Who were Britain's best prime ministers? Andrew Neil and historian Anthony Seldon | SpectatorTV
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- Andrew Neil and historian Anthony Seldon discuss Britain's best prime ministers. As the office reaches its 300th year, Anthony makes the case for a museum of British premierships.
Taken from The Week in 60 Minutes #20.
In partnership with Charles Stanley Wealth Managers.
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Fascinating. I pretty much agree with the ranking of our Prime Ministers: in the 20th century Churchill is the great and inspiring leader who defines our image of ourselves and Thatcher is the great doer who reverses our economic decline and propels us back to the top rank of nations, and who enriches and liberates us ordinary people. She’s my favourite because she had to battle so hard for so long, even against her own party, and she had the guts to stick it out where anyone else would have flaked. Neither Churchill nor Thatcher let us down.
I can see we're never going to be twin souls, Mr Moncrieff.
Churchill was a drunk who bankrupted the nation and lost our Empire.
@The505Guys Should we give up the Falklands then? How about Gibraltar? We have territory in The Caymans, Bermuda, the Virgin Isles. Even the Antarctic. All projections of our power. Britain wouldn't be the country it is without having the Empire, it makes no difference to these people who use it to attack us. Most European countries didn't have one. Look at Ireland. Will they escape the cultural enrichment due to not having an Empire? I think not. They'll just find other reasons for the Irish to be racist whilst they fill the country with the 3rd world. I'm proud of our past including the Empire which gave the world so much and I apologise for nothing.
Quite right.
@@whyter11 Really not sure how you can suggest Churchill lost the empire. He was about the most ardent advocate of empire as is possible. The loss of empire was inevitable post WW2, so unless you are suggesting that Churchill should have sued for peace with Hitler, in which case I am not sure how relevant empire would have become with Britain a glorified Vichy, then bit of a daft comment I'm afraid.
And if you do think Churchill should have thrown the towel in against Hitler then you are a questionable individual.
What a really great idea. There must be some fascinating stories to tell of events throughout the last 300 years.
We'll spare the embarrassment of mentioning the worst, as she's still a sitting MP.
You MAY say that, I couldn't possibly comment.
I don't think May will be remembered as a worse PM than Eden or Lord North.
In fact, she'll hardly be remembered at all.
The worst is still in power
Gordon Brown is the worst... However I can forgive you if you forgot him.....
Somewhere, Lord North, Neville Chamberlain, and Edward Heath are smiling with relief that they've each been bumped up a notch from their pre-2016 positions.
Think it was Seldon commentating on state of Britain in 1990s who said .. ‘the rot set in with flared trousers and Dusty Springfield’ ... bit harsh on Dusty I thought at time .. 🤣🤣🤣
@tog hoath ... memory fail... Dusty never a member of The Honeycombs. She was in Springfields from 1960 to 63.. before embarking on her solo career as a singer.. which had some glorious highs but also some deep lows. Died in 1999.
Strange to see Andrew Neil not ripping his interviewee to shreds.
You're going to have to get used to it, because that's the way it's going to be from here on in.
Tony Blair was by far the worst Prime Minister of modern times. The amount of damage he did domestically & in foreign affairs was staggering.
Migration was at about 20,000 per year before Blair. He got it up to 350,000. By Cameron/May years it was up over 650,000. Boris just took the title - 715,000 migrants came into Britain *legally* last year. A large city's worth, like Manchester or Birmingham. Every. Single. Year. All this under a Conservative government with an eighty seat majority. The left and right are cheeks of the same arse.
Lets not forget Major, Brown and May. It's too early yet to judge Boris
@@whyter11 Too true, they have all continued the Blair rot. I can't see any daylight between Blair, Brown, Cameron, May or Johnson on most major policies.
Blair was on track to be one of the greatest PMs ever then 9/11 hit
@@ciaranmarsh255 lol you must be joking. Blair was a catastrophe even if one discounts his foreign policies.
Teaching British History in Britain? That will never catch on...
You will not find a single schoolchild who has not learned about British History in the United Kingdom. No point contriving an issue which does not exist. I do think some greater level of understanding of history would be good, but to your point the vast majority of UK history curricula are based on British history.
