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Read David Cameron’s Resignation Speech in Full

Good morning everyone,

The country has just taken part in a giant democratic exercise, perhaps the biggest in our history.

Over 33 million people from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar have all had their say. We should be proud of the fact that in these islands we trust the people with these big decisions. We not only have a parliamentary democracy, but on questions about the arrangements for how we’re governed.

There are times when it is right to ask the people themselves, and that is what we have done. The British people have voted to leave the European Union, and their will must be respected.

I want to thank everyone who took part in the campaign on my side of the argument, including all those who put aside party differences to speak in what they believe was the national interest. And let me congratulate all those who took part in the Leave campaign, for the spirited and passionate case that they made.

The will of the British people is an instruction that must be delivered. It was not a decision that was taken lightly, not least because so many things were said by so many different organizations about the significance of this decision. So there can be no doubt about the result

There can be no doubt about the result.

Across the world, people have been watching the choice that Britain has made. I would reassure those markets and investors that Britain’s economy is fundamentally strong, and I would also reassure Brits living in European countries and European citizens living here that there will be no immediate changes in your circumstances.

There will be no initial change in the way our people can travel, in the way our goods can move or the way our services can be sold.

We must now prepare for a negotiation with the European Union. This will need to involve the full engagement of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments to ensure that the interests of all parts of our United Kingdom are protected and advanced. But above all, this will require strong, determined and committed leadership.

I’m very proud and very honored to have been Prime Minister of this country for six years. I believe we’ve made great steps, with more people in work than every before in our history, with reforms to welfare and education, increasing people’s life chances, building a bigger and stronger society, keeping our promises to the poorest people in the world and enabling those who love each other to get married, whatever their sexuality.

But above all, restoring Britain’s economic strength, and I’m grateful to everyone who’s helped make that happen.

I’ve 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. It’s why we delivered a fair, legal and decisive referendum in Scotland, and it’s why I made the pledge to renegotiate Britain’s position in the European Union and to hold a referendum on our membership, and have carried those things out.

I fought this campaign in the only way I know how, which is to say directly and passionately what I think and feel — head, heart and soul. I held nothing back. I was absolutely clear about my belief that Britain is stronger, safer and better off inside the European Union, and I made clear the referendum was about this and this alone, not the future of any single politician, including myself.

But the British people have made a very clear decision to take a different path, and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction.

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.

This is not a decision I’ve taken lightly, but I do believe it’s in the national interest to have a period of stability and then the new leadership required. There is no need for a precise timetable today, but in my view we should aim to have a new Prime Minister in place by start of the Conservative Party conference in October.

Delivering stability will be important, and I will continue in post as Prime Minister with my cabinet for the next three months. The cabinet will meet on Monday, the governor of the Bank of England is making a statement about the steps that the bank and the treasury are taking to reassure financial markets.

We will also continue taking forward the important legislation that we set before parliament in the Queen’s speech, and I’ve spoken to Her Majesty the Queen this morning to advise her of the steps that I’m taking.

A negotiation with the European Union will need to begin under a new Prime Minister, and I think it’s right that this new Prime Minister takes the decision about when to trigger Article 50 and start the former and legal process of leaving the E.U. I will attend the European Council next week to explain the decision the British people have taken, and my own decision.

The British people have made a choice. That not only needs to be respected, but those on the losing side of the argument — myself included — should help to make it work.

Britain is a special country. We have so many great advantages. A parliamentary democracy where we resolve great issued 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.

Although leaving Europe was not the path I recommended, I am the first to praise our incredible strengths. I’ve said before that Britain can survive outside the European Union, and indeed that we could find a way.

Now the decision has been made to leave, we need to find the best way, and I will do everything I can to help.

I love this country, and I feel honored to have served it. And I will do everything I can in future to help this great country succeed.

Thank you very much.

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David Cameron’s farewell speech: full text

• 13 July 2016, 12:00am

David Cameron

When I first stood here in Downing Street on that evening in May 2010, I said we would confront our problems as a country and lead people through difficult decisions, so that together we could reach better times. It has not been an easy journey, and of course we have not got every decision right, but I do believe that today our country is much stronger. Above all it was about turning around the economy. And with the deficit cut by two-thirds, two and a half million more people in work and one million more businesses, there can be no doubt that our economy is immeasurably stronger. Politicians like to talk about policies, but in the end it is about people’s lives. I think of the people doing jobs who were previously unemployed. I think of the businesses that were just ideas in someone’s head and that today are making a go of it and providing people with livelihoods. I think of the hard-working families paying lower taxes and getting higher wages because of the first ever National Living Wage. I think of the children who were languishing in the care system and who have now been adopted by loving families. I think of the parents now able to send their children to good and outstanding schools, including free schools that simply didn’t exist before. I think of over 200,000 young people who have taken part in National Citizen Service, the fastest growing youth programme of its kind in the world, something that, again, wasn’t there six years ago.

