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.

He had the misfortune to be in office at a time when everyone was very disengaged with politics. It is a pity.

Not least because, analysis shows, that PMs who have done a decently long stint as LOTO tend to have a good grasp of policy-making and party management. (Blair, Thatcher, Cameron. On the other side you have May, Major, Johnson, Brown - all of whom had issues with one, if not both.)

He = Ed M.

Gordon brown

Brown would be my pick, but virtually all of them would have done better than Boris.

Can I have Ian Hislop please? Paul Merton as deputy? The others just don't do it for me.

Thatcher the milk snatcher plenty would have starved if it had been her. The woman had no conscience.

BJ didn’t make all the decisions alone.

Labour had no leadership

You could all just be grateful decent financial support has been offered. No government was perfect.

Another vote for Maggie!!

Thatcher or Major

The question I have about Thatcher is whether she cared enough about people - specifically those with highest risk from COVID. I am not convinced that she would have minded terrifically about the deaths of people who were not economically active.

I'd go John Smith or Gordon Brown. I think I'd rather be in the hands of a Labour government at times like this, though I think that the economic fall out might cripple their future prospects if it could be pinned on a Labour government. I also think that you'd be better off without someone who perceives themselves to be a charismatic leader - so I don't think I'd want Blair, who was far to much "the big I am".

howdidwegetheremary absolutely right.

Who has no votes so far? Corbyn, Howard, IDS and Hague?

I wonder if the pre-Cameron Tory LOTOs were really so useless, or whether they were in a hopeless position due to having low numbers (ergo, not much ability to influence)?

@howdidwegetheremary

Thatcher the milk snatcher plenty would have starved if it had been her. The woman had no conscience.

BJ didn’t make all the decisions alone.

Labour had no leadership

You could all just be grateful decent financial support has been offered. No government was perfect.

Fair enough, but it's only a hypothetical. I'm not suggesting we resurrect Maggie in order to deal with the current situation!

Do you remember his total takedown of Jon Lansman (was it?) on the ITV Election Nighr coverage?!

I do. It was an absolute joy to behold. We really missed out on putting him in charge.

John Smith
As someone said ‘by a country mile’
And someone else said ‘ the greatest prime minister we never had’

Ken Clarke. Intrigued to know whether we would have been choosing David Miliband if he’d been chosen as LOTO instead of Ed.

DH and I discussed this earlier in the week, I’d go for Blair if it weren’t for Iraq and wonder would have happened if David, rather than Ed, Miliband had been elected to lead labour.

John Smith was a great loss.

I actually would like to see Maggie in charge just now. As a chemist, you’d hope she might understand science.

Clement Attlee if I could have him else
John Smith
Tony Blair

Thatcher as she would take no crap
Gordon brown no way he it is in enough financial trouble without a virus running wild

And still no votes for poor old Jezza?

Perhaps it is true that familiarity breeds contempt...

Their 2019 election campaign also bres contempt for me, however.

Tory: John Major
Labour: Gordon Brown
Mystery pick: Michael Heseltine.

Interesting question and list! Gordon Brown would be my choice - practical, intelligent and sympathetic. Not too obsessed with his 'legacy'.

Gordon Brown
John Major if it could the the person he has grown into rather than as he was when actually PM - I’ve been quite impressed by him recently

*be the

Gordon Brown, John Smith, Ken Clarke in that order

Good point but not sure he makes my top 3 still