Queen’s words of caution on Scottish independence ‘delighted’ Cameron
DAVID CAMERON has revealed his “delight” at the Queen’s warning that Scots should “think very carefully” about the independence referendum.
The Queen’s decision to comment on the referendum to a member of the public a week before the vote in 2014 was seen at the time as a major boost for the campaign to keep Scotland inside the UK.
As she left Crathie Kirk near her Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire after the Sunday morning service on Sept 14 2014, the Queen told a well-wisher: “Well, I hope people will think very carefully about the future.”
In his memoir For The Record, serialised in The Sunday Times, Mr Cameron told how he tried to calm royal nerves about the vote.
The former prime minister said that on his annual visit to the Queen in Scotland two weeks before the vote he found Her Majesty to be “completely charming – the whole household was”.
He continued: “But as Prince Philip showed me the barbecue he had designed … up at the hillside bothy, the referendum was clearly on everyone’s mind. They gingerly asked questions, but knew they shouldn’t express too strong an opinion.”
Mr Cameron described his horror the next morning to read the headline: “Yes vote leads in Scots poll”. He said: “The Queen wasn’t there – she usually had breakfast alone. I was surrounded by ladies-in-waiting, equerries and the moderator of the Church of Scotland.
“I tried to reassure them about ‘rogue polls’, but I was struggling to convince myself, let alone them.
“One week later, however, the Queen … said she hoped Scots would ‘think very carefully’ about the vote. I was delighted.”
The Queen’s remarks were widely interpreted by “No” campaigners as helpful to their cause.
In the serialisation, Mr Cameron also told of how he and his wife Sam first heard his daughter Nancy say the “Fword” during the 2016 EU referendum campaign that led to his resignation.
He wrote: “Nancy had been taking my ‘Conservative In’ campaign badges and giving them to her friends. There had been a contretemps between her and a bigger girl, who had asked if she was for ‘out’ or for ‘in’.
“Nancy replied she was for in. The girl said, ‘Well, f--- you.’ Nancy replied, ‘Well, f--- you too.’ Sam and I had never heard her say the f-word … It was a bit shocking, but rather extraordinary.”
Lord Lilley, the former Conservative Cabinet minister, yesterday criticised Mr Cameron for writing that the Brexit referendum of 2016 had “turned into this terrible Tory psychodrama”.
He urged Mr Cameron to remind people that the Government said it would abide by the result of the vote.
“Most put aside party loyalties and voted on the issue,” he said. “It’s the job of David himself to remind people of the pledge he made at the beginning.”
That pledge, he said, was that “when the British people speak their voice will be respected not ignored”.
Mr Cameron also admitted he is “truly sorry” for the uncertainty and division that followed the Brexit referendum.
Last night, The Sunday Times published new extracts from Mr Cameron’s memoirs, in which he described Michael Gove as a “foam-flecked Faragist” and an “ambassador for the post-truth age”.
He also said there was “something of the night” about Dominic Cummings, who he thought was “dripping poison” into Mr Gove’s ear during the Leave campaign.