“The referendum was inevitable”: David Cameron at Cheltenham Literature Festival

Former Prime Minister and man responsible for the original Brexit referendum, David Cameron, was in Cheltenham last week. He was discussing his recently published book For the Record at the Cheltenham Literature Festival alongside BBC’s Sophie Raworth.

Speaking to the audience at Cheltenham Racecourse on Saturday October 5, Cameron claimed he “completely supports” the current Prime Minister’s efforts to get a deal and obtain Parliament’s vote of confidence. He also said that “If we can’t get a deal then we can’t go being stuck”, adding “There are only three scenarios where we can get unstuck: a deal, a general election or a second referendum”.

When asked the big question, are you sorry for calling the referendum, Cameron replied that he’s “sorry for the aftermath.” But he argued the referendum itself was “inevitable.”

Cameron’s “self-justification” rally was met by Cheltenham 4 Europe protesters outside the venue. Chants included “When I say Cameron, you say wrecker. When I say Johnson, you say liar.”
Rod Gay, treasurer and founder of the organisation, claimed the protest was to “prevent us leaving the EU”, saying “If we do leave, we will be campaigning to go back.”

This isn’t the first and certainly not the last protest by the pro-Europe group. Next week Gay, along with thousands of others, will gather at the ‘Let Us Be Heard’ protest in London, coincidentally during an emergency sitting taking place in the Houses of Parliament.

At the Racecourse Cameron shared memories from sleeping in Barack Obama’s bed on Air Force One (“I bet you know Roosevelt never did this for Churchill”), to taking a selfie with the infamous ‘Larry the Cat’ before departing Number 10. This interview has been one of his first live interviews since leaving Downing Street. However, it seems, former PR man only managed to convince a mostly Times readership audience, that he deserves the public’s redemption.

This event itself was sponsored by the University of Gloucestershire, allowing many students to attend and take part. Student Sophie Matter helped with the research and writing of this article.