Charles Clarke, former MP, Norwich South - TheyWorkForYou TheyWorkForYou Has never voted on increasing the rate of VAT Consistently voted for a wholly elected House of Lords Show votes Almost always voted for more EU integration Show votes Generally voted for removing hereditary peers from the House of Lords Show votes Consistently voted for university tuition fees Show votes Generally voted against replacing Trident with a new nuclear weapons system Show votes We have lots more plain English analysis of Charles Clarke’s voting record on issues like health, welfare, taxation and more. Visit Charles Clarke’s full vote analysis page for more. Recent appearances Opposition Day — [5th Allotted Day]: Local Government (Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk) 9 Mar 2010 The hon. Gentleman has said that he will use his powers to block the proposal in whatever way he can. Does he accept that in so doing, he will be explicitly going against the positions of the Liberal Democrat candidate in Norwich, South and the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Norwich city council? Opposition Day — [5th Allotted Day]: Local Government (Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk) 9 Mar 2010 I am delighted that this debate is taking place.

First of all, and following the remarks of the Chair of the Select Committee, it is important to say that it directly affects the constituents of just three constituencies-my constituency of Norwich, South, and the constituencies of Norwich, North and of Exeter. There may be indirect effects on other constituencies, and the hon. Member for... Opposition Day — [5th Allotted Day]: Local Government (Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk) 9 Mar 2010 For three reasons. First, as I said, it will be a new council-that is important-all-out elected in 2011, with new chief officers and a new situation. Secondly, I believe that there will be genuine economies in various areas as a result of a unitary authority with services working together. Thirdly, the performance of the city council over recent years has been improving significantly from a...

Former Labour MP for Norwich South Entered the House of Commons on 1 May 1997 — General election Left the House of Commons on 12 April 2010 — General election (stood again) Other offices held in the past Member, East of England Regional Select Committee (4 Mar 2009 to 11 May 2010) Home Secretary (16 Dec 2004 to 8 May 2006) Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (25 Oct 2002 to 16 Dec 2004) Minister without Portfolio (8 Jun 2001 to 24 Oct 2002) Minister of State, Home Office (28 Jul 1999 to 11 Jun 2001) Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Education and Employment (28 Jul 1998 to 28 Jul 1999) Previous MPs in this constituency Criminal Justice and Police Bill Committee (15 out of 15) Numerology Please note that numbers do not measure quality. Also, representatives may do other things not currently covered by this site.

Has spoken in 3 debates in the last year — well below average amongst MPs. See all Charles Clarke’s speeches Has received answers to 0 written questions in the last year — well below average amongst MPs. Replied within 2 or 3 weeks to a medium number of messages sent via WriteToThem.com during 2008, according to constituents. Has voted in 65.61% of votes in this Parliament with this affiliation — below average amongst MPs. (From Public Whip) People have made 179 annotations on this MP’s speeches — well above average amongst MPs. This MP’s speeches, in Hansard, are readable by an average 18–19 year old, going by the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score. 95 people are tracking this MP Has used three-word alliterative phrases (e.g. "she sells seashells") 1081 times in debates — well above average amongst MPs. Last updated: 12 Apr 2010. 1. Remunerated directorships LJCreate (formerly LJGroup), Francis Way, Bowthorpe, Norwich, NR5 9JA; educational systems provider. Attend meetings and give advice.

Received payment of £1,667. Hours: 8hrs. (Registered 6 August 2009 ) Received payment of £1,667. Hours: 8hrs. (Registered 31 August 2009) Received payment of £1,667 for September 2009 . Hours: 8hrs. (Registered 24 December 2009 ) Received payment of £1,667 for October 2009 . Hours: 8hrs. (Registered 24 December 2009) Received payment of £1,667 for November 2009 . Hours: 8hrs. (Registered 24 December 2009) Received payment of £1,667 for December 2009. Hours: 8hrs. (Registered 24 December 2009) Received payment of £1,667 for January 2010 . Hours: 8hrs. (Registered 2 February 2010 ) Received payment of £1,667 for February 2010. Hours: 8hrs.

