[Closed] Who is the outstanding politician of our generation?

Less seriously I'd say John Prescott, on the grounds that he's not like a politican, he's just an angry fat man that occasionally gets a bit punchy

If it wasn't for Dubya he'd be world class.

geoffj - Member

Donald Dewar

Prescott shaped UK regional policy for New Labour, and to that end influenced devolution. That is quite a large impact.

derek_starship - Member
IDS.

I actually quite rated IDS in opposition, he's done and said some very important things. However Dave and Gideon used IDS's words to get elected and now Gideon's words come out of IDS's mouth, he's been totally neutered. Its hugely depressing as he knows better than anyone how much harm those words do and who they harm the most. Tragic. If only he had Vince Cable's balls.

I actually genuinely rate Gordon Brown, a better man than present day politics deserves. 10 times the man that Dave is. Dave's a playground politician better suited to our playground media. Sadly.

EDIT: I'd third Donald Dewer as well, I actually doubt we'll ever see someone of that calibre again - certainly not in Scottish Politics - the scottish parliament is a creche.

uplink - Member

For me, it'd have to be Eric Heffer

Eric Heffer is definitely among the great for me too, in terms of commitment and integrity.............with the added appeal of being a chippy/UCATT member 8)

But for me the most outstanding politician of my lifetime has to be, without a shadow of a doubt, Harold Wilson.

Whilst his brand of social-democracy wasn't particularly close to me, he achieved so much in terms of positive and real tangible gains in the interests of ordinary working people, in so little time, and with such small parliamentary majorities. Tony Blair in contrast had majorities to die for, all the time in the world, and achieved almost nothing.

Harold Wilson was by far the most intelligent, intellectually astute, and wily, Prime minister, Britain has ever had, imo.

I think I agree with some on here, Brown is an outstanding politician.

I was watching a program the other night which said he sold off all your gold for £2bn which would be worth £13bn at todays price!

I have huge admiration for Benn and Thatcher as they were both willing to say what the thought and stick to their principles.

However, for me it has to be Mandelson. He embodies the political manipulation of a generation far better than anyone.

Probably Blair.

I know Irag was a big and costly mistake, with debatable legality, BUT that aside he was pretty outstanding.

I'm sure the people of Kosovo and Sierra Leone would agree...

There's nothing debatable about the legality of the invasion of Iraq.

Well Blair started by making the BOE independant in theory but then gave it the remit to stick to an inflation target based on government inflation numbers that did not include house price inflation. Not inddependant then and look where it led.

He then broke his [url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3258212.stm ]pledges and introduced fees for students[/url], started an unwinable war and invaded and occupied another place. Does any one honestly think he did anyone worth less than a couple of million any good?

I'll nominate John Major for his pragmatic and successful management of the economy which benefitted anyone prepared to join in.

CaptJon - Member
Prescott shaped UK regional policy for New Labour, and to that end influenced devolution. That is quite a large impact.

I actually genuinely rate Gordon Brown, a better man than present day politics deserves. 10 times the man that Dave is.

Eric Heffer is definitely among the great for me too, in terms of commitment and integrity.............with the added appeal of being a chippy/UCATT member

Whether Salmond really is the outstanding politicion of his generation remains to be seen, his opponents in the Scottish election were total lighweights. Its hard to take too much away from him though given the scale of his victory.

+1 for Tony Benn and Robin Cook, politics could do with more individuals of their intergrity today

the incident in Rochdale summed up his opinion of his key voters

Thing is, he was correct about the woman in Rochdale.

+1

Thing is, he was correct about the woman in Rochdale.

unsurprisingly she's been to every major labour party event since getting glad handed by GB and his cronies and their successors

"Integrity" in the same sentence as "Blair". I haven't seen that anywhere else for years. Some people still have wool over their eyes then.

and she was correct about the impact of his policies

In her arse she was. She was a bigot.

In her arse she was. She was a bigot.

ask Ernie what his view is on the free movement of labour within the European Union and it's impacts on the job's market and pay for tradesmen 😉

I don't really care what ernie thinks about it tbh...you ask him if it matters to you.

Anyway, I got drawn into something away from the OP and I'm moving on.

Tony Blair - Brought about a landslide election victory with the promise of things can only get better, only to have everything turn out a hell of a lot worse under his watch.

+ 1 for Tony Benn

I may not agree with him most of the time but do admire him,

very eloquent in debate,
passionate,
and very loyal to his values, which is probably why he never got on the bigger stage of being a party leader

and he talks a lot of sense

Tony Benn has reinvented himself wonderfully.
Foot reunited the Labour party, but without Benn, Healey would have probably been PM and we'd never have had that woman inflicted upon us.

Barbara Castle is the politician I admire most, but sadly of a previous generation.
She would have been brilliant as PM.

Nick Griffin?

binners - Member

Well... Nick Clegg has achieved an entire political career in the compressed timescale of a year.

He must win some kind of award for that

*s****s*

Tony Benn has reinvented himself wonderfully.

I miss Michael Foot

I'd love to hear a few more politicians with his debating skills

Pure magic, no, really

http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/historic_moments/newsid_8195000/8195545.stm

Frank Field?

I think IDS and Hague have done well once relieved of the mantle of leadership

Robin Cook and Geoffrey Howe are also two notables for their willingness to stand up for their principles

is the problem that today's politics doesn't allow for the genuine thinkers it's all tribal tit for tat rubbish or middle of the road "we'll manage this better than them"?

the age of the professional politian is doing us no favours

Outstanding and politician are mutually exclusive.
Eric Heffer 😆

I cannot believe that people seriously propose Blair, most often touted as the country's worst Primer Minister ever!

Of those listed so far the only thing I would put lower than the grinning idiot is the effing terrorist. I have yet to see a single positive thing in either.
Liars the pair of them. and I am not taking any account of Iran and afganistan.
I'm off now!

I cannot believe that people seriously propose Blair, most often touted as the country's worst Primer Minister ever!

Depends how you interpret the OP and the word 'outstanding'.

Really, the worst ever? Blimey, people have got short memories then. Perhaps it's the same people who vote for the latest big thing as the best band ever? I think it's unfortunate that Iraq (huge and tragic error of judgement) has overshadowed some amazing things that Blair and Brown achieved in the first 10 years. Health, child poverty and international development (yes, honestly) being some of them.

I a gree with those that say Tony Blair was the worst Prime Minister ever. Guy was a liar and for someone who was a barrister didnt seem to think much of the law or legal system. Scum of the earth in my opinion.

I think Blair sadly- the influence on David Cameron speaks for itself IMO.

But I think TJ was right in that other thread, of the current crop it's Alex Salmond, sure he's in a small pond but he's very, very good at what he does.