HE is the “big beast” of British politics.

Ken Clarke, born in 1940, is pictured here speaking at the Brighton Centre in October 1984.

He is also pictured with Michael Heseltine at the end of a Conservative Party Conference in October 1992, and with Geoffrey Howe at the 1988 Conference in Brighton.

Ken has been the Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe since 1970 and is currently the Father of the House.

He earned his big beast nickname through serving in the Cabinet as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary, Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Education Secretary, Health Secretary and Minister without Portfolio.

He was health minister from 1982 to 1985.

Labour Party politician Frank Dobson was the MP for Holborn and St Pancras from 1979 to 2015.

He served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Health from 1997 to 1999

He was also the official Labour Party candidate for Mayor of London in 2000, ultimately finishing third in the election, behind Conservative Steven Norris and winner Ken Livingstone.

Health Minister Norman Fowler is pictured here arriving at Metropole Hotel in Brighton for the Conservative Party Conference in 1984.

To see more of our fantastic pictures from yesteryear go to theargus.co.uk/photoarchive.

l Phil Mills, senior press officer at the University of Brighton, got in touch to notify us that the "mystery" cricketer in The Argus’s Timeout photos on Wednesday, June 20 is in fact retired cricketer John Snow, who played for Sussex in the 60s and 70s and who Phil calls “one of the best known Sussex and England cricketers of all time.”