Current Affairs The worst post-war Prime Minister

[Armaghtoffee]

Not really. It’s a given that he oversaw the defeat of Germany in WW2. He also provided the munitions and support for the Russians to fight against Germany. People died, many people, even the USA blew up a Japanese ship carrying over 1800 British servicemen, it happens unfortunately. But the world is in a better place as a result of Churchill, of that there can really be no argument......

Depends very much where you were from Pete to hold that opinion re Winston. He had quite a back catalogue indeed:


https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....-churchill-hollywood-rewards-a-mass-murderer/

 

[peteblue]

Depends very much where you were from Pete to hold that opinion re Winston. He had quite a back catalogue indeed:


https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....-churchill-hollywood-rewards-a-mass-murderer/

I can’t read it unfortunately as I don’t subscribe. Of course all War time leaders can be accused of something or another, Washington, Roosevelt, Stalin, Chiang Kai-shek are just a few...At the end of the day, Churchill is what he was, a war time leader fighting the greatest war the planet has seen to date. He will have got plenty wrong, but ultimately he won.....

 

[tsubaki]

Thatchers government had a channel of communication to the IRA. This isn’t something you can laud Major for as it long pre-dated him.

I fully accept he took a risk by initially being the British figurehead of peace talks but when it came to political expediency he chose his political career ahead of the greater good.

Blair took the mantle on, ended the supremacy of the Orange Order and helped deliver a peace deal.

No matter the rest of his political career, his work in Ireland must be acknowledged.

The problem is though that the rest of his political career stands in stark contrast to "his work in Ireland". As for Major choosing political expediency - again, he had no choice if he wanted to remain in office.

 

[tsubaki]

I can’t read it unfortunately as I don’t subscribe. Of course all War time leaders can be accused of something or another, Washington, Roosevelt, Stalin, Chiang Kai-shek are just a few...At the end of the day, Churchill is what he was, a war time leader fighting the greatest war the planet has seen to date. He will have got plenty wrong, but ultimately he won.....

Churchill's problem was always himself. Take the start of that war for instance - he had been right (for once) to warn of the dangers of Hitler, right to call for rearmament, and right to lead a backbench group demanding that appeasment end at once.

Once war was declared, he abandoned all that because they offered him a job and one of his last performances in Parliament before he became PM was to try to pretend that everything was alright. Had other men not been more steadfast and convinced Chamberlain he was finished (though even then the Tories voted for him in overwhelming numbers) he would have missed the bus.

 

[Armaghtoffee]

The problem is though that the rest of his political career stands in stark contrast to "his work in Ireland". As for Major choosing political expediency - again, he had no choice if he wanted to remain in office.

That is my point though, Major chose his personal political career ahead of what was best for the wider UK. Not the actions of a statesman at all.

 

[Methuselah]

That is my point though, Major chose his personal political career ahead of what was best for the wider UK. Not the actions of a statesman at all.

I adamantly refuse to accept that Major put his political career ahead of what was best for the wider UK. He put getting his leg over with Edwina Curry ahead of what was best for the wider UK. Red card for Major.

 

[gonetomorrow]

I adamantly refuse to accept that Major put his political career ahead of what was best for the wider UK. He put getting his leg over with Edwina Curry ahead of what was best for the wider UK. Red card for Major.

Apart from anything else it showed what appalling taste he had.

 

[Agent Blue]

Thatcher, for deregulating the banks, privatization, anti-union law leading to zero hours, low pay and job insecurity, selling off of council houses and absolutely huge tax breaks for the rich as soon as she took power 23% in her first budget, low earners got 3%. All of these are still affecting us now especially the banks.....how did that one work out for us? Hate the witch, good riddance.

 

[degsy]

Thatcher....all day every day

Its all relative I know, but depending where and when you look and who you ask, Churchill and Thatcher will be running neck and neck...with the rest somewhere behind the cheese on toast option, for both Best and Worst Prime Minister
As I said, Its all relative.

 

[degsy]

Just out of interest - not going to influence the vote by selecting just what I'd consider the obvious ones, so all are listed.

Who is it for you?

Cracking question mate, just what this thread needed, its been dead on its feet for months now.
Prime Ministers eh?
All had personal and personality faults, all got there either too late or too early, some shouldn't have got there at all
(Some not even on the list didnt make it, for what ever reason and we'll never know, Butler, Powell etc.)
All fall into 3 broad categories.
Post war and a diminishing role
Post Cold War and a changing world
Post 9/11

And a soon to be added post Brexit
As MacMillan accurately stated/predicted...'Events dear boy, Events.'
Events (beyond your control) did, is doing and will continue to do for them all

 

[evilwebby]

Best PMs were Atlee & Thatcher. Whatever you think about their policies they changed the country.
Worst PMs.. difficult to separate the terrible from the merely mediocre, but my votes would go to: Callaghan, Brown & May.

 

[Yoda]

Atlee, Churchill and thatcher should be given dispensation in this vote. All had the best interests of our great country in their hearts. May has been very disappointing, but I think Brown pips this one.

 

[Yoda]

Thatcher, for deregulating the banks, privatization, anti-union law leading to zero hours, low pay and job insecurity, selling off of council houses and absolutely huge tax breaks for the rich as soon as she took power 23% in her first budget, low earners got 3%. All of these are still affecting us now especially the banks.....how did that one work out for us? Hate the witch, good riddance.

Unions stagnated growth and outside investment in this country, we bought our council house and my grandparents bought their council houses and we benefited greatly from them, enabling us to move up the housing ladder and our grandparents leaving a tangible legacy for their family. This enabled my father to start off what would become a successful business. He did have to get off his arse to earn this though, but would he of got this opportunity without thatcher implementing such policies.

 

[Number_25]

Unions stagnated growth and outside investment in this country, we bought our council house and my grandparents bought their council houses and we benefited greatly from them, enabling us to move up the housing ladder and our grandparents leaving a tangible legacy for their family. This enabled my father to start off what would become a successful business. He did have to get off his arse to earn this though, but would he of got this opportunity without thatcher implementing such policies.

They weren't hers to sell matey.

 

[Yoda]

They weren't hers to sell matey.

And your point? In the fact it lifted our family out of borderline poverty and has since created numerous jobs for people in our local town, and the great tax receipts we have put back into the country.