David William Duncan Cameron

Cameron, David William Duncan (kămˈərən) [key], 1966–, British politician, b. London. Educated at Eton and Oxford, he worked for the Conservative party's research department beginning in 1988, became an adviser to two high-ranking government ministers, and headed corporate communications (1994–2001) for a media company. After an unsuccessful campaign for Parliament in 1997, he won a seat as a Conservative in 2001 and advanced rapidly in the party as a protégé of party leader Michael Howard, becoming shadow education secretary in 2005. Seen as a youthful modernizer, he was elected (Dec., 2005) to succeed the resigning Howard as party leader. Cameron worked to transform the Conservatives into a less ideological, more centrist party, and in the 2010 parliamentary elections the party secured a plurality. Forming a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats, Cameron became prime minister.