Ken Clarke’s interview with Patrick Hennessy of The Sunday Telegraph is notable both for Clarke’s continuing message discipline and for his hint that the Tories are moving towards favouring a ‘bad bank’. When pressed on what he would do if David Cameron did call a referendum on Lisbon with the Tories calling for a no vote, Clarke replies:
This answer gives almost nothing to anyone trying to write a Tory splits story. Indeed, Clarke is being more careful not to create a row over Europe now than he was during the Major government and 1997 election campaign when he was Chancellor.“”If we have a referendum, I doubt that Central Office [Tory HQ] will be on the phone asking me to campaign on it. I think if the other campaign got hold of me I’d have to say I am not available.”
On the economy, Clarke says:
“I think the toxic assets on the balance sheets [of the banks] are at the heart of the problem at the moment.
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