Cameron rejects Clarke ‘dream ticket’
Shadow education secretary David Cameron has this morning confirmed he would not enter the Tory leadership race on a joint ticket with former Tory Chancellor, Kenneth Clarke.
He rejected the ‘dream ticket’ option – suggested yesterday by Lord Heseltine – on the basis of his disagreement with Mr Clarke over Europe.
It comes as he set out his views on terrorism and security – ground that that would normally be covered by his leadership rival David Davis.
Mr Cameron told Today he was not interested in “tickets and deals”.
“I’m interested in ideas and approaches and trying to get the right approach for the future of this country,” he said.
Asked if he intended to be a candidate, Mr Cameron replied that “if people like the ideas and approach I’m putting forward, then I should stand and I’m getting good feedback for what I’m saying”.
“I think that’s what matters in this,” he said. “You can do a deal with Mother Theresa but if you haven’t got the right ideas then you’re not actually going to contribute to the future of the Conservative Party or the future of the country.
Mr Cameron said he had “great respect” for Kenneth Clarke but he disagreed too strongly over the future of Europe.
He contrasted Mr Clarke’s vision of “ever closer union” within Europe with his own feeling that Europe should be more open and flexible – with the return of some powers to nation states.
Mr Cameron also said he had spoken yesterday to Mr Davis “in some detail” about his speech on security and that Mr Davis’s office had been given a copy.
In the Foreign Policy Centre speech he compared Islamic extremists to Nazis and warned that failing to confront them would be fatal.
He suggested other measures to tackle terrorism such as a dedicated border police force and 24-hour security at major ports.
And he called for regulation of mosques and said more should be done to ensure all Britons could speak English.
