David Cameron: A look back over his time as Tory leader

He will visit the Queen to hand in his resignation before holding his final Prime Minister’s Questions.

There has been speculation he will now step down as an MP but member of Conservative Future Liam Walker said “he’s not going anywhere”.

Mr Walker, 26, from Witney, said he was sad to see Mr Cameron stepping down after six years in the top job.

He said: “He’s been an incredible PM and has helped taken our country from the dark days of Labour to a country that is prosperous, strong and full of opportunities for the next generation.

“He’s definitely staying on as MP for Witney. They are moving into the new office in Parliament so he’s not going anywhere.”

• Mr Cameron and wife Samantha, shortly after he was elected as Witney MP in 2001.

As Theresa May prepares to take the reins, many have been paying tribute to what Mr Cameron has achieved while in office.

His right-hand man, Chancellor George Osborne, led praise of the Prime Minister as he bid farewell to his top team by chairing an “emotional” final Cabinet meeting.

Cabinet ministers spoke of a “sad day”, but also Mr Cameron’s determination to remain upbeat and continue to drive the one-nation Conservative agenda as he prepared to hand over power to Mrs May.

His time has been marked by a series of big political gambles.

And although his last gambit on the EU Referendum failed to pay off, there were plenty of times the self-proclaimed ‘heir to Blair’ pulled it off.

He was selected as candidate in Witney in April 2000, winning the seat a year later.

• Mr Cameron campaigning with Lord Hurd in Witney before being selected for Witney.

In 2005, the leadership of the party became available and despite being considered one of the outsiders, Mr Cameron was selected for the top job.

It marked the start of a major effort to reposition the Conservatives, who new Prime Minister Theresa May had warned were seen as “the nasty party”. 

In July 2006 he gave his now-famous ‘hug a hoody’ speech, breaking away from the traditional tough Tory stance on crime by calling for more understanding of young people.

Three years later, he and his wife Samantha were struck by tragedy when their eldest child, Ivan, who had cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy, died aged six.

The Camerons at the time said they were “hugely grateful” to NHS staff who looked after Ivan, who had “helped every day” since Ivan was born. 

• Clive Stone, the late campaigner, with Mr Cameron. The two worked together to set up the NHS Cancer Drugs Fund.

Protecting the NHS from cuts was later to become a key campaign pledge of the Conservatives as they went into battle for the General Election in 2010.

Standing on a platform of “We’re all in this together”, Mr Cameron failed to win a majority. 

But after striking a deal with Nick Clegg, he negotiated a new coalition government with the Liberal Democrats. a move previously seen as unthinkable, and the Witney MP became the youngest PM since 1812.

The coalition government was to pass a number of controversial laws, including higher fees in universities and the Academies Act, which cleared the way for many more academies and free schools.

One of the most risky decisions for the Conservatives – but one Mr Cameron has said he was most proud of – was passing the Gay Marriage Bill in 2013. It prompted a backbench rebellion of 139 Tory MPs. 

The following year, the Government led a closely-fought campaign to keep Scotland in the UK and secured victory despite a late surge from the Scottish National Party under Alex Salmond.

• David and Samantha Cameron outside 10 Downing Street after the Conservatives secured a majority in the 2015 General Election.

On the back of this win came a general election eight months later. But defying expectations again, Mr Cameron and the Conservatives won an outright majority.

This new government's first year came with the announcement of a new National Living Wage and a devolution deal with Manchester, the first of its kind with a regional city.

But the agenda was soon to be dominated by Europe again, as Mr Cameron’s long-promised renegotiation arose.

At home in Oxfordshire, meanwhile, the Prime Minister was embarrassed by leaked letters – obtained by the Oxford Mail – which showed him criticising cuts being made by Oxfordshire County Council.

The story was picked up by the national media, but Mr Cameron continued to insist it was possible to keep children’s centres open despite more than £300m of budget savings.

• Mr Cameron with Oxfordshire County Council leader Ian Hudspeth. The pair's robust exchange about cuts made national headlines.

Later, his mother and aunt even waded into the debate when they signed petitions for the centres to be saved. 

But things soon returned to the EU referendum, with Mr Cameron staking his reputation on keeping the country in the trading bloc.

Despite a series of pleas to the electorate and warnings of the economic uncertainty Brexit could bring, he was ultimately unsuccessful and decided he had no choice but to resign.

Just hours after the result became clear, his voice cracking, Mr Cameron told the gathered world media: “I love this country and I feel honoured to have served it.

“And I will do everything I can in future to help this great country succeed.”