Cameron: Queen “purred” down the phone after no vote

The curse of Prime Ministers being caught on microphone on matters they would have rather had remained private struck again when David Cameron was recorded claiming that the Queen had “purred” down the line when he informed her that Scotland had voted against independence.
By Mark Casci
Published 23rd Sep 2014, 18:39 BST
The Queen is said to have 'purred' down the line after the vote on Scottish independence.The Queen is said to have 'purred' down the line after the vote on Scottish independence.
The Queen is said to have 'purred' down the line after the vote on Scottish independence.

The Prime Minister was heard telling former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg of the relief he felt at not having to inform the Queen that Scotland had left the United Kingdom.

He smiled broadly as he recalled how he was able to tell her it was “all right” after the referendum resulted in a victory for the No camp.

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Mr Cameron said: “The definition of relief, if you are Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is ringing up Her Majesty the Queen and saying ‘Your Majesty, it is all right, it’s okay’. That was something.

“She purred down the line.”

He added: “But it should never have been that close. It wasn’t in the end.

“But there was a time in the middle of the campaign when it felt...”

Mr Bloomberg spoke before Mr Cameron finished his sentence in a period of the recording which is inaudible.

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The PM went on: “I’ve said I want to find these polling companies and I want to sue them for my stomach ulcers because of what they put me through. 
“It was very nervous moments.”

His predecessor Gordon Brown was humiliated during the course of the 2010 General Election campaign when he referred to a woman as bigoted for expressing concern over immigration, while Tony Blair faced ridicule when he was addressed with the words “Yo, Blair” by then US President George W Bush.

Related topics:David CameronQueenPrime MinisterTony BlairScotlandGordon Brown