Quotes from Kenneth Clarke

Referendums are designed to get round parliamentary government, and people only demand referendums when they think they can't get a majority in parliament. Mussolini was the most brilliant practitioner of referendums.

Having everybody voting to avoid a £25 fine is no way to solve public apathy.

All political careers are a rollercoaster.

When E.U. governments are able to agree on political and economic policies, they will remain a superpower to influence the Americans, the Russians, Indians and Chinese over the coming decades. Britain on its own would resume the decline which continued through most of the 20th century.

I am a stalwart supporter of the British judiciary who are the best in the world.

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

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.

Only an ideologue deals with the world as he would wish it to be, as opposed to the world as it is.

Without legal aid, and the dedicated lawyers who deliver it, our system of justice would quite simply collapse.

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

Access to justice is a fundamental part of a properly functioning democracy.

My entire political career has been based on building up Britain's political standing and economic prosperity through our membership of the E.U. and the European project.

For those who want out, Brexit remains an end in itself, regardless of what is in the interest of our society, in terms of prosperity, security and influence on the wider world stage.

No country anywhere in the world allows material that genuinely puts national security at risk into the public domain, and that includes a courtroom.

Margaret Thatcher and John Major knew that bluff and bravado doesn't work in Brussels.

Unless and until I can see an opportunity of actually reversing Brexit and restoring a stable membership of the European Union, then in the real world I concentrate on minimising the damage.

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.

Thatcher was the best politician I have ever witnessed.

Whether we remain in the European Union will determine Britain's future role in the world and the comparative success of our economy for our children and grandchildren.

Trade deals are not the vehicle for raising or lowering standards of protection for consumers, the environment, workers or anyone else. Regulations are made by governments and parliaments.

Nigel Farage has persuaded too many people that we have lost control of our borders.

I am not a creature of giant business and I think that small- and medium-sized businesses will derive the most benefit from the removal of bureaucratic obstacles to trade.

My sense is that the majority of Conservatives share my reservations about how we got into Iraq.

Politicians should inspire you to vote, they should appeal to people.