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I think of the couples who have been able to get married, who weren’t allowed to in the past. And I think of the people on the other side of the world who would not have clean drinking water, the chance to go to school, or even be alive, were it not for our decision to keep our aid promises to the poorest people and the poorest countries in our world. And we have used our stronger economy to invest in our health service. When I walked in there, there were 18,000 people waiting over a year for their operation. Today it’s just 800. Too many. Still too long. But our NHS is a national treasure – and one whose staff perform miracles as I’ve seen every day. And we’ve strengthened our nation’s defences, with submarines, destroyers, frigates and, soon, aircraft carriers, rolling out of our shipyards to keep our country safe in a dangerous world. These are the choices and the changes that we have made. And I want to thank everyone who has given so much to support me personally over these years. The incredible team in No10, the civil servants, whose professionalism and impartiality is one of our country’s greatest strengths. And my political advisers, some of whom have been with me since the day I stood for my party’s leadership 11 years ago.

I want to thank my children, Nancy, Elwen and Florence, for whom Downing Street has been a lovely home over these last six years. They sometimes kick the red boxes full of work. Florence – you once climbed into one, before a foreign trip, and said take me with you. No more boxes. And above all, I want to thank Samantha, the love of my life. You have kept me vaguely sane and, as well as being an amazing wife, mother and businesswoman, you have done something every week in that building behind me to celebrate the best spirit of voluntary service in our country. We will shortly be heading to Buckingham Palace to see Her Majesty the Queen, where I will tender my resignation as Prime Minister and I will advise Her Majesty to invite Theresa May to form a new administration. I am delighted that for the second time in British history the new Prime Minister will be a woman – and once again, a Conservative. I believe Theresa will provide strong and stable leadership in fulfilling the Conservative Manifesto on which we were elected, and I wish her well in negotiating the best possible terms for Britain’s exit from the European Union. Let me finish by saying this. The spirit of service is one of this country’s most remarkable qualities. I have seen that service day in and day out in the incredible work of our armed forces, our intelligence agencies and our police. It is something I always knew. But as Prime Minister you see it so directly that it blows you away. And of course writing those heart-breaking letters to the families who have lost loved ones is a poignant reminder of the profound scale of what these men and women give for us in the defence of our freedoms and our way of life. We must never forget that. In a different way, I have seen that same spirit of service in the amazing contributions of countless volunteers in communities up and down our country who are making our society bigger and stronger.

And I am proud that every day for the past two years I have used the office of Prime Minister in a non-political way to recognise and thank almost 600 of them as Points of Light whose service can be an inspiration to us all. For me politics has always been about public service in the national interest. It is simple to say but often hard to do. But one of the things that sustains you in this job is the sense that, yes, our politics is full of argument and debate, and it can get quite heated, but no matter how difficult the decisions are, there is a great sense of British fair play, a quiet but prevailing sense that most people wish their Prime Minister well and want them to stick at it and get on with the job. So I want to take this moment to say thank you to all those who have written letters and emails offering me that support, people who I will never get to meet and never get to thank personally. It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve our country as Prime Minister over these last six years, and to serve as leader of my party for almost eleven years. And as we leave for the last time, my only wish is continued success for this great country that I love so very much.

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Why David Cameron is a surprising choice as new UK foreign policy chief after fateful Brexit vote

Former British Prime Minister David Cameron has made an unexpected return to high office. He was appointed foreign secretary on Monday in a major shakeup of the Conservative government that also saw the firing of divisive Home Secretary Suella Braverman. The Associated Press’ Chief Correspondent for the UK, Jill Lawless explains. (Nov. 13)

Former prime minister David Cameron leaves Downing Street, in London, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday fired Home Secretary Suella Braverman, a divisive figure who drew anger for accusing police of being too lenient with pro-Palestinian protesters. In a highly unusual move, former Prime Minister David Cameron was named foreign secretary. It’s rare for a former leader, and a non-lawmaker, to take a senior government post. The government said Cameron will be appointed to Parliament’s unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords. (Maja Smiejkowska/PA via AP)

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Britain’s former prime minister David Cameron leaves Downing Street, in London, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday fired Home Secretary Suella Braverman, a divisive figure who drew anger for accusing police of being too lenient with pro-Palestinian protesters. In a highly unusual move, former Prime Minister David Cameron was named foreign secretary. It’s rare for a former leader, and a non-lawmaker, to take a senior government post. The government said Cameron will be appointed to Parliament’s unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords. (James Manning/PA via AP)

LONDON (AP) — As political comebacks go, former British Prime Minister David Cameron’s return to government as foreign secretary is more dramatic and unexpected than most.

After unsuccessfully campaigning during the 2016 Brexit referendum for Britain to vote to “remain” in the European Union, Cameron resigned immediately and has been out of politics since.

He is not even a lawmaker, and his return to senior government leadership as an unelected member of Parliament’s House of Lords, though not unprecedented, is rare and has prompted concerns about accountability.

“I know it’s not usual for a prime minister to come back in this way, but I believe in public service,” Cameron told reporters Monday.

Monday’s major Cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sees Cameron joining a small club of former British premiers who have returned to government in a lesser role. Only about a dozen other former British leaders have done so since the 1700s.

