David Cameron says he will not stand down - even if he loses the EU referendum

'If we vote to leave will we carry out that instruction? Yes. Will I carry on as Prime Minister? Yes'

Sunday 12 June 2016 07:01 EDT

David Cameron tells Andrew Marr a vote for leave would mean a 'lost decade for Britain' (BBC/Marr)

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David Cameron says he will stay on as Prime Minister until the end of this Parliament, regardless of how Britain votes in the EU referendum.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Mr Cameron hinted he would reshuffle his Cabinet to give greater power to pro-Brexit Conservatives in the event of a vote to leave.

Asking about what the Government would look like if the Prime Minister loses the argument on 23 June, Andrew Marr said: “You have said two things: that you will stay on as Prime Minister – presumably until the end of this Parliament… And that you will carry out the wishes of the British people.”

To both statements, Mr Cameron replied “yes”.

He added: “If we vote to leave will we carry out that instruction? Yes. Will I carry on as Prime Minister? Yes. Will I construct a Government that includes all the talents of the Conservative Party? Yes.”

Asked if he agreed with John Major that the NHS would “not be safe in the hands of Boris Johnson, Michael Gove or Iain Duncan Smith”, Mr Cameron said he felt his predecessor had “made a very powerful case for why we should stay in the European Union”.

But he also said: “I have given my self-denying ordinance, I gave it about 10 days ago and it remains in place for the next 13 days. I’m not going to talk about personalities, I’m not going to talk about people… I’m simply going to talk about the arguments and the facts as I see it.

The Prime Minister used the interview to warn that Britain faces a “lost decade” if it votes to withdraw from the EU in a little over a week’s time.

Marr put forecasts to him which suggest the economic impact of Brexit would be less than that of the 2008 global crash, to which Mr Cameron replied: “Who wants to vote for a shallow recession?”

And on the challenge of leading the country if the Leave camp wins, the Prime Minister said leaving the EU would have consequences that would be “very difficult for Government to deal with”.

“But above all, it would be very difficult to deal with for British families. I worry about people losing their jobs,” he said.

The EU referendum debate has so far been characterised by bias, distortion and exaggeration. So until 23 June we we’re running a series of question and answer features that explain the most important issues in a detailed, dispassionate way to help inform your decision.

What is Brexit and why are we having an EU referendum?

Will we gain or lose rights by leaving the European Union?

What will happen to immigration if there's Brexit?

Will Brexit make the UK more or less safe?

Will the UK benefit from being released from EU laws?

Will leaving the EU save taxpayers money and mean more money for the NHS?

What will Brexit do to UK trade?

How Brexit will affect British tourism

What will Brexit mean for British tourists booking holidays in the EU?

Will Brexit help or damage the environment?

Will Brexit mean that Europeans have to leave the UK?

What will Brexit mean for British expats?