The Rt Hon. Kenneth Clarke QC MP

Kenneth Clarke QC MP is a barrister-at-law, having been called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in l963 and becoming QC in l980.

He was elected Conservative MP for Rushcliffe at the 1970 General Election. After a succession of appointments in and out of government, Ken Clarke was made Minister for Health in March 1982. In the New Year Honours List of l984 Mr Clarke was appointed a Privy Counsellor.

In September 1985, Kenneth Clarke was appointed to the Cabinet as Paymaster General and Minister for Employment. He was then appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Trade and Industry following the June 1987 General Election.

The late eighties and early nineties saw Ken Clarke rise up the political ranks. From July 1988 to November 1990 he was Secretary of State for Health, and then took over as Secretary of State for Education and Science, until April 1992 when he landed the post of Secretary of State for the Home Office.

Kenneth Clarke was Chancellor of the Exchequer from May 1993 until the General Election in May 1997, when the Conservatives were defeated by New Labour under Tony Blair.

Kenneth Clarke chairs the Conservative Party's democracy taskforce and has various roles in the business world, including being Deputy Chairman of British American Tobacco Plc and non-executive Chairman of Alliance Unichem Plc.

When his busy schedule allows, he is a popular conference speaker and usually talks on matters relating to British, European and global politics or the economy.

He is married with two children.