The only times I learned about non-British history in school was the First and Second World Wars, and then after that history was an elective subject, in which we did learn about non-British history.
Clement Attlee Number One, Prime Minster who founded the National Health Service, even Thatcher didn't dare abolish it during her long term in office... Now the Tories tell us they are the party of the NHS, proving how much Attlee's government changed the country for the better.... Other achievement of Attlee's government giving Independence to India, making the country a nuclear power, a house building program... Many of these programs were kept by the Conservatives becoming part of their policies .....
Just to inform you that the introduction of the NHS was first introduced in parliament by a coalition government during 1941/2 .the labour government after the war continued with the legislation, so it was Churchill's coalition government who began the process
@@darrensweeney2376 The Tories voted against the NHS three times before conceding it was the will of the public so do not try to make out it was their idea- not true. Labour drove domestic policy in the war, planning for the peace. The NHS and the other welfare state legislation was central to this.
Thatcher tried to privatize nhs and you have caused the problems between India and Pakistan
Although forgotten Henry Campbell Bannerman needs considered. A believer in free trade, Irish Home Rule, free school meals for all, and an introducer of legislation to ensure trade unions could not be liable for damages incurred during strike action. And.. had he survived beyond 1908 and retained power, he was "totally averse" to British troops being involved in World war one, arguably meaning that the Russian revolution and World war two might potentially never have occurred.
He Henry Campbell Bannerman Liberal party MP Prime miniater member of the Glasgow Parliamentary Debating Association 1876 to 2009. Arthur Balfour Conservative MP Prime minister member of the Glasgow Parliamentary Debating Association. Lounden Connelly right wing Conservative member for 50 years he Conservative supporter voted for Mrs Thatcher in 1979 to 1997 he help win the Mrs Thatcher Conservative party win 3British general elections he born in Glasgow 1925 to 1999 he Lounden Connelly lived Ibrox Glasgow 2 Clifford Place. He Lounden Connelly good friend to Mrs Thatcher British Conservative Prime minister. Mrs Thatcher gave Lounden Connelly a Christmas Card in 1988. Lounden Connelly good friend to me.
Henry Campbell-Bannerman was the 1st prime minister in that he was the very first person to be addressed as such. I think he was the first PM to die naturally in office.
I do love this channel. Even if you disagree it's a delight to listen to, good to have a professional in Andew Neil. And yes, I agreed on those two pivotal prime ministers. As someone who has sat between the state and liberty, very well chosen.
I'd say either Lord Palmerston or Pitt the Elder.
I understood that reference
@@chrislyne377"OK you asked for it Boggs!"
Lord Palmerston
Definitely keeping my eye out for that book
thatcher
That's a funny joke.
She destroyed Britain and we are living in Thatcher's Britain today. She was the best Prime Minister for the rich, no doubt. The decay of today is the legacy of Thatcher. Britain is the most unequal country in Europe except Bulgaria. Once upon a time enlightened Tories from the one nation tradition understood that workers' wages had to be maintained at decent levels and the state had to do more than it does today to help people in need. But the Tories have been in thrall to her failed ideology since 1979, which has achieved nothing except for the minority of the rich.
Would make sense to have a virtual museum which could tell the story of the prime minister's and number 10 enabling people from around the world to learn the story. Interesting how you find a balance to so many events.
Margaret Thatcher I didn't like her but she knew what the EU were up to 40 years ago
British people think because they used to be an empire everyone else must worship them
@@hueyfreeman1983 No they don't that's an outright lie.
Churchill museum is award winning, powerful.
And there is Churchill College, Cambridge.
Churchill and Thatcher were the best from the 20th century. I do think we should have a museum of British Prime Ministers.
can also help to show how bad some of them were. Imagine the Blair exhibit!
I think thatcher was the worst
@@drgramnegative7310 Tony Blair is often ranked in the top 5 best PMs postwar, by people who know what they’re talking about.
Churchill was a horrible PM. Chamberlain was great.
