Cameron: 'I thought I'd failed'

David Cameron was convinced that his bid to oust Gordon Brown had failed until the last minute, it has been revealed.

Mr Cameron was caught by surprise by Mr Brown's decision to step down, and had to ring wife Samantha and tell her to "get your frock on" as they were going to Buckingham Palace.

And he revealed that when the Queen asked him to form a Government, he was unable to say what kind of administration he could construct.

The revelations came in a BBC2 documentary on the dramatic five days following the inconclusive result of the May 6 General Election and the frenzied negotiations over the formation of a new Government.

After four days in which Mr Cameron's overtures appeared to be paving the way for coalition with the Liberal Democrats, Westminster was shocked on Monday, May 10 by Mr Brown's announcement that the third party had asked to open talks with Labour.

Mr Cameron told the documentary Five Days That Changed Britain that he believed he would not be Prime Minister. He said: "I remember saying, it's not going to happen, I'm going to be leader of the Opposition."