biography
| name: |
Clarke, Kenneth (Harry)
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1940– )
|
| biography:
| British statesman. He studied at Cambridge, was called to the bar in 1963, and became a Conservative MP in 1970, representing Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire. After junior posts in the Heath administration (1971–4), he entered Margaret Thatcher's government in 1979, in 1988 was appointed secretary of state for health, then became home secretary under John Major in 1992, and Chancellor of the Exchequer (1993–7). Following the party's defeat in the 1997 general election, he stood for party leadership, but was beaten in the final ballot by William Hague. He then retired to the back benches. He entered the leadership race again in 2001 following William Hague's resignation, but was defeated by Iain Duncan Smith in the final ballot. |
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