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FORMER TORY MINISTER Ken Clarke has been caught on camera tearing into the field of candidates lining up to replace David Cameron as Prime Minister.
Appearing unaware that he was being filmed, the veteran politician made the comments while speaking to former British foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind.
Across the board Clarke seemed to be pretty down on the lineup vying for the leadership of the Conservative party, and has come under fire for referring to frontrunner Theresa May as a “bloody difficult woman”.
The discussion is instigated by Rifkind, who says: “I don’t mind who wins, as long as Gove goes and becomes third [sic]“.
Clarke then says: “I don’t think the membership will vote for Gove.”
He then goes on:
I remember being in a discussion once about something to do in somewhere like Syria or Iraq and he was so wild that I remember exchanging looks with Liam Fox, who’s much more right wing than me.
I think if Michael Gove was prime minister we’d go to war with at least three countries at once.
Clarke also showed himself to be no fan of Gove’s fellow Leave campaigner Boris Johnson, saying:
He did us all a favour by getting rid of Boris. The idea of Boris as prime minister is ridiculous.
He also reflected that Johnson’s fellow Leave campaigner and current dark horse in the Tory party leadership race Andrea Leadsom was not really in favour of leaving the European Union.
On this he said:
She’s not one of the tiny band of lunatics who think we can have a sort of glorious economic future outside the single market.
On frontrunner Theresa May, Clarke was more favourable, saying: “I get on all right with her and she is good” before saying that she had perhaps been too long in the one department.
He also said: “Theresa is a bloody difficult woman, but you and I worked with Margaret Thatcher.”
Sky News has this evening come under fire for choosing to broadcast the remarks, and according to the Guardian, friends of the Conservative party veteran have said that his staff have urged him to complain about the remarks being broadcast – something he has declined to do.
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Mayberry he really knew the microphone was on :-) He’s a politician.
Of course he did…it’s great to have one foot in the grave but still reek havoc with a few well chosen words and have a giggle afterwards at those who though you were irrelevant and forgotten.
You’d know Al
I hope he did. Spot on with everything he said.
Yes, I would Bill…..I got you going.
Strange comment?….you know little or nothing about me or my married life of 25 years. But it does show you as homophobic.
Homophobic?
I’m very happy with John – Peter, Sean and the others.
How very dare you?
The most controversial thing is not what he said but that he actually said it.
Few could argue with the validity of his statements.
Hard to imagine a seasoned politician speaking out of turn in a TV studio by accident……
Yeah I’d agree on that he’s too wiley and at the game too long to be caught out like that
It’s “wreak” havoc, Al. Reek (noun) is a mountain, or (verb) to smell bad. And yes I know, I am a grammar nazi. Why does everyone despise correct spelling?
Hmmmmm……
Having looked at it again a thought has come to mind.
Clark is quite jovial and relaxed not to mention a tad flushed.
Rifkind is feeding him lines off camera whilst avoiding making any partisan comments himself.
Maybe they “lubed” Clark with a couple of glasses of Scotch, Rifkind started him rolling him in that direction and off he went….
He was set up!
But Al can’t spell either…thought*….
Convenience sake, that and it’s only the comment section of theJournal.ie. Chill out. :-D
Nick , if you were face to face in a conversation with someone, I’d doubt you’d correct them over how they spoke …
He was more than ” lubed with a couple of glasses” , he was scuttered drunk.
I see Bill is desperate to score points tonight……..but is not smart enough…..genetics.
Thank you Nick for spelling correction, but no one despises correct spelling, that part of your comment is just a pre-emptive strike against red thumbers who hate correction folk.
In this case you would be a ‘Spelling Nazi’ and not a ‘Grammar Nazi’…I’m sure you know the difference, although when you correct someone, it’s better to do it with the correct term.
We all make mistakes…..even those who correct them are not infallible.
Just out of curiosity, why would you doubt it? A lot of people point out grammar errors.
Lily , I just think in general if you were chatting to a person you wouldn’t do that , that’s all .. why try to embarrass someone by doing that ..
Oh here we go ……..
Sky news classy as ever stitchin a 76 year old pensioner up
Looks a little staged. He was, at the very least, aware that it could be being filmed. It’s a bit too clear and concise – almost like he’s being interviewed, rather than having a chat.
Pass the popcorn.. we haves ourselves a PARTAAY!!
He is right on every count
Brilliant….old skool politics
Always liked Ken Clarke!
Sky News love Entrapment
Great viewing. I hope Gove doesn’t get it. He will cause havoc in the North. I don’t think he will get in. There will be a vacuum of leadership in the North as the Tories worry about England and Europe.
Ken looks like a SERIOUS drinker!
Leaked on to the sky news YouTube channel
May be, that is.
This has been in the news for a couple of days!
And analysed in the media, loads of times….
A very British coup.
Is he drunk
Pissed a a cout !
He didn’t know the mike was on? Right…..
have your say