@@GabrielNicho Churchill was a very brave young man in the army and also a brave older man as PM, he saved us from Nazism. Chamberlain was a good man who, having lived through the 1st world war, wanted to avoid a 2nd but was made a fool of by Hitler. Chamberlain did, do many good things for working class people in his time in power. A good man but not a great man.
Fascinating, thank you
Clement Attlee
No doubt. Forgotten by most.
Maybe we could have a Winston Churchill International Airport?
A William Gladstone Train Terminus?
A Lloyd George Suspension Bridge?
I would love a PM museum
What a silly question - it's obviously ❤️❤️❤️ SIR John Major ❤️❤️❤️ Bring back JOHN!!!
The Churchill statue should be torn down and replaced by one of Sir John Major
@@Charlie-rk5ts No, Churchill should stay. Though I do agree we need more John statues... ideally one in every town, coated with gold
@@sdrawkcabUK much better. As common as post boxes
5. Pitt The Younger
4. Lloyd George
3. Attlee
2. Thatcher
1. Churchill
Very gracious not to dwell on the PM's who could have performed better given the dross and narcissists we've had since Thatcher.
Could not agree more !!
Tony B. Liar. YT won't let me post his singular pronoun...
The jury is still out on Boris, though.
@@drahcirnevarc9152 He is the best for a long time.
You think Thatcher wasn't a narcissist? Come on now, haha. She obviously performed well in the role given how many of her own priorities she achieved, but let's not pretend she didn't get a bit crazy with her own success, especially towards the end!
Churchill wartime, Thatcher peacetime. Saved you 11.56 minutes.
@@eightiesmusic1984 Clementine ' the socialist' Attlee? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Thanks for the laugh comrade.
@@eightiesmusic1984 Duh, I know it was Clement, I can tell that you're a socialist by your humour bypass. The emojis were there to let you know how much I was laughing at your comment. Here are some more. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@eightiesmusic1984 What arguments? My opinion was stated in the op, you wanted an argument so instead of writing your opinion separately, you decided to try to cause one by replying to my op.
I fail to see what points I need to substantiate, you're a Corbyn commie that likes Attlee and I'm a real Conservative that likes Churchill and Thatcher, that leaves only one thing. Have some more.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thatcher no doubt
Yes-from a Scottish person
Eh she won us the Falklands i guess however she did start chaos all over Yorkshire (my area) and it still has some mild effects now
@@Bottomprem Mild? Destruction of communities that have never recovered. The Falklands should have been negotiated away. James Callaghan's government sent a warship to warn the Argentinians off an invasion but Thatcher went to war for no good reason.
I guess they'll say Winston Churchill but I hope they don't miss out Clement Attlee.
They didn’t
@@tomben6180 👍 Thanks
@@heliotropezzz333 Attlee and Thatcher were the best for completely opposite reasons. They did it outside of Churchill, he was excluded because it’s obvious for winning WW2. I suppose, to the political right, Thatcher is no.1 and left, Attlee is no.1. Can’t argue with that.
@Sarah Bukhara I think if we are looking back throughout history, there’s not a single PM who didn’t make at least one big mistake. I think it’s impossible.
@Sarah Bukhara Bang on.
Margaret Thatcher and Margaret Thatcher.
🤣
Milk snatcher?
@@phwbooth Best thing she ever did. You were never forced to drink the eggy, Milk Marketing Board school milk every day. I was and it put me off milk for life.
Major, Blair,Brown, Cameron and May have been the WORST since Ramsay MacDonald.
Theresa May ,you forgot her.
Hard to say whether 'worst' means most incompetent, most ineffectual, most disliked or most wrong in terms of policy. Blair was capable in many ways but made bad decisions (Iraq). May was mostly ineffectual. Brown had no talent or aptitude for the role.
Boris Johnson, hold my beer 🍻
Lloyd George and Gladstone are my choice.
Lloyd George is an unsung hero who championed the rights of the poor
I’d probably put in Disraeli and Pitt the younger.
Who would be Britain's worst Prime Minister?
