David Cameron’s father dies after suffering stroke

David Cameron had earlier flown to France to be with his parents after being informed by doctors of his father’s condition at 6am this morning.

Ian Cameron suffered a stroke and heart complications while on a family holiday.

The prime minister was accompanied by his brother Alex and sister Clare on a 09:30 flight this morning from London’s City airport.

French President Nicholas Sarkozy had arranged for a helicopter to fly Mr Cameron to the hospital near Toulon.

A Downing Street spokesman said 77-year-old Ian had died shortly after the Prime Minister had arrived.

“It is with deep regret that we can confirm Ian Cameron died earlier this afternoon,” the spokesman said.

“He passed away shortly after the PM arrived at the hospital in France where he was receiving treatment.”

Friends said Mr Cameron was “relieved” to have been at the bedside, and was “pleased” that his father died peacefully and during a “happy family holiday”.

Ian Cameron and his wife Mary had been in France on a two-week-long holiday.

He was born with a condition that left his legs severely deformed from the knees downwards, but had a successful career as a stockbroker.

During the election campaign, the prime minister revealed how his parents had “inspired him”.

In an ITV interview, the Conservative leader said: “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. But the glass with him was half-full, normally with something alcoholic. I think I got my sense of optimism from him.”

David Cameron had returned to work yesterday after spending two weeks on paternity leave, following the birth of his daughter Florence during a family holiday in Cornwall.

A Downing Street spokesman said he did not believe Ian Cameron had met his new granddaughter.

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg replaced Mr Cameron at today’s prime minister’s questions, where he faced the shadow justice minister Jack Straw.

The deputy prime minister had told MPs: “We wish him, his father and their family all best wishes at this difficult time.”

Mr Straw added that the prime minister had made “exactly the right decision” to be with his parents.

Political editor Gary Gibbon said Mr Cameron was expected back in the UK tomorrow.

“The feeling is – when you consider what sort of things Mr Cameron has been through recently, going back to the death of his son Ivan at the beginning of last year – he’s proved that he can process enormous emotional material, talk about it as well, articulate it, and I’m sure behind the scenes we will see him process that information and in time, come forward and talk about the loss of his father,” he said.