When Cameron heads too deep into the westcountry, whether for work or pleasure, things never seem to go to plan.
Some members of his team are already muttering about the “Curse of Cornwall”.
Lord Young’s resignation today — accepted by Cameron soon after his visit to flood-ravaged Mevagissey – is just one example of many:
1. David Davis quits to mount a crusade for liberty. It may have been a blessing in retrospect. But it probably didn’t seem like that when Cameron was forced to make an emergency statement on the quayside in Newlyn.
2. Egg attack. Cameron is pelted with an egg by Tyler Dixon while glad-handing the good folk of Saltash. “He hit me square on the back,” says Cameron. “It was a good shot.”
3. Andrew MacKay resigns over expenses. A regular campaigning trip to St Austell is marred by Cameron losing a key aide. He tells Cornwall how “angry” he is.
4. An early addition to the family. This is much better news — but it still fits in the “unplanned events” category. Cameron’s summer holiday near Endellion is cut short when his daughter Florence arrives a month early. Cameron admits it was “a bit of a shock”.
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey