The son of Civil Service Permanent Secretary Sir Richard Clarke, Charles Clarke was born in London.
He attended the fee-paying Highgate School where he was Head Boy.
He then read Mathematics and Economics at King's College, Cambridge, where he also served as the President of the Cambridge Students' Union.

A member of the Broad Left faction, he was President of the National Union of Students from 1975 to 1977.
Clarke had joined the Labour Party by then and was active in the Clause Four group.
 Clarke was the British representative on the Permanent Commission for the World Youth Festival (Cuba) from 1977 to 1978.
The son of Civil Service Permanent Secretary Sir Richard Clarke, Charles Clarke was born in London. He attended the fee-paying Highgate School where he was Head Boy. He then read Mathematics and Economics at King's College, Cambridge, where he also served as the President of the Cambridge Students' Union.
A member of the Broad Left faction, he was President of the National Union of Students from 1975 to 1977. Clarke had joined the Labour Party by then and was active in the Clause Four group.  Clarke was the British representative on the Permanent Commission for the World Youth Festival (Cuba) from 1977 to 1978.
Charles Clarke