Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Harry Clarke CH QC, often known as Ken Clarke, is a British Conservative politician who has represented Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire as a Member of Parliament since 1970...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth2 July 1940
sorry party years
I am sorry to upset my colleagues by saying we wasted four years in opposition, but if you do get so badly defeated as a party you do have to face up to some painful facts and you do have to change.
country differences cost
Energetic action on debt would make a radical difference to the prospects of many of the poorest countries in the world, at no practical cost to creditor countries.
believe law bombs
However, we do not lack anti-terrorist laws. I do not believe that the recent London bombs were the result of any deficiencies in our legal system.
party eight years
I am getting frustrated by the fact that we have been out of office for eight years. I desperately want to lead the Conservative Party to make quicker progress back into power.
nursing ministers prime
Of course I'd have loved to be Prime Minister. But I'm not nursing a grievance.
war iraq leaving
It would be immoral to walk away from the consequences of our actions, leaving behind anarchy and civil war in Iraq.
trying politics influence
I have certainly not got re-elected to retire, and I shall certainly start trying to push my influence in politics as far as I possibly can
europe agendas addresses
A balanced tone on Europe will free us to address in depth the domestic economic and social agenda which we neglected throughout the last Parliament.
home thinking wings
In these home affairs things I think occasionally it's the duty of politicians on both sides to turn round to the tabloids and right-wing newspapers and say 'you have your facts wrong and you're whipping up facts which are inaccurate
business abiding difficult
I have acquired a deep and abiding respect for all those engaged in the difficult business of commerce.
nuts culture proportion
I am certainly not a blogger. Quite a large proportion of them are nuts and extremists - with the honourable exception of the culture secretary.
trust party winning
I trust that whoever leads the Conservative Party actually pays regard to my advice on how we should conduct ourselves and I personally will obviously support whoever eventually wins.
party men aggravation
The political health of Britain has deteriorated very sharply. The Conservative Party must do something about it. I am the man to do it.
party people voting
The Conservative Party have got to ask themselves, 'How do we persuade people who at the moment are voting Labour and Liberal Democrat to vote Conservative