Clarke has vast cabinet experience

The clubbable former chancellor is seen as a true big hitter who is still well regarded in the country, to the point that when he stood for the party leadership in 2001, opinion polls suggested he was most popular Tory politician with the British people.

Mr Clarke is one of the most prominent members of John Major's government now remaining in the House of Commons.

The former chancellor is one of the most ardent supporters of Europe and the euro among current Tory MPs.

An MP since 1970, Mr Clarke rose steadily up the Conservative ladder.

KENNETH CLARKE Born July 1940 MP for Rushcliffe since 1970 Health Secretary 1988-90 Education Secretary 1990-92 Home Secretary 1992-93 Chancellor of the Exchequer 1993-97

Within two years of his election he was an assistant whip, rising to whip and then becoming a junior spokesman on the opposition benches.

When Margaret Thatcher led the party to victory in 1979 she appointed Mr Clarke to the post of junior transport minister.

Over the next 10 years, he served as a junior minister in the departments of health, employment and trade and industry.

Controversial

It was not until 1988, that Mr Clarke was promoted to the cabinet.

As health secretary, he was given the job of driving through controversial and far-reaching reforms of the NHS, including the internal market.

When John Major became leader he moved Mr Clarke to education and later the Home Office.

After the events of Black Wednesday, the resignation of Norman Lamont and the decision to leave the ERM, Mr Clarke was made chancellor.

It was as chancellor in the Major years that much of Mr Clarke's reputation and standing rests.

His period in charge of the Treasury saw interest rates, inflation and unemployment all falling.

Backing

Much of the credit was given to Mr Clarke and Bank of England governor Eddie George - whose regular meetings were dubbed the Ken and Eddie show.

Despite the economy's health, Mr Major's Conservatives, riven by splits over whether the UK should join the European single currency, suffered a huge electoral defeat in 1997.

Once the defeated Tory leader threw in the towel, Mr Clarke was one of the first to enter the leadership race.

Coming from the left of the party, and being one of the most pro-euro Conservative MPs, he lost out in the end to the youthful and more Eurosceptic William Hague, who benefited from the backing of the darling of the Tory right, Lady Thatcher.

In what turned out to be a vain attempt to appeal to Tory MPs from the right wing of the party, Mr Clarke had made a pact - later much derided - with the arch Eurosceptic John Redwood.

Hopes

That proved insufficient to win the leadership contest and Mr Clarke headed to the backbenches, where he largely vanished from the national political scene, with some company directorships helping to occupy his time.

He threw his hat into the ring again in 2001 after William Hague resigned, making it to the final round.

But Mr Clarke's hopes evaporated when the poll was opened up to party members, a majority of whom opted for Iain Duncan Smith.

He returned again to the backbenches, but remains an important Tory figure.

His opposition to the war in Iraq attracted headlines, while he drew big crowds to a party fringe meeting at the Tory conference earlier this month.