Questions have been raised about Sunak’s decision given that Cameron’s legacy on Brexit and other political decisions remains deeply contentious.

A look at Cameron’s career and reactions to his comeback:

POLITICAL LEGACY

An Oxford-educated former public relations executive , Cameron led the Conservatives back to power in 2010 after 13 years in opposition. He led Britain for six years, and in the first of his two terms in office his party shared power with the smaller Liberal Democrats in an uneasy coalition.

Cameron was 43 when he entered No. 10 Downing Street as one of the youngest prime ministers in British history, and many observers at the time compared his youthful charisma to that of former Labour premier Tony Blair.

Like Blair he worked to steer his party toward the middle ground, championing what he called “compassionate Conservatism” in a bid to boost the Tories’ popularity.

But for many, his harsh austerity economics and his fateful decision to hold the Brexit vote remain the landmarks of his time in power, with the impact of both still reverberating in the U.K.

Under Cameron, Britain’s government made deep cuts to social welfare and other public spending in healthcare and education in the aftermath of the 2008 global economic crash.

His promise to hold a referendum on EU membership, a bid to placate rebellious Conservatives and to ward off the right-wing U.K. Independence Party, spelled his downfall. Cameron’s “remain” side was defeated, gaining 48% of the vote compared to 52% for the “leave” camp backed by Euroskeptics including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The U.K. left the EU in 2020 after a messy divorce, and thorny post-Brexit trade disputes continue to loom over politics in Northern Ireland.

CHINA AND OTHER FOREIGN POLICIES

During his tenure, Cameron led closer economic and trade ties between Britain and China, presiding over a so-called “golden era” of Sino-British relations as he drank beer with Chinese President Xi Jinping at an English pub during a state visit.

His stance is now criticized by many in Britain as having been misguided given that Beijing’s influence is increasingly seen as a threat to international security. Last year Sunak explicitly distanced himself from Cameron’s China stance, describing it as “naïve” amid growing tensions with Beijing over Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In a statement, Cameron acknowledged he disagreed with Sunak over some decisions but stressed that he will now back Sunak as the U.K. heads to a general election next year.

In 2013, Cameron suffered a foreign policy blow when his own Conservatives joined the opposition in rejecting his plans for U.K. military intervention against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

LOBBYING SCANDAL

More recently Cameron was embroiled in a scandal after revelations that he privately lobbied government officials in a bid to secure access to emergency coronavirus loans for a now-bankrupt financial services firm.

Questions about Cameron, who worked as a part-time adviser to Greensill Capital starting 2018, prompted accusations of unscrupulousness in the Conservative Party and calls for lobbying rules to be tightened.

WHY CAMERON, WHY NOW?

Sunak’s office maintains that Cameron is “an established figure on the world stage” who can bring “a huge amount of experience” to the role.

But many observers see Sunak’s move to bring back Cameron as a gamble with uncertain pay-off.

“(Sunak) is trying to look to others who might represent a smoother form of government than he’s been able to deliver,” Toby Helm, political editor of The Observer, told the BBC. But “it may look like he can’t find enough sensible people in his own party,” he said.

“Cameron will come across as a competent, appealing foreign secretary to some,” he added. “But I think the imagery that surrounds him, the impression that appointment gives, is somewhat desperate.”

Transport Secretary Mark Harper, who worked under Cameron when he was leader, was among others who praised the move.

“Given the challenges facing us with the war in Ukraine (and) what’s going on in the Middle East, having a really experienced person coming in as foreign secretary, I think, is an excellent move,” Harper said.

QUESTIONS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Some also say Cameron’s accountability is in question because he is serving a top government job not as an elected lawmaker but as an appointed Lord in Parliament’s upper house. It is unusual, though not unheard of, for secretaries of state to be in the House of Lords.

In his new position, Cameron will not face regular questioning in the House of Commons as he would if he were serving in that chamber.

“Amid (an) international crisis, Sunak has chosen an unelected failure from the past who MPs cannot even hold to account,” said the opposition Labour Party’s David Lammy.

Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the Commons, said that “given the gravity of the current international situation,” he is looking into options on ensuring lawmakers can scrutinize Cameron.

David Cameron speech: UK and the EU

• Published 23 January 2013

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Prime Minister David Cameron's full speech on Europe

Prime Minister David Cameron has delivered his long-awaited speech on the EU. Here are some of the key quotes:

"What Churchill described as the twin marauders of war and tyranny have been almost entirely banished from our continent. Today, hundreds of millions dwell in freedom, from the Baltic to the Adriatic, from the Western Approaches to the Aegean.

"And while we must never take this for granted, the first purpose of the European Union - to secure peace - has been achieved and we should pay tribute to all those in the EU, alongside NATO, who made that happen.

"But today the main, over-riding purpose of the European Union is different: not to win peace, but to secure prosperity."

Isolationism

"I never want us to pull up the drawbridge and retreat from the world. I am not a British isolationist.

"I don't just want a better deal for Britain. I want a better deal for Europe too. So I speak as British prime minister with a positive vision for the future of the European Union. A future in which Britain wants, and should want, to play a committed and active part."

