‘Why should I do the hard s**t?’ Teary PM admitted moments before he stepped down that he didn’t want to have to sort out Brexit deal
Cameron asked why he should do all the graft for someone else, just to hand it over to them on a plate?”
DAVID Cameron resigned as Prime Minister yesterday —after telling aides: “Why should I do all the hard s**t?”
The teary-eyed PM decided to quit as it became clear Leave had won a stunning Referendum victory.
He chose to end his six-year Premiership rather than spend months working out Britain’s tricky exit from the EU — only to have to hand over to a rival like Boris Johnson.
And he told tearful members of his inner circle: “Why should I do all the hard s**t for someone else, just to hand it over to them on a plate?”
The moving scenes played out as the PM came into the office of his key staff, next door to his No10 study, just before 9am yesterday.
His loyal lieutenants, many of whom were also in tears, greeted him and wife Sam with a long standing ovation.
Mr Cameron then poured out his thanks to the aides, most of whom had served him for all his 11 years as Tory leader. They included chief of staff Ed Llewelyn, his deputy Kate Fall, operations manager Liz Sugg and communications director Craig Oliver, before giving each a hug in turn.
One of the group in the room told The Sun: “It was the moment it really sunk in for all of us that it was over.
“He went out with dignity, and that was the most important thing for us.”
The Sun can also reveal Mr Cameron had decided to resign if he lost the referendum while voting was still taking place after a long summit session with close aides on Thursday.
Despite objections from at least one of the advisers, he came to the conclusion there was “no way back after being rejected by the British people”.
BBC1 and ITV ripped up their scheduling yesterday to run special Brexit programmes as Westminster was left dumbstruck by Mr Cameron’s swift decision to go after 2,236 days as PM.
Senior Tory MPs believed they had persuaded him to stay on to guide the nation through the vote’s aftermath.
Instead, the PM said on No10’s steps he would do his best to help bring stability, but only for a few months.
His resignation will be delayed for 100 days, until the start of the Tory Party conference in Birmingham in October.
Fighting back tears and flanked by wife Sam, he said: “I love this country and I feel honoured to have served it.”
Mr Cameron launched a fierce defence of his decision to call the referendum in the first place.
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He said it was an illustration of his Government’s record of always “confronting big decisions”. And he insisted Britain should be proud of the fact 33million people across the Home Nations and Gibraltar had their say in a “giant democratic exercise”.
The PM reeled off his biggest achievements, from restoring Britain’s economic strength to bringing in same sex marriage and reforming welfare.
And he added: “I held nothing back, I was absolutely clear about my belief that Britain is stronger, safer and better off inside the EU.”
He ended by praising the country he has led from the end of the recession to a stage where it is now one of the fastest-growing in the Western world.
He added: “I said before Britain can survive outside the EU and indeed that we could find a way. I will do everything I can to help.” Mr Cameron ha
He said: “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.”
Leave’s shock victory — with 51.9 per cent of the vote compared to Remain’s 48.1 — was hailed by Mr Johnson, who said voters had “decided it is time to vote to take back control”.
The former London Mayor — described as “unstoppable” — is now odds-on favourite to become the next Prime Minister.
Mr Cameron’s resignation helped steady the nerves of the City. The FTSE and sterling both plunged immediately after the Brexit result, but later rallied to near normal levels.
Meanwhile, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon threatened to blow up the UK after declaring a second referendum north of the border is “highly likely”.
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