A dramatic reshuffling in the Tory shadow cabinet is taking effect in the UK today, and the biggest story is the pro-Europe politician Ken Clarke being brought back to the front-bench. Clarke, who has a long and controversial history in UK politics, is sure to rile the Eurosceptics of the Tory Party. Now the question on many people's minds is this - will Clarke's appointment reignite the old civil war within the Tory Party over Europe?The former chancellor, who has lost elections to lead the Tories three times, is being brought on as the shadow business secretary. Under the British system of government, the opposition parties form "shadow governments," which advise the public on what they would do instead of the ruling party if they were elected. Though they have no actual power, they help shape the policies of the party on which they campaign in elections.
Clarke's pro-Europe views are well-known. He even favours Britain joining the Euro. However Clarke has insisted that he won't rock the boat over Europe, telling the British media, "I accept that the party has come to a settled view on European matters, and I will not oppose the direction David will set on European policies in the future."
