Best PM

8 replies

powershowerforanhour · 07/07/2016 23:56

Posted here as EU ref board is temporarily the new politics board.
Quite a few people here think the next PM is going to to be either a hairy tarantula or John McCririck's willy.
This week a previous PM's cherished (by him) legacy myth took a bit of a hit.
So..
1.Who is the best Prime Minister we ever had?
2.Who is the best PM we never had?
3.Which was the luckiest escape (mad bad or dangerous person luckily defeated in incumbent party leadership race or party leader defeated in GE)
I don't know enough about political history to answer my own questions but am interested to know what you lot think.

OP posts:

LineyReborn · 07/07/2016 23:58

Did you know that John McCririck spoke at Robin Cook's funeral and criticised Tony Blair for not being there? True fact.

pastygothboy · 08/07/2016 01:38

Ranging freely across two centuries...

Disraeli
Denis Healey
Boris Johnson

UnderTheGreenwoodTree · 08/07/2016 01:43

Tony Blair wasn't at Robin Cook's funeral? I think that's a bit disgraceful, actually. I know they didn't agree, but still.

The best PM we never had was John Smith (RIP)

Tony Benn, Jack Straw were (are) good men. I think Michael Heseltine on the right, might have been an ok PM.

Best PM would be Clement Atlee, for his post war social reforms and introduction of the welfare state. He was unbelievably progressive for his time.

squoosh · 08/07/2016 01:44

Best PM Britain never had - John Smith

The Best PM in the context of a pub quiz is Spencer Perceval. He's the only British PM to have been assassinated so that factoid might win you a share of a £50 prize one day!

squoosh · 08/07/2016 01:44

x post with Greenwood there!

squoosh · 08/07/2016 01:45

I could have tolerated Kenneth Clarke as a Tory PM. He's certainly far more appealing than the current shower!

UnderTheGreenwoodTree · 08/07/2016 01:52

squoosh He John Smith also married 'Elizabeth Bennet' which I always smile at, as she is my all-time literary favourite.

Tony Blair could have been one of our best PM's - if it wasn't for all that ghastly Iraq stuff. What was he thinking?

He did some brilliant stuff - destined to be forgotten because of Iraq. I still remember I was so happy at him getting elected, after so long under the tories. Hey ho. Our heroes disappoint us.

UnderTheGreenwoodTree · 08/07/2016 01:53

Oh god, sorry - not even making sense any more It's late. I can't sleep. I'm supping gin & tonic.

Flip