Recovery not 'firmly rooted' warns Kenneth Clarke

Former chancellor says economy remains ‘fragile’ and vulnerable to shocks

Kenneth Ken Clarke

The UK’s economic recovery is not “firmly rooted” warns former Tory chancellor Kenneth Clarke. Describing the economy as “fragile”, he says there is a "long, long way" to go before the British economy is robust enough to deliver sustainable growth and compete with emerging powers such as China and Brazil.

Despite widespread and growing confidence in the economic recovery, Clarke argues that the economy remains "fragile", vulnerable to shocks, and lacks the strong productive base necessary to compete long-term in global markets.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"It's not firmly enough rooted on a proper balance between manufacturing and a wide range of services and financial services," he argues. "I mean, we have this mystery of why we can't get productivity to start rising again."

The former chancellor also admits there has been tension between him and David Cameron since the 2010 election. He says he has grown frustrated by the Tory press office’s efforts to keep him off the television and radio.

However, he insists he is completely “on message” with the government and a “great fan” of chancellor George Osborne.

Explore More