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They say mother knows best – and in David Cameron’s case it certainly seems to be true.

The Prime Minister’s mum Mary has signed a petition aimed at stopping Tory cuts.

Jill Huish, who runs the campaign that Mary backed, said: “It shows how deep austerity is cutting our most vulnerable when even David Cameron ’s mum has had enough.”

Mary, 81, signed a petition railing against Conservative cuts to “essential services”.

She put her name to the battle to save dozens of children’s centres that a Tory-run council is poised to close to save £8million.

Local authorities in England have had their government funding slashed by 40% since Mr Cameron entered Downing Street in 2010.

(Image: Rex)

Now his mum, a retired magistrate, hopes to stop Tory attacks on public services .

She signed a petition calling on Oxfordshire county council to save 44 children’s centres.

Read more:Tories face claims thousands of pounds of election spending not properly declared

Backed by campaign group 38 Degrees and signed by an estimated 10,000 people online and in person, it says: “Our Children’s Centres are a lifeline to new parents who rely on locally accessible advice and support at a time when it is most needed.

“Cutting these essential services would leave families vulnerable and isolated, and fail an entire generation of children.”

The petition carried Save Oxfordshire’s Children’s Centres colourful logo and was addressed to the council and Melinda Tilley, the Cabinet member responsible for children’s services.

(Image: Desmond Brambley)

Speaking at her cottage in a Berkshire village, Mrs Cameron told the Mirror: “My name is on the petition but I don’t want to discuss this any further.”

It is believed she signed the petition while visiting Oxfordshire.

Mr Cameron is the MP for Witney, Oxon, and clashed with council leader Ian Hudspeth last year over cuts.

Labour mocked the PM as the “leader of the anti-austerity movement in Oxfordshire” after he said he was “disappointed” at planned cuts to museums, libraries and day centres for the elderly.

Mr Hudspeth hit back pointing out they were a result of Mr Cameron’s bid to reduce the deficit, which had been “central to the manifesto” for last May’s general election victory.

(Image: Oxford Mail)

Jill added: “While our local authority and our Prime Minister squabble over whose fault it is that there are 95 separate cuts planned for Oxfordshire, we are the people who will suffer without our frontline services.”

Mrs Cameron has intervened in her son’s career before.

Asked in 2013 about his support for gay marriage despite opposition from Tory grassroots, she reportedly replied: “I know, but David just won’t be told.”

During 30 years as a magistrate, she passed judgment on Greenham Common protesters, including on one occasion her own sister, and eco-warrior Swampy, who was protesting against the construction of the Newbury bypass.

Mr Cameron even spoke about his mother’s courtroom role at Prime Minister’s Questions in July 2010.

(Image: Getty Images)

Then acting Labour leader Harriet Harman quizzed him about short jail sentences, saying: “In the election he told us that his mother was a magistrate and that she told him that magistrates needed the power of short sentences.”

The PM hit back: “I am delighted that you brought up the issue of my mother, who served on the Newbury bench for many, many years.

“I have to say that ... one of the biggest challenges that she had, and one of the reasons why she needed to hand out so many short sentences, was badly behaved CND protesters outside Greenham Common.”

* You can join David Cameron's mum and sign the petition to save the children's centres here