Who would have thought it; there’s life after politics. And who would have thought that a Prime Minister, when asked a straight question would provide a straight, honest answer yet still feel the backhand of the press.

When asked, if re-elected in May, whether he would seek a third term as Prime Minister, David Cameron simply said no.

Another five years would take him to 10 years as PM, 15 as Conservative Party leader, and by that time, he said, new minds should take up the mantle.

This is fair enough, surely. Both Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher made the mistake of staying on too long.

In American politics presidents come and go every 4 or 8 years, but ending a British premiership is much more complex. Often brought about by loss of power or confidence of parliament, shock resignation or predictable push, the process can be filled with secrecy, power plays and nastiness.

What really wasn’t a big deal, though, was made into a big deal by the press; the same crowd who bemoan dishonesty in politics, stage management and bland answers at interviews.

Do voters really care if David Cameron, still PM in 2020, steps down at the end of the next parliament? I very much doubt it.

Pundits claim Cameron’s honesty will cost him his authority, kick-start a long drawn-out Tory leadership contest and encourage foreign leaders to ignore his opinions in favour of those of potential successors.

Cameron currently commands higher popularity ratings than his party; surely, you think that might keep Tory colleagues from wielding knives in the short to medium term, but in British politics and in the age of 24/7 press coverage nothing can be taken for granted.

In a prime ministerial political system becoming ever more dominated by presidential-like campaigns, perhaps Cameron’s honesty might sway undecided voters towards voting Tory.

Yet this same honesty can count for nothing within the ruthless political and press establishments so far removed from the lives of regular voters, always chasing the next big thing.