David Cameron resigns: Former Prime Minister's MP resignation statement in full

David Cameron's resigntation statement as an MP in full:

I spoke to the chairman of the West Oxfordshire Conservatives this morning and I’ve just come from a meeting with my staff here in Witney and I’ve met with my staff in London. 

Look, I thought about this long and hard over the summer and I decided that the right thing to do was to stand down at the member of Parliament for Witney. There’ll be a by-election, I’ll give the Conservative candidate my full support but in my view with modern politics, with the circumstances of my resignation, it isn’t really possible to be a proper backbench MP as a former prime minister.

I think everything you do would become a big distraction and a big diversion for what the government needs to do for our country. I support Theresa May, I think she’s got off to a great start, I think she can be a strong Prime Minister for our country.

I don’t want to be that distraction. I want Witney to have a new MP who can play a full part in parliamentary and political life without being a distraction. 

I want to thank everybody here in West Oxfordshire who have been so supportive. It has been a great honour and privilege to serve this area and to serve these brilliant people. I’m going to go on living locally, I’ll go on supporting local causes and the local charities that make this such a great place in our country.

But obviously I’m going to have to start building a life outside Westminster. I hope I’ll continue to contribute in terms of public service and of course contribute to this country I love so much.