What is Kenneth Clarke?
{{refimprove|date=May 2011}} [[File:Official portrait of Mr Kenneth Clarke crop 2.jpg|thumb|right|210px|Clarke was the Justice Secretary of the United Kingdom]] '''Kenneth Harry Clarke, Baron Clarke of Nottingham''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|CH|PC|KC}} (born 2 July 1940),<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mr Kenneth Clarke (Hansard)|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-kenneth-clarke/index.html|access-date=2021-05-11|website=api.parliament.uk|archive-date=13 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413232331/https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-kenneth-clarke/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> often known as '''Ken Clarke''', is a [[British people|British]] [[politician]]. He was the Justice Secretary in the coalition government. Clarke has had a long career in politics and has served in the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|cabinets]] of [[Margaret Thatcher]] and [[John Major]]. On February 26, 2017, Clarke became [[Father of the House]] after the death of [[Gerald Kaufman]]. ==Early life and politics== Clarke was born in West Bridgford, [[Nottinghamshire]], England and was educated at the [[University of Cambridge]]. He became the Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe at the [[United Kingdom general election, 1970|1970 general election]] and became a [[Queen's Counsel]] in 1980. He held a number of lower positions in government under [[Margaret Thatcher]] until she promoted him to Health Secretary in 1988. He became Education Secretary in 1990 and when Thatcher resigned as [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] and was replaced with [[John Major]] he stayed on as Health Secretary until 1992 when he was promoted to [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]. He stayed as Chancellor until 1997 when the Conservatives were defeated in the General Election. ==In opposition== John Major resigned as leader of the Conservative Party soon after he was defeated in the general election and Clarke stood for election to replace him as leader and therefore become