(Registered 7 April 2010 ) Received payment of £1,667 for March 2010 . Hours: 8hrs. (Registered 7 April 2010) 2. Remunerated employment, office, profession etc Consultant to Beachcroft LLP , 100 Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 1BN; commercial law firm. Attend meetings and give advice. (£35,001-£40,000). Received fee of £3,000 (including £250 backdated fee increase). Hours: 12hrs. (Registered 6 August 2009) Received fee of £2,750. Hours: 12hrs. (Registered 6 August 2009) Received fee of £2,750. Hours: 12hrs. (Registered 31 August 2009) Received fee of £2,750 for September 2009. Hours: 12 hrs. (Registered 24 December 2009) Received fee of £2,750 for October 2009.

Hours: 12 hrs. (Registered 24 December 2009) Received fee of £2,750 for November 2009. Hours: 12 hrs. (Registered 24 December 2009) Received fee of £2,750 for December 2009. Hours: 12 hrs. (Registered 24 December 2009) Received fee of £2,750 for January 2010. Hours: 12 hrs. (Registered 2 February 2010) Received fee of £2,750 for February 2010. Hours: 12 hrs. (Registered 7 April 2010) Received fee of £2,750 for March 2010. Hours: 12 hrs. (Registered 7 April 2010) Received fee of £2,750 for April 2010. Hours: 12 hrs. (Registered 7 April 2010) Strategy Adviser to Charles Street Securities, Investment Bankers.

Received fee of £3,000 for First Quarter 2010. Hours 12 hrs. (Registered 7 April 2010) Articles for Sunday Times . (Up to £5,000) Participation in National School of Government training events. Address: Sunningdale Park, Larch Avenue, Ascot, Bucks SL5 0QE. (Up to £5,000) Received fees totalling £450 for speaking at training events on October 13th and November 4th and 11th 2009. Hours: 6 hrs. (Registered 24 December 2009) Received fee of £300 for speaking at training events on 8 December 2009 and 19 January 2010. Hours: 4 hrs. (Registered 2 February 2010) Received fees totalling £300 for speaking at training events on 2 February 2010 and 23 March 2010. Hours: 4 hrs.

(Registered 7 April 2010) Article for Mail on Sunday, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, Kensington, London, W8 5TT. (Up to £5,000) (Registered 18 May 2009 ) Received £1000 for article. (Registered 6 August 2009) 2 April 2009 , fee for speech at the International Criminal Justice Conference in the Isle of Man organised by Neil Stewart Associates. (Up to £5,000) (Registered 18 May 2009) Cumberlege Connections, Snells Cottage, The Green, Newick, Lewes, East Sussex BN8 4LA. Speaking at training events in London on 4 February 2009 and Cambridge on 15 May 2009. (Up to £5,000) (Registered 18 May 2009) Received fee of £500 for speaking at a training event on October 6th, 2009. Hours: 6 hrs.

(Registered 24 December 2009) Received fee of £500 for participation in Spectator Magazine debate. Spectator address: 22 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9HP. (Registered 6 August 2009) Received fee of £500 for participation in Guardian Further Education summit debate organised by Neil Stewart Associates. Address PO Box 39976, 2< SUP >nd Floor, 1 Benjamin Street, London, EC1M 5YT. (Registered 6 August 2009) Received fee of £1,000 for speech at Higher Education Funding conference organised by Neil Stewart Associates, PO Box 3997, 2nd Floor, 1 Benjamin Street, London, EC1M 5YT. (Registered 6 August 2009). Fees for speaking at Westminster Briefing Sector Knowledge Seminars for Dods Parliamentary Communications, 4 Grosvenor Place, London SW1X 7DL: Received fees totalling £450 for speaking at seminars on July 9th and October 22nd 2009 Hours: 6 hrs.