- Neville Chamberlain
- Gordon Brown
- Theresa May
- Someone else
Blair
Why Chamberlain? Prefering peace and striving to achieve it, because he knew the cost of war, financially and for people. His objective delayed the outbreak of WWII that facilitated our survival due to re-armament. He is way off the worst.
Lord North
@@StephenHartland I think you're right. He gave us time to prepare for the inevitable, and carried the blame.
Eden....?
I would say if we did have a museum for prime ministers the majority of our most recent ones it would be a black museum after Margret Thatcher
Shes not bloody French...
??????
Why not put it in the V&A or NHM?
When the V & A was asked if they would be interested in Thatcher’s clothes. They declined and showed no interest. Whether you like her or not she still’s still part of our history now. Natural history museum surly is about science and biology? We have a cabinet war rooms as a museum. So a prime minister museum or exhibition sounds like it could be a brilliant idea. 🙂
@@Watermillfilms war room I suppose but V&A makes more sense
@@andrewstorm8240 sorry what I meant to say is if there is a war rooms as a museum. Then they should make a cabinet history or prime minster exhibition/ museum. My comment didn’t make much sense. Problem is most government buildings are already like a museum. 😂
Gladstone and Lloyd George for me! Brilliant principled reformers.
Lloyd George’s best reforms came when he was chancellor- if the reforming legacy of pensions and benefits is to be celebrated, it should be Asquith that’s on the list
@@jaystedman4819 Well I can't say Asquith because of the war! I'll still keep Lloyd George there because of how he won the war, his reforms while in office.
_"Who _*_'ARE'_*_ Britain's best prime ministers?"_ A better, more accurate question would be:
Who WERE Britain's best prime ministers? None are alive today that could ever be considered for that extremely short list.
09:32 Seldon misspoke. He means the American War of Independence (1775-82) rather than the American Civil War (1861-65).
Please consider my new book - British Prime Ministers: The First 300 Years for info on all the Prime Ministers! Available on Amazon!
Wilson, Blair, Churchill, Atlee
Great idea. We can then clearly see what each and every PM managed to achieve while in post.
A fabulous idea!
I agree. Can we also have a museum of the Coal mining industry and ship building In Sunderland please.
Probably not. :-) I think other places in the UK would make better bids for either of those museums.
There are multiple mining and ship museums across the UK
Jesus. Who on earth wants "reverence" towards politicians?! They already get far too many honours.
Clement Attlee, best PM in British history
I cannot believe Disraeli is not amongst the Greatest PMs mentioned by Mr A Seldon !.
I don't think there should be a museum for former Prime Ministers, Andrew. Let's just keep Madam Tussauds(!)
Many of the PMs belong in the Chamber of Horrors anyway
"She remoulded the whole shape of Britain, unpicking much of what Atlee had done." Yes, and may she always be remembered for that. Thatcher the destroyer.
when do we get to see his new tv news channel?
"Maraget Thatcher, not least because she was a women...". Whaaat? What does her being a woman have anything to do with her being the best prime minister of her era?
7:28 "Not JUST because she was the first woman". Like that it is not so bad ;)
Either your trolling or you are a troll..... the point is that at that time it was extremely rare to have female politicians especially at that level so to get there she had to work especially hard as opportunities for females in that area were scarce which was why it was mentioned!! but he clearly went onto state all that she achieved while in office as the overwhelming reason, making the point it wasn't just because she was a female succeeding in a male dominated industry at that time.
@@samcarpenter2910 , well, there had already been Golda Meir and Indira Gandhi. The point Tom I believe is making is that by highlighting that Thatcher was a woman belittles her accomplishments (or demerits, depending on your point of view).
@@samcarpenter2910 rubbish. gender had bugger all to do with it
Andrew mate, I'd like to ask you to beg/borrow/steal the 60 minute format program style for GB News. A weekly indepth of something topical. We could do with something like that.
'Sir' Tony Blair has to have been the worst!
Salisbury is much more significant than Gladstone or DLG.
I do think the wider public need to know more about our earlier premiers.
The office may not have been formally established but it has nevertheless taken a very major role in our history
Walpole was in office for some 21 years. Henry Pelham 10 years - as long as Blair
So, I support the idea
How can we make our political system better in creating stronger PM's?
