Tag Archives: ken clarke

Tory who dressed as Maddie McCann given leading role in Europe group

A man who was expelled from the Conservative Party for attending a fancy dress party as a “dead” Madeleine McCann has been welcomed back into the fold – and is now representing the party at European meetings.

Matthew Lewis was booted out after bragging that he was looking for a blonde wig, “pink pyjamas, a teddy bear and a vial of fake blood” for his sick outfit. But he now leads the party’s European youth organisation, a “player on the European stage” and a member of “Europe’s most influential youth centre-right political organisations”.

At the time of the original incident, then Tory chairman Caroline Spelman banned him from the party along with two other activists, with a spokesman for Kate and Gerry McCann saying:

“The offensiveness of his actions is almost beyond belief. It is a disgrace that Madeleine should be made fun of in this way.”

But Lewis now represents the Conservative Europe Group — whose president is cabinet member Ken Clarke – at meetings in continental cities such as Brussels and Berlin.

With his membership re-approved under the chairmanship of Baroness Warsi, Scrapbook wonders who then cleared Lewis for his European role?

Ken Clarke blows £43m Ministry of Justice savings on consultants

It has emerged that Ken Clarke, whilst cutting over a hundred magistrates courts across the country, has spent £43m on consultants - more than wiping out the planned savings from maintenance costs.

The closures are estimated to save £22m each year in maintenance costs, as part of a £2bn overall cuts plan across the Ministry of Justice, but Clarke has spent almost double that on private consultants since taking over the department. Bizarrely, Clarke has managed to unite the PCS union and the Taxpayers’ Alliance in condemnation of the astronomical bill.

Scrapbook wonders if those consultants advised him to stop falling asleep during his colleagues speeches.

Embattled Theresa May attempts to have a laugh (at Ken Clarke)

The Spectator’s Parliamentarian of the Year awards took place last night. Highlights from the winners include:

  • Campaigner of the year: Stella Creasy
  • Survivor of the year: Chris Huhne
  • Inquisitor of the year: John Whittingdale, on behalf of the Murdoch-grilling Culture Media and Sport Committee

With attendant politicos and hacks rendered more forgiving by champagne, such bashes have become the setting in which troubled politicians can have a laugh (often at themselves) — and regain some initiative in the process.

With no one in government in need of a fillip more than the home secretary, one of the “lines of the night” (outside a toilet cubicle, at least) reportedly came from Theresa May in the form of this barb at Ken Clarke:

“I lock ‘em up — you let ‘em out.”

But surely that quip should have begun “I let ‘em in …”?

Second hand smoke? Confiscated tobacco is burnt by power stations

Illicit tobacco products confiscated by the UK Border Agency are being burnt in power stations, a freedom of information request has revealed. A request submitted by someone identifying themselves only as “Terry Sunshine” asks for details of “exactly what happens to tobacco products once seized by border control”, and, mischievously, goes on to express concerns about “second-hand smoke”.

According to the UKBA:

“Tobacco products are shredded and the pulp is taken to a power station and used as an alternative fuel source for power generation.”

The agency goes on to claim it is “committed to finding innovative and sustainable means of disposal of revenue goods” but admit that they hold no information on “the measures the power station takes to prevent the exposure to people of ‘second hand smoke’.”

One wonders how many homes could be powered by Ken Clarke’s weekly cigar intake.

The Sun call for Ken Clarke’s head

But if Clarke goes we’re still stuck with Dipsy, Po and Tinky Winky.

Out-of-touch Ken Clarke watches cricket at Lord’s after rape comments

After his disastrous rape comments on Radio Five this week, Ken Clarke remarked it was “just his luck” to be dressed in black tie as he was doorstepped by the media (picture above) on Wednesday evening. It certainly seems his taste for the good life has not been tempered. Word reaches Scrapbook that Clarke, who laughed at reporters who suggested he might resign, is currently in the members-only hospitality area of Lord’s cricket ground.

While the Ministry of Justice press office reckon their Secretary of State is “in his constituency”, our bon viveur  is in fact 120 miles away watching Middlesex play Glamorgan at the “home of cricket”. In Summer 2010, Clarke enjoyed facilities at Trent Bridge to the extent that he lost the key for his ministerial red box.

A few comments about rape certainly haven’t upset his social schedule.

 

“Rape is rape” / “No, it’s not”

The cabinet of the living dead: who will expire first?

The growing scandal around Ken Clarke’s disgusting remarks on rape brought the following observation from Fraser Nelson earlier this afternoon:

“By my count, this is five Cabinet members now in ‘dead man walking’ category: Clarke, Cable, Huhne, Spelman, Lansley. #zombiecabinet”

Will someone please put them out of their misery?

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