I am getting frustrated by the fact that we have been out of office for eight years. I desperately want to lead the Conservative Party to make quicker progress back into power.

Mr Clarke who described the current prison population of 85000 as "astonishing" faced immediate criticism from some colleagues in a party renowned for its tough stance on law and order. He has contested the Conservative Party leadership three times — in 1997 2001 and 2005 — being defeated each time. Expenses scandal

On 12 May 2009 The Daily Telegraph reported that Clarke had "flipped" his council tax.

Although he is considered[by whom?] popular with the general public his pro-European views conflict with the Conservative Party's Euro-sceptic stance. He was first elected to Parliament in 1970 and appointed as a minister in Edward Heath's Government in 1972. Notably he is President of the Conservative Europe Group and Vice-President of the European Movement UK.