Cameron flies to France to tend to sick father

September 08, 2010 08:46 pm | Updated 08:46 pm IST - TOULON, France

This is a March 18, 2010 file photo of Prime Minister David Cameron greeting his father Ian during a visit to The Sun Inn in Swindon, England. AP.

This is a March 18, 2010 file photo of Prime Minister David Cameron greeting his father Ian during a visit to The Sun Inn in Swindon, England. AP.

British Prime Minister David Cameron unexpectedly flew to France on Wednesday after his father suffered a stroke while on vacation, the leader’s office said.

Mr. Cameron, who returned to work on Tuesday following the birth of a daughter, missed his first question session with lawmakers since Parliament resumed after a summer break.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mr. Cameron’s office said the leader had been told his 77—year—old father had “a stroke and heart complications while on holiday in France.”

An official with the Font—Pre Hospital in Toulon, on the French Riviera, confirmed that Ian Cameron was admitted to the hospital there on Wednesday morning.

The official, who declined to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media, said French law prevented him from providing any details about Mr. Cameron’s condition.

Mr. Cameron’s spokesman Steve Field said Mr. Cameron’s father and his wife, Mary, had been vacationing in southern France.

Mr. Field said Mr. Cameron was not accompanied by his wife or children, but that other family members were travelling to France.

Mr. Cameron’s father Mr. Ian, a retired stockbroker, had previously had both of his legs amputated and uses a wheelchair.

In an interview before Britain’s election in May, Mr. Cameron described his father’s refusal to allow his disability to impede his life.

“My father is a huge hero figure for me. He’s an amazingly brave man because he was born with no heels, quite a disability,” Mr. Cameron told ITV television. “I think I got my sense of optimism from him”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg stood in for the 43—year—old Mr. Cameron at the House of Commons questions session, the weekly showdown that offers lawmakers the chance to address the premier directly.

“We wish him, his father and their family all our best wishes at this difficult time,” Mr. Clegg told lawmakers.

Mr. Cameron and his wife Samantha’s fourth child, Florence Rose Endellion Cameron, was born on August 24. The family have two other children, Elwen and Nancy. Their eldest son Ivan, who had epilepsy and cerebral palsy, died last year aged six.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.