Why did Cameron push for Brexit?

[white_wolf]

I've been following this for a few days now, stayed up late last night watching the results roll in and heard the news of Cameron's resignation. One thing I can't figure out is why he pushed for this referendum. He came out firmly in support of Camp Remain and he had to know he was taking a huge risk so what was the gain?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. He was hoping to shut down EuroCritics in his party and elsewhere in the UK. Backfired bigtime. nt

[Skinner]

3. This.

Yup.

[spanone]

2. he underestimated the power of the lie.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/nigel-farage-says-the-million-pledge-to-fund-the-nhs-w?utm_term=.noNRor2y#.atA1vl03

[BootinUp]

4. It was a way to unite his party. nt

[Warpy]

5. It was one of the deals with the devil he made to gain power.

In 2013, besieged by the increasingly assertive anti-European Union wing of his own Conservative Party, Mr. Cameron made a promise intended to keep a short-term peace among the Tories before the 2015 general election: If re-elected, he would hold an in-or-out referendum on continued British membership in the bloc.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/22/world/europe/david-cameron-brexit-european-union.html?_r=0

[lapfog_1]

6. He thought this would be another Scotland referendum

and that no one would vote for Brexit... and it would shut up the EU critics in his party.

[pampango]

7. He thought he could give UKIP and the 'tea party' wing of his own party what they wanted and it

would shut them up when they lost. He underestimated the power of fear and hate. Trump is counting on the same calculation.

[BeyondGeography]

8. Because he thought he would win

Massive constitutional change delivered by a simple popular majority on a referendum vote. Why didn't the founders think of that?

[procon]

9. As a political power play, it was an epic fail.

It brings to mind the Republicans and their 60+ failed attempts to tear down Obamacare, or their repeated blackmail threats to (hold their breath) shut down the government unless (the adults give them candy) their demands are met.

[LeftishBrit]

10. He didn't - he supported Remain from the beginning. He probably didn't want the referendum, but gave

into huge pressures from the right wing of his party.

Cameron has never been good at standing up to pressure; and he doubtless feared that the Brexiteers would end his career, as they did Heath's and Major's. Of course, his career is now ruined in a worse way than if he'd been pushed out for resisting the referendum.

[edhopper]

11. he's not very smart.

[Recursion]

12. He thought Remain would win and it would shut Boris up

Instead Boris is going to be PM, probably. He gambled and lost.

[NuclearDem]

13. Because he wanted pig fucking to not be the worst part of his legacy anymore, apparently.

[texstad79]

14. Epic fail!

His mismanagement will probably lead to the end of the UK as we know it.

As pointed out it was a ploy to ensure Tory unity for the 2015 GE and misfired horribly.

DC might go down as the worst PM ever.