"There are always voices saying: "Don't ask the difficult questions." But it's essential for Europe - and for Britain - that we do because there are three major challenges confronting us today.

"First, the problems in the eurozone are driving fundamental change in Europe. Second, there is a crisis of European competitiveness, as other nations across the world soar ahead. And third, there is a gap between the EU and its citizens which has grown dramatically in recent years. And which represents a lack of democratic accountability and consent that is - yes - felt particularly acutely in Britain.

"If we don't address these challenges, the danger is that Europe will fail and the British people will drift towards the exit.

I do not want that to happen."

Frustration

"There is a growing frustration that the EU is seen as something that is done to people rather than acting on their behalf. And this is being intensified by the very solutions required to resolve the economic problems.

"People are increasingly frustrated that decisions taken further and further away from them mean their living standards are slashed through enforced austerity or their taxes are used to bail out governments on the other side of the continent.

"We are starting to see this in the demonstrations on the streets of Athens, Madrid and Rome. We are seeing it in the parliaments of Berlin, Helsinki and the Hague.

"And yes, of course, we are seeing this frustration with the EU very dramatically in Britain."

"At the core of the European Union must be, as it is now, the single market. Britain is at the heart of that single market, and must remain so.

"But when the single market remains incomplete in services, energy and digital - the very sectors that are the engines of a modern economy - it is only half the success it could be.

"It is nonsense that people shopping online in some parts of Europe are unable to access the best deals because of where they live. I want completing the single market to be our driving mission."

Institutions

"Can we really justify the huge number of expensive peripheral European institutions? Can we justify a Commission that gets ever larger?

"Can we carry on with an organisation that has a multi-billion pound budget but not enough focus on controlling spending and shutting down programmes that haven't worked?

"And I would ask: when the competitiveness of the single market is so important, why is there an environment council, a transport council, an education council but not a single market council? "

National interests

"The members of the eurozone should accept that we, and indeed all member states, will have changes that we need to safeguard our interests and strengthen democratic legitimacy. And we should be able to make these changes too.

"Some say this will unravel the principle of the EU - and that you can't pick and choose on the basis of what your nation needs.

"But far from unravelling the EU, this will in fact bind its Members more closely because such flexible, willing cooperation is a much stronger glue than compulsion from the centre."

"Power must be able to flow back to Member States, not just away from them... Countries are different. They make different choices. We cannot harmonise everything. For example, it is neither right nor necessary to claim that the integrity of the single market, or full membership of the European Union requires the working hours of British hospital doctors to be set in Brussels irrespective of the views of British parliamentarians and practitioners.

"In the same way we need to examine whether the balance is right in so many areas where the European Union has legislated including on the environment, social affairs and crime.

"Nothing should be off the table."

"There is not, in my view, a single European demos.

"It is national parliaments, which are, and will remain, the true source of real democratic legitimacy and accountability in the EU."

"Democratic consent for the EU in Britain is now wafer thin.

"Some people say that to point this out is irresponsible, creates uncertainty for business and puts a question mark over Britain's place in the European Union.

"But the question mark is already there and ignoring it won't make it go away.

"In fact, quite the reverse. Those who refuse to contemplate consulting the British people, would in my view make more likely our eventual exit.

"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."

"The next Conservative Manifesto in 2015 will ask for a mandate from the British people for a Conservative government to negotiate a new settlement with our European partners in the next Parliament.

"It will be a relationship with the single market at its heart.

"And 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."

Potential pitfalls

"Hundreds of thousands of British people now take for granted their right to work, live or retire in any other EU country.

"Even if we pulled out completely, decisions made in the EU would continue to have a profound effect on our country. But we would have lost all our remaining vetoes and our voice in those decisions...

"While Norway is part of the single market - and pays for the principle - it has no say at all in setting its rules: it just has to implement its directives."

"I say to our European partners, frustrated as some of them no doubt are by Britain's attitude: work with us on this.

"Consider the extraordinary steps which the eurozone members are taking to keep the Euro together, steps which a year ago would have seemed impossible.

"It does not seem to me that the steps which would be needed to make Britain - and others - more comfortable in their relationship in the European Union are inherently so outlandish or unreasonable...

"It is hard to argue that the EU would not be greatly diminished by Britain's departure."

"With courage and conviction I believe we can achieve a new settlement in which Britain can be comfortable and all our countries can thrive.

"And when the referendum comes let me say now that if we can negotiate such an arrangement, I will campaign for it with all my heart and soul.

"Because I believe something very deeply. That Britain's national interest is best served in a flexible, adaptable and open European Union and that such a European Union is best with Britain in it.

"Over the coming weeks, months and years, I will not rest until this debate is won. For the future of my country. For the success of the European Union. And for the prosperity of our peoples for generations to come."

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David Cameron's speech to the UN

Prime Minister's speech on development and poverty.

Prime Minister

Good afternoon. Nine months ago, here in New York, the UN Secretary General gave President Johnson Sirleaf, President Yudhoyono and me a challenge, and that was to define the world’s response to development and poverty for the next generation. This meeting has been the culmination of that process, and it’s been great to see a new consensus emerging from this diverse group about the vital principles that we need.

