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| David Cameron: I want to be Harry Potter | David Cameron: I want to be Harry Potter |
| (3 months later) | |
| David Cameron has joked that anyone with "any sense" would like to be Harry Potter, though he acknowledged that the British people would probably see him as the malign Voldemort. | David Cameron has joked that anyone with "any sense" would like to be Harry Potter, though he acknowledged that the British people would probably see him as the malign Voldemort. |
| In a question and answer session with students in the Kazakhstan capital, Astana, the prime minister showed a good knowledge of the JK Rowling books by not actually mentioning Voldemort's name. The evil character is famously known in the Harry Potter novels as He Who Must Not Be Named. | In a question and answer session with students in the Kazakhstan capital, Astana, the prime minister showed a good knowledge of the JK Rowling books by not actually mentioning Voldemort's name. The evil character is famously known in the Harry Potter novels as He Who Must Not Be Named. |
| Speaking at Nazarbayev University – named after the authoritarian president who flew the prime minister on his private jet on Sunday – Cameron also said that he misses his wife Samantha "desperately" on overseas trips. He also admitted that some of his Oxford tutors write to him to reprimand him over his performance as prime minister. | Speaking at Nazarbayev University – named after the authoritarian president who flew the prime minister on his private jet on Sunday – Cameron also said that he misses his wife Samantha "desperately" on overseas trips. He also admitted that some of his Oxford tutors write to him to reprimand him over his performance as prime minister. |
| Cameron spoke of his admiration for Harry Potter when he was asked which character from the JK Rowling novels he would like to be. He said: "My daughter is nine years old, she's just started to read all the Harry Potter books so I'm sort of rediscovering them all over again. | Cameron spoke of his admiration for Harry Potter when he was asked which character from the JK Rowling novels he would like to be. He said: "My daughter is nine years old, she's just started to read all the Harry Potter books so I'm sort of rediscovering them all over again. |
| "I can think of all sorts of characters you don't want to be and I suppose in the end you know if you've got any sense you want to be Harry Potter. That must be the correct answer." | "I can think of all sorts of characters you don't want to be and I suppose in the end you know if you've got any sense you want to be Harry Potter. That must be the correct answer." |
| The prime minister then entered into the full spirit of the novels by alluding to Voldemort. He said: "I suspect people in Britain might want to paint me in a different role but I'll let them do that, I won't make the work easier for them." | The prime minister then entered into the full spirit of the novels by alluding to Voldemort. He said: "I suspect people in Britain might want to paint me in a different role but I'll let them do that, I won't make the work easier for them." |
| Cameron normally schedules his overseas visit to ensure he can spend most of the weekend with his family. He often flies out of Britain on Sunday evenings. | Cameron normally schedules his overseas visit to ensure he can spend most of the weekend with his family. He often flies out of Britain on Sunday evenings. |
| But his five-day trip to Belgium, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kazakhstan has wiped out his usual family weekend. Cameron said he was missing his wife when he was asked which moment in his life he would most like to relive. | But his five-day trip to Belgium, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kazakhstan has wiped out his usual family weekend. Cameron said he was missing his wife when he was asked which moment in his life he would most like to relive. |
| The PM said: "I do still remember vividly the day I was married. It's the most exciting day of your life. I still remember it. I haven't seen my wife for several days now and I miss her desperately. That would be my answer." | The PM said: "I do still remember vividly the day I was married. It's the most exciting day of your life. I still remember it. I haven't seen my wife for several days now and I miss her desperately. That would be my answer." |
| Cameron also spoke of the emotion of the birth of their first child, Ivan, who was severely disabled and died in 2009 aged six. He said: "Of course the birth of your first child, particularly is an incredibly emotional and powerful moment." | Cameron also spoke of the emotion of the birth of their first child, Ivan, who was severely disabled and died in 2009 aged six. He said: "Of course the birth of your first child, particularly is an incredibly emotional and powerful moment." |
| The prime minister, who achieved a first-class degree in politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford, recalled his days as a student at Brasenose College. He said that some of his tutors still take him to task. | The prime minister, who achieved a first-class degree in politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford, recalled his days as a student at Brasenose College. He said that some of his tutors still take him to task. |
| "I was very lucky to have some very good tutors. In fact some of them still write me letters, often telling me that what I am doing is not a good idea but every now and again saying well done. They keep in touch, I think they still feel they are training me even now." | "I was very lucky to have some very good tutors. In fact some of them still write me letters, often telling me that what I am doing is not a good idea but every now and again saying well done. They keep in touch, I think they still feel they are training me even now." |
| The prime minister's most famous tutor was the political scientist Professor Vernon Bogdanor. An expert in twentieth-century British politics, Bogdanor has predicted that the coalition will eventually collapse because such governments always face overwhelming pressure from their grassroots. | The prime minister's most famous tutor was the political scientist Professor Vernon Bogdanor. An expert in twentieth-century British politics, Bogdanor has predicted that the coalition will eventually collapse because such governments always face overwhelming pressure from their grassroots. |
| Cameron, who is sensitive about his privileged education, spoke at length about the benefits of studying PPE at Oxford. He said: "Some people call economics the dismal science because they always say you could lay the world's economists end to end and they still wouldn't reach a conclusion. I think economics has suffered in recent years, there has been a banking and financial collapse which was not really forecast by the economists and economists have disagreed a lot about how to get us out of the difficulties. | Cameron, who is sensitive about his privileged education, spoke at length about the benefits of studying PPE at Oxford. He said: "Some people call economics the dismal science because they always say you could lay the world's economists end to end and they still wouldn't reach a conclusion. I think economics has suffered in recent years, there has been a banking and financial collapse which was not really forecast by the economists and economists have disagreed a lot about how to get us out of the difficulties. |
| "But nonetheless it is still ... so vital that we try to understand the forces at work in our world, financial and economic and social. | "But nonetheless it is still ... so vital that we try to understand the forces at work in our world, financial and economic and social. |
| "So I suppose that is what I enjoyed about my studies, was trying to understand better the economic systems in the world and how they work. I think learning political history is very important, if we learn about the past hopefully you will repeat fewer of the mistakes, and philosophy I enjoyed because it was just a good way of training your mind. | "So I suppose that is what I enjoyed about my studies, was trying to understand better the economic systems in the world and how they work. I think learning political history is very important, if we learn about the past hopefully you will repeat fewer of the mistakes, and philosophy I enjoyed because it was just a good way of training your mind. |
| "Trying to understand some of the rules of logic, reading some of the great philosophers, it was just a great exercise in trying to clarify your thinking. | "Trying to understand some of the rules of logic, reading some of the great philosophers, it was just a great exercise in trying to clarify your thinking. |
| "So often in politics and in life what you are really trying to do is work out your arguments, work out the best way of dealing with a problem. And the more you can break it down, deal with it logically and explain what you are doing and take people with you, that's what it's all about. I think that is what PPE tries to teach you." | "So often in politics and in life what you are really trying to do is work out your arguments, work out the best way of dealing with a problem. And the more you can break it down, deal with it logically and explain what you are doing and take people with you, that's what it's all about. I think that is what PPE tries to teach you." |
| The prime minister was presented with a hoodie and a cap from Nazarbayev university. | The prime minister was presented with a hoodie and a cap from Nazarbayev university. |
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