The best Prime Minister we never had?

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Just watching You’ve Been Framed TV, and heard this phrase, and realised that I seem to have heard it absolutely loads over the last few months, especially towards the end of the last parliament.
It got me thinking, if I had to choose, who would be that person? I think if I absolutely had to, I’d say John Smith, but there would be a couple of others in the frame.
So I’m wondering who do you think is the best PM we never had and why?

I immediately thought of John Smith too.

John Smith without a doubt

My first thought was also John Smith. So sad.

Yes. John Smith was my first thought too.

Michael Portillo - loved him on the bbc2 programme that was axed - this week?
Find he explains things clearly and now love all the various TV programmes he's involved in...

Yep John Smith. I remember crying when he died. A wonderful man,

I also thought of John Smith.

John Smith, definitely.

I wish Mo Mowlam was still around too and would love to know what she'd be up to now if she was still here.

Whilst I'm not a Tory, Michael Heseltine and Ken Clarke would have been better then John Major in my opinion. I would also like to know where we'd be if David Miliband had got the Labour leadership instead of Ed.

John Smith.

We may have been in a different world if he had lived, who knows 🤷🏻‍♀️

@justajot agree. David miliband was the sliding doors moment. Ken Clarke for sure.

I often think how different everything would have panned our if John Smith hadn’t died.

No Iraq war? No 9/11? No Brexit?

I agree with PP too; Mo Mowlam would have been a wonderful PM

John Smith

and before that, Denis Healey

Gordon Brown also. Fair enough he had a shot but the media ripped him to shreds. It would have been very different if he'd had Blair's crack at it.

I was surprised watching the Levinson Inquiry, how thoughtful and erudite he was. When he spoke, it was like the grownups had entered the room and opened the debate up into something meaningful to us all - a stark comparison to the self-serving utterings of the other people who spoke.

I knew everyone would say John Smith!

John Smith was my first thought too.

I remember the news breaking in the office and everyone was so sad about it.

I wonder who the fundamentally decent politicians are at the moment who will be remembered in the same way as John Smith, Mo Mowlam and Robin Cook are remembered.

John Smith, David Miliband. Unquestionably.

John Smith was first thought for me too. Overall tho the caliber of politicians was much better in the past ( or maybe I’m just too old)

I liked Gordon Brown too.

Yeah David Miliband was another one of my contenders, but I really hate thinking what might have been if we’d got him not Ed. Would we have got JC? Or Brexit?
I think Ken Clarke would have been a fine PM but I don’t know if some of that was just because he seemed to be so very principled compared to Boris.

Before my time, but Denis Healey is often described as the best PM we never had article about him here

Overall tho the caliber of politicians was much better in the past ( or maybe I’m just too old)

It's not you, it's true. I suspect being an MP is less attractive these days for lots of reasons.

Adding to the chorus of John Smith. He came across as a kindly, genuine sort.

I liked Gordon Brown too.

As the best Prime Minister we never had?