David Cameron says goodbye to Number 10 and pays tribute to "love of my life" Samantha

Mark Chandler14 July 2016
WEST END FINAL

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David Cameron bid farewell to Downing Street with his family this evening and thanked "the love of his life" Samantha for her support.

Appearing in front of the cameras with his wife and three children, the Prime Minister spoke of his pride at leading the country for six years as he made his final appearance outside Number 10.

He said it had been "greatest honour of my life to serve our country as Prime Minister".

Mr Cameron said he was leaving the country "much stronger" and spoke about his record on employment, free schools, gay marriage and the health service.

He said: "I want to thank my children Nancy, Arthur and Florence for whom Downing Street has been a lovely home over the last six years.

"They sometimes kicked the red boxes full of work - Florence you once climbed into one before a foreign trip and said 'take me with you'. Well, no more boxes."

Mr Cameron and his family join hands as they leave Downing for the last time
Jeremy Selwyn

Mr Cameron went on: "Above all I want to thank Samantha, the love of my life.

David Cameron and his family embrace on the steps of Number 10
Jeremy Selwyn

"You've 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 of voluntary service in our country."

Downing Street staff watch as Mr Cameron delivers his valedictory speech
Reuters

He said he was "delighted that for the second time in British history the new Prime Minister will be a woman, and once again a Conservative".

Mr Cameron's tearful daughter clings on to her mother as her father makes his final speech
Getty

And he said Mrs May would provide "strong and stable leadership in delivering the Conservative manifesto on which we were elected" and wished her well in negotiating the withdrawal from the EU which voters backed in last month's referendum.

Mr Cameron concluded: "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.

David Cameron - a career in pictures

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"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 over 11 years.

Saying goodbye: Larry the cat
Jeremy Selwyn

"And as we leave for the last time, my only wish is continued success for this great country that I love so very much."

The Camerons walked together as a family towards the gates of Downing Street to cheers from staff.

As they went to get into an official limousine to depart for the Palace, Mr Cameron paused, looked back towards the ranks of the world's press gathered outside Number 10 and gave a wave.

Only minutes later, they were entering Buckingham Palace, where Mr Cameron was due to leave his family for a private audience with the Queen which would make him, at 49, the youngest person to leave prime ministerial office for more than a century.

After his speech, Mr Cameron wrote his final tweet as Prime Minister, saying: "It's been a privilege to serve the country that I love."

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