We met in London in November and agreed to keep a relentless focus on extreme poverty. In Liberia in February we agreed that economic transformation, enterprise, business entrepreneurship, must be at the heart of our agenda. And in Bali last month the group met and – to move beyond the traditional aid relationship to a new global partnership, so that development is genuinely shared by not just governments, but also businesses and civil society.

Now, back in New York, we have brought all this together in what I believe will be a very powerful report for the world to respond to. First, we’ve absolutely nailed our colours to the mast with one clear overarching aim: to end extreme poverty in our world. Over a billion people still live on less than $1.25 a day. Getting to the point where no one at all is that poor is no longer a pipe dream; it can and should be one of the great achievements of our time. It is doable, and it means that by 2030 everyone will have what we in Britain already consider our birth right: drinking water, electricity, healthcare and a place at school.

Second, we want to build on the historic work done under the current Millennium Development Goals. But we also agreed that they weren’t perfect. There wasn’t enough focus on the devastating effect of conflict, of violence. They overlooked the importance of strong institutions, accountable government, the rule of law. So, we’ve agreed, on this panel, that there must be a transformational shift in the way that we do things.

Rich countries meeting their aid commitments is important, but it will not be enough on its own. And our report will make clear that we need to tackle the causes of poverty, not just the symptoms. Above all, we need a focus on economic growth driven by a strong private sector as the most powerful engine there is to lift people out of poverty. We need a recognition that development has to be sustainable for the planet for the long term, but there’s this new commitment to strong institutions and governance because these are essential to end conflict, to protect the rule of law, to stamp out corruption and insecurity and to hold governments accountable. This, I believe, is a totally new addition to the Millennium Development Goals: the importance of good governments, lack of corruption – what I call the golden thread of development.

And finally, we agreed that our report must be clear, it must be compelling, it must be accessible, so people around the world – including thousands who’ve contributed their views – can debate it, can implement it and can demand action from us all. So, we’ll be finalising clear and challenging goals and we’ll be setting out illustrative examples of the goals we should believe – believe should be there, and what should succeed the Millennium Development Goals after 2015. And as I’ve said, it is a real breakthrough that agreement is emerging to include goals that go to the heart of this golden thread that links open economies and open societies: fair and accountable institutions, equal economic and political opportunities for women, open and fair rules to boost enterprise and growth. I believe this clarity will be a real achievement which will help the panel’s ideas stand the test of time in the years ahead.

It’s been a huge privilege to lead this work with Presidents Johnson Sirleaf and President Yudhoyono, and I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with them as we campaign for our ideas in the weeks and the months to come.

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Lord Cameron urges Israel to 'think with head as well as heart' and not retaliate to Iran

The foreign secretary said the nation needed to be "smart as well as tough" and think about the consequences of escalating violence in the Middle East.

Political reporter @fayebrownSky

Monday 15 April 2024 09:45, UK

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Lord David Cameron has urged Israel to "think with head as well as heart" and not retaliate to Iran's missile attack.

The foreign secretary said the nation needed to be "smart as well as tough" and think about the consequences of escalating violence in the region.

UN warns of 'devastating conflict' - Middle East latest

He told Sky News: "I totally understand those in Israel who want to see more (action), but I think this is a time to think with head as well as heart and to be smart as well tough.

"And I think the smart thing to do is actually to recognise that Iran's attack was a failure and we want to keep the focus on that, on Iran's malign influence and actually pivot to looking at what's happening in Gaza."

Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles in an assault that set off air raid sirens across Israel on Saturday night.

The attack was over by Sunday morning and Israel reopened its air space, having said it had intercepted along with its allies 99% of the projectiles launched towards its territory.

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Lord Cameron echoed US President Joe Biden's comments that Israel should "take the win" - noting that there could have been "thousands of casualties" had the attack been successful.

He said the UK, which shot down some Iranian drones , would help again if Tehran launched another attack.

But he stressed: "We're trying to avoid escalation and the action we took alongside the Americans and others clearly has helped to stop that escalation because the Iran attack was an almost total failure."

The plea for de-escalation comes after Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said the country would "collect a price" for Iran's action.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will address the developments in the Middle East in the Commons later today, with the UK "absolutely" considering further sanctions on Iran, Lord Cameron told BBC Breakfast in a later interview on Monday morning.

Israel 'listening carefully to allies'

A spokeswoman for the Israeli embassy in London said Israel is "not in the business of revenge" but wants to ensure Iran is "deterred" from launching further attacks.

Orly Goldschmidt told Sky News: "We are listening very carefully to our allies, we're taking what they're saying into consideration but, at the end of the day, we will have to defend ourselves against this Iranian threat."

Ms Goldschmidt said she would not comment on what Israel's response may look like or when it might take place.

Asked if he thinks Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sound judgement, Lord Cameron said the pair have had "many arguments and disagreements, but it's our job to work with the Israeli government".

He went on to insist that there was a "massive degree of difference" between Israel's strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria earlier this month and Saturday's retaliatory attack by Iran.

