before" (Clarke wanted the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland to continue). Attitude to left-wing politics As a right-winger, Clarke became increasingly vocal in attacking the Labour Party, and especially its left wing. When a left-wing rebellion against the defence estimates in 1961 turned out to be less than expected, he shouted "What a poor rebellion!" He was astonished that Harold Wilson had appointed a Minister for Disarmament in the Foreign Office in 1964, and was so strong an opponent of Sydney Silverman's Bill to abolish capital punishment that he said that Silverman and the three most recent Home Secretaries should themselves be hanged. Loss of seat Having had his majority reduced to 497 votes in 1964, Clarke lost his seat in the 1966 general election. When the result was announced (televised live on ITN's election programme), Clarke shouted back at the assembled crowd "You're all bloody fools!" He attempted to regain his seat at the 1970 general election but despite the national swing to the Conservatives, he made only a tiny reduction in the Labour majority. References Who Was Who M. Stenton and S. Lees, Who's Who of British MPs Vol. IV (Harvester Press, 1981) Obituary, The Times, 27 May 1992 External links 1904 births 1992 deaths Gloucestershire Regiment officers Royal Army Ordnance Corps officers British Army personnel of World War II Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies People educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College UK MPs 1950–1951 UK MPs 1951–1955 UK MPs 1955–1959 UK MPs 1959–1964 UK MPs 1964–1966 Politics of Portsmouth People from Ascot, Berkshire Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates