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		Ken Clarke & Roger Helmer, BBC World at One Saturday 3rd September 2005 I set out on World at One the reasons why I cannot support Ken in the leadership election. In response, Ken made an accusation which was false, damaging and prejudicial. He said that Michael Howard had withdrawn my Conservative whip. But Michael Howard did no such thing, and has repeatedly insisted that this is an internal matter for the MEP delegation in Brussels. Timothy Kirkhope and Chief Whip Philip Bradbourn withdrew the whip, because I insisted on fulfilling a manifesto pledge to oppose cronyism and malpractice in trhe Commission, despite instructions to the contrary. Of course Ken has a reputation of being a bit casual with the details (he admitted never having read the Maastricht Treaty!). This is another example. Transcript of the interview Nick Clarke: For some within the Tory party, however, it is not Iraq but Europe that remains an overriding concern and despite his recent statements on the failures of the euro whether they can trust Mr Clarke not to revert to type at the first opportunity. Roger Helmer is the Tory MEP for the East Midlands. Roger Helmer: He gave himself away when he talked about the euro because he said "Well we wouldn't join for ten years but everybody knows the euro is a disaster and frankly to talk about joining it ever is both preposterous and dangerous. NC: Well he does of course say that it's been a failure so far in many respects that he thought were important. He says the constitution is dead isn't that going to be enough for most people to say look this man is not going to rush into the euro at any time in the foreseeable future? RH: No I don't think so and the other key issue is that of course the euro isn't the whole of the European project. What we have now is the European Commission pressing ahead with huge chunks of the constitution even though it hasn't been ratified and we need an opposition that is going to challenge that and oppose it. Not a Clarke-led opposition that is going to acquiesce in further European integration. NC: Your views on this subject are well-known and you've had trouble with the leadership before haven't you over the very strong line you take? Are there really many people in the party who still feel as strongly as you do, bearing in mind Mr Clarke's obvious efforts to assuage doubts on this score? RH: I've sat in meetings of Conservative councillors in my region in the East Midlands and they actually admitted to me that they voted for fringe rejectionist parties in the last European elections not because they are dissatisfied with the work I'm doing as an MEP but as they put it to send a message to the Party leadership. And I just don't think that Conservatives will trust Ken on this key issue. NC: Roger Helmer Later in the programme NC: Briefly on Europe. People like Roger Helmer say you will not change your spots, you are the man you were, words don't mean anything, and people will not work for you, even in areas like the East Midlands your own home territory, because you are who you are. Ken Clarke: Well Roger is so extreme that Michael Howard's taken the whip away from him and I'm not sure he's got the Conservative whip back yet so you didn't get an altogether typical spokesman there. But anyway nevermind Roger. Most sensible Conservatives I think that what I've said that the euro is not, Britain not joining the euro is not likely to be an issue for the next ten years that all constitutional and treaty making is now dead and we need to get onto the real European agenda which is economic reform how to make the market work better, deliver real benefits for people and for businesses that's what we're arguing about and I just think that's regarded as just plain obvious. If there are people arguing with me about that and saying "no, no, no, no, what the Conservative party should be doing this leadership election is going on trying to refight all its old arguments about Europe again", I really think that those people must have lost all interest in ever holding office in a British government again. NC: Kenneth Clarke thank you for talking to us. See also my Open letter to Ken Clarke.