Ken Clarke lays into Theresa May saying the PM has ‘no idea’ how to carry out Brexit
Tory grandee says the new leader has had the misfortune of taking over from David Cameron at the most impossible time
THERESA May is running a "Government with no policies" which has no idea how to carry out Britain's exit from the European Union, Tory grandee Ken Clarke has said.
In an extraordinary attack on the PM the pro-EU former Chancellor blasted: "Nobody in the Government has the first idea of what they're going to do next on the Brexit front."
He also criticised the so-called "three Brexiteers" - Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Brexit Secretary David Davis and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox.
Mr Clarke warned the trio, who are tasked with delivering Brexit, that "serious uncertainty in your trading and political relationships with the rest of the world is dangerous if you allow it to persist".
His comments in the New Statesman magazine come ahead of the Tory Party conference, which starts on Sunday, which looks set to be dominated by splits over whether to pursue a so-called "hard Brexit" outside the European single market or to remain in the free trade zone.
The Prime Minister will have trouble maintaining party unity whichever option she takes, Mr Clarke said.
"Whatever is negotiated will be denounced by the ultra-Eurosceptics as a betrayal," he said.
"Theresa May has had the misfortune of taking over at the most impossible time.
"She faces an appalling problem of trying to get these 'three Brexiteers' to agree with each other."
He also singled out Mr Johnson and his former Vote Leave ally Michael Gove for giving "respectability" to "(Nigel) Farage's arguments that immigration was somehow a great peril caused by the EU".
RELATED STORIES
Mr Clarke made clear he would vote against Brexit in the Commons, if given the opportunity, describing the referendum as an "opinion poll" and David Cameron's decision to call it as "catastrophic".
He added: “The idea that I’m suddenly going to change my lifelong opinions about the national interest and regard myself as instructed to vote in parliament on the basis of an opinion poll is laughable.
“My constituents voted Remain.
“I trust nobody will seriously suggest that I should vote in favour of leaving the European Union.
"I think it’s going to do serious damage.”
He does support Mrs May, and they worked together in Cabinet for four years, but during the Tory leadership contest he was caught on camera calling her a “bloody difficult woman”.
The former chancellor had just been interviewed by Sky News at Westminster when he started talking to Sir Malcolm Rifkind about the “fiasco”.
Sir Malcolm, who was also a guest on the programme, started the conversation by saying he did not mind who wins as long as Gove isn’t in the final two.
But Mr Clarke had disparaging opinions on Theresa May, Andrea Leadsom and Michael Gove.
Talking about Mrs May he said: “Theresa is a bloody difficult woman but you and I worked with Margaret Thatcher (laughs).
“I get on all right with her … and she is good.
“She’s been at the Home Office far too long, so I only know in detail what her views are on the Home Office.
“She doesn’t know much about foreign affairs.”