Demands made for David Cameron to resign following Panama Papers leak

Protestors have surrounded a hotel where David Cameron admitted he had handled the Panama Papers affair badly, in an attempt to force the Prime Minister to resign.

Hundreds of protestors blocked people from entering or leaving the central London venue, which has also been surrounded by police. Activists prevented cars from accessing roads around the venue as well as blocking all of its entrances.

The Grand Connaught Rooms in London are currently hosting the Conservative’s spring forum, an event where David Cameron said that he was to blame for the handling of the affair.

But the venue was also surrounded by hundreds of activists, part of the “Cameron Resign” protests, who are asking the Prime Minister to resign. A heavy police presence guarded entrances to the building, which held many of the Conservatives’ most senior politicians and activists.

Protestors surrounded a car that was attempting to leave the venue, with people jumping on the car, showering it with fake money and chanting slogans about tax avoidance that asked David Cameron to step down.

Mr Cameron himself was able to leave the venue before protestors arrived, some activists suggested. He has come under sustained criticism after admitting that he benefited from the sale of shares in an offshore fund before he entered office.

Protesters gather outside the gates of Downing Street before moving towards the venue of the Tory Spring Conference.

Thousands of people took to the streets of London during a protest that started at Downing Street and then made itself towards the venue for the Conservatives’ spring meeting.

Most of the protesters then made their way back down to the outside of Downing Street to take part in an afternoon of activities, which included speeches by celebrities and TV personalities. Most of those present were families, and the mood was mostly congenial and not especially violent according to people who were on Whitehall, though more hardcore protestors were also thought to be at the event.

David Cameron pig sculpture besides Downing Street.

Around 2,000 to 5,000 people were estimated to have taken part in the protest across its various locations. They were matched by a huge police presence, focused largely on the Conservatives’ meeting near to Covent Garden, and included hundreds of officers and vehicles.

The protests had been organised largely on Facebook, after the ongoing fallout from the Panama Papers tax leak.

Some of those involved in the protest argued that Cameron should only resign if he did not fix tax loopholes. Others committed to stay on Whitehall until Cameron left office.

Inside the venue, David Cameron said that he had not had a “great week”. “”I know there are lessons to learn and I will learn them. Don’t blame Number 10 Downing Street or nameless advisers, blame me,” he said in a stark admission that followed a week of criticism.

Police form a cordon around the Grand Connaught Rooms where the Tory Spring Conference is being held today as protesters gather for the ‘David Cameron: close tax loopholes or resign!’ demonstration.

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