It was former Playaway presenter Floella Benjamin who introduced the education secretary to the Labour party conference as "the lovely Charles Clarke".
Clarke was certainly one of the most popular figures among delegates at the conference after having just secured a commitment for affordable childcare for all under-fives.
And he was very popular with people from the children's sector who attended the numerous fringe events around the plush hotels of Brighton. Indeed, so surprised were some by the breadth of the commitment that many had serious questions about how affordable "affordable" was.
Still, Labour delegates weren't asking too many questions when they warmly applauded his set-piece speech.
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