Summary Cameron smiled as he left his residence ot 10 Downing Street
LONDON (AFP) - British Prime Minister David Cameron arrived at Buckingham Palace for a private audience with Queen Elizabeth II on Monday that signals the official start of Britain s election campaign.
Cameron will formally ask the 88-year-old monarch to dissolve parliament ahead of a general election on May 7 that will be closely fought between his Conservatives and the opposition Labour party.
The audience is now purely a formality as a law for fixed-term parliaments was passed by Cameron s government, spelling out the dates for when the parliamentary term ends and when elections are held.
Cameron smiled as he left his residence ot 10 Downing Street, while a crowd of tourists watched the traditional daily changing of the guard ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace just before he arrived.
