Are there any great orators in politics any more?

[redvelvetmooncupcake]

Jeremy Vine just played Neil Kinnock's 1987 "thousand generations" speech and I feel tres depressed that I can't imagine any of our current government or opposition making a speech with such passion or eloquence.

However I freely admit that my knowledge of politicians is fairly limited these days, I'm thoroughly disillusioned so pay the Commons little mind.

Are there any great talkers in there? I don't care which party they come from, I'd just like to see a spark and some talent from somebody - sick of dull dull dull Dave/Nick/Ed.

Hague was, and is, massively underrated as a speaker. Also not let's forget Thatcher- "you turn if you want to. The Lady's not for turning"

Generally though, I think the age of passion politics has passed. It's a shame. I'd rather have people there who I passionately disagree with but who believe what they're saying than some politics graduate who has shrewdly calculated his best chance of getting elected.

I think there are people who can speak well and can deliver a message well, there are also many speech writer/s about, and the quality is not always great and the delivery can be patchy
not everyone 'owns' the material

also I think it is easier to strike a cord in 'grand' and occasion speeches when there is a lot of emotion around it, they can sometimes seem better than they really are due to the circunstances

also it is easier to be funny and witty in opposition when there is less scrutiny and a good laugh becomes memorable

"some politics graduate who has shrewdly calculated his best chance of getting elected" - that is EXACTLY it! It feels like there's a big beige glob of human porridge making up most of mainstream politics.

I doubt anyone would quote David Cameron or Ed Miliband in 20 years time (lol at idea of anyone quoting Nick Clegg ever).

I think Thatcher was a very good speaker, and I also agree that Hague is. Ed Milliband is just a rambling imbecile.

Slightly different, but I thought Obama made some excellent speeches while running for presidency and also very early on in his term.

I think the best orators have come from the left, because the best speeches require conviction and passion and fighting for abstract ideals such as truth, justice, freedom, equality, democracy etc.

Bucharest - Robin Cook's resignation speech before the Iraq war in 2003.

I would guess that Scargill's speeches were better than the speeches of Ian MacGregor, the Chairman of the National Coal Board.

Yes to robin cooks resignation speech.

Not so much the big speech thing but the politician I could listen too all day is Tony Benn. Bloody marvellous

Claig - i think that's true about passion, which sadly makes some very good orators on the far right. I had the (mis) fortune to hear Le Pen speak and he was terrifyingly good.

I wouldn't know and wouldn't want to listen to find out, but was Hitler a good orator? I'll assume yes :(

Yes I have seen Le Pen on French TV interviews and he always used to come out on top. It really is down to passion and conviction. Those who believe in what they say have usually analysed issues from all angles and are therefore more convincing.

Yes Hitler was a very good orator, which is how he managed to convince so many people to follow him.

"I think the best orators have come from the left, because the best speeches require conviction and passion and fighting for abstract ideals such as truth, justice, freedom, equality, democracy etc."

claig you have already posted what I was about to. This is strangely disturbing to me.

It is idealism that makes the best speeches because they sweep the people up and give them hope. That is why the left dominates in that area, but also the right can too, but very rarely the centre.

Must say Thatcher was one of the best orators. The cow.

And this is why, regardless of your politics, you have to admit that Ed Milliband is NEVER going to win a general election for the Labour Party. I cannot abide listening to the man; his nasal voice, his weird mockney accent which consists of well-modulated vowels posh boy vowels mixed with glottal stops and dropped consonants all over the shop, his whiny inflection and his complete inability to put instil and passion or any gravitas into a single thing he says.

'to instil any passion' was what I meant to say.

Yes Ed Millibland is disappointing in this respect.

I really like Nick Clegg but he is also rather bland, his style is more 'explaining things really clearly in a nice, gentle way'. I always want to give him a hug and pat on the head.
Cameron - what can you say about half an arse?

Im warming to Harriet Harman.

I dont know why politics has taken this turn. Perhaps they dont want to scare the pigeons?

I think that part of the problem is the meedja's obsession with sound-bites. TV doesn't want a passionate sixty minute oration. It wants a pithy 30 seconds.

I really liked Mo Mowlem....

Oh yes, Robin Cook. I think it was Campbell who said (grudgingly) that Robin Cook was one of, if not the best, politician generally...

Dashed off to work yesterday, but thank you for the suggestions, will wiki and youtube them all later!

I think someone on the politics threads last year said that politics henceforth is going to be a tiny shuffle to the left,a tiny shuffle to the right, with everyone just circling the middle ground (why I am thinking of Widdy on Strictly again?) I find that really depressing. I'd rather have La Thatch back. At least there was passion.

I think some MNers are pretty good actually!

Hate his politics but Boris Johnson is great to watch!

William Hague is good on his feet, and can think in a debate.

Despise his politics though

I love Boris, but he's an entertainer, not an orator!

Agree with everybody who's said Hague - he seems to be able to speak very well off the cuff too, but I find his accent detracts from his words