[Politics] Worst PM since Thatcher

[pb21]

You can make very reasonable and rational cases for either Truss, Johnson or Cameron all being the worst from that list, and forever for that matter.

 

[Baldseagull]

Wasn't the "selling of the gold reserves" not actually true, but just a factoid that was repeated so many times it became accepted "truth" ?

I'm sure I read a credible article debunking the gold sale factoid a few years ago. If I could be bothered I'd research it again... but life is too short tbh.

Brown sold off half of UK gold reserves, the issue was announcing that he was selling off a chunk, which sent already low gold prices further downwards, and returned a lower price. It was how much of it and when he did it that was "sub optimal". To make a fair comparison though, you would have to assess the return on assets acquired with the cash from selling gold, to the value of the gold today. I have no idea if it was or will turn out to be a good or bad decision, the timing with regard to selling the gold could have been better, but maybe the time was right to buy the alternative assets.

 

[beorhthelm]

Wasn't the "selling of the gold reserves" not actually true, but just a factoid that was repeated so many times it became accepted "truth" ?

I'm sure I read a credible article debunking the gold sale factoid a few years ago. If I could be bothered I'd research it again... but life is too short tbh.

definately true, though much overstated. the pensions raid was a far bigger impact, billions every year taken from our pensions to the treasury. people dont know or understand so dont bring it up. i recall it was £5bn a year at first and worth over £10bn a year now. encouraging PPP is bigger issue too, leading to a lot of the funding problems in health and education budgets, though i expect the Tories would have gone ahead with that anyway.

 

[Jackthelad]

May or Johnson, but Blair would be up there, people forget the disastrous War on Terror and how much of a poodle he was for Bush.

 

[portlock seagull]

Wonder how many on here lambasting PMs also voted for their party?

 

[Exilegull]

There is no way that would have solved the problem. Can you imagine the likes of Farage etc if Leave had won by 52:48 just leaving it there and saying "OK, well we all agreed it had to be 60:40 so the question is put to bed now"?

It would have dragged on for even longer, until we'd have ended up having another referendum, which Leave probably would have won again, and then we'd still be in the process of arguing what Brexit was actually going to look like now.


Unpopular opinion, I'm sure, but have you considered that actually it is a really f***ing hard job? And that the overwhelming majority of the population would be utterly useless at it?

Sure its a hard job but you´re not fooling me that competence is key to a successful career in politics

 

[The Clamp]

Truss is the worst.
Boris and DC did the most damage.

Sunak is the best in that he’ll see them out power for many a year.

 

[stewart12]

well I've had the misfortune of my formative years being from 2010ish onwards so I can only really focus on the last 5 but:

Cameron- held an unnecessary referendum that completely destabilised the country to save his own skin. Oversaw taking a machete to our public services
May- completely out of her depth and a charisma vacuum but at the very least you got the impression she wasn't doing most things in self interest, just wasn't cut out for that level of a job whatsoever. Was dealt a crap hand though with inheriting the Brexit mess
Johnson- completely self serving and a repulsive human being. Was PM at a time when we needed someone detailed and meticulous which he was the opposite of.
Truss- absolutely batshit mental and seems to be incapable of any form of self reflection but at least it was short
Sunak- the writing was on the wall when he was appointed so was on a bit of a hiding to nothing but he also lacks any sort of charm or charisma and seems incapable of imagining a life that isn't his own. Does a very annoying thing in trying to convince us that everything is great with a stupid grin on his face when for the vast majority of us, it aint

 

[loz]

Yes Truss and Johnson were terrible but there legacy will be short lived and made fun of, Cameron’s stupid cling to power has and will effect many generations to come.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Nice Idea, shame you've come to that conclusion nearly 5 years too late, but you knew what you were doing. As someone once said



And on the bright side, at least you got what you wanted

Good god - you do come across as a sanctimonious old bore. When will you let Brexit not affect your posts ? And to remind you yet AGAIN ( because you don't seem to understand how the UK electoral system works, despite me explaining it to you numerous times ) - you don't vote for a government - you vote for the person to represent you as an MP. So in 2010 I vote for the Tory candidate - who didn't get in. I've never, and could have never, voted for Truss ( either practically nor morally ) - but then Truss was voted in by a handful of Tories - I'd suggest many being well to do old people that live in well off areas such as Westdene and Withdean - exactly where you live. But of course, you are so rich you managed to move all your investments abroad - a very Tory and @Steve Foster attitude. NOBODY except Tory party members voted for Truss.

 

[Commander]

Sure its a hard job but you´re not fooling me that competence is key to a successful career in politics

I think 'hard job' is a massive understatement. There is no way in hell I would want to be anywhere near that job for the money they earn. Even a normal MP. f*** that.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Where's the option for 'It's a stupid poll'?
There's too much to take into consideration to put one vote, multiple votes should have been allowed!

