David Cameron gambled and lost – he had to go | Martin Kettle

Cameron’s departure is a loss to public life, but hardly unexpected. Modern party leaders tend to leave the stage once the spell of their own power is broken

Enoch Powell’s famous remark that all political careers end in failure was never so apposite as in the case of David Cameron. Three months ago Cameron commanded British politics. He was expecting to be prime minister until 2019. It’s still a mere two months since he left No 10 after six years in the job.

Now he is heading for the exit from Westminster altogether, quitting as a backbench MP after initially promising to stay on until the next election. The air has gone out of his career with astonishing speed. And he’s not yet 50.

Related: David Cameron to resign as MP for Witney with immediate effect

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