I am a firm believer in open justice, and an opponent of closed justice in any normal circumstances. But I am also an opponent of legal purism, and have no time for institutionalised mythmaking - whether from the authoritarian right or the liberal left.

Kenneth Clarke

Categorized in : I Am Legal Time Justice

I look forward to the day when the Westminster Parliament is just a council chamber in Europe

Kenneth Clarke

political europe looks

I have never read it. You should not waste your time.

Kenneth Clarke

economics waste should

I am certainly not a blogger. Quite a large proportion of them are nuts and extremists - with the honourable exception of the culture secretary.

Kenneth Clarke

proportion nuts culture

I trust that whoever leads the Conservative Party actually pays regard to my advice on how we should conduct ourselves and I personally will obviously support whoever eventually wins.

Kenneth Clarke

trust party winning

A balanced tone on Europe will free us to address in depth the domestic, economic and social agenda which we neglected throughout the last parliament.

Kenneth Clarke

agendas depth europe

The Conservative Party have got to ask themselves, 'How do we persuade people who at the moment are voting Labour and Liberal Democrat to vote Conservative

Kenneth Clarke

voting party people

The political health of Britain has deteriorated very sharply. The Conservative Party must do something about it. I am the man to do it.

Kenneth Clarke

aggravation party men

In these home affairs things I think occasionally it's the duty of politicians on both sides to turn round to the tabloids and right-wing newspapers and say 'you have your facts wrong and you're whipping up facts which are inaccurate

Kenneth Clarke

home wings thinking

I have acquired a deep and abiding respect for all those engaged in the difficult business of commerce.

Kenneth Clarke

abiding difficult business

I have certainly not got re-elected to retire, and I shall certainly start trying to push my influence in politics as far as I possibly can

Kenneth Clarke

influence politics trying

It would be immoral to walk away from the consequences of our actions, leaving behind anarchy and civil war in Iraq.

Kenneth Clarke

iraq leaving war

Of course I'd have loved to be Prime Minister. But I'm not nursing a grievance.

Kenneth Clarke

ministers nursing prime

I don't think at my age... you can start ruling people out in politics.

Kenneth Clarke

age people thinking

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.

Kenneth Clarke

eight party years

However, we do not lack anti-terrorist laws. I do not believe that the recent London bombs were the result of any deficiencies in our legal system.

Kenneth Clarke

bombs law believe

Energetic action on debt would make a radical difference to the prospects of many of the poorest countries in the world, at no practical cost to creditor countries.

Kenneth Clarke

perspective differences country

I am sorry to upset my colleagues by saying we wasted four years in opposition, but if you do get so badly defeated as a party you do have to face up to some painful facts and you do have to change.

Kenneth Clarke

party sorry years

With the greatest respect, we do not make the criminal law on the basis of opinion polls. A majority of 9:1 could be in favour of a ban in my constituency, but I would not regard that as conclusive, and I hope that we never would. If we start having opinion polls about all the unpleasant and distasteful habits and customs of some members of society, and suggesting that their findings should be made part of the criminal law, foxhunting would come way down the list, and quite a lot of strange enactments would have to go through the House.

Kenneth Clarke

hunting law house

I cannot remember a time in opposition - I am talking about the last four years - when we have done less work on policy and more on slogans. But because of my European views I wasn't allowed to participate.

Kenneth Clarke

i-am work time remember

If the prime minister really believes it, he must be the only person left who thinks that the recent bombs in London had no connection at all with his policy in Iraq.

Kenneth Clarke

connection person left london