Best Prime Minister in your opinion.

Robin Cook would be an interesting leader. He showed wisdom and sense in speaking out against the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

I remember crying when John Smith died. I was a bit too young to fully grasp politics then but I sensed we'd lost something very important as a country. A road not taken...

Another one for Rory Stewart and Caroline Lucas. PM and Deputy PM, in my improved, reformed voting system world.

Isn't the issue the fact that we are conditioned almost for them to have charisma? I mean we need to ask ourselves, what is it about charisma? It certainly goes against the grain, but aren't policies, integrity and honesty better? Yes, charisma is ok, but look where it got us with certain former PMs in recent history. Did Johnson have charisma? I don't think he did, more of a buffoon, but time told he was disgraced for his dishonesty.

In answer to your question the Prime Minster in recent memory that had the most integrity, honesty and policies was Gordon Brown. Schools were better and so was the NHS. What is more important to you, OP? Not policies?

He'd be a fantastic Foreign Secretary. So well travelled and has walked through so many Middle Eastern, war torn countries and got to know the locals. Fought in Iraq. I think with the state of world politics we need him right now.

Have you any knowledge of his life and world wide work and political experience? Very unfair of you to make this comment if you haven't. Also regarding his voting record. He has explained how boring against the whip got him demoted by George Osborne and when he did it again, he got sacked.

Joanna Cherry.

Rory Stewart. Geopolitics is his thing and with the state of the world right now, he'd be a very reassuring figure. Honerable; resigned as he vowed never to serve under a Boris premiership.

Agree with Brown. I'm happy to give Starmer a go in our current circumstances. The Tories need some time (a few decades) in opposition now and we need a steadier ship. I think Starmer can do that, but I think Brown would have done so with perhaps more vision and hope.

Urghh

Ha, I remember Cameron warning us of that. If only we'd voted for chaos, the country would be in a much much better place.

With regard best person for PM, I agree, Rory Stewart would have been very good, unfortunately Tory party members knew better and wanted Johnson then Truss. I think Gordon Brown was very under rated, likewise John Major. Tony Blair improved public services and life no end for ordinary people in the UK but then got blood on his hands in Iraq.

As to who we deserve, we deserve what we got. We deserve crumbling public services and poverty because that's what we voted for.

I lost patience with the party when it favoured Boris Johnson above Jeremy Hunt. I would prefer the latter to Rishi Sunak.

I don't mind Starmer and accept he is likely to be our next PM.

❤️

@therealcookiemonster Jeezus H Christ! Farcical. Completely farcical 🙈

"last I checked, she is still carrying the sword. also do you remember when she lost it during the tory conference speech?"

He's so un like a Tory. Weird.

Corbyn would have made an excellent PM, he's the only one with integrity and had be chosen to he right cabinet the labour party would have changed Britain for the better.

He had the best economic policy and would have put a stop to this madness.

The problem is the establishment didn't want Corbyn....so the concocted some nonsense that he hates Jews .....which is an absolute lie and utter rubbish. What he was against was the Zionist state...as he was against many other things.

Unfortunately the British follow the tabloids and social media....this is and will shape politics.

Rory Stewart has come out and said he would be happy to serve in a Labour government cabinet. Does that sound like a good option?

He would have to be given a seat in the Lords, but then could be in the Labour cabinet.

It's reported in today's FT.

@HandyLittleGadget , did you read the OP?
Anyway my question is who do you think is a leader which this nation deserves? It can either Labour or Conservative it need to be a living politician.
She died over 10 years ago.

Margaret Thatcher, hands down. There has never been, nor ever will be, a PM like her

She is extremely cool. Would definitely get stuff done if she randomly took charge of the country, and it would be good stuff.

Caroline Lucas 💯

I don’t even know if these people are still in parliament but I’d take Rory Stewart, Angela Eagle, Caroline Lucas, Angela Rayner and Jess Phillips. Preferably in an ancient Roman style panel.

I quite fancy trying chaos with Ed Milliband, after the 13 year shitshow we've endured. Is that still on offer?

@QuickDraining , many posters ignored the OP's 'It can either [be] Labour or Conservative[;] it need[s] to be a living politician.'

I don't understand the 'They picked the wrong brother' comment. I've heard and seen it so many times.

We deserved Johnson because we voted for him. I didn't vote Conservative

he seems to at least be a man of conviction. That goes quite a way.

Sadly his convictions include anti-Semitism and being such a raging narcissist that he was prepared to destroy the Labour party by ignoring what the electorate actually want.

The absolute lack of imagination on this thread! Cooper, Burnham and David Miliband were all rejected by the membership previously for their leadership bid. The membership got behind Corbyn, and now Labour regret giving the membership power, so have used petty reasons to expel membership they don't want. The Tory membership picked a leader that was useless, while rejecting Sunak, and they just planted him in the top job anyway. There's a good question as to who should pick the leader, the membership, the mps, or even the public. Starmer is a stooge. The Tories have had a huge majority, and the opposition is weak and I get that, but they have been dreadful. I can think of many capable people that would do a better job than what we have. Even my partner, or probably a random sample of 13 year olds. But even the best PM needs a good cabinet. I know there are a few capable MPs, out there. I'm not that hopeful. Will be spoiling my ballot paper at the next election. Feels like we are damned to loose either way. The bad and the not so bad seems to be the perpetual choice. Corbyn wasn't even that radical, I don't know why people try and paint him as some hard lefty or something. He had a costed manifesto, which was pretty bland and he seems to at least be a man of conviction. That goes quite a way. I think if Labour had won the 2019 election he'd have been stabbed in the back by the same power hungry shits that are currently waiting at the side of the stage.

We probably deserved Johnson to some extent, but I had hoped that people would have learned a hard lesson and sworn never again. It just seems to get worse and worse. Hoping some integrity can be returned to British politics, but I shan't hold my breath.

If Sunak gets a vote of no confidence, might the Foreign Secretary be considered as a replacement?

Keir Starmer would be great as PM