Pick a Prime Minister

[Jourdain11]

Since it seems to be the widely-held view that Boris Johnson hasn't done a great job of handling this crisis, which recent (last 30 years) former PM do you think would have done the best?

Margaret Thatcher
John Major
Tony Blair
Gordon Brown
David Cameron
Theresa May

Throw in the LOTOs for good measure:

Jeremy Corbyn
Ed Miliband
(David Cameron)
Michael Howard
Ian Duncan Smith
William Hague
(Tony Blair)
John Smith
Neil Kinnock

Throw in Ken Clarke for good measure, since he was almost LOTO twice and held two of the Great Offices of State.

I am genuinely curious as to what people think! My guess would be Blair or Thatcher. Not sure if I could cope with the gushy Blair speeches every day, personally, though.

Gordon Brown for me. Didn't he have to deal with Swine flu and was in Govt when we had foot and mouth?

Thatcher looked like a "leader" because there was zero MSM scrutiny of what she did, we just all went along with her, it was a different era, most of what she did would be pulled to bits in today's internet age, not least murdering everyone on the Belgrano as it sailed away from the falklands, even the US went ape over that one!
The reality is she was a populist and war monger, she'd have dealt with CV in the same way Trump has.

John Smith - probably the best PM we never had and a lovely lovely man.

Gordon Brown has the right a,lint of gravitas and seriousness to deal with this without pointless slogans.

Margaret Thatcher for her scientific brain (Angela Merkel anyone?) seriousness and ability to keep everyone in line no Dominic Cummings incidents under her

Gordon Brown. Swine flu - nailed it. Attended every COBR meeting from day one. Details man.

Thatcher

Always been a labour voter (well apart from Corbyn’s time) and never voted Tory

But she had studied a science and she didn’t dither about. Also she made many few she was totally on control that’s needed right now

She certainly wouldn’t give Dominic Cummings a second chance

It’s going to be highly entertaining if we end up with the Opposition castigating the government for its profligacy. Watching Clavinova and CendrillonSings turning themselves inside out to defend it will be even better.

I'm getting the popcorn stocked up already

Me too.

I think everyone on your list would have done a better job than BJ.

It does seem that since Tony Blair there has been a trend for one or two big guns in the cabinet and then the rest of them rather useless. In the current government it is obvious that BJ appointed his cabinet due to their loyalty rather than any particular talent. I know that Margaret Thatchers cabinet were thought of as a bunch of yes men, but compared to the current crop they were rebels. We just don't have anyone in the Tory party who seem to be responsible, grown up adults who even vaguely look like they knkw what they are supposed to be doing.

I have a lot of hope for Keir Starmer. We need a serious person, an intelligent person, as our PM and he is definitely that. I also think that Yvette Cooper would have made a brilliant leader and Ed Balls is so much more clever than people think he is after watching him dance to gangman style on strictly.

I’d take any one on those lists over Johnson apart from Corbyn. I’d prefer one whose politics I agree with, and would pick Smith or Brown of all of them. But frankly any one of them would be doing a better job right now.

Gordon Brown. In terms of the most recent Tory leadership contest I think Jeremy Hunt would have made a better job of it than BJ.

Gordon Brown for me. I do remember John Smith and he definitely changed the perception of Labour.

Margaret Thatcher - scientific background plus would understand from a woman's and mother's point of view and she had mental strength. Failing that, Boris Johnson.

Margaret Thatcher

Gordon Brown

Blown away here by the lurve here for Gordon Brown and John Smith.

Gordon should read this and know how much he is missed!

would understand from a woman's and mother's point of view

She hated women. How many did she have in her cabinet? That’s right - none. And she thought mothers should have a little part time job “to keep their hand in”.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/apr/09/margaret-thatcher-women

In terms of the most recent Tory leadership contest I think Jeremy Hunt would have made a better job of it than BJ.

Except that JH was Health Secretary from 2012-2018 and most of the pandemic planning was done on his watch. He is culpable for The lack of PPE, and the closure of hospital wards which meant there was no spare hospital capacity. The rush to discharge the elderly to care homes to "protect the NHS" was a direct result of his policies. Johnson and lets-get-an-app-for-that Hancock have been disasterous but they were handed a steaming pile by Hunt.

Gordon Brown and John Smith, in no particular order.

Never Thatcher, Howard, Duncan Smith, Cameron. Any of the others would have done a better job than Johnson - it's not about the politics.

I would not trust Gordon Brown to throw a screwed up piece of paper into a litter bin. John Smith on the other hand ...... or indeed Alan Johnson - would trust them both

In a crisis you don't need someone who is nice, but someone who is effective. Margaret Thatcher (horrible person) would be best by a country mile. John Smith would possibly be a distant second, but I think he should have never have been elected labour leader due to previous health problems.

If we could have anyone, Jacinda Ardern would get my vote.

If we could have anyone : Jacinda Ardern or Angela Merkel or Kier Starmer or E Macron

Yes, would love Jacinda Ardern or Angela Merkel.

Or almost anyone other than BJ and DomCum. Who sound like the punchline to a rather poor joke.

Being from the North, if Thatcher was the only choice I wouldn’t choose her.

Gordon - steady and safe. Calm. Sensible. Kind.

Can we have Jacinda though? Could she be the world PM?