Read More: How Biden watched the Iranian attack - and what he told Netanyahu Fears as Iran-Israel tensions rise - and what diplomats plan to do about it

Cameron sends clear message to Israel - but whether they will listen not certain

Middle East correspondent

David Cameron, as foreign secretary, hasn't shied away from criticising Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu during the six-month Gaza war.

He has been one of the more forthright diplomats, particularly pressing for more action to relieve the humanitarian crisis and clearly feels he is on strong ground.

Asked three times on whether he thought the Israeli prime minister had good judgement, he was initially non-committal although admitted he had had his differences with Netanyahu: "Not letting more aid into Gaza was a mistake. It was bad judgement not to open up that aid sooner,” he said, with reference to the planned opening of Ashdod port.

Addressing the events over the weekend, Lord Cameron reluctantly said Iran had a right to respond to the attack on its consulate but said that the assault on Saturday night was disproportionate.

"We would take very strong action," he admitted when asked what Britain would have done if one of their diplomatic buildings was "flattened".

But, the foreign secretary argued that there is a "massive degree of difference" between what Israel did in Damascus and Iran's drone attack.

Cameron won't be shy in delivering this message to Israel's leaders, whether they will listen, however, is not certain.

Asked whether Israel showed good judgment by hitting Iran's consulate in Damascus, he said: "That's something the Israelis decided to do.

"I can completely understand the frustration Israelis feel when they look at the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and they look at the terrible things that they have done all over the world, including the support they give to Hamas."

He added: "I would argue there is a massive degree of difference between what Israel did in Damascus and, as I said, 301 weapons being launched by the state of Iran at the state of Israel.

"For the first time a state-on-state attack, 101 ballistic missiles, 36 cruise missiles, 185 drones, that is a degree of difference and I think a reckless and dangerous thing for Iran to have done.

"And I think the whole world can see, all these countries that have somehow wondered, well, you know, what is the true nature of Iran? It's there in black and white."

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Netanyahu Says Israel Won’t Be Pressured Over Iran Response

Top diplomats from Germany and Britain traveled to Jerusalem to urge Israel not to respond in a way that risked a wider regional conflict.

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By Matthew Mpoke Bigg

• April 17, 2024

For days, Israel’s closest Western allies have pleaded with the country’s wartime government not to risk igniting a wider war by responding too strongly to Iran’s barrage of missiles and drones last weekend. And on Wednesday, the top diplomats from Germany and Britain delivered that message in person to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

But Mr. Netanyahu emerged from those talks resolute that his country would not bow to any outside pressure when choosing its response. He declared before a cabinet meeting that Israel would “do everything necessary to defend itself” and warned the allies that “we will make our own decisions,” according to his office.

The British foreign secretary, David Cameron, acknowledged just before meeting with the prime minister that Israel was unlikely to heed pleas to turn the other cheek.

“It is clear that the Israelis are making a decision to act,” Mr. Cameron told the BBC. “We hope that they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible.”

The United States, Britain and Germany have been urging Israel to avoid making moves that could increase tension with Iran, which launched around 300 missiles and drones on Saturday night in what was believed to be its first direct attack on Israel. Most of the missiles and drones were shot down before they reached their targets — thanks in part to the assistance of the United States, Britain, France and Jordan — and the ones that got through did minimal damage.

Mr. Netanyahu thanked Israel’s allies for their “support in words and support in actions” in remarks before a cabinet meeting, according to his office. But he added: “They also have all kinds of suggestions and advice. I appreciate it, but I want to make it clear — we will make our own decisions.”

Iran warned that it would react forcefully to any Israeli aggression, with the army’s commander in chief, Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, saying on Wednesday: “We will respond with more deadly weapons.”

Israel’s war cabinet has met several times since the weekend with no apparent decision on when and how to strike back against the attack. Officials are said to be considering a range of options , from a direct strike on Iran to a cyberattack or targeted assassinations, trying to send a clear message to Iran while not sparking a major escalation.

“Israel will respond when it sees fit,” an Israeli official said on Wednesday, adding that it had “multiple ways” to do so. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, announced early Thursday that new European sanctions would be imposed on Iran’s drone and missile programs as punishment for last weekend’s attacks.

“It’s a clear signal that we want to send,” Mr. Michel said, emerging after midnight from a meeting of leaders of the European Union’s member states in Brussels. “We need to isolate Iran.” He said more details about the new sanctions would be announced in the coming days.

Adam Rasgon and Lara Jakes contributed reporting.

Matthew Mpoke Bigg is a correspondent covering international news. He previously worked as a reporter, editor and bureau chief for Reuters and did postings in Nairobi, Abidjan, Atlanta, Jakarta and Accra. More about Matthew Mpoke Bigg

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

Many Israelis were in a somber mood as they prepared to usher in Passover , the Jewish festival of freedom, saying they would mark the holiday rather than celebrate it, with more than 130 hostages remaining in Gaza.

The United States is considering imposing sanctions on one or more Israeli battalions accused of human rights violations during operations in the occupied West Bank , according to a person familiar with the deliberations.