(Registered 24 December 2009) Received fee of £150 for speaking at seminar on 3 December 2009. Hours: 2hrs. (Registered 2 February 2010) Received fee of £200 for speaking at seminar on March 16th 2010 Hours: 2 hrs. (Registered 7 April 2010) Received fee of £200 for article for Independent, from Independent News and Media, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Hours: 6 hrs. (Registered 24 December 2009) Received fee of £3,125 for participation in, and advice upon, seminar on 'Redefining Affordable Retirement Housing' organized on November 25th 2009 by Savills (L&P) Ltd., 20 Grosvenor Hill, London W1K 3HQ. Hours 12 hrs.

(Registered 24 December 2009) Received fee of £500 for participation in training event on 28 October 2009 for the Catholic Trust for England and Wales, 39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BX. Hours: 3 hrs. (Registered 2 February 2010) Received fee of £1,000 for speeches at 'Getting serious about Organised Crime' conference on November 18 /19 2009 organised by Cityforum Limited, Clifford Farm, Bath road, Beckington, Nr Frome BA11 6SQ. Hours: 5 hrs. (Registered 2 February 2010) Received fee of £500 for 5 November 2009 article for Times, News International Group, News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY Hours: 4 hrs. (Registered 7 April 2010) Received fee of £150 for 11 February 2010 article for Times Higher Education, 26 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4HQ. Hours 4 hrs.

(Registered 7 April 2010) 4. Sponsorship or financial or material support Name of donor: Tony Colman Address of donor: private Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £1000 (donated to constituency association). Donor status: individual (Registered 5 January 2010) 6. Overseas visits 6-9 April 2009, to Iraq, to meet government ministers, parliamentarians and business leaders. The cost of flights and hospitality was met by the Islamic Dawa Party . (Registered 18 May 2009) 10-12 May 2009, to Stockholm, to meet parliamentarians and attend a meeting of the European Council on Foreign Relations ( ECFR ). Accommodation and hospitality were provided by the ECFR.

(Registered 18 May 2009) Former home secretary and Norwich South MP Charles Clarke among those to have say on whether police should be armed in wake of deaths of two unarmed police officers in Manchester - Crime - Eastern Daily Press Former home secretary and Norwich South MP Charles Clarke among those to have say on whether police should be armed in wake of deaths of two unarmed police officers in Manchester 06:41 20 September 2012 Peter Walsh PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Huges Tuesday, September 18 has been described as “one of the darkest days in the history of the Greater Manchester Police if not the police service overall” after two women constables were killed in an act of “cold-blooded murder”. Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. PC Nicola Hughes, 23, and PC Fiona Bone, 32, went to a house in Mottram, Tameside, after someone alleged a burglary had taken place. But they were attacked with a gun and a grenade. Tributes to the two officers have flooded in to Greater Manchester Police with Norfolk Constabulary lowering the police flag to half mast at its Wymondham headquarters.

Dale Cregan, 29, surrended to officers a few miles from where the double killing took place, a killing which has brought the issue of the arming of our police officers back into the spotlight. Ash Rathband, whose father David was shot and blinded by Newcastle gunman Raoul Moat, tweeted after the incident: “It’s time for police to be armed in my opinion. Yet again another awful incident.” But the issue over whether or not to arm police officers is a contentious one which has brought a rather more cautious approach closer to home. Stephen Bett, chairman of the Norfolk Police Authority, which is to hold a minute’s silence in memory of the fallen officers ahead of today’s meeting at Wymondham, said he did not think all officers should be armed. He said: “Firstly, I don’t think the police want to go down that road and I agree with them. “If you do arm everyone there’s a rigorous training programme which you would have to go through and it would be far too complex to do it to get people up to a required standard. “Police in this country are renowned as being the best in the world.

