Ken Clarke: Theresa May Is "Doomed To Carry On"

23 March 2019, 12:39 | Updated: 23 March 2019, 16:58

The Conservative MP and former chancellor says a leadership election would make Britain look "sillier than it already does".

Speaking to LBC presenter Matt Frei, Ken Clarke described Theresa May as being in a "ludicrously weak position".

He said: "She has stuck to a rather straight path for some time when it was obviously not going to get there because the extreme right-wing people whom she was courting are not going to let her go down that route.

"I cannot think of anything that would make the United Kingdom look sillier than it already does, than to suddenly blow a whistle and say 'let's take a few weeks off all this' and have a conservative leadership election.

LBC Presenter Matt Frei and Conservative MP Ken Clarke
LBC Presenter Matt Frei and Conservative MP Ken Clarke. Picture: PA

The Father of the House also argued that a leadership election would be "bloodthirsty", "silly" and would produce a leader that would cause further division within the party.

He said: "I think Theresa is doomed to carry on for the foreseeable future until we get back to some calm.

"We shall have to see if someone emerges who would have more chance of getting on top of the problems."