Ken Pledges to Fight On

Like the great PM he served under Ken Clarke has pledged to 'go on and on' as he will be seeking to re-stand in 2015. Rushcliffe have already selected Ken for the next General Election, indeed they did so they day before I got my picture taken with him campaigning for the party political broadcast.

Ken has been in Parliament serving Rushcliffe for a very long time, since 1970 to be precise. Indeed this is such a long time to be an MP that Ken is in line to be the next Father of the House, who is currently Sir Peter Tapsell for Louth. Obviously I'm not here to write the biography of a career that has been on a high when Chancellor of the Exchequer and at a low when defeated 3 times for the Conservative Party leadership, thank god. 

At the Cricket with Ken Clarke.

But as we know Ken is known really for one thing and one thing only; Europhilia. Ken is a member of the almost dead breed of Conservatives who love Europe, indeed so much so he would still join the Euro. In the 1970s Ken was a government whip trying to get the Bill through the House of Commons that made us join the EEC Ken was one of those who told Thatcher to go when Geoffrey Howe sparked a leadership contest over Europe. Ken was, and still is, highly critical of the Maastricht rebels who recently he said "should die of shame". And of course after 1997 Ken has pushed hard for this country to join the disaster zone of the Euro.

Ken however is a great chap. When he's not slightly rambling on about something he has to say, I have experienced this and so has Patrick Mcloughlin, he does have a lot of interesting bits of knowledge. His love of cigars, real ale, the cricket and hushpuppy shoes make him the ideal gentleman. A funny guy also who laughed when I asked what is better Minister Without Portfolio or Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; Ken has served both and both roles have no ministerial role. Ok that wasn't an amazing joke, but Ken and I thought so. 

Ken is a big fan of supporting enjoyment of cigars.

Also, from what I have seen and heard he is a great constituency MP. When out and about in public he is always listening hard to people and his constituents really like him. He is more than able to serve as the MP for Rushcliffe despite being the 2nd longest serving in the House of Commons.

Ken has drunk more Real Ale in the last year than Nigel Farage has ever posed with.

So Ken do carry on with your life as an MP. I will be asking the decent and hardworking people of Rushcliffe to continue to vote for a good local MP. But Dave, for the love of God, please sack Ken from the Cabinet.