I also think his appointment could be an explosive ingredient which blows the Tory electoral ship off course. It is of course well known that Clarke is a Europhile in contrast with the Tory party line and just about every other member of the shadow cabinet. Although he says he is 'content' to accept the line on Europe, is he content to accept everything else? Clarke has always been a free spirit and if elements of Tory economic strategy seem to be diverging from the things Clarke believes to be right - and that's far from impossible - will Clarke remain silent then?.
This appointment could be a major mistake for the Tory election prospects and sow the seeds of rift and division which Labour can exploit before the next election. One can but hope, anyway!
2 comments:
You're dreaming, Brian. Clarke sat in every Thatcher Government. Political principles my arse. He was Secretary of State for Health at the same time as he was pocketing money from the tobacco barons. During the ambulance workers' dispute he called them "glorified drivers". The notion that this tub of lard is now some sort of Liberal Tory is absolute hogwash, and some poor sods are falling for it.
This moves Cameron's Cabinet to the right. Don't mistake being pro-EU with being liberal/left/centre or anything else.
I never suggested that Clarke was to the left nor did that he often took stances with which I disagree, Bob. I still stand by what I said. As a politician he is a straight talker - as was Thatcher herself even if you disagreed with most of what she said. Clarke has not been mired in sleaze. His position with the tobacco industry was not covert although I agree that Sec of State for Health and advisor to the tobacco industry are not readily compatible.
Yes in many ways it does move Cameron's cabinet to the right and on a number of financial issues it puts Clarke and Cameron into conflict. Clarke is not a man who will stay silent if he thinks Cameron is moving the party in the wrong direction. I do think this could throw the Tories into a wobble.
My pleasure at seeing his return is also that governments should be challenged by politicians of intellectual substance not by the dross currently occupying BOTH front benches.
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