First he bombarded an anti-Tory activist with abuse when she dared to praise the Samaritans for helping her with a mental health problem at the Glastonbury music festival.
Then he was named and shamed in a Government report for attempting to obstruct a Parliamentary enquiry into the ‘partygate’ scandal.
Here at your Guardian, we have very few dealings with Mr Clarke-Smith – he was approached for comment this week in the Glastonbury rant and didn’t respond.
Other than that – aside from occasionally rocking up somewhere to get photoed wearing a hard hat – we publish his weekly column where he trots out the latest party line, and the occasional press release where he ‘welcomes’ whatever the Conservative government tell him to welcome. These tend to go straight on the spike.
So with all this in mind, and with the next General Election no longer than 18 months away, we thought we’d take a look at some of the MP’s ‘finest’ moments since coming into office.
1. Obstruction
So, starting with his latest antics, On Thursday, June 29, Brendan Clarke-Smith was named as one of 10 politicians who tried to obstruct the 'partygate' enquiry by putting "improper pressure" on the investigating committee. He could now face a suspension from Parliament. After he was caught with his trousers down, he tweeted his innocence and outrage and questioned the democratic process . . . because he'd been caught with his trousers down. Photo: Submitted
2. Bully
Earlier this week, Mr Clarke-Smith took it upon himself to mock a political blogger for sharing a mental health blip she suffered while at the Glastonbury music festival and her praise for the Samaritans on Twitter. Referring to her as a 'vile internet troll', his remark about 'playing the world's smallest violin' was a masterstroke in dispassion. Rather than putting his hands up and apologising, he kept the argument rumbling on, despite the tirade being reported in the national press and even laid into former Worksop MP John Mann for daring to share his views. Photo: Leon Neal
3. Beans
In May, the intrepid Mr Clarke-Smith again faced a backlash for suggesting hard-pressed families ditch branded goods and buy supermarket-own baked beans instead amid spiralling food inflation. He later appeared on the GB News show of fellow Tory gob***** Lee Anderson to do a taste test . . . somehow proving his point? Photo: ADJ
4. Boris Babes
Heading back to Parliament, Mr Clarke-Smith was one of six Nottinghamshire 'Boris babes' who didn't vote on the 'Partygate' report, as well as Ben Bradley, Lee Anderson, Mark Spencer, Darren Henry and Alexander Stafford. Instead he attended a Tory Party function hosted by . . . erm . . . Boris Johnson. Photo: d