[A-List] New Labour as the triumph of Cold War liberlism: Charles Clarke

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Another former NUS general secretary (along with Jack Straw, Lorna
Fitzsimons, Jim Murphy, Trevor Phillips) but one who was very active at a
time when the CIA was engaged in financing anti-left currents within the
trade union movement now emerges openly as a standard bearer of New Labour.
As mentioned in many previous posts, the continuities between the Kinnock
regime of the 1980s and the current Blairite set-up are very conspicuous.


Party heavyweights take centre stage
Blair chooses two big hitters to take key roles, MICHAEL SETTLE and DEBORAH
SUMMERS report
The Herald, 25 October 2002

TWO of Labour's "big beasts" took centre stage in Tony Blair's cabinet
reshuffle yesterday.

Following the surprise departure of Estelle Morris as education secretary
for England, the prime minister moved to put political heavyweights in two
of the most important posts in cabinet; both men having been part of
ex-leader Neil Kinnock's team.

After 19 months at the Northern Ireland office, John Reid moved - with a
deal of public sadness - to become party chairman.

Norwich MP Charles Clarke, another big-hitter, replaced Ms Morris at the
Department for Education and Skills.

Replacing Dr Reid in Ulster is Paul Murphy, the Welsh secretary, whose
skills as a low-profile conciliator are thought by Mr Blair to make him the
ideal candidate as the province enters yet another new phase in its
unpredictable political life.

New boy in the cabinet is Peter Hain, the former Europe minister, who is
known as a media-friendly moderniser adept at campaigning. As Welsh
secretary he is set to play a big role in Labour's Welsh assembly election
battle next year.

Charles Clarke's reputation as "the rudest man in politics" will surely
counter his predecessor's concerns about not being up to the
rough-and-tumble of the job.

Some fear the 52-year-old heavyweight may prove too bombastic for what is
undoubtedly one of New Labour's biggest jobs.

"Education, education, education," was Tony Blair's 1997 election slogan but
the government has been widely criticised for failing to do more.

Mr Clarke's appointment will be seen as an attempt by the prime minister to
install a big-hitter, capable of tackling the toughest issues.

The former chief-of-staff to Neil Kinnock will be expected to resolved the
controversy over this year's A-level results, meet tough numeracy and
literacy targets, sort out further education funding, combat ever increasing
teacher workloads, and answer allegations of school "selection by stealth".

But the new eduction secretary is not a complete newcomer to the brief - his
first government job was as schools minister in 1998.

While at the education department, Cambridge-educated Mr Clarke defended the
reappointment of Chris Woodhead as chief inspector of schools, warned local
authorities they might become redundant and promoted the General Teaching
Council.

Despite his relatively late entry to parliament in 1997 at the age of 46, Mr
Clarke was immediately tipped for high office and was even talked about as a
future successor to Mr Blair.

A devotee of Norwich City Football Club, Mr Clarke's fondness for beer and
bad language has earned him supporters and critics in equal measures. Some
warm to his laddish no-nonsense style, others brand him a bully.

After spending nine long years as Mr Kinnock's right-hand-man he is no
stranger to the tougher side of politics.

When Mr Kinnock became Labour leader Mr Clarke suddenly became a powerful
figure, earning a reputation as a pugilistic, unforgiving enemy of any MP
who dared step out of line.

Mr Blair brought him into the cabinet after the last election as minister
without portfolio and also gave him the newly invented post of Labour party
chairman. Since then he has become one of the prime minister's trusted
lieutenants.

Mr Clarke attributes his interest in government to a "politically aware"
upbringing - his father, Sir Richard Clarke, was a senior civil servant at
Tony Benn's ministry of technology. His mother, Lady Brenda, was a
psychologist.

He was educated at Highgate School and later King's College, Cambridge,
gaining a BA in maths and economics.

Mr Clarke was president of the NUS from 1975 to 1977 before becoming a
councillor in Hackney from 1980 to 1986.

After a brief spell as a part-time lecturer in maths at the City Literary
Institute, Mr Clarke, who had been a researcher to Mr Kinnock, became his
chief-of-staff in 1983.

He spent nine years by the Labour leader's side until the bitterly
disappointing 1992 election defeat.