 |
PMs IN THE RUNNING
|
The Daily Politics now knows your favourite Prime Minister...
...and it is Margaret Thatcher!
See the final results in this pop-up graph or read on. You can also discuss the poll on the Editors' Blog.
Our guests championed each of the nine men and one woman to hold the post. And if you missed any of the champions, you can watch them again on this website - including Kelvin MacKenzie, Shirley Williams, Douglas Hurd and Roy Hattersley.
CLEMENT ATTLEE
2nd place (32%)
|
ATTLEE
1945-51, Labour
|
He brought us National Insurance, the National Health Service, and a limerick about himself:There were few who
thought him a starter,
Many who thought themselves smarter.
But he ended PM,
CH and OM,
An Earl and a Knight of the Garter.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
ANTHONY EDEN
9th place (1%)
|
EDEN
1955-57, Conservative
|
He resigned as Foreign Secretary in objection to Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasing the German fascists, before becoming PM in 1955, resigning after the Suez crisis. He said of Harold Macmillan's relationship with America: "It has had the effect of making us the 49th state."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
HAROLD MACMILLAN
6th place (1%)
|
MACMILLAN
1957-63, Conservative
|
He rallied national morale after the Suez Crisis, was nicknamed "Supermac" by the cartoonist Vicky, and responded to Nikita
Khrushchev banging his shoe on the desk of the United Nations with the words: "I'd like that translated, if I may."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
ALEC DOUGLAS-HOME
8th place (1%)
|
DOUGLAS-HOME
1963-64, Conservative
|
He resigned the Lords to lead the Commons, is the only Prime Minister to have played first-class cricket, and told The
Observer in 1962 that he could never be PM, "because I do my sums with matchsticks."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
HAROLD WILSON
4th place (4%)
|
WILSON
1964-70 & 1974-76, Labour
|
He ended capital punishment, brought us the Open University, and said of the British media: "I get a little nauseated, perhaps, when I hear the phrase 'freedom of the press' used as freely as it is, knowing that a large part of our proprietorial press is not free at all."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
EDWARD HEATH
7th place (1%)
|
HEATH
1970-74, Conservative
|
He took the UK into the European Community, captained Britain's winning team for the Admiral's Cup, and is reported to have
remarked: "You mustn't expect prime ministers to enjoy themselves. If they do, they mustn't show it - the population would be
horrified."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
JAMES CALLAGHAN
10th place (1%)
|
CALLAGHAN
1976-79, Labour
|
He survived the sterling crisis only to meet the "winter of discontent", is our tallest PM to date (6'1") and told the
Harvard Business Review: "A leader has to appear consistent. That doesn't mean he has to be consistent."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
MARGARET THATCHER
1st place (49%)
|
THATCHER
1979-90, Conservative
|
She was our first female PM, led the Conservatives to three successive victories, took on the miners and the Argentinians, and told Weekend World: "No-one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions; he had money as well."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
JOHN MAJOR
5th place (2%)
|
MAJOR
1990-97, Conservative
|
He established the Northern Ireland Peace Process, gave the UK a National Lottery and wrote, of cricket:"Oh,
Lord, if I must die today,
Please make it after Close of Play.
For this, I know, if nothing more,
I will not go, without the score.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
TONY BLAIR
3rd place (9%)
|
BLAIR
1997-present, Labour
|
He brought us regional devolution, began reform of the House of Lords, took Britain to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, and told the Labour Party conference: "We can only protect liberty by making it relevant to the modern world."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
|
|
SEE ALSO
RELATED BBC LINKS
|
Home
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~59~RS~)
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
All ten PMs...
This man eats news
Bookmark with:
What are these?