If you armed them they would become a para-military group and the public wouldn’t be quite so keen to engage with them. I think we need specialist units and better equipment for them, but not to arm every police officer.” Mr Bett said he did not think the lives of PC Hughes or PC Bone would have been saved, even if they had been armed. He added: “I have to say, that even if the police were armed, and they went there thinking it was going to be a normal burglary, I don’t think that the outcome would have been any different. They were just gunned down mercilessly.” Dave Benfield, general secretary of the Norfolk Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said it was too early to comment on whether officers should be armed. Mr Benfield, who admitted it was a “dark, dark time” for the police force and revealed members in Norfolk had been shocked and affected by the tragic events, said: “It’s a highly emotive subject at the best of times and at the moment that’s perhaps highlighted even more. I’m not going to comment on whether or not I think police should be armed.

“What I would say is around the world there are police forces in different countries whose officers are armed as a matter of routine and that still doesn’t stop tragic incidents like what happened on Tuesday.” He added: “In the weeks to come the whole issue needs to be reconsidered, but it would need to be properly considered without the emotions of the events of Tuesday.” Charles Clarke, former home secretary and Norwich South MP, does not believe police should be armed. He said: “No I don’t think police officers should be armed and I think the views of the police themselves should be listened to in this respect.” Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, has ruled out arming officers. Sir Hugh said: “Guns don’t necessarily solve the problem. You only have to look to the American experience. He added: “Many colleagues in America are lost without even drawing their gun at close ranges. I can’t describe this particular case in detail but the reality is, the clear view of the British police service from top to bottom is we don’t want to be armed. One of the learning points in Northern Ireland – I had an armed service – was it distances us from communities.

They don’t like approaching officers with guns.” What do you think? Write to Evening News Letters, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE or email eveningnewsletters@archant.co.uk Charles Clarke, former Home Secretary, loses Norwich South | The Times Welcome to your preview of The Times Subscribe now Charles Clarke, former Home Secretary, loses Norwich South Former Home Secretary Charles Clarke was a high-profile Labour casualty Jason Bye Former Home Secretary Charles Clarke was a high-profile Labour casualty Jason Bye Laura Dixon Last updated at 5:19AM, May 7 2010 Charles Clarke, the former Home Secretary, lost his seat in Norwich South, making him one of the most high profile Labour casualties of the election. The Liberal Democrats, who have not had an MP in the constituency since the 1940s, overturned Mr Clarke’s 3,000-strong majority to win the seat with just over 300 votes. The loss of the seat — traditionally one of Labour’s safest seats in Norfolk — is a huge blow for the party. Until yesterday, the constituency had returned a Labour MP at every election since 1987.

Simon Wright, a 30-year-old former maths teacher and a former agent for Subscribe now Election 2015: Labour candidate Clive Lewis retakes Norwich South - BBC News BBC News Election 2015: Labour candidate Clive Lewis retakes Norwich South 8 May 2015 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Image caption Clive Lewis, who was a reporter for BBC Look East, has regained the seat from the Lib Dems who took the seat in 2010 Labour candidate Clive Lewis has won Norwich South from former Liberal Democrat MP Simon Wright, who was beaten into fourth place. Mr Lewis, a former BBC reporter, won 19,033 votes, a majority of 7,654 over Conservative candidate Lisa Townsend. Green Party candidate Lesley Grahame won 6,749 votes, with Mr Wright in fourth with 6,607 votes. Mr Wright had won the seat from the former Labour Home Secretary Charles Clarke in 2010. In North Norfolk, Lib Dem health minister Norman Lamb retained his seat. 'Contrasting fortunes' He said: "It has been an awful night and very painful to lose some good colleagues.

