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Ianonabike
Guest
You can also nominate the best prime minister we never had – I vote Tony Benn.
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OP
OP
Ianonabike
Guest
OP
OP
Ianonabike
Guest
If I'm going to have the thread to myself, I can safely say that I didn't think Rishi was so terrible. Hardly one of the greats – or anything close – but I didn't despise him despite his background in what I tend to think of as one of the more parasitic industries, and pushing some stupid ideas, like Eat Out to Help Out (when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer).
D
Deleted member 16
Guest
For that, I'll vote for John Smith or Shirley Williams.
LCpl Boiled Egg
Regular
midlandsgrimpeur
Well-Known Member
I would go with John Smith as well. For sheer impact on the UK that far outlived their tenure it would probably have to be Atlee or Churchill. I actually think Gordon Brown and John Major are underrated Prime Ministers and both have shown themselves to be far more Statesmanlike in their post political careers than the current crop of idiots.
bobzmyunkle
Veteran
D
Deleted member 16
Guest
Gordon Brown was greatly mistreated despite pulling the UK out of the worst financial crisis to hit the world in about 70 years or so.
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midlandsgrimpeur
Well-Known Member
I am surprised a lot more does not get made of this, particularly as most of the other key figures of the time, like Obama, readily give Brown the credit for leading the UK and wider global efforts.
Beebo
Legendary Member
I can only really speak about PMs in my living memory. So Thatcher up.
No one can be perfect but here is my scores out of 10.
Thatcher did some things well, but wasn’t living in ex industrial areas so I was fairly insulted from her worst bits. 6/10
Major seemed a safe pair of hands except for his affair. 7/10
Blair did well other than the gulf war. 8/10
Brown had done his best work as chancellor He was handed the dying embers as PM and had little room to manoeuvre 7/10
Cameron seemed to do well at the start , probably a bit too heavy with austerity, But Brexit will be his legacy. 6/10
May did a good job in terrible circumstances. 7/10
Johnson. Total clown show. 3/10
Truss. Total clown show. 1/10
Sunak. Steadied the ship but it was already sinking. 6/10
Starmer. Disappointing start. Seems to be lost and struggling against the right wing narrative. 5/10 so far.
Did I miss any? It’s so hard to remember.
No one can be perfect but here is my scores out of 10.
Thatcher did some things well, but wasn’t living in ex industrial areas so I was fairly insulted from her worst bits. 6/10
Major seemed a safe pair of hands except for his affair. 7/10
Blair did well other than the gulf war. 8/10
Brown had done his best work as chancellor He was handed the dying embers as PM and had little room to manoeuvre 7/10
Cameron seemed to do well at the start , probably a bit too heavy with austerity, But Brexit will be his legacy. 6/10
May did a good job in terrible circumstances. 7/10
Johnson. Total clown show. 3/10
Truss. Total clown show. 1/10
Sunak. Steadied the ship but it was already sinking. 6/10
Starmer. Disappointing start. Seems to be lost and struggling against the right wing narrative. 5/10 so far.
Did I miss any? It’s so hard to remember.
icowden
Pharaoh
I'm pretty much in agreement although I think the scores for Cameron, May, Sunak and Starmer are a little generous.
Ian H
Shaman
Thatcher only became popular when she went to war. Luckily for her, Reagan agreed to covertly support the UK military.
Other than that, she attacked workers' rights, started the destruction of British industry, then, fortunately, fell under the poll tax bus.
Perhaps Starmer should start a war to increase his popularity.
Other than that, she attacked workers' rights, started the destruction of British industry, then, fortunately, fell under the poll tax bus.
Perhaps Starmer should start a war to increase his popularity.
briantrumpet
Timewaster
Over on CS, there was a general hope that Sunak would be considerably better than his two predecessors (a low bar, admittedly), as he seemed to be neither nuts nor a deceitful charlatan, but the hope evaporated in a few months, as it became apparent that he and the party were completely out of ideas, their flagship policy (Brexit) having foundered on the rocks of reality. He spent most of his time trolling the opposition and denying reality rather than governing. A deep disappointment.
