David Cameron's memoirs to be based on audio diary

Former prime minister David Cameron's memoirs will be based on a "frank" audio diary he kept during his time in office.

The digital recordings span 53 hours and were made in conversation with Lord Daniel Finkelstein, a columnist at the Times, reported the newspaper. The paper further revealed the pair met for an hour once a month in secrecy to record the entries.

The recordings - made to an unhackable MiniDisc - are said to be about "foreign and domestic encounters and describing his government as it unfolded". 

Lord Daniel Finkelstein, whose idea it was, is said to have probed Cameron for his views on foreign leaders and on his actions and thoughts as events developed. The EU referendum is said to have taken a "significant amount of time" in the recorded discussions.

The report further speculated that "frontrunners" among publishers include Macmillan and Penguin imprint Viking, while several other "leading publishers" are said to have already dropped out of the bidding. The publishers in question,Viking and Macmillan, have not responded to The Bookseller's request for comment.

Agent Ed Victor is representing Cameron, it was reported last week, amid talk Cameron is seeking a book deal to rival Tony Blair's rumoured multimillion advance for his 2010 book A Journey (Hutchinson). Despite the rumoured rivalry, Victor has "privately indicated" the figure Cameron is looking for is "likely to be nearer £2m", according to a report run by the Times over the weekend.