Palestinians in the West Bank went on a general strike  to protest an Israeli military raid  at a refugee camp a day earlier in which at least 10 people were killed, in an episode that illustrated the continuing unrest in the territory.

Israeli airstrikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah killed several civilians , including women and children, according to Palestinian state media, sending more fear through an area where over one million displaced Palestinians are crowded into tents and temporary quarters.

Fears Over Iran Buoy Netanyahu: The Israeli prime minister lost considerable support after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. Tensions with Iran have helped him claw  some of it back.

A Surprising Rift: The Israel-Hamas war, which has roiled cultural and political institutions far beyond the Middle East, is causing divisions in a prominent Japanese American group .

Mobilizing the American Left: As the death toll in Gaza climbed, the pro-Palestinian movement grew into a powerful, if disjointed, political force in the United States . Democrats are feeling the pressure.

Riding Rage Over Israel: Jackson Hinkle’s incendiary commentary  has generated over two million new followers on X since October — a surge that some researchers say is aided by inauthentic accounts by the online celebrity.

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David Cameron ‘wants to unlock billions of dollars for foreign aid’

Exclusive: New foreign secretary to say UK has ‘moral mission’ to help world’s poor in white paper

David Cameron is marking his return to frontline politics by saying he wants to unlock billions of dollars for foreign aid over the next decade, as part of a “moral mission” to help the world’s poorest people.

In a remarkable change of tone for a government that closed the Department for International Development and slashed the foreign aid budget, the former prime minister is to say he wants to push for the restoration of aid’s status in British foreign policy.

Cameron, who was appointed foreign secretary by Rishi Sunak on Monday in an astonishing political comeback, is to write in a foreword to a new international development white paper that foreign aid is even more vital, but more difficult than when he was last in office.

The internationalist tone will probably infuriate the Tory right, already angry that Cameron’s return signals a rush to the political centre ground, while his failure to formally commit extra public money to aid will dismay many charities.

Cameron will say that the UK must find fresh ways to meet the UN’s sustainable development goals , including ending global hunger by 2030.

He describes the UN goals as a remarkable achievement, adding “crucially, we made these promises to every country and person on the planet – nobody would be left behind”.

The development white paper is to be published on Monday as a global food summit is held in London. Officials say Cameron took the draft white paper home in his ministerial box on his first day in office, reading it overnight.

In office Cameron made aid a central component of “compassionate Conservatism”, committing his government to spending 0.7% of GDP on aid, and co-chairing a UN panel on extreme poverty that led in 2015 to the 17 UN sustainable development goals.

The white paper focuses on new policy approaches and ways of leveraging extra state and private funds for aid, which Cameron says could “unlock hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade”. It does not change the economic preconditions set by Sunak for a return to spending 0.7% of GDP, after the aid budget was cut to 0.5% in 2020.

The foreign secretary will say the UK needs to move away from the old donor-recipient model towards partnerships of mutual respect, in which low- and middle-income countries have a greater say in global institutions.

“Development cannot be a closed shop, where we try to help other countries and communities without heeding their vision for the future,” he writes.

The white paper has been deliberately structured by its lead author, development minister Andrew Mitchell, to go through to 2030 in the hope that Labour would pick up its themes in what Mitchell describes as “the highly unlikely event” of the Conservatives losing the next election.

Due to Covid, reduced budgets, conflict and a decline in multilateralism, Mitchell says the world is woefully off-track reaching the UN sustainable development goals, and says new approaches are required, including providing public sector guarantees to mobilise private sector money.

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Mitchell told the Guardian: “Where we are sweating balance sheets, releasing billions of dollars of guarantees and issuing special drawing rights to create £5.3bn of extra money, the argument whether you are spending 0.5% or 0.7 % of GDP on aid is of interest but arguably less relevant since the additional mechanisms we have found to put more money into climate finance and adaptation are more important”.

An official summary of the white paper, written by film director and aid advocate Richard Curtis, argues: “It is no longer possible, if it ever was, for a country to determine its future alone. Climate change does not respect national boundaries, nor do pandemics. Conflicts are becoming more numerous, frequent, and longer lasting. War in one country can affect security thousands of miles away. Poverty, conflict, and climate change often go hand in hand and drive flows of refugees.”

The white paper will urge more countries to follow the UK plan for debt repayments to be immediately paused when vulnerable countries are hit by extreme weather events or health emergencies, something Mitchell describes as a simple innovation that can make a huge difference.

It backs more rapid restructuring of unsustainable debt saying recent efforts have taken too long. Zambia, for instance, waited more than 18 months between staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund and an agreement among official creditors on a debt treatment. According to the UN, 3.3 billion people now live in countries where debt interest payments are greater than expenditure on health or education.

The white paper will call for measures to minimise the risk of holdouts to debt restructuring by bondholders.

In a major reform, British Investment International (BII), the UK’s large development investment arm, will be required to spend a minimum of half of its annual investment in low-income countries following criticisms that some of the investments have been poorly targeted at poverty alleviation. In 2022, BII investments generated £1bn ($1.3bn) of funding from elsewhere, and the businesses it backed employed 1 million people and paid $1.5bn in taxes.