Probably by becoming a Republic and having a super powerful President
@@ciaranmarsh255 The last thing we need is to move towards a Presidential system.
Harold Wilson simply because he refused to be drawn into the Vietnam War
Think I'll read this book
They should say Clement Atlee, he should be top of any list.
Good point he did push for the UK to become a nuclear power after all
Single answer, could only be Maggie Thatcher. Apart from Disrelli and Churchill the rest were garbage.
I can only remember as far back as Thatcher, who was excellent. Every PM since has been truly awful, though some have been particularly awful.
Having been around since Macmillan. The best was Harold Wilson, the worst was a tie between Mr Cameron and Mr Major.
How could they miss Disraeli?
Misraeli.
Margaret Thatcher.
Clement Attlee.
He rebuilt England out of ashes and rubble.
What about the other three countries under his remit?
The people rebuilt their country - not the PM.
@@kadensmike8190 that’s cute
These two are war time pundits and have chosen as such.
Blair, for me, makes the mark
Pitt, Churchill, & Thatcher... - in order due to the others wouldn't have been 🎩
Now I've viewed, he's close... - but my worldview perspective is superior.
People have a short memory - ask 'worst PM' they would probably say May or Brown
What about Viscount Goderich?
He claimed Thatcher was the first person since the beginning of the 1800s to win 3 general elections, but didn’t Harold Wilson do that in the 60s and 70s?
Clement Attlee, Thatcher was poison
Thatcher was the Worst. Poll Tax, Miners strike's. closing down Factories, Attacking the Working class. Attlee was the best, NHS.
Look before her time and then look after her time no where near the worst
Might Gladstone have been a Tory if he were PM in 2021? Politics seems to have been slowly moving to the left since then & Liberals of Lloyd George's time would not have recognised the Lib Dems.
Without a doubt... Maggie. She's stil the best.
Destroyed Britain. The consequences of her legacy are all around today. This is the dystopian nightmare we were warned about. Never ending.
Nigel Farage when he gets in
How's that going?
John Smith was the finest Prime Minister we never had, sadly.
Disagree. For me it would be Farage.
It's easy to play counter factual history. What if so and so had done this or that? On what grounds was John Smith a potential fine PM?
@@davidgardiner6123 Can you not see why Farage and Smith have been chosen, even if they wouldn't be your choice?
Enoch Powell.
@@zufgh The greatest tragedy of Powell was that he was intelligent enough to know better.
Cannot understand the enthusiasm for Disraeli - he was a political operator and monarch flatterer. Mr Gladstone had intellect and compassion. Palmerston was the most popular politician in UK history.
If they do,imagine how loud the outrage will be,God help us.
It depends on whether it's a propaganda museum or a museum that accurately narrates the past I suppose.
20th century onwards best - Churchill, Attlee, Thatcher.
Worst - Chamberlain, Blair, Cameron
Blair would’ve been one of the greatest PMs ever, but then 9/11 hit.
@@ciaranmarsh255 Not for me, the above is an opinion though, so if you’re for globalisation and mass immigration, with liberal social policies, Blair was brilliant. I am not though.
And brown
@@thomaswatson9950 For good or bad? Brown saving the banks was a master stroke to be fair but he didn’t do anything else positive.
Cameron was a decent PM and Blair is near the top of the pecking order imo. Should've said Gordon Brown, John Major and Theresa May
Let's not forget that Walpole tried to break down the nascent Rule of Law with the passage of the Black Act 1723
Atlee
Blair
Macmillan
Wilson (1)
Brown
Thatcher, Churchill, Disraeli, Lloyd George
Walpole - the first and longest serving. Bought peace and prosperity as Britain became far more secular but he was also self-serving
Pitt the Elder- the most incorruptible Prime Minister. Man of the people
Pitt the Younger- Serious minded and a great administrator for reform.
Robert Peel- Created the Conservative Party for the Tories. Introduced the Metropolitan Police Force.
Palmerston- hugely popular with the people as a founder of the Liberal party. Promoted nationalism. Great handler of crisis in the country.