"It is extraordinary to look at the contrasting fortunes of the two parties involved in this coalition." Conservative candidate Richard Bacon held on to South Norfolk, and Tory candidate George Freeman held on to Mid Norfolk. Conservatives also held on to Great Yarmouth. The Conservatives also held Broadland but the count continues in the constituencies of North Norfolk, North West Norfolk, Norwich North, and South West Norfolk. Follow the latest from counts via the BBC's election live service constituency by constituency . Norwich South | 50for15 Norwich South For the final results in each of 50for15's constituencies, see this post . What? A four-way marginal in 2010 (Conservative-Labour-Liberal Democrat-Green) with Liberal Democrat MP Simon Wright taking the seat from former Home Secretary Charles Clarke. Mr Wright was elected with just 29.4% of the vote. Where? The largest city in Norfolk. The constituency is divided from Norwich North by the river Wensum. Why? A top target for the Green party. The University of East Anglia is situated in the seat and the direction the student vote goes in will be pivotal to the outcome.

Previous election results Liberal Democrat majority in 2010: 310 The MP in the last Parliament – Simon Wright Simon Wright, MP for Norwich South First elected MP for Norwich South in 2010, Simon Wright (Lib Dem) sits on the Environmental Audit Select Committee and was previously Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State for The challengers Clive Lewis, Labour’s candidate for Norwich South A former BBC journalist, Clive Lewis (Lab) was born in Northampton and studied at the University of Bradford, where he was the student union president. Later he became vice-president of the National Union of Students. Full biography on Lewis’s website . @labourlewis Lisa Townsend, Conservative challenger for Norwich South Lisa Townsend (Con) studied law at Sheffield Hallam University and University College, London. Her political interests include local growth, schools and education, healthcare and mental health. More details on Townsend’s website . @_lisa_townsend Lesley Grahame, Green challenger for Norwich South Part-time district nurse Lesley Grahame (Green) is a city councillor for Thorpe Hamlet. More details in the Eastern Daily Press .

Originally from Sheffield, Steve Emmens (UKIP) has lived in Norwich for the past fifteen years. For the last three years he has worked as a fund-raiser for a charity. More details on Emmens’ Facebook page . Our articles It’s a slim Conservative majority overall, but who won and who lost in 50for15’s seats? by Alexander Woolley on May 9, 2015 Instead of a hung Parliament, which most people had predicted, the Conservatives ended up winning a slim majority. With 331 seats under their belt, they have a majority of five, if you take the view that 326 seats constitutes a majority (650 divided by 2, plus 1), or a majority of ten when you take into... Some polling day thoughts from 50for15 by Alexander Woolley on May 7, 2015 Today’s the big day – you’ve still got a few hours left to vote (till 10pm), so make sure you do. Here’s a way of finding contact details for your local authority, who will know where your polling station is, in case you don’t.

BBC Free Speech did a quick interview with us to get our... Our 50 constituencies – all on one map by Alexander Woolley on Feb 23, 2015 Arfon Plaid Cymru majority: 1,455 votes Labour target Click to read more Argyll and Bute Lib Dem majority: 3,431 votes Conservative target Labour target SNP target Click to read more Ashfield Labour majority: 192 votes Lib Dem target Click to read more Birmingham Edgbaston Labour majority: 1, 274 votes Conservative target Click to read more... The rise and fall (and rise again?) of the University of East Anglia Lib Dems by Thomas Johnston on Feb 23, 2015 Students have, and always will be, the lifeblood of Liberal Democrats and liberalism generally. Here at the University of East Anglia (UEA) Liberal Democrats in Norwich, we are no strangers to our history. It is a history running through north Norfolk parliamentarians in the English Revolution, radical student societies across the continent in 1848, and... A return to Labour? Or will Norwich South be home to the UK’s second Green MP?

by Alexander Woolley on Feb 12, 2015 “You have so many types of conversations here. You’ve got a Tory here, a Green there, the odd UKIP supporter,” Clive Lewis, Labour’s candidate for Norwich South, tells me during a door-knocking session in his constituency. “It’s a five way marginal.” Walking down Colman Road, named after the Norwich-based mustard manufacturer, Lewis is off to... The Final 50 by Adam Ward on Dec 17, 2014 Choosing 50 constituencies from the 650 available is no easy task, even if the number of safe seats considerably whittles down the number of contestable constituencies. Here is a list of the final 50 we have chosen to study and visit over the upcoming 5 months, complete with party colour coding. Please do get in...

