Ken Clarke

[Bergen]

Clarke is "minded" to retire from the Commons after nearly 50 years. Won`t stand at the next election.

I have never been an a conservative myself, but as an observer of british politics over the last decade, I have always valued his speeches and interviews. I think he will be missed.

[mildandbitter]

His interview with James O'Brien is worth tracking down. It's a podcast from O'Brien's Full Disclosure series.

[Disoriented]

A politician in the best sense.

[RedDwarf 1881]

Clarke is "minded" to retire from the Commons after nearly 50 years. Won`t stand at the next election.

I have never been an a conservative myself, but as an observer of british politics over the last decade, I have always valued his speeches and interviews. I think he will be missed.

Good , he can P*** O**

[Thor]

He was also a very good chancellor arguably the best in my lifetime.

[EastDerehamO]

While I don’t agree with Clarke on the EU, I’ve always liked him, and as said above he’s always worth listening to. I was never a Tory and he was one of the few ministers in the Thatcher government I had time for. Will be missed when he goes.

[slacker]

Clarke comes across as a congenial old raconteur these days, but he was always a tobacco industry shill, and happy to do Thatcher’s bidding and break communities as the country’s assets were privatised, inequality got out of hand, and unions weakened.

[Max B Gold]

Clarke comes across as a congenial old raconteur these days, but he was always a tobacco industry shill, and happy to do Thatcher’s bidding and break communities as the country’s assets were privatised, inequality got out of hand, and unions weakened.

Correct. He will be pleased you omitted his tendency to grope young men's balls without consent from your very fair summary of his blighted existence.

His time has come and gone. He's keeping a young person out of a highly well paid job. So it's a GTF from me.

[The Mindsweep]

Clarke comes across as a congenial old raconteur these days, but he was always a tobacco industry shill, and happy to do Thatcher’s bidding and break communities as the country’s assets were privatised, inequality got out of hand, and unions weakened.

This

[Thor]

⁷

Clarke comes across as a congenial old raconteur these days, but he was always a tobacco industry shill, and happy to do Thatcher’s bidding and break communities as the country’s assets were privatised, inequality got out of hand, and unions weakened.

This

So then the labour party under Blair who had the biggest majority in living memory could have reversed some of those privitised services. Let's face facts they inherited the strongest economy this country had ever had.

So do tell which ones did they renationalise?

[Dunners]

Oh come on, Thor. You know damn well that most Labour voters/supporters/members decry the Blair administration as being Red Tory. Which your very (tedious) question demonstrates. New Labour merely applied some liberal social policies on top of continuing the right wing economic and fiscal policies of the Major administration.


Not that I'm suggesting a (Real) Labour government would actually renationalise either, BTW.

[Thor]

True Dunners. I always wanted them to take back control of the railways, Prescott certainly said he was going to do it and then realised it ain’t gonna happen. So instead of bringing it back home they went and screwed up the underground by privatising that and proper messing it up.

The clever part of privitisation is that they sell us a company we as tax payers already own! A master stroke.

[Disoriented]

Clarke comes across as a congenial old raconteur these days, but he was always a tobacco industry shill, and happy to do Thatcher’s bidding and break communities as the country’s assets were privatised, inequality got out of hand, and unions weakened.

Correct. He will be pleased you omitted his tendency to grope young men's balls without consent from your very fair summary of his blighted existence.

[SalfordO]

In my view Clarke is a bit like a footballer who refuses to play in the position he is picked for.

He is selected to play as a right winger, but keeps drifting to the left wing, leaving his team harmed as a result

[Forty-Niner]

One thing in his favour: he didn't stick rigidly to the party lines when speaking.

[Buckingham]

Isn’t he the last chancellor to give a budget speech whilst drinking a glass of scotch?