Disraeli- Hugely influential with setting the standard of the Conservative Party and the Empire.
Gladstone- great reformer and advocate of human rights
Churchill - the right man to lead the country against Nazi Germany
Clement Attlee - Still the greatest PM for the working class
Harold Wilson - Kept us out of Vietnam
Margaret Thatcher - Made London a hugely rich city. The last conviction PM.
Not me
One question : how did they manage to spin this out for over 10 minutes?
Well it is about Number 10
@@thejoin4687 Nailed it.
Well, Anthony Seldon has a book to sell. I briefly met him many years ago and thought he was very accomplished, a top bloke.
@@routeman680 So he can be brief when he wants to be.
Is this the Antony Seldon who was in charge of a large public School. Tory factories all. I once wrote to him after reading & listening to his pontifications on state education saying it was nothing to do with him. If you are of the private school keep out the rest of you sector, you have made your choice d'ont try to patronise the rest of us
I'm guessing Lord North won't be featuring?
Alec Douglas-Home all the way.
Ha, since 1945. In totality it is Walpole by a country mile.
'Attlee and Thatcher are the two giants'
This may not be vogue but I would include Blair.
Lost me when u wanted a replica In each of the 4 countries, what a waste of money, no no, just one, really good one, in London.
In my opinion the greatest prime ministers and in no particular order, were;
1) Sir Robert Walpole 1721-1742
2) William Pitt the Elder, de facto in control from 1757-1761 and Prime Minister in his own right 1766-1768.
3) William Pitt the Younger 1783-1801, 1804-1806
4) Lord Liverpool 1812-1827
5) Duke of Wellington 1828-1830, 1834
6) Sir Robert Peel 1834-1835, 1841-1846
7) Lord Palmerston 1855-1858, 1859-1865
8) Benjamin Disraeli 1868,1874-1880
9) William Gladstone 1868-1874, 1880-1885, 1886, 1892-1894
10) David Lloyd George 1916-1922
11) Sir Winston Churchill 1940-1945, 1951-1955.
12) Clement Attlee 1945-1951
13) Harold Macmillan 1957-1963
14) Harold Wilson 1964-1970, 1974-1976
15 Margaret Thatcher 1979-1990
Margaret Thatcher was horrible. She made rich people richer and poor people poorer. She was also responsible for the unemployment in the early 1980s too.
The first nine sound like my GCE History O levels. Discuss.
Chamberlain &
in my lifetime John Major
Theresa May
🤣🤣🤣
for me, the best pms:
The Younger Pitt
Peel
Liverpool
Baldwin
Salisbury
Gladstone
I think disraeli and earl grey deserve a mention.
Homer Simpson's favourite PM was Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston.
Pitt the Elder!!
Probably Robert Peel, Disraeli, Pitt the Younger, Lord Salisbury and Palmerston should be near top of the list. Thatcher and Attlee whilst having some influence, are inflated some what due to the media - and they were both quite flawed in their own different ways.
Worst ones are probably Lord North, Eden, Heath, Blair, May and now - Johnson.
Not "having more reverence" for the PM is, for me, the greatest benefit of having a constitutional monarchy. I love America and most Americans I have met, but when I watch their inaugurations, parties, even visits to cities by the President with all his cavalcade and fanfare I just feel contempt for their puffed up self importance. It's a big part of their political problem, to revere people who come and go, and while in office will lie and disappoint as all politicians must.
Benjamin D'Israeli
even though I support the conservatives I'd say Atlee and Thatcher are on an equal plane
Is how you see things, time and tide wait for no one , each person dose there best but the hands of time will tell who did there best
The ones who could have been?
Pitt the Elder and noone comes close
LORD PALMERSTON
@@ThomasHoward4thDuke fight me, irl ;)
Lord Palmerston.
Pitt the Elder!
@@NoName-hg6cc Lord Palmerston!
@@richardgadberry8398 Pitt the Elder!
@@NoName-hg6cc Okay! You asked for it, Boggs!
@@richardgadberry8398 Yeah, that'll show him Barney (Pitt the elder) 😒
what was the ISLAND LIKE