British Prime Ministers Under Queen Elizabeth II Realm - Poll

[Steve Foster]

Under Her Majesty's realm there have been 12 Prime Ministers.

Was wondering from a NSC perspective, who people thought is the best Prime Minister. If you could give a mark out of 10 for each PM (no minus marks) & to try to score them as to their contribution to the nation, economy, wealth of the nation, policies at home & abroad and to try and be non political. Appreciate, that for many of us, we will only know of the PMs from history books & opinions gathered from those who were around at the time - so you don't need to score each PM.

At the end of each day, I will tot up the scores - for the running poll.

Here is the list:

Sir Winston Churchill 1952-1955
Sir Anthony Eden 1955-1957
Harold Macmillan 1957-1963
Sir Alec Douglas-Home 1963-1964
Harold Wilson 1964-1970 & 1974-1976
Edward Heath 1970-1974
James Callaghan 1976-1979
Margaret Thatcher 1979-1990
John Major 1990-1997
Tony Blair 1997-2007
Gordon Brown 2007-2010
David Cameron 2010-present

 

[little al]

Maggie.

 

[Steve Foster]

Maggie.

....need a score out of 10 please

 

[Brovion]

Comparing Prime Ministers from different eras is almost like comparing sportsmen. If I had to pick my two favourites (or maybe 'least worst') from that list it would be the two Harolds: MacMillan and Wilson (first spell). The post-war, end-of-empire period was a really tricky time for Britain and I think those two did as good a job as can be expected for politicians of their era and with their understanding of the world. MacMillan in particular deserves great credit for his 'winds of change' speech (about giving independence to former British African colonies) which was in direct conflict with the previous Tory government, and indeed with large parts of his own party who thought he was a virtual communist.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

In 2010, the University of Leeds and Woodnewton Associates carried out a survey of 106 academics who specialised in British politics and/or British history since 1945. Cameron wasn't included. This is the order they came up with:-

Margaret Thatcher
Tony Blair
Harold Macmillan
Harold Wilson
Winston Churchill
James Callaghan
John Major
Edward Heath
Gordon Brown
Alec Douglas-Home
Anthony Eden

There was another survey done in 2004, when the University of Leeds and Ipsos Mori conducted an online survey of 258 academics who specialised in 20th-century British history and/or politics. There were 139 replies to the survey, a return rate of 54% - by far the most extensive survey done so far. The respondents were asked to rate all the 20th-century British Prime Ministers in terms of their success and asking them to assess the key characteristics of successful PMs. Attlee came top of the list.

Taking just those who had been Prime Minister after 1952, the order (and scores out of 10) was:-

Winston Churchill 7.9
Tony Blair 7.3
Margaret Thatcher 7.1
Harold Macmillan 6.5
Harold Wilson 5.9
James Callaghan 4.8
Edward Heath 4.4
John Major 3.7
Alec Douglas-Home 3.3
Anthony Eden 2.5

Churchill's score obviously includes his time as wartime prime minister. Attlee scored 8.3 out of 10. Blair was judged before the end of his term of office. And Brown and Cameron weren't included in the survey.

 

[Nibble]

Way too complicated system. The only answer you will ever need is Thatcher was a cassive munt and Cameron is a cassive munt.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

This seems to come down to a debate about:-

Who wins in a two-way competition between Thatcher and Blair;
Who wins in a two-way competition between Macmillan and Wilson;
Where you rank Churchill;
A consensus that Douglas Home and Eden were the worst;
A minor competition between Callaghan, Major and Heath for the middling-to-low spots;
And where to fit Brown and Cameron.

 

[Steve Foster]

Comparing Prime Ministers from different eras is almost like comparing sportsmen. If I had to pick my two favourites (or maybe 'least worst') from that list it would be the two Harolds: MacMillan and Wilson (first spell). The post-war, end-of-empire period was a really tricky time for Britain and I think those two did as good a job as can be expected for politicians of their era and with their understanding of the world. MacMillan in particular deserves great credit for his 'winds of change' speech (about giving independence to former British African colonies) which was in direct conflict with the previous Tory government, and indeed with large parts of his own party who thought he was a virtual communist.

