Clarke postpones holiday plans

Sunday, 24 July 2005 12:00 AM

Home secretary Charles Clarke has postponed his holiday plans following pressure from Cabinet colleagues.

Mr Clarke had reportedly been planning to go on holiday with his family despite the terror crisis in London.

The Mail on Sunday claimed Mr Clarke would miss a cross-party Downing Street summit to discuss new anti-terror laws if he stuck to his plans.

But on Sunday afternoon he said: "I very much value my family holidays but I have decided to postpone my own departure on that holiday until I have looked at the situation in more detail and decided what is the best thing to do."

He intends to join his family later on in the holiday.

Prior to Mr Clarke's statement, the Home Office insisted that the system was robust enough to cope with his absence.

Refusing to comment on the home secretary's "private or domestic arrangements," it said in a statement: "If and when he does decide to take leave there is always a Home Office minister in charge."

"We have a tried and tested system for dealing with major incidents and this system is robust enough to cope if one person takes leave."

The Mail on Sunday claimed police minister Hazel Blears would stand in for the home secretary at the meeting later this week, which Prime Minister Tony Blair will also attend.

Conservative leader Michael Howard is reportedly taking shadow home secretary, David Davis, to the summit, while Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy will bring his chief home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten.

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