Yep, I vote “all of the “above”

 

[WATFORD zero]

Good god - you do come across as a sanctimonious old bore. When will you let Brexit not affect your posts ? And to remind you yet AGAIN ( because you don't seem to understand how the UK electoral system works, despite me explaining it to you numerous times ) - you don't vote for a government - you vote for the person to represent you as an MP. So in 2010 I vote for the Tory candidate - who didn't get in. I've never, and could have never, voted for Truss ( either practically nor morally ) - but then Truss was voted in by a handful of Tories - I'd suggest many being well to do old people that live in well off areas such as Westdene and Withdean - exactly where you live. But of course, you are so rich you managed to move all your investments abroad - a very Tory and @Steve Foster attitude. NOBODY except Tory party members voted for Truss.

It has nothing to do with Brexit

You are on here ranting about what you would do should a tory candidate dare to knock on your door as a result of what the party have done since 2019 (despite the fact that AFAIK the Hove prospective parliamentary candidate, who would do the knocking and be the person you actually vote for, hasn't been announced yet). That was the election at which you told us all how you were voting for the Conservative party candidate and that party got a huge majority. The exact same party you are now ranting about

That's all, and I'll leave it there.

 

[Jackthelad]

At least we didn't get Corbyn tf

Corbyn would’

.

Sunak is the best in that he’ll see them out power for many a year.

Sunak is so insignificant, he’s a gift to Labour. He will be a distant memory in the coming decades. A mega rich city boy that got a job he should never have got.

 

[MJsGhost]

If we're looking at damage done per day in office, then there's only one winner.

However, Truss was such a flash in the pan that history will view her as an irrelevance, or at best as an interesting statistical quirk given how pathetically short her premiership was. A lot of people are (understandably) voting for her due to the direct financial impact she had (and is still having) on them through higher mortgage rates. The truth is that at least some of that increase would have come anyway, yet that awful mini-budget gets the blame for the whole hike. The problems she caused will be mostly ironed out in the medium term, so her long-term negative effect on the country will be relatively small IMO. That said, she was entirely unsuitable for the job and I can't think of a good thing to say about her time in office (and even less since).

For me, it's Johnson.

The damage he has done to the whole institution of government will be long-lasting, both from the perspective of those working within it and the public's perception of it. All done with a smirk at the behest of his financial backers so he can enjoy the life of luxury he feels entitled to, yet is incapable of achieving through legitimate means.

The lies and obfuscation were off the scale, blatant and came with no apparent shame. It's all just a game to him and he just doesn't care what he destroys to get what he wants. A weak, yet dangerous man.

 

[Lever]

For me Truss by a country mile but Johnson 2nd worst ever . Since 2016 when Cameron stepped down been a total shit show

Cameron was the entitled Etonian who introduced damaging levels of austerity and completely mismanaged the Referendum, thereby creating the opportunity for narcissists and grifters including Truss and Johnson to rise through the ranks. He is ultimately responsible for the awful state we are in now.....

 

[beorhthelm]

If we're looking at damage done per day in office, then there's only one winner.

However, Truss was such a flash in the pan that history will view her as an irrelevance, or at best as an interesting statistical quirk given how pathetically short her premiership was. A lot of people are (understandably) voting for her due to the direct financial impact she had (and is still having) on them through higher mortgage rates. The truth is that at least some of that increase would have come anyway, yet that awful mini-budget gets the blame for the whole hike. The problems she caused will be mostly ironed out in the medium term, so her long-term negative effect on the country will be relatively small IMO. That said, she was entirely unsuitable for the job and I can't think of a good thing to say about her time in office (and even less since).

For me, it's Johnson.

The damage he has done to the whole institution of government will be long-lasting, both from the perspective of those working within it and the public's perception of it. All done with a smirk at the behest of his financial backers so he can enjoy the life of luxury he feels entitled to, yet is incapable of achieving through legitimate means.

The lies and obfuscation were off the scale, blatant and came with no apparent shame. It's all just a game to him and he just doesn't care what he destroys to get what he wants. A weak, yet dangerous man.

which is ironic when she isnt actually responsible for that. interest rates were already rising in reaction to inflation at 10% by the time she took office. the impact the Truss-Kwarteng budget was on bond market and Sterling. however it was such a large, sudden impact the BoE intervened, she was booted out and things corrected themselves within weeks. inflation and interest rates continued to track world markets, as they do today.
i picked Truss as worst to start, the thread has highlighted the title really goes to Boris who has a much longer list of failures with deeper effects.

 

[5Ways Gull]

I voted Johnson. Cos he's a c##t.

 

[pocketseagull]

Has to be Johnson, not only for his time as PM but for what he did to the country all in the name of vanity. Absolute c***.

On the other hand he's led to the tories facing ruin at the next election.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I voted Johnson. Cos he's a c##t.

Good point well made