Former Home Secretary Calls For Better Facilities For Norwich Cyclists | BicycleLaw.com Former Home Secretary Calls For Better Facilities For Norwich Cyclists BicycleLaw November 17, 2009 Road.cc: Former Home Secretary calls for better facilities for Norwich cyclists By Simon_MacMichael – Posted on 17 November 2009 Former Home Secretary Charles Clarke has urged Norwich City Council to improve cycle route provision in the city. Clarke, who is MP for Norwich South, issued the call following a public meeting allowing constituents to air grievances in which cyclists riding on pavements emerged as a key concern. It’s a topical issue in the East Anglian city. Earlier this month, road.cc reported on police cracking down on pavement cyclists in Norwich, including one pedestrian who was hit by a bicycle as he walked out of his front garden. According to the Norwich Evening News, a number of people attending the meeting described being hit by bicycles or suffering near misses.

The newspaper said that one, a Mr Tim Townshend, who claimed to “regularly get almost mown down by cyclists,” asked the MP: “Could you invite the police to enforce the law and would you consider primary legislation so bicycles would have ID numbers like registration plates and cyclists to have insurance cover, details of which they would have to provide if stopped?”(( Mr Clarke, a former chair of the All Parliamentary Cycling Group, rejected that call, however, saying: “I am not sure I am in favour of licensing cyclists and am much more in favour of supporting cycling routes. If you look at European cities in places such as Holland and Germany you see pedestrians and cyclists going about their business separately.”( He added that he believed that police were addressing the problem of pavement cyclists, although some of those present claimed to have seen riders pass policemen without any action being taken. But another attendee highlighted the problem from the cyclist’s perspective, saying that it was simply too dangerous to ride on major roads such as Ipswich Road and Newmarket Road, forcing cyclists to take to the pavement instead.

Clarke is aware of the problem, and the paper reported him as saying: “I believe there needs to be separate cycle routes and that on the big arterial routes it is possible to do that.(I believe in roads such as Newmarket Road and Ipswich Road to have much more cycling there than there currently is at the moment, although you might have to take away some of the grass verges. We always back off and say it is too difficult to do and change never happens.”(( As we reported last week, schoolchildren in villages near Norwich are pushing for change with the support of their own local MP, campaigning for bike paths that would safely link local schools as well as improving cycle commuting routes into the city. Recent Posts Former Norwich South MP Charles Clarke warns Labour’s leadership is failing - Politics - Eastern Daily Press Former Norwich South MP Charles Clarke warns Labour’s leadership is failing 12:06 27 February 2012 Charles Clarke. Picture: James Bass Archant Norfolk Photographic Â© 2011 Former home secretary and Norwich South MP Charles Clarke has warned Labour’s leadership is failing. Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in.

In an interview with The Telegraph, he said he believed Labour is currently lacking a coherent vision. Mr Clarke said: “We need to have a clear narrative of what we did right and what we did wrong. We’re not remotely near that. “Also, we have to remember we are opposing as a potential future government. Simply to say what the Government is doing is a load of rubbish is absolutely not good enough. We have to say what we would do in these circumstances.” Mr Clarke said he regretted he did not fight harder to stop Gordon Brown becoming leader. He said: “My biggest mistake in politics was that when I was home secretary, I could have played a much bigger part in the future direction of the Labour Party than I did. I should have fought harder against the bullying by Gordon’s clique.” He added: “I could have done better than Gordon Brown. I think that under almost any other leader we would now have a hung parliament and be in coalition with the Liberal Democrats. Mr Clarke is now a visiting professor of faith and politics at Lancaster University and working with the Religion and Society Programme. He told The Telegraph he will not stand for Norwich again. “I had already been quite fed up and out of sorts during the end of our government.

