Cameron says we don't need a "washed up", debt-denying politician like Gordon Brown running the IMF

Tim Montgomerie

Interviewed on the Today programme David Cameron appeared to rule out Gordon Brown becoming the head of the IMF. The Prime Minister said that his predecessor was probably not the most appropriate candidate given the way he had denied Britain's own debt problem. Without ruling Mr Brown out - he said he hadn't given the matter much thought - he did give the strongest of hints when he said that the IMF's top job should not go to a "washed up politician".

Also in the interview:

• In the last 24 hours Vince Cable (here) and Chris Huhne (here) have been in very excited form. The Conservative leader said that it was acceptable for Liberal Democrats to express themselves in their own way. What mattered was policy unity and he believed that the Coalition was proving to be a success because it wasn't a "lowest common denominator" government but had agreed strong positions on issues like the deficit, welfare and immigration.
• He refused to criticise Nick Clegg for saying reducing immigration to the tens of thousands was not government policy. It clearly is. He said simply, and diplomatically, that he hoped the policies being put in place would achieve the goal. In the 1980s when net immigration was at the tens of thousands immigration wasn't a hot political issue, David Cameron said, and he hoped that that could become true again.
• Mr Cameron said that sticking with the status quo in the NHS was not sensible because of Britain's ageing population and the rising cost of treatments. The pause in the NHS reforms would be used to improve the reforms and win more support from staff. Cameron did not give any impression that changes to the Lansley plan would be fundamental.
• He agreed, in principle that the Royal succession rules should be changed but that it would take time because it was important all Commonwealth nations were consulted. Jonathan Isaby argued for the change on Saturday.

Ridiculously, Evan Davies was not permitted by the BBC high ups to ask the Prime Minister about AV. Guidelines on balance apparently prevented it. I was also surprised that there were no questions on Libya.

> Listen to the interview.