The Student Room Group

Best UK P.M of all time?

Anyone?

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Reply 1
In recent years, Tony Blair or Thatcher.

Brown's credit in the 2008 crisis is often disregarded, probably because people didn't realise just how bad it could've been and the conservative austerity didn't help his legacy. Had he been given another term, we'd be in a better position today even with brexit.

Although I think Attlee was the best we've seen, apart from fuelling the desire for hard socialism, he did an amazing job. Could've been better but still great.
(edited 7 years ago)
Obama.
Not Thatcher.
Reply 4
About 6 P.M.
I reckon people here will say Attlee. I don't know enough though about previous PMs though
Good old Mrs. Thatcher. A true conservative traditionalist, just like old Len.
Reply 7
Wartime, Churchill. Peacetime, Attlee.
From the shoddy bunch I've seen, Cameron would be the best of the trash for me.

Worst was Gordon Brown by far.......

+ Light touch financial regulation (right before the financial crash)
+ Sold gold at absolute rock bottom
+ Bigoted woman incident
+ Was frankly clueless half the time, ran up the deficit
Clement Attlee tends to rank highly with academics. :yes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_of_Prime_Ministers_of_the_United_Kingdom

David Cameron's ranking on the most recent Leeds survey, though. :teehee:
(edited 7 years ago)
1st place is Attlee for me. Then Wilson, with Gladstone and Lloyd George tied for third. Just off the top of my head tbh. Churchill's gotta get a shout out for ww2 tho.
Attlee! <3



Just look at that swagger.
Churchill. Always Churchill.

Then Thatcher and Gladstone.

Below them would be Disraeli, Pitt the Elder and Pitt the Younger, Salisbury and Sir Robert Peel.
If you'd asked 'post-war' (which is what we usually ask in order to take into account the huge social and political changes between the pre and post-war eras) then I would say Clement Attlee without a doubt. However as you specifically said 'of all time' then I would say that whilst Attlee is still a contender, it is likely to be William Pitt the Younger. So I'm going to say Attlee or Pitt.
Pitt The Younger was very impressive for his time and although he never gets credit, he played a part in the movement for the abolition of slavery. He was also pretty successful in terms of foreign policy accomplishments.

Peel was the radical of his day and brought about a new consensus in the same way that Attlee and Thatcher did, people forget for example that the original Tory Party was actually very protectionist and extremely rigid in terms of its views on societal change. Peel gave the UK economic liberalism.

Gladstone and Disraeli have books written about time and for good reason. They were probably in terms of what they did and how long they went for probably the greatest Prime Ministers that the UK has ever had pushing each other socially most notably although in Gladstone we have a giant of capitalism and free trade which is why he tends to be the more popular (the current Conservative Party are closer to Victorian Liberals than anything else) albeit Disraeli's approach to government and general philosophy dominated for a good century and indeed even today there is a part of the Conservative Party which believes in One Nation Conservatism.

Thatcher needs no introduction nor really much saying about her. She ripped up the post war consensus (a mix of One Nation Conservatism and Socialist flirtation) and allowed a rebirth of economic liberalism, she made millions better off with her tax cuts and the right to buy albeit she perhaps took too forceful approach and created strongly polarized views. It's worth saying that Major continued her work but in a more nuanced manner and is extremely underrated as a Prime Minister. Blair continued to oversee this consensus with a softer approach still.

..

Although Thatcher and Gladstone tug at the heart strings in terms of principal ideology (i am a true Victorian Liberal right down to their support for imperialism and eugenics set against social progression for Gladstone and economic liberalism - Gladstone pips her as the less polarising) i actually tend to think that Disraeli is the best Prime Minister the UK has ever had. Disraeli's pragmatism and parental view of the citizenry speak to my mind in a way that pure ideology does not. Gladstone and Thatcher are the women you want to sleep with but it is Disraeli and to a lesser degree Major who you want to marry.
Original post by Lay-Z
Blair, thatcher is the worst


Thatcher is the worst but you believe our greatest PM is somebody who followed her consensus and simply softened it a bit.
Thatcher closely followed by Churchill.(1st time around)

Don't try and convince me otherwise.
Henry VII
Original post by Newbing
Anyone?


Silly question. A bit like asking who was the nicest terrorist ever.

Original post by zayn008
In recent years, Tony Blair or Thatcher.

Brown's credit in the 2008 crisis is often disregarded, probably because people didn't realise just how bad it could've been and the conservative austerity didn't help his legacy. Had he been given another term, we'd be in a better position today even with brexit.

Although I think Attlee was the best we've seen, apart from fuelling the desire for hard socialism, he did an amazing job. Could've been better but still great.


Because that man was literally a ****in gargoyle. The freak was allowed to run the country but he couldnt even run a mile. The only time I EVER voted in an election was to vote for someone who wasnt Gordon Gormless. Now America has their very own Gordon Brown. Dog help them.
Reply 19
Original post by Laomedeia
Silly question. A bit like asking who was the nicest terrorist ever.



Because that man was literally a ****in gargoyle. The freak was allowed to run the country but he couldnt even run a mile. The only time I EVER voted in an election was to vote for someone who wasnt Gordon Gormless. Now America has their very own Gordon Brown. Dog help them.


Thank god, democracy doesn't need people like you participating. Withhold your vote and do us all a favour.

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