Tory grandee Ken Clarke was caught on camera today revealing what he really thinks about the Conservative leadership contenders. I think if Michael Gove was prime minister we’d go to war with at least three countries at once.
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Appearing unaware that he was being filmed, the veteran politician made the comments while speaking to former British foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind. “The idea of Boris as prime minister is ridiculous”. “We believe that there is a strong public interest in their views being known”.
Mr Clarke then responded: “She is not one of the tiny band of lunatics who think we can have a sort of glorious economic future outside the single market”.
The astonishing attack was prompted by the Justice Secretary knifing Boris Johnson in the back by abandoning his leadership bid and setting up on his own.
“The thing I don’t know is she’s been at the Home Office for far too long, so I only know on detail what her views are on the Home Office”.
I mean, Theresa is a bloody hard woman but you and I worked with Margaret Thatcher.
She’s alright, I get on alright with her, and she’s good.
Mr Clarke said he thought he would “wind up voting Theresa”, but would support Mr Crabb in the initial stages, even though he does not know what the work and pensions secretary stands for on many issues. Theresa May also came under fire from Clarke who called her a “bloody hard woman” but pointed out that both he and Rifkind had already worked with Margaret Thatcher.
THERESA May, dubbed a “bloody hard woman” by former chancellor Ken Clarke, looks certain to top the Tory leadership poll tonight, gathering support from more than half of the 330 Conservative MPs.
The discussion was recorded while Mr Clarke was waiting to be interviewed on Sky News.
But despite her apparent lack of foreign experience, he said he’d probably plump for Mrs May.
‘So long as she understands that she’s not to deliver on some of the extremely stupid things she’s been saying’.
He added that neither Ms Leadsom nor Mr Johnson were in favour of leaving the European Union, suggesting the energy minister had had a “Pauline conversion”. I know that she said something, this remark a couple of years ago.
The Conservative leadership contest is now underway, with a victor set to be picked by early September and installed ahead of the party’s annual conference in Birmingham.
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One of the five candidates will be eliminated on Tuesday evening, followed by subsequent rounds of voting on Thursday and next Tuesday until just two remain.