In a bid to prevent humanitarian disasters, as well as alleviate them, ministers will propose a minimum of 15% of UK humanitarian spending – currently £1bn a year – to go on better preparation and adaptation.

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David Dastmalchian Answers ‘Late Night With the Devil’ Burning Questions: Is the Devil in the Audience? Was Jack Hooking Up With Dr. June? And More

By Jenelle Riley

Jenelle Riley

Deputy Awards and Features Editor

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David Dastmalchian was raised in a religious household where “everything was ‘the Devil’s work’” and he was constantly told not to open myself up to anything evil that could come in. “Fast-forward to me as a grown-up and I’m telling my wife not to order a cursed Ouija board off the Internet,” the actor notes. He’s also hosted seances, been published in “Fangoria,” penned the graphic novel series “Count Crowley: Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter” for Dark Horse Comics and served as the brand ambassador for a line of caskets.

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In “Late Night,” he delivers a tour-de-force as Jack Delroy, a talk show host whose rise to fame might be connected to an occult organization and who recently lost his beloved wife Madeleine (Georgina Haig) to lung cancer — despite her being a non-smoker. In 1977, Jack hots a special Halloween episode of his show “Night Owls” and brings on several guests, including a psychic ( Fayssal Bazzi ) and a skeptic (Ian Bliss). But the centerpiece of the evening is Dr. June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon) and her young patient Lily (Ingrid Torelli), the sole survivor of a mass suicide by a church that worshipped the demon Abraxas. And Lily has brought someone with her — an entity she calls “Mr. Wriggles” who Jack urges Dr. June to bring out during an on-screen exorcism.

You mentioned having eerie experiences before; did anything specific happen on “Late Night With the Devil” or is that too on the nose? I’ve become such a pragmatist as an adult but I still carry that one percent absolute belief that any second a ghost could pop out of a closet and try to get me to help solve their murder. So I’m doing this movie about possession and things that are very meaningful to me, we’re halfway around the world with a tiny amount of time and money, and I’m under the pressure of not wanting to let these brothers down. And at one point, a table full of occult objects starts shaking — they were going to add a sound effect later. But at the time, it sounded like there were people all around the stage pounding on the walls of the stage. And when we were done shooting, I said, “Who did we have out there banging on the walls?” And there wasn’t anyone.

People have speculated about Jack and Dr. June’s history — that their relationship goes beyond the platonic. Was it something you discussed? Absolutely. These are all choices I made that the brothers were supportive of and Laura and I discussed. There was definitely no affair when Millie was alive. After she died, Jack is unable to process the grief. And this book comes across my desk, “Conversations With the Devil.” I take a meeting — nothing illicit at all, but because I’m fascinated by this stuff and I see the potential for a great segment. And there’s chemistry there and a bond starts to form, which rattles Jack with guilt because still in mourning. He develops feelings and he truly believes in her — but he also knows she could be good for the show.

He honestly believes he’s helping her, too? Yes. I don’t know if you can relate to this, but I certainly can… There have been too many times in my life — in relationships, in parenting — where I believe I had best intentions in mind but felt compelled to bend my ethical compass just a little bit to get us over the finish line. You omit a detail or skip one step of the process. If Jack were just a smarmy narcissist driven by fame and success, that movie is boring to me.

Do you think they are physically involved when she comes on the show? I think that if things went well that night, there is a world where there’s a celebration in store and Jack could see June becoming an important relationship in his life, romantic or otherwise.

Does Jack overtly know that his fame will come at the cost of sacrificing Madeleine or is that a trick that’s played on him? You know, the Devil is so cunning. And the closest thing I can relate to the devil in my personal life is addiction. I’ve been clean from heroin and opiates, alcohol and drugs for 22 years — May 10, I will be celebrating 22 years. And there is nothing more cunning, more devious, more relentless, than the serpent of addiction. Actually, that’s an insult to serpents, because serpents are beautiful creatures.

It’s the Monkey’s Paw. It is. And whether people want to acknowledge it as giant sprawling mythology or not, we all get it — even if it’s in a subtle way.

To that end, do you think when Madeleine is trying to reach out it’s because she loves him — or is she angry with him? Can both things be true at the same time? I believe yes. The people in my life that I love the most and I’ve had moments where I’ve realized I love someone so much but I’m so angry at them. I think Madeline has always loved Jack even as the ambitious, driven workaholic — because that’s part of his makeup. But he pushed it too far. And there’s appoint when you go, “God, I love you for who you are but stop it!”

Okay, I’m going to come out and ask it. The people in the audience in costume — particularly the mute skeleton — is that the devil? The skeleton to me, in the end, is someone whose come from the coven to make sure and collect. The devil, in my opinion, really only makes one quick appearance in the film. And it’s quite subtle. I’m genuinely enjoying seeing on social media that people who have now been into their second or third view of the film and they’re going, “Ah, I see when we got a quick appearance!” Because as June says, she believes that Mr. Wriggles may not be the Satan itself or Abraxas itself, but a minor deity that is serving towards the greater cause, if you will.

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