Hague 'mistimed' Damilola remarks

William Hague spoke too early on sensitive issue says Clarke

Former Conservative chancellor Ken Clarke has criticised the timing of party leader William Hague's remarks on law and order and police numbers following the death of Damilola Taylor.

If you are not careful, you give the idea to people who are racialist that you are slightly titillating their views

Ken Clarke MP

In an interview with the Independent newspaper, Mr Clarke said it was often best not to refer directly to such high-profile and sensitive cases so soon after they had happened.

He also said he feared Mr Hague's remarks ran a risk of being interpreted as giving support to racists.

Mr Hague has been widely condemned after recently linking current low police numbers to 10-year-old Damilola's death in a south London housing estate.

The 10-year-old's parents have accused him of using their son's death as a "political football".

Damilola died on 27 November

At the same time the Conservative leader made remarks suggesting that the Macpherson report into the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence had damaged police morale, making officers fearful of using their stop and search powers for fear of being branded as racist.

The murdered teenager's father then accused Mr Hague of playing the race card.

But Mr Hague has remained defiant despite the criticism. Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, he said he would not be "bullied" into silence.

Highly sensitive

In his interview on Friday Mr Clarke said: "It is usually wisest to keep off individual cases affecting victims at a time when the family and everyone else is highly sensitive on the subject."

And he said discussion of the Macpherson report so soon after its publication should be done in a "walking on eggshells fashion".

He said: "If you are not careful, you give the idea to people who are racialist that you are slightly titillating their views.

"I am quite sure that William is not a racialist. I think he has got to keep slapping that suggestion down.

Minefield

"I think he had a good case and discovered this is a minefield of an area to go into because strident reactions are almost certain to be provoked."

Ken Clarke: Tories have "all to play for"

During the interview, Mr Clarke again said that it was "highly unlikely" that he would ever again challenge for the post of Tory leader.

Looking ahead to the general election, he suggested that the Tories would suffer unless they put out a more positive message on issues like health and education.

Although he insisted the party, which trails Labour by 10 points in some polls, had "all to play for" in the upcoming election, he described the shadow cabinet as "beleaguered" and giving the impression of "jostling amongst themselves".