Mr Cameron resigned to make way for a new Prime Minister after the Brexit vote and was succeeded by Theresa May (Picture: Getty)

David Cameron phoned European leaders and then-US president Barack Obama to apologise after his strategy to keep the United Kingdom in the European Union failed.

In his new memoir ‘For the Record’, the former Prime Minister confessed that he was aware of the ‘enormity of what happened’ after the June 23 referendum and admitted that it would ‘stay with me for the rest of my life’.

Another revelation in the book, which is being serialised in The Times ahead of publication, detailed how Boris Johnson reacted to Michael Gove’s betrayal during the 2016 leadership race, with Mr Cameron claiming the now-PM texted him to ask whether Mr Gove was ‘a bit cracked’.



Writing about the morning after the UK chose to leave the EU, Mr Cameron said Downing Street became the ‘political equivalent of The Walking Dead’.


He said: ‘There were phone calls with the other first and deputy first ministers. I spoke to European leaders and to Obama.

Former US president Barack Obama was one of the world leaders Mr Cameron rang after the Brexit vote (Picture: Getty Images)

‘To each I said the same thing: “I had a strategy to keep Britain in the EU. I executed the strategy. It didn’t work. I’m sorry”.

‘As it awaited its next occupants, Downing Street became an eerie place. Power was fading like a dimming lightbulb.

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‘Pre-arranged commitments in my diary kept me busy, but I was beginning to feel like the political equivalent of The Walking Dead.’

Mr Cameron also recalled the tense battle to replace him as PM, saying that he was ‘sad to leave office but even more sad that Britain would be leaving the EU’.

The leadership election saw Mr Gove initially support Mr Johnson in his bid to become PM, but then make a surprise announcement that he was mounting his own challenge, leading the current leader to back out of the contest.

In one extract from the memoir, which is to be published at the weekend, Mr Cameron named Mr Gove a ‘foam-flecked Faragist’.

Mr Cameron’s new memoir ‘For the Record’ comes out on September 19 (Picture: PA)

He wrote: ‘As for Michael, one quality shone through: disloyalty. Disloyalty to me and, later, disloyalty to Boris.’

Mr Cameron added said Mr Johnson wanted to become the ‘darling’ of the Tory party and ‘didn’t want to risk allowing someone else with a high profile – Michael Gove in particular – to win that crown’.

According to his new book, Mr Cameron secretly encouraged Gavin Williamson to help Theresa May, who went on to win the leadership fight.

He also accused Mr Johnson of not believing in Brexit and only backing the Leave Campaign to further his career.

He wrote: ‘The conclusion I am left with is that he risked an outcome he didn’t believe in because it would help his political career.’