.
TRUSS, LIZ – Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2014–15.
VILLIERS, THERESA – Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, 2012–15.
WARSI, SAYEEDA – Chairman of the Conservative Party, 2010–12. Minister without Portfolio, 2010–12. Minister for Faith and Communities, 2012–14.
Also attending Cabinet:
GRIEVE, DOMINIC – Attorney General, 2010–14.
HANCOCK, MATTHEW – Minister for Business and Enterprise, Minister for Energy, and Minister for Portsmouth, 2014–15.
LAWS, DAVID – Chief Secretary to the Treasury, 12 May–29 May 2010. Minister for Schools, 2012–15. Minister for the Cabinet Officer, 2012–15. LD.
LETWIN, OLIVER – Minister for Government Policy, 2010–15.
MAUDE, FRANCIS – Minister for the Cabinet Office, 2010–15.
MCVEY, ESTHER – Minister for Employment, 2013–15.
SHAPPS, GRANT – Chairman of the Conservative Party, 2012–15. Minister without Portfolio, 2012–15.
STOWELL, TINA – Leader of the House of Lords, 2014–15.
WILLETTS, DAVID – Minister for Universities and Science, 2010–14.
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