David Cameron

David Cameron
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Name	David Cameron
Caption	Official portrait, 2010
Office	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Term start	11 May 2010
Term end	13 July 2016
Predecessor	Gordon Brown
Successor	Theresa May
Office1	Leader of the Conservative Party
Term start1	6 December 2005
Term end1	11 July 2016
Predecessor1	Michael Howard
Successor1	Theresa May
Office2	Leader of the Opposition
Term start2	6 December 2005
Term end2	11 May 2010
Monarch2	Elizabeth II
Predecessor2	Michael Howard
Successor2	Harriet Harman (acting)
Birth date	9 October 1966
Birth place	London, England
Party	Conservative
Spouse	Samantha Cameron, 1996
Children	4, including Ivan
Alma mater	Brasenose College, Oxford

David Cameron. David William Donald Cameron served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and was the leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. His premiership was defined by the implementation of austerity policies, the formation of a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats, and the referendum on European Union membership which resulted in a vote to leave and prompted his resignation. Cameron's political career, which began in the Conservative Research Department, saw him represent Witney as a Member of Parliament from 2001.

Early life and education

Born in London, he is the son of stockbroker Ian Donald Cameron and Mary Fleur (née Mount). He was educated at Heatherdown School and then Eton College, before reading Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Brasenose College, Oxford. At the University of Oxford, he was a member of the Bullingdon Club and graduated with a first-class degree. His early career included a period at the Conservative Research Department, where he worked under future Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont, and later as a special adviser to Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Lawson and Home Secretary Michael Howard.

Political career

After an unsuccessful attempt to stand for Parliament in Stafford in 1997, he was elected as the MP for Witney in the 2001 general election. He quickly rose through the ranks, serving in the shadow cabinets of Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard, with portfolios including education and home affairs. His keynote speech at the 2005 Conservative Party Conference established him as a modernising force, and he was subsequently elected leader of the Conservative Party in 2005, succeeding Michael Howard.

Premiership (2010–2016)

Following the 2010 election which resulted in a hung parliament, he formed the first peacetime coalition since the 1930s with Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats. His government introduced significant spending cuts and reforms to welfare, education, and the National Health Service via the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Key foreign policy events included military intervention in Libya and the Scottish independence referendum. After winning a majority in the 2015 election, he fulfilled a manifesto pledge by legislating for the EU membership referendum. Following the victory for the Leave campaign, he announced his resignation.

Post-premiership activities

After leaving the House of Commons in 2016, he took on roles in business and philanthropy. He became Chairman of the National Citizen Service Patrons and launched the UK–Africa Investment Summit. He also served on the board of Illumina and joined the investment firm Greensill Capital as an adviser, a role that later became the subject of significant scrutiny by the Treasury Committee and the BBC's Panorama. In 2023, he was appointed Foreign Secretary by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, returning to government and being made a life peer to sit in the House of Lords.

Political positions and ideology

Identifying with the One-Nation and liberal conservative traditions, he championed themes of "The Big Society" and compassionate conservatism. His government legalised same-sex marriage and committed to international development spending, maintaining the DFID budget. On economic policy, he advocated for fiscal austerity and deficit reduction. He was a supporter of the Atlantic alliance and took a hard line against Scottish independence, while his position on Europe evolved from advocating reform within the European Union to campaigning for Remain in the referendum.

Personal life

He married Samantha Cameron, daughter of Sir William Sheffield, in 1996. They have four children: Nancy, Arthur, and Florence, and their eldest son, Ivan, who had Ohtahara syndrome and cerebral palsy, died in 2009. The family has lived at Dean in Oxfordshire and in North Kensington. His interests include country sports and he has written his memoirs, titled *For the Record*, published in 2019.

Category:David Cameron Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom Category:Leaders of the Conservative Party (UK) Category:Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford Category:People educated at Eton College