British pollie Ken Clarke caught on camera criticising fellow Tory leadership candidates
A senior British MP was caught bad-mouthing fellow Tory leadership candidates with another government veteran in a candid off-air chat, which he didn’t realise was being broadcast by Sky News.
Ken Clarke discussed the inadequacies of candidates who are contesting the party leadership following former PM David Cameron's shock post Brexit resignation last month, with Sir Malcolm Rifkind.
But the former chancellor didn’t realise he was still mic’d-up and his mud-slinging was broadcast live following his guest television appearance.
The 76-year-old didn’t seem to hold back when he said appointing Michael Gove to the hot seat would have international implications.
"I think with Michael as Prime Minister we'd go to war with at least three countries at once.”
Former MP for Kensington Sir Macolm, who was also waiting to appear as a guest, told Clarke: “I don't mind who wins as long as Gove comes third”.
Clarke went on to say: "[Gove] did us all a favour by getting rid of Boris [Johnson]. The idea of Boris as prime minister is ridiculous".
The pollie who has sat in parliament since 1970 told Sir Malcolm he thought Johnson and candidate Andrea Leadsom were Brexit supporters.
"She is not one of the tiny band of lunatics who think we can have a sort of glorious economic future outside the single market,” Clarke said of Leadsom.
"So long as she understands that she's not to deliver on some of the extremely stupid things she's been saying."
He went on to say he thought Theresa May “doesn't know much about foreign affairs".
"Theresa is a bloody difficult woman but you and I worked with Margaret Thatcher.”
Sky News has copped a bit of flack for running the “shop talk” on air, but Sir Malcolm told The Independent the broadcast was “entertaining” and he was “hugely amused” by it.
"People may say it's a bit naughty of [Sky News] but I think under the circumstances it is the world we live in – I make no complaint at all.
“I’m delighted to have made my own personal contribution,” he laughed.
