▁was ▁the ▁greatest ▁conserv ative ▁ever . ▁When ▁asked ▁about ▁those ▁who ▁believe ▁" Mar x ▁was ▁right ▁all ▁along ", ▁he ▁respond ed ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁guilty ▁of ▁ign oring ▁the ▁system atic ▁ab uses ▁and ▁pover ty ▁of ▁cent r ally ▁planned ▁econom ies , ▁and ▁critic ised ▁the ▁historian ▁Eric ▁Hob sb aw m , ▁saying ▁that ▁" only ▁when ▁Hob sb aw m ▁we eps ▁hot ▁tears ▁for ▁a ▁life ▁spent ▁serving ▁an ▁ide ology ▁of ▁w icked ness ▁will ▁he ▁ever ▁be ▁worth ▁listening ▁to ." ▁ ▁Capital ▁pun ishment ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁G ove ▁wrote ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁bringing ▁back ▁h anging ▁as ▁capital ▁pun ishment , ▁which ▁was ▁abol ished ▁in ▁the ▁UK ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁although ▁he ▁has ▁not ▁repeated ▁such ▁views ▁since . ▁Writing ▁in ▁The ▁Times , ▁G ove ▁argued ▁" W ere ▁I ▁ever ▁alone ▁in ▁the ▁dock ▁I ▁would ▁not ▁want ▁to ▁be ▁ar ra igned ▁before ▁our ▁fla wed ▁trib un als , ▁knowing ▁my ▁freedom ▁could ▁be ▁for fe ited ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁political ▁press ures . ▁I ▁would ▁prefer ▁a ▁fair ▁trial , ▁under ▁the ▁shadow ▁of ▁the ▁no ose ." ▁ ▁Foreign ▁policy ▁ ▁The ▁Fin an cial ▁Times ▁describes ▁G ove ▁as ▁having ▁" strong ▁ne o con serv ative ▁conv ict ions ". ▁He ▁proposed ▁that ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁invasion ▁of ▁Ira q ▁would ▁bring ▁peace ▁and ▁dem ocracy ▁both ▁to ▁Ira