By . James Chapman . Fond farewell: A relaxed Kenneth Clarke arrives at 10 Downing Street yesterday . Kenneth Clarke, a titan of Tory politics for more than four decades, quit the Cabinet last night with a parting blast over Europe. The minister without portfolio – who has previously served as Chancellor, Home Secretary, Health Secretary, Education Secretary and Justice Secretary – told David Cameron that, at 74, he wanted to become a ‘veteran backbencher’. And he warned Mr Cameron that he intended to campaign ‘vigorously’ for Britain to remain in the EU ahead of the Prime Minister’s promised referendum. Mr Clarke said the case for staying in the EU was ‘stronger’ than ever in a ‘dangerously disturbed’ world and an increasingly globalised economy. His European views – out of step with the prevailing mood of Tory Euroscepticism – are widely seen to have cost him the party leadership, which he stood for on three occasions between 1997 and 2005. The veteran MP for Rushcliffe, who has held office in every Conservative government since 1972, has been joking with colleagues in recent days that he was looking forward to watching more cricket. And he told ITV News last night that he had been ‘demob-happy’ for several weeks. Returning to his beloved cricket, he said he had enjoyed a ‘good long innings’ and confessed that he had spent far more time watching England’s first Test against India at Trent Bridge last week than in his office. ‘I thought I’d do a couple of years in this government. That was the agreement I had with David [Cameron]. I’ve done four and that’s obviously enough, and it makes sense to have a reshuffle,’ Mr Clarke said. Law student: A young Kenneth Clarke at Cambridge University . Minister: In the year he left the Health Department to be Employment Secretary . Chancellor: Outside No 11 Downing Street during his four years leading the treasury . Contender: Enjoying a pint and a cigar as he runs for the Tory leadership . As a ‘life-long addict to politics’, he said he was ‘as keen as ever’ to carry on as an MP and promised to be ‘largely supportive’ of the Government from the backbenches. Mr Clarke, who entered parliament in 1970 and secured his first job as a whip in 1972 in Edward Heath’s government, was brought back to the Tory frontbench in 2009 at the behest of Chancellor George Osborne. He had been on the backbenches throughout the Conservative wilderness years after 1997, not serving under William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith or Michael Howard. His appointment as shadow business secretary was designed to counter Gordon Brown’s surprise decision to bring back one of Labour’s big beasts, Peter Mandelson, to the Cabinet. Last night, Mr Clarke wrote to Mr Cameron telling him: ‘I would wish to retire from ministerial office in your Government’. He said he had ‘greatly enjoyed’ his return in a Government ‘that has had to face the worst financial crisis of my lifetime, and the aftermath of the deepest and longest recession since the war’. He added: ‘I believe that we have saved the country from economic disaster, although we have a long way to go before we have the modern, healthy and competitive economy that the next generation needs. ‘I have always been a radical reformer of public services and I think that people will look back on our achievements in modernising the health service and education service and the welfare system in a favourable way.’ He added: ‘However, I have just celebrated my 74th birthday and I have been doing red boxes at night for a high proportion of my adult life. There are plenty of other able people who could take on the work that I was doing in Government and I think the time has come to return to being a veteran backbencher.’ Mr Clarke gave notice to the Prime Minister that he intends to remain ‘an active’ member of the Commons. ‘My belief in Britain’s membership of the European Union remains as firm as ever and I think the political and economic case is made even stronger in today’s globalised economy and dangerously disturbed world,’ he said. ‘I know that you are quite determined to have a referendum on the subject, in which I will be campaigning vigorously for a vote to keep us in the Union.’ Ben Wallace, Mr Clarke’s parliamentary private secretary, said: ‘He is the most honest politician I have ever met.’
The stalwart politician, 74, told PM he wants to be a 'veteran backbencher'
He said EU is as necessary as ever in a 'dangerously disturbed' world .
Clarke says he will be 'largely supportive' of Government from backbenches .
