Given his hate-figure status as the man who kickstarted the unholy Brexit mess, David Cameron’s 752-page memoir, published today, is unlikely to be selling like Michelle Obama’s. And the car-crash timing won’t help with Brexit-fatigue levels at screeching point. Recent Amazon pre-orders had it ranked as low as 335 and some bookshops are refusing to stock it. HarperCollins who purchased the rights for a reported £800,000 must be wincing; though that was a snip compared to Tony Blair’s £4.6 million advance.
Cameron, 9 October 1966 5.30am (from memory) London looks as if he’d much rather hide away in a quiet corner with tr Jupiter moving through his 4th house until next year. His Libra Sun is catching the downbeat tr Saturn square late this October/early November; with a frustrated, blocked tr Pluto square his Solar Arc Mars at the same time running from late this August to mid this November. He doesn’t look any happier thereafter with two nerve-jangled Pluto transits to Neptune midpoints through into 2020; and Neptune continues to dog his steps, or rather undermine his confidence in 2021/22 with debilitating Solar Arcs as well. The only mite of cheer will come from tr Pluto trine his Solar Arc Jupiter, moving closer to his Ascendant, in 2020/21.
His trenchant criticism of former friend and ally Michael Gove whom he saw as betraying him – “behaved appallingly”; “left the truth at home” – won’t have improved relations though he appears to regret the rift.
Gove, 26 August 1967, has his Virgo Sun conjunct Cameron’s Mars in late Leo – so it would always have been an argumentative connection; and Gove’s Saturn in Aries opposes Cameron’s socially charming Sun Venus in Libra. I’d suspect there was a good deal of jealousy on Gove’s part, especially of Cameron’s privileged upbringing.
Their relationship chart has a ratchety, bad-tempered composite Mars Mercury opposition Saturn which suggests a one-sided relationship of all give and not much take. Plus a friendly composite Sun Venus but tied into a disruptive Uranus Pluto which was probably also square the composite Moon – so undercurrents of resentment would constantly be bubbling.
Cameron was equally scathing about Boris but he probably didn’t ever expect much of him, knowing his flaky temperament of old. That relationship chart has a gritty, rough-edged Mars trine Saturn trine a slippery Neptune, formed into a Kite by Saturn opposition Uranus Pluto Moon – it is remarkably tied together as well as difficult – and tied into the Node. Quite a fated connection.
Add on: Cameron has received an unprecedented “astonishingly blunt” rebuke from Buckingham Palace making clear the Queen’s “displeasure and annoyance” at him revealing that he asked her to intervene in the Scottish referendum – as well as tittle tattling other titbits from their meetings during his time as PM. Not protocol at all.
Their relationship chart is horrendous with a composite Sun in a cold opposition to Saturn and an argumentative trine to Mars; with a strained Yod of irritable-dislike Mars sextile Saturn inconjunct a rebellious Uranus and Uranus in a not-in-the-same-space opposition to Venus.
Young arrogant thruster that he was, he probably regarded Royal courtesies as a relic of a bygone era. Much as Boris does.
It would be very interesting to go back over the 14(?) prime ministers in the Queens reign and see who she did get on with. Particularly as she’s unlikely to be bringing her own book out on this (or anything else) anytime soon.
By all accounts the Queen liked or was sympathetic to Churchill, Eden, Hume, Macmillan, Wilson, Callaghan and Major.
She was not so keen on Heath, Thatcher, Blair, Brown etc
So I would guess personality was more important than politics.
What is the memoir called ‘I wrecked the Country and then ran away’ ?
In many ways Cameron rose with barely a ripple. His elevation to the top job in British politics has always struck me as something of a mystery since he only became an MP in 2001 yet was elected leader of his party in 2005 and became Prime Minister in 2010 at just 43. His only experience of office before leading his party was as Shadow Education Secretary for a mere 6 months. Ultimately I think that lack of political miles on the clock did for him.
“Something of a mystery…” …..well…..
“After gaining a first-class degree, he briefly considered a career in journalism or banking, before answering an advertisement for a job in the Conservative Research Department.
Conservative Central Office is reported to have received a telephone call on the morning of his interview in June 1988, from an unnamed man at Buckingham Palace, who said: “I understand you are to see David Cameron.
“I’ve tried everything I can to dissuade him from wasting his time on politics but I have failed. I am ringing to tell you that you are about to meet a truly remarkable young man.” from the BBC website, 2016
I never got Cameron – all superficial smarm and charm with an empty centre. They never really left Oxford University that bunch – still playing games.
Yes, Oxford has much to answer for! It is also interesting, and rather dispiriting, to think that David Cameron is a direct descendant of William IV and his long-standing mistress, comic actress Mrs Jordan. His wife, Samantha, is descended from Charles II and Nell Gwynn, another actress famous for her wit. Privilege has deep roots sometimes.
Thanks Marjorie. I wonder who will buy this book, particularly after its been serialised and all the juicy quotes published in the papers.
And it seems Tony Blair was a much more wily political operator when it came to (not) calling a referendum on the EU. Here’s a quote from The Guardian, 20th April 2004:
“Tony Blair confirmed the biggest u-turn of his premiership today, conceding a referendum on the EU constitution and declaring defiantly: “Let the battle be joined.”
In a statement to a packed Commons chamber, the prime minister said he would “let the people have the final say” on the proposed constitution.
But, in his opening statement, he gave no clue to the likely date of a referendum. Mr Blair confirmed that the UK parliament would debate and vote on the issue first, putting the earliest possible date for a plebiscite at early 2005, close to a likely general election.”
Enoch Powell once wrote :- “All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure,
because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs.” A perfect summary of David Cameron.
He could have been a contender.
Anyone would think he had a new book out to promote ……oh wait…..
Very fair!