Cameron’s gaffe over Queen’s phonecall ‘purr’

David Cameron has been caught unguarded claiming Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II "purred" down the line after he told her Scotland had not voted for independence.

Caught on microphone, the British prime minister’s comments represent a breach of protocol as he discussed a private conversation the Queen after last week’s referendum.

Cameron was heard telling former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg of the relief he felt at not having to inform the Queen that Scotland had left the United Kingdom.

He smiled broadly as he recalled how he was able to tell her it was “all right” after the referendum resulted in a victory for the No camp. He said the polls “should never have been that close”.

Cameron said: “The definition of relief, if you are prime minister of the United Kingdom, is ringing up Her Majesty the Queen and saying ‘Your Majesty, it is all right, it’s okay’. That was something.

“She purred down the line.

“But it should never have been that close. It wasn’t in the end.

“But there was a time in the middle of the campaign when it felt...”

Bloomberg spoke before Cameron finished his sentence in a period of the recording which is inaudible.

Cameron went on: “I’ve said I want to find these polling companies and I want to sue them for my stomach ulcers because of what they put me through.

“It was very nervous moments.”