David Cameron gets rousing reception at ’emotional’ final Cabinet meeting as ministers thump table in traditional send-off
Theresa May enters Downing Street a day before it becomes her new home as Britain's second female PM
DAVID Cameron was given a rousing sendoff at an 'emotional' final Cabinet meeting as Theresa May entered Number 10 just a day before it becomes her new home.
The handover of power from one Prime Minister to another also got underway, as a removal van was spotted at Downing Street as Mr Cameron addressed his ministers for the 215th and last time.
The Home Secretary smiled for the cameras as she entered the most famous address in politics, as she mulls over who to appoint to her top team before she takes over as as Tory leader and becomes Britain's second female Prime Minister tomorrow.
She was joined by her Cabinet colleagues in 'banging out' the outgoing PM, a traditional send-off where MPs thump their fists on the table.
A spokesman for the PM said there four rounds of the ritual, before Mrs May and George Osborne led tributes to Mr Cameron, although Michael Gove did not speak.
His successor said he had the "warmth and respect" from his ministers, and in return he said he hoped she would receive the "support and friendship he had received in his role".
Business minister Anna Soubry said he has a legacy of "incredibly important" reforms such as legalising gay marriage and paid tribute to his demeanour.
"He's astonishing - he's upbeat, positive," she said after the meeting.
"We discussed our absolute determination, which brings us all together as Tories, to tackle the problems of deprivation," she said.
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said there was a "touch of sadness" about the meeting but told Sky News: "It was emotional but quite rightly we spent a long time on the Government business, but then we had a period during which we could raise tributes to the extraordinary service the Prime Minister has given, led on by George Osborne and Theresa May."
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers insisted Mr Cameron is leaving Britain in a better state than when he took office in 2010.
She said: "He's changed our party for the better, he's changed our country for the better, he's also given me huge opportunities, so for me it was a kind of sad day to see David Cameron's last Cabinet meeting.
"But I'm sure our country is in safe hands with Theresa May."
But after the Tory leadership contest was curtailed by the withdrawal of Andrea Leadsom he and his family are left with little time to pack up after six years in the upstairs flat.
And a large blue removal truck was seen passing through security at Downing Street as the Camerons pack up and leave at just 48 hours notice.
After Mr Cameron holds his last Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons he will go to Buckingham Palace to offer his resignation to the Queen.
Mrs May will take up office tomorrow night, having had just over 48 hours to put together a new team to lead the Government and deal with Brexit negotiations.
The position of Chancellor and prominent Remain campaigner George Osborne is thought to be under threat however, after the historic vote to leave the European Union.
Observers will be keen to see how the new PM handles Brexit-backing Tories such as Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Andrea Leadsom, who handed her the keys to No 10 by pulling out of the leadership race on Monday after a torrid few days of negative headlines.
Even before arriving at Downing Street, Mrs May was facing calls for a snap general election from Labour, who said it was "crucial" that the UK has a "democratically-elected prime minister" at a time of economic and political instability.
Mrs May set her face against a snap election when she launched her campaign for the Tory leadership on June 30, saying: "There should be no general election until 2020."
Mrs May But other parties are likely to remind her of Mr Cameron's demand for an immediate election in 2007 on the grounds that Tony Blair's successor Gordon Brown "doesn't have the mandate (and) wasn't elected as prime minister".
But her backers such as Commons Leader Chris Grayling stressed that Mrs May was a senior member in the Tory team which won a majority at the 2015 general election.
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She also moved to reassure Eurosceptic Tories that "Brexit means Brexit" and that she will pull the country out of the EU despite being a Remain supporter during the EU referendum campaign.
And she set out her One Nation vision of "a country that works not for the privileged few, but that works for every one of us", adding: "We are going to give people more control over their lives and that's how together we will build a better Britain."
Mr Cameron, meanwhile, said he was "delighted" that 59-year-old Mrs May would replace him in Downing Street.
Speaking outside No 10 on Monday, he said: "She is strong, she is competent, she is more than able to provide the leadership that our country is going to need in the years ahead and she will have my full support."
He appeared sanguine at the prospect of leaving Downing Street, singing a short tune as he entered No 10's famous front door after outlining the plan for succession.