David Cameron’s swansong humming in Downing Street was caused by intense nerves not delight
Ex-PM was panicking he was going to be locked out of No10, we can reveal
THE secret behind David Cameron’s infamous Downing Street hum is today revealed – he panicked that he would be locked out of No10.
The outgoing PM was overheard striking up a tune as he walked back into the building on Monday.
As Mr Cameron had just announced the timing of his handover to Theresa May to waiting TV cameras, it was taken by the world as a sign of his delight he was leaving power.
But his former Communications Director Craig Oliver has revealed the hum was out of intense nerves that the building’s famous black door was not going to be opened for him.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Week in Westminster programme, Mr Oliver said: “I asked the PM what the tune was, and he said there wasn’t really one.
“He was just nervous that someone wasn’t going to reopen the door.
“There was a very, very pregnant pause before someone opened the door and he thought he might be stranded there”.
RELATED STORIES
Mr Oliver also revealed that Mr Cameron and wife Sam decided to show their children to the world publicly for the first time during his Downing Street exit as “a way as a family of remembering what had happened to them”.
Mr Oliver explained: “He wanted it to be something for them to remember as well.
“It was a nice punctuation mark for them”.
The ex-PM also took Nancy, 12, Elwen, 10, and five year-old Florence to Buckingham to resign in front of the Queen.
Detailing the Cameron family’s final moments in No10, Mr Oliver also revealed the corridors were lined with staff to see them off.
He added: “The Prime Minister came down with Sam and the children, and he was high fiving some people and smiling.
“You could see tears in the eyes, it was a very touching moment.”