By . James Chapman . Fond farewell: A relaxed Kenneth Clarke arrives at 10 Downing Street yesterday . Kenneth Clarke, a titan of Tory politics for more than four decades, quit the Cabinet last night with a parting blast over Europe. The minister without portfolio – who has previously served as Chancellor, Home Secretary, Health Secretary, Education Secretary and Justice Secretary – told David Cameron that, at 74, he wanted to become a ‘veteran backbencher’. And he warned Mr Cameron that he intended to campaign ‘vigorously’ for Britain to remain in the EU ahead of the Prime Minister’s promised referendum. Mr Clarke said the case for staying in the EU was ‘stronger’ than ever in a ‘dangerously disturbed’ world and an increasingly globalised economy. His European views – out of step with the prevailing mood of Tory Euroscepticism – are widely seen to have cost him the party leadership, which he stood for on three occasions between 1997 and 2005. The veteran MP for Rushcliffe, who has held office in every Conservative government since 1972, has been joking with colleagues in recent days that he was looking forward to watching more cricket. And he told ITV News last night that he had been ‘demob-happy’ for several weeks. Returning to his beloved cricket, he said he had enjoyed a ‘good long innings’ and confessed that he had spent far more time watching England’s first Test against India at Trent Bridge last week than in his office. ‘I thought I’d do a couple of years in this government. That was the agreement I had with David [Cameron]. I’ve done four and that’s obviously enough, and it makes sense to have a reshuffle,’ Mr Clarke said. Law student: A young Kenneth Clarke at Cambridge University . Minister: In the year he left the Health Department to be Employment Secretary . Chancellor: Outside No 11 Downing Street during his four years leading the treasury . Contender: Enjoying a pint and a cigar as he runs for the Tory leadership . As a ‘life-long addict to politics’, he said he was ‘as keen as ever’ to carry on as an MP and promised to be ‘largely supportive’ of the Government from the backbenches. Mr Clarke, who entered parliament in 1970 and secured his first job as a whip in 1972 in Edward Heath’s government, was brought back to the Tory frontbench in 2009 at the behest of Chancellor George Osborne. He had been on the backbenches throughout the Conservative wilderness years after 1997, not serving under William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith or Michael Howard. His appointment as shadow business secretary was designed to counter Gordon Brown’s surprise decision to bring back one of Labour’s big beasts, Peter Mandelson, to the Cabinet. Last night, Mr Clarke wrote to Mr Cameron telling him: ‘I would wish to retire from ministerial office in your Government’. He said he had ‘greatly enjoyed’ his return in a Government ‘that has had to face the worst financial crisis of my lifetime, and the aftermath of the deepest and longest recession since the war’. He added: ‘I believe that we have saved the country from economic disaster, although we have a long way to go before we have the modern, healthy and competitive economy that the next generation needs. ‘I have always been a radical reformer of public services and I think that people will look back on our achievements in modernising the health service and education service and the welfare system in a favourable way.’ He added: ‘However, I have just celebrated my 74th birthday and I have been doing red boxes at night for a high proportion of my adult life. There are plenty of other able people who could take on the work that I was doing in Government and I think the time has come to return to being a veteran backbencher.’ Mr Clarke gave notice to the Prime Minister that he intends to remain ‘an active’ member of the Commons. ‘My belief in Britain’s membership of the European Union remains as firm as ever and I think the political and economic case is made even stronger in today’s globalised economy and dangerously disturbed world,’ he said. ‘I know that you are quite determined to have a referendum on the subject, in which I will be campaigning vigorously for a vote to keep us in the Union.’ Ben Wallace, Mr Clarke’s parliamentary private secretary, said: ‘He is the most honest politician I have ever met.’
wanted to become a ‘veteran backbencher’. And he in the EU was ‘stronger’ than ever in a carry on as an MP and promised to be ‘largely supportive’ of the Government from the in your Government’. He said he had ‘greatly economy and dangerously disturbed world,’ he