Being in opposition is soul destroying. Politics is about making things happen, and if you haven’t got the capacity to do that, it is very difficult,” he said. UK Polling Report MAJORITY: 7654 (15.8%) Category: Semi-marginal Labour seat Geography: Eastern, Norfolk. Part of the Norwich council area and one ward from South Norfolk council area. Main population centres: Norwich, New Costessey. Profile: Norwich South covers the majority of the wards in Norwich City Council, including the town centre, and the Norwich suburb of New Costessey which falls under South Norfolk District Council. The seat inclues the "Golden Triangle", the south-western part of Norwich near the University of East Anglia consisting of victorian properties, with a large proportion of students and young professionals. Norwich Union is the largest local employer. The 2011 census found Norwich had the highest proportion of people without a religion of any local authority, something that appeared to go hand-in-hand with areas of high support for the Green party.

Politics: The seat has normally been Labour`s strongest seat in Norfolk due to the relatively high proportion of council tenants on estates like Lakenham, Bowthorpe and West Earlham. The fell to the Liberal Democrats in 2010, unseating former Home Secretary Charles Clarke, but was regained by Labour in 2015. This is a target seat for the Greens, who came third here with 14%. Current MP CLIVE LEWIS (Labour) Former television journalist. First elected as MP for Norwich South in 2015. Past Results Former Norwich South MP Charles Clarke warns Labour’s leadership is failing - Politics - Norwich Evening News Former Norwich South MP Charles Clarke warns Labour’s leadership is failing 12:06 27 February 2012 Charles Clarke. Picture: James Bass Archant Norfolk Photographic Â© 2011 Former home secretary and Norwich South MP Charles Clarke has warned Labour’s leadership is failing. Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. In an interview with The Telegraph, he said he believed Labour is currently lacking a coherent vision.

Mr Clarke said: “We need to have a clear narrative of what we did right and what we did wrong. We’re not remotely near that. “Also, we have to remember we are opposing as a potential future government. Simply to say what the Government is doing is a load of rubbish is absolutely not good enough. We have to say what we would do in these circumstances.” Mr Clarke said he regretted he did not fight harder to stop Gordon Brown becoming leader. He said: “My biggest mistake in politics was that when I was home secretary, I could have played a much bigger part in the future direction of the Labour Party than I did. I should have fought harder against the bullying by Gordon’s clique.” He added: “I could have done better than Gordon Brown. I think that under almost any other leader we would now have a hung parliament and be in coalition with the Liberal Democrats. Mr Clarke is now a visiting professor of faith and politics at Lancaster University and working with the Religion and Society Programme. He told The Telegraph he will not stand for Norwich again. “I had already been quite fed up and out of sorts during the end of our government. Being in opposition is soul destroying.

Politics is about making things happen, and if you haven’t got the capacity to do that, it is very difficult,” he said. Norwich South: Can the Greens stop Labour unseating another Lib Dem MP? | May2015: 2015 General Election Guide The 650 | 9th February 2015 Norwich South: Can the Greens stop Labour unseating another Lib Dem MP? “You have so many types of conversations here. You’ve got a Tory here, a […] Photo: Getty By Alex Woolley “You have so many types of conversations here. You’ve got a Tory here, a Green there… the odd Ukip supporter,” Clive Lewis, Labour’s candidate for Norwich South, tells me during a door-knocking session in his constituency. “It’s a five way marginal.” Walking down Colman Road, named after the Norwich-based mustard manufacturer, Lewis is off to challenge a retired employee of the same firm, who is considering supporting Ukip. Perhaps surprisingly, at the last general election the man voted Liberal Democrat.

