David Cameron’s demise is humiliating and unprecedented

Chillaxed was a word associated with David Cameron when he was prime minister. He looked anything but when he appeared before MPs during two lengthy select committees investigating his lobbying activities on behalf of the now-bust fintech company Greensill Finance.

One of Mr Cameron’s problems is that he is now even more friendless than most former premiers and party leaders inevitably grow as their time in power recedes into what’s called contemporary history. Mr Cameron is doubly cursed because not only did he not get the result he campaigned for in the 2016 Brexit referendum, but in doing so he laid the foundations for the rise of Boris Johnson. Though – or perhaps because – they are both products of Eton, Oxford and the Bullingdon Club, there is no love lost between the pair. Nor is there any remaining affection between Michael Gove and his former best man, Mr Cameron.

The ex-premier has been left to twist in the wind by his former colleagues, deprived of any major government announcements and spin activity that might have helped spare his blushes. Anyone watching the proceedings might, in fact, be forgiven for thinking that the various Tory backbenchers tearing chunks out of their former leader had been tipped the wink by the current party hierarchy, and told to enjoy themselves at “Dave’s” expense.

It was humiliating, and unprecedented. Even Tony Blair’s many appearances before the inquiries into the Iraq War at least had the merit that they were about his conduct in office and over important life-and-death matters of policy, untainted by personal gain and a link with an outfit described by Lord Myners as a “Ponzi scheme” (an accusation denied by Greensill). No previous prime minister has had to face such a barrage of personal criticism (though some may have deserved it but escaped it); and few have seen their reputation sink so far and so fast. Mr Johnson must no doubt be extracting much satisfaction from the exquisite squirming of his predecessor. Long gone is the “Flashman” swaggering Cameron who once told Jeremy Corbyn to “do up your tie” and Tony Blair that “you were the future once”.

Like the great Brexit blunder, Mr Cameron – who told MPs he had not broken any rules and had acted in the public interest – must know that he has only himself to blame for misjudgements. He backed a tightening up on the rules on ministers and officials who take jobs in industry.

The reason no previous prime minister has been hauled before a parliamentary committee in this way is that none has behaved in this way. Plenty have made money on the lecture circuit for themselves or their various foundations and favourite charities, and been happy to advise or sit on the boards of companies, but thus far none have bugged serving minsters for money. Mr Cameron was likely not given his role by Greensill Capital merely because of his experience and knowledge of geopolitical affairs, but precisely because Lex Greensill knew that Rishi Sunak, Tom Scholar and Matt Hancock would pick the phone up to him. Mr Greensill may or may not have known the extent to which Mr Cameron would abase himself to help Greensill Capital, but the former prime minister certainly made the effort. And it doesn’t look good.

The great, painful, irony in this wince-inducing incident is that Greensill Capital got nothing out of the Treasury or the Bank of England, for better or worse. The “system”, to that extent, worked, but of course it might not, and it was and is unacceptable that someone in Mr Cameron’s position was able to try it on, because he might have succeeded for all the wrong reasons.

Mr Cameron pleads that there is no road map for ex-prime ministers, which is true, but there are some well-trodden paths. There are memoirs to be written, scores to settle and speeches to be made. Senior corporate or international roles, if taken, are carefully considered and have to be consonant with the prestige of the premiership. The post at Greensill wasn’t suitable, even without hindsight, and nor do such positions have to be taken. 

The likes of Clement Attlee and Harold Wilson effectively retired and had little to do with business or politics after they left the Commons. Harold Macmillan went back to the family publishing business, and James Callaghan to his farm. Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair devoted themselves to their foundations, and telling their successors what to do. Theresa May, like Ted Heath, looks set on a long career sulking on the back benches. Winston Churchill painted and wrote his version of history. Gordon Brown sticks to worthy causes, including saving the union.

Mr Cameron tried something different, and failed. He could do a lot worse than take the backhanded advice of Danny Dyer, and put his trotters up somewhere like Nice, or maybe in his £25,000 “shepherd’s hut”.