Editing Alan Clark (section)

=== Departure and return ===
Clark left Parliament in 1992 following Margaret Thatcher's fall from power. His admission during the [[Matrix Churchill]] trial that he had been "economical with the ''actualité''" in answer to parliamentary questions about what he knew with regard to arms export licences to Iraq, caused the collapse of the trial and the establishment of the [[Scott Inquiry]], which helped undermine [[John Major]]'s government.<ref>{{Cite news|title = The difference between lying and misleading|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34912959|access-date = 2015-12-05|last = Edmonds|first = David |work = BBC News|date = December 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180511065124/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34912959|archive-date = 11 May 2018|url-status = live}}</ref>

Clark became bored with life outside politics and returned to Parliament as member for [[Kensington and Chelsea (UK Parliament constituency)|Kensington and Chelsea]] in the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|election of 1997]], becoming critical of [[1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|NATO's campaign in the Balkans]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/341713.stm | work=BBC News | title=Alan Clark: A clumsy war | date=13 May 1999 | access-date=23 April 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040509035142/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/341713.stm | archive-date=9 May 2004 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>3 ''Alan Clark Diaries: The Last Diaries'', Page 389, Phoenix Paperback 2003 Edition, 4 April 1999: "I am hugely depressed about Kosovo: Those loathsome, verminous gypsies; and the poor brave Serbs."</ref>

Clark held strong views on [[British unionism]], racial difference, social class, and was in support of animal rights, [[British nationalism|nationalist]] [[protectionism]] and [[Euroscepticism]]{{Citation needed|date=June 2013}}. He referred to [[Enoch Powell]] as "The Prophet". Clark once declared: "It is natural to be proud of your race and your country", and in a departmental meeting, allegedly referred to Africa as "[[Bongo Bongo Land]]".<ref>Financial Times 7 February 1985 "Tory minister faces row over race remark"</ref> When called to account, however, Clark denied the comment had any racist overtones, claiming it had simply been a reference to the president of [[Gabon]], [[Omar Bongo]].<ref>Clark, A. ''The Last Diaries: In and Out of the Wilderness'', Phoenix, 2003, p.219.</ref>

Clark argued that the media and the government failed to pick out the racism towards white people and ignored any racist attacks on white people. He also, however, described the National Front chairman, [[John Tyndall (politician)|John Tyndall]], as "a bit of a blockhead".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/R/real_lives/alan_clark.html|title=Channel 4 – The Real Alan Clark|work=Channel 4|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705005854/http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/R/real_lives/alan_clark.html|archive-date=5 July 2007}}</ref>

On his death in 1999, figures from all sides of politics paid tribute to Clark, though his critics remained.<ref name=":0"/><ref name="independent.co.uk">{{Cite web |date=2009-09-14 |title=Alan Clark was not 'wonderful'. He was sleazy and cruel |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/dominic-lawson/alan-clark-was-not-wonderful-he-was-sleazy-and-cruel-1787343.html |access-date=2024-02-15 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] spoke of Clark as "extraordinary, amusing, irreverent, but with real conviction and belief, and behind the headlines, kind and thoughtful."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=1999-09-07 |title=Tributes from across the spectrum |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1999/sep/07/uk.politicalnews3 |access-date=2024-02-15 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> And the Liberal Democrat, [[Simon Hughes]], described him as "courageous, idiosyncratic, talented and principled.<ref name=":0" /> However, journalist [[Dominic Lawson]] criticised Clark as "sleazy, vindictive, greedy, callous and cruel", while [[Ion Trewin]] (subsequently his biographer) referred to Clark as "wonderful".<ref name="independent.co.uk"/>

Clark was a passionate supporter of [[animal rights]], joining activists in demonstrations at Dover against [[live export]],<ref name=Mcnaghten>{{cite book |last=Macnaghten |first=Phil |author2=Urry, John |title=Contested natures |publisher=Sage |location=London |year=1998 |edition=1 |isbn=978-0-7619-5312-8}}</ref> and outside the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] in support of [[Animal Liberation Front]] hunger-striker [[Barry Horne (activist)|Barry Horne]].<ref name=ClarkIII>Clark, Alan. ''The Last Diaries: 1993–1999''. Phoenix, p. 361.</ref>