Scores out of 10 please. It's not a scientific survey as it is NSC!!

 

[Steve Foster]

Way too complicated system. The only answer you will ever need is Thatcher was a cassive munt and Cameron is a cassive munt.

So what scores would you like to give?

 

[Steve Foster]

This seems to come down to a debate about:-

Who wins in a two-way competition between Thatcher and Blair;
Who wins in a two-way competition between Macmillan and Wilson;
Where you rank Churchill;
A consensus that Douglas Home and Eden were the worst;
A minor competition between Callaghan, Major and Heath for the middling-to-low spots;
And where to fit Brown and Cameron.

...like your thinking & analysis, but please let me know your scores. Thanks

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

Churchill was the perfect Prime Minister for wartime. Without him life would have been very different today, we'd have won far more World Cups for a start.

But he'd have been awful in peacetime.

 

[Don Quixote]

Churchill was the perfect Prime Minister for wartime. Without him life would have been very different today, we'd have won far more World Cups for a start.

But he'd have been awful in peacetime.

He was Prime Minister in peacetime.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Marge... 11 out of 10

 

[Gwylan]

He was Prime Minister in peacetime.

And he was awful

(but then according to Peter Hennessey's superb books Having it So Good, Churchill was barely compos mentis during his last few years as PM)

I agree with Brovion; between Macmillan and Wilson for me

 

[Nibble]

1 and 0 respectively

 

[Bob!]

Under Her Majesty's realm there have been 12 Prime Ministers.

Was wondering from a NSC perspective, who people thought is the best Prime Minister. If you could give a mark out of 10 for each PM (no minus marks) & to try to score them as to their contribution to the nation, economy, wealth of the nation, policies at home & abroad and to try and be non political. Appreciate, that for many of us, we will only know of the PMs from history books & opinions gathered from those who were around at the time - so you don't need to score each PM.

At the end of each day, I will tot up the scores - for the running poll.

Here is the list:

Sir Winston Churchill 1952-1955
Sir Anthony Eden 1955-1957
Harold Macmillan 1957-1963
Sir Alec Douglas-Home 1963-1964
Harold Wilson 1964-1970 & 1974-1976
Edward Heath 1970-1974
James Callaghan 1976-1979
Margaret Thatcher 1979-1990
John Major 1990-1997
Tony Blair 1997-2007
Gordon Brown 2007-2010
David Cameron 2010-present

....need a score out of 10 please

Scores out of 10 please. It's not a scientific survey as it is NSC!!

So what scores would you like to give?

...like your thinking & analysis, but please let me know your scores. Thanks

Not going too well is it?

 

[Sussax]

Sir Winston Churchill 7
Sir Anthony Eden 5
Harold Macmillan 5
Sir Alec Douglas-Home 6
Harold Wilson 6.5
Edward Heath 5
James Callaghan 5
Margaret Thatcher 2
John Major 7
Tony Blair 8
Gordon Brown 3
David Cameron 2010-present 4

 

[Gwylan]

Sir Winston Churchill 1
Sir Anthony Eden 1
Harold Macmillan 8
Sir Alec Douglas-Home 1
Harold Wilson 7
Edward Heath 3
James Callaghan 6
Margaret Thatcher 2
John Major 3
Tony Blair 3
Gordon Brown 1
David Cameron 2

 

[Lifelong Supporter]

Maggie and Blair get an equal tops rating for me. They were what was needed at the time. I do not think that any of the rest rate near them since 1966. I think Gordon Brown deserves a mention though because through his antics he undermined Blair to the detriment of the country and when he got to PM he was distastrous.

If you disagree with me about Brown, ask yourself this question, would Scotland want him ? Raith Rovers yes but Scotland a definite NO !!

 

[El Presidente]

Sir Winston Churchill 3
Sir Anthony Eden 1
Harold Macmillan 6
Sir Alec Douglas-Home 2
Harold Wilson 5
Edward Heath 4
James Callaghan 5
Margaret Thatcher 1
John Major 3
Tony Blair 5
Gordon Brown 2
David Cameron 2