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David Cameron: I would not serve third term as PM David Cameron: I would not serve third term as PM
(35 minutes later)
David Cameron has said he will not put himself forward for a third term as prime minister if he remains in 10 Downing Street after the 7 May general election. David Cameron has ruled out standing for a third term as prime minister if re-elected and named Theresa May, George Osborne and Boris Johnson as possible future Conservative leaders.
Cameron said he was standing for election to serve for a full second term – which could last until 2020 – but joked: “Terms are like shredded wheat: two are wonderful but three might just be too many.” The prime minister made the announcement about his political future to the BBC in a highly unusual move for a party leader in the runup to a general election.
He named three of his senior colleagues - the home secretary, Theresa May, the chancellor, George Osborne, and the London mayor, Boris Johnson – as possible replacements as Conservative leader when he stands down. He appears to have made a calculation that voters do not want a prime minister who continues for too long in the vein of Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.
In an interview with BBC News, Cameron was directly asked if he would go for a third term if he remained PM after the election. He has previously been rumoured to have struck a deal to hand over to another leader half way through a second term if he were re-elected.
He replied: “No, I think I’m standing for a full second term.” Speaking from his family home in the Cotswolds, Cameron said he felt “fit and healthy enough” to serve a full five years but prime ministers who go on for longer risk madness.
And he added: “I’m not saying all prime ministers necessarily definitely go bad, or even go bad at the same rate, but I feel I’ve got more to bring to this job, the job is half done, the economy’s turned round, the deficit is half down and I want to finish the job. Related: Election 2015: David Cameron rules out third term - live
“I didn’t just come to do this to, you know, deal with the debts and the mess, I want to go on with the education reforms and the welfare reforms. “I’m standing for a full second time. I’m not saying all prime ministers necessarily definitely go mad or even go mad at the same rate … But I feel I’ve got more to bring to this job, the job is half done, the economy’s turned round, the deficit is half down and I want to finish the job.
“There definitely comes a time where a fresh pair of eyes and fresh leadership would be good, and the Conservative party has got some great people coming up: the Theresa Mays, and the George Osbornes, and the Boris Johnsons. You know, there’s plenty of talent there. I’m surrounded by very good people. The third term is not something I’m contemplating.” “I didn’t just come to do this to deal with the debts and the mess, I want to go on with the education reforms and the welfare reforms.
“But there definitely comes a time where a fresh pair of eyes and fresh leadership would be good, and the Conservative party has got some great people coming up: the Theresa Mays, and the George Osbornes, and the Boris Johnsons. There’s plenty of talent there. I’m surrounded by very good people. The third term is not something I’m contemplating.”
He added: “Terms are like shredded wheat: two are wonderful but three might just be too many.”
His wife Samantha also appeared in the short film, saying she thought Cameron was “definitely, in my mind, the best man for the job”.
“I hope that me and the family help him to keep things in perspective, keep him grounded and help him pace himself over the next eight weeks,” she said.
His children were also filmed eating a meal at the kitchen table and Cameron spoke of how his daughter, Nancy, has threatened to go on hunger strike unless his friend Jeremy Clarkson is reinstated as presenter of Top Gear. The television star was suspended after allegedly hitting a BBC producer, sparking a petition for him to return.