The great PMs
James Forsyth 3:58pmOver at Comment is Free, Martin Kettle has an interesting post on which 20th Century British Prime Ministers deserve to be classified as outstanding. Kettle thinks that 11 deserve the accolade with Asquith, Churchill, Attlee and Thatcher in the first rank of those who did great things in great times, Baldwin, Macmillan and Heath in the second of those who did great things in more settled times and a third of Salisbury, Lloyd George, Wilson and Blair who have a more mixed record.
I must admit that I’d be a little meaner. To my mind, Churchill. Attlee and Thatcher make the first rank, with Macmillan and Blair in the second and the two Liberals Asquith and Lloyd George in the third. What do you think? Comment away.
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Lloyd George knew my father
May 22nd, 2007 4:34pmHow does Blair beat out the Welsh wizard and that old patrician Macmillan trump Asquith?
Og
May 22nd, 2007 4:35pmEvery time this subject comes up there is an attempt to try to see the Heath premiership as a glass half full rather than a glass half empty (three quarters empty, more like). The only thing I can think of which Heath attempted and partly achieved that set him slightly apart was his thoughtful approach to the system of government, resulting in the creation of the CPRS and a consolidation of the ministries. He understood that if the Cabinet itself was stifled by bureaucracy and micro-management, nothing much would be achieved. I suppose the idea of quangos seemed a good one at the time. So Heath was a decent Chief Clerk, perhaps, but a hopeless prime minister.
Disraeli's Ghost
May 22nd, 2007 4:50pmHow can you rate both Thatcher and Attlee so high. She was trying to undo what he did--one of them must have been wrong
ewt
May 23rd, 2007 9:36amHow can both of you place Lloyd George in the third rank? He had an outstanding domestic record as a reformer when Chancellor, and as PM after WW1. And he was a great war leader after replacing Asquith in 1916. He is the only PM to boast such a record at home and internationally in the 20th century. Definitely 1st rank.