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| Ken Clarke caught on camera ridiculing Conservative leadership candidates | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Ken Clarke has been caught on camera describing Theresa May as a “bloody difficult woman” and predicting Michael Gove as prime minister would go to war with three countries at once, as he made a series of unguarded remarks about the Conservative leadership candidates. | |
| The veteran Tory, who has served in five cabinet roles including home secretary and chancellor, made disobliging comments about each of the candidates in turn, before revealing that he might vote for Stephen Crabb tactically in the first round before backing May. | The veteran Tory, who has served in five cabinet roles including home secretary and chancellor, made disobliging comments about each of the candidates in turn, before revealing that he might vote for Stephen Crabb tactically in the first round before backing May. |
| Clarke was recorded by Sky News having a conversation with Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former foreign secretary, apparently unaware that the camera was rolling. | Clarke was recorded by Sky News having a conversation with Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former foreign secretary, apparently unaware that the camera was rolling. |
| Ken Clarke and Malcolm Rifkind filmed in Sky News Westminster studio making remarks about Tory leadership candidates https://t.co/SywJXdMvH6 | Ken Clarke and Malcolm Rifkind filmed in Sky News Westminster studio making remarks about Tory leadership candidates https://t.co/SywJXdMvH6 |
| Friends of Clarke later revealed he had been strongly encouraged by staff in his office to complain about Sky News broadcasting his comments. But the former chancellor resisted, saying he had only said what he really thought. | |
| Rifkind, who was also heard speaking about Gove, later told PA: “My comments speak for themselves, and they appear to be shared by quite a high proportion of the human race.” | |
| In the clip, Clarke was encouraged to share his views by Rifkind, who said: “I don’t mind who wins as long as Gove comes third. As long as Gove doesn’t come in the final two I don’t mind what happens.” | |
| Clarke replied: “I don’t think the membership will vote for Gove. I remember being in a discussion about something to do with somewhere like Syria or Iraq and he was so wild that I remember exchanging looks with Liam Fox, who is much more rightwing than me. | Clarke replied: “I don’t think the membership will vote for Gove. I remember being in a discussion about something to do with somewhere like Syria or Iraq and he was so wild that I remember exchanging looks with Liam Fox, who is much more rightwing than me. |
| “We were exchanging views and Liam was raising eyebrows. I think with Michael as prime minister we’d go to war with at least three countries at once.” | “We were exchanging views and Liam was raising eyebrows. I think with Michael as prime minister we’d go to war with at least three countries at once.” |
| He added: “He did us all a favour by getting rid of Boris. The idea of Boris as prime minister is ridiculous.” | He added: “He did us all a favour by getting rid of Boris. The idea of Boris as prime minister is ridiculous.” |
| Clarke went on to claim that neither Andrea Leadsom nor Boris Johnson really wanted to leave the European Union. | Clarke went on to claim that neither Andrea Leadsom nor Boris Johnson really wanted to leave the European Union. |
| “Well I don’t think they even cared very much either way,” Rifkind replied. | “Well I don’t think they even cared very much either way,” Rifkind replied. |
| Clarke continued: “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 ... So long as she understands that she’s not to deliver on some of the extremely stupid things she’s been saying.” | Clarke continued: “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 ... So long as she understands that she’s not to deliver on some of the extremely stupid things she’s been saying.” |
| Despite saying he would vote for May, he said she was not an easy person to have as a colleague. | Despite saying he would vote for May, he said she was not an easy person to have as a colleague. |
| “Theresa is a bloody difficult woman but you and I worked with Margaret Thatcher,” he said, as both men burst out laughing. “I get on all right with her and she is good. She’s too narrow on her department ... She’s been at the Home Office far too long, so I only know in detail what her views are on the Home Office. She doesn’t know much about foreign affairs.” | “Theresa is a bloody difficult woman but you and I worked with Margaret Thatcher,” he said, as both men burst out laughing. “I get on all right with her and she is good. She’s too narrow on her department ... She’s been at the Home Office far too long, so I only know in detail what her views are on the Home Office. She doesn’t know much about foreign affairs.” |
| His remarks were made public by Sky News as Conservative MPs took part in a secret ballot for the first round of voting in their leadership contest, which closes at 6pm, with the results announced around 7pm. | His remarks were made public by Sky News as Conservative MPs took part in a secret ballot for the first round of voting in their leadership contest, which closes at 6pm, with the results announced around 7pm. |
| The candidate with the fewest votes will be knocked out, and the contest will then proceed to further rounds until there is a shortlist of two left, which will be put to a vote of the membership. | The candidate with the fewest votes will be knocked out, and the contest will then proceed to further rounds until there is a shortlist of two left, which will be put to a vote of the membership. |