Appealing to the thought of his children and grandchildren, Lewis begins a clearly practised argument about why Ukip is not the answer, and, indeed, why immigration is only rarely the problem. Not much reaction from the former Colman employee, apart from pointing out that he has no children or grandchildren, but he seems at least open to the idea of not voting Ukip. The real challenge facing Labour in this corner of East Anglia is not Ukip, but the Greens. However, for all Lewis’ keenness to confront Ukip voters – the team had been equipped with special anti-Ukip leaflets to hand out – the real challenge facing Labour in this corner of East Anglia is not Ukip, but the Green Party. In last May’s city council elections the party won fifteen seats , not far shy of Labour’s twenty-one. It’s not inconceivable that the Green surge might overwhelm this once reasonably safe Labour seat. Norwich South is one of the Greens’ three main targets in May, alongside Brighton Pavilion , which former party leader Caroline Lucas hopes to retain, and Bristol West (click through for May2015′s profiles; party leader Natalie Bennett is also standing in Holborn & St Pancras ).

Lesley Grahame, the Green candidate for the seat and a part-time district nurse, is hopeful. When I join her door-knocking later that day in the “golden triangle” – Norwich’s term for the most student-dense part of town – she’ll very occasionally slip from telling voters about “if I become your MP” to “when”. Grahame, the Greens’ candidate, has no time for Lewis’s suggestion that Norwich is a five-way marginal. And Grahame has no time for Lewis’s suggestion that Norwich is a five-way marginal. “They would say that, wouldn’t they?” She points out that there is little danger of the Greens splitting the left vote and letting in a Tory: “The Conservatives haven’t won here since the eighties, and a lot has changed since then – the only elected Tories in this constituency are the ones in New Labour. It’s a two-way marginal, between us and Labour.” But despite her enthusiasm for outdoing her Labour rival at the polls come May, Grahame’s view of the Labour Party is hardly an angry one: “There’s an argument to be had about whether you reform the Labour Party or replace it… And I’m not one to rejoice at a party’s demise.

The Labour Party has done a lot of good things, just none of them very recent.” The pair can at least agree on the improbability of the current Lib Dem MP, Simon Wright, retaining his seat. “He’s been particularly weak as an MP,” Lewis says. “He’s an excellent strategist; he was Norman Lamb’s advisor in 2005. But he’s too shy, and he’s too close to the inner circle of Lib Dems to rebel. “For instance, he didn’t make it a matter of principle to vote against tuition fees” – a particularly fraught topic given the large number of University of East Anglia students in Norwich South – “he did so when he’d been given permission [not to].

“When there are [political] debates in Norwich, it’s normally me and Chloe Smith [Conservative MP for Norwich North] who are producing all the drama, and he’s sat there cowering.” Clive Lewis, Labour’s candidate, on Simon Wright, the Lib Dem MP: “He’s sat there cowering.” Grahame’s analysis of Wright’s chances in May is significantly more succinct: “He’s toast.” But for all the local Green Party’s confidence and the resources dedicated to it by the national party, Chris Hanretty, a UEA academic behind one of the prediction models tracked on May2015 , recently suggested Norwich South was 97 per cent likely to vote Labour . In 2010 the Lib Dems dethroned Charles Clarke, the former Home Secretary and Labour’s MP for Norwich South since 1997. The party had held the seat since 1987. And a poll by Lord Ashcroft over the summer gave the party a double-digit lead over the Greens. “I’m more worried about complacency [than the Greens],” Lewis says, referring to Hanretty’s predictions.

“I mean, in the multiverse there’s still three universes in a hundred where there’s a Green MP in Norwich, so anything could happen. “I could be caught with my pants down behind a goat with Ed Miliband at the other end – well, hopefully that won’t happen.” Alex Woolley writes for 50for15 , a site profiling 50 of the UK’s key marginals ahead of May 2015.

Question: Which former Home Secretary is MP for Norwich South?
Answer: Charles Clarke