+1 for Newton

Sir Christopher Wren?

Although Churchill can be seen as obvious I see him as a necessary evil and not 'great'.

Well put. Not enough people know about what Churchill was really like, or that he was a pretty nasty misogynist, racist, elitist bastard. Black + Tans, Opposed Womens' right to vote, sanctioned gassing of Kurds, opposed the formation of the NHS.

No, I'm with Clarkson on this one; from an engineering point of view at least, has to be Brunel. From a philosophical perspective, then Thomas Paine, Dr Samuel Johnson, Charles Darwin, people like that.

Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick MacMillan first added a mechanical crank drive to the rear wheel, creating the first bicycle in the modern sense.

William Dampier might make my top 20 actually.

Princess Diana – for showing us all how to love again.

She was my candle in the wind (pretty useless mind as a means of finding your way)

Victoria because she lead the nation during a dramatic period of growth and as a result I believe (happy to be put right on this one) that is one of the key reasons why English is the primary language round most of the globe.

Sorry, but this is an even less likely suggestion than Churchill, who was odious but at least influential.

The Constitutional Monarchy was firmly established by the time she took the throne and there were no moments of "leadership" whatsoever. She was an isolated lonely old lady who managed to live through one of the most interesting periods in history (and be related to half of the protagonists) without ever writing or saying anything of the slightest interest or insight, a tradition continued by the incumbent.

Surely Victoria rode a wave that was happening/innovation/colonialism, folk chasing money rampantly basically rather than created/was the reason for the era that was named after her.

Lets not forget India etc was exploited by Merchants/businessmen who USED the Army to further and protect their interests.

florence nightingale
Stephen Hawking
bob geldof

When people say Stephen Hawking, do they actually know about the relevance of what he did as compared to say Newton, Maxwell, Rutherford, etc etc?

who was the greatest briton who ever lived?

molgrips, apparently…

My daughter did a school project on great britons and we researched a fair few and these were in our short list, before settling for Lloyd George.

Rowland Hill
Wat Tyler
Arthur Wellesley
Nelson
Pankhurst
Berners-Lee

Churchill – Bollox to all that sh*te above, he got us through the war FFS.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Victoria Beckham.

You can mock, Woppit.. just wait til I become famous 🙂

Churchill – Bollox to all that sh*te above, he got us through the war FFS.

'Shite'? Did he do a job no-one else could have? No. He was merely a figurehead; useful because he was a ruthless, uncompromising bastard. I'm sure he wasn't alone in possessing such characteristics. After the war, he was no longer useful, and was replaced. In fact, had he continued as PM, this country might be a lot worse off than it is now. So enough of the hero-worship.

What got 'us' through the war, was the incredible efforts and sacrifices made by millions, here and around the World. Not Churchill.

molgrips – Member

You can mock, Woppit.. just wait til I become famous

You'll still be a c*nt.

John Smeaton

any relation to Edmund Blackadder?

Epic fail on my part, doh!! 😳

Point is talkemada, Churchill was the bloke who did lead us through the war. Regardless of whether or not others could have done it. (no doubt the could – problem is, they didnt!) Irrespective of his personality traits, he was a great briton in terms of leadership and motivational ability.

Edward I

Many of the people suggested have mainly contributed to the UK's position in the world, or the lot of its citizens. Others, like Newton and Darwin, have done things that have advanced science of philosophy, (hopefully) to the benefit of humanity as a whole. I don't know who I'd say is the greatest but I think I'd pick from the second category.

Torquemada?

Award shared between Shipman and Sutcliffe

Edward I

Hah, unless you're Welsh or Scottish 🙂

You'll still be a c*nt

Harsh.. I was just trying to get people to be nice to each other whilst havng a discussion.

Torquemada?

Spanish, Hora. Do try to keep up! 😉

Pontius Pilate?

Still this reminds me of how 'ace' he was in 2000ad:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torquemada_(comics)

😀

Spanish, Hora. Do try to keep up

Espanol ?

Eres Alfredo y reclamo mi cinco libras

Brunel was half french

Hora,

No, mi nombre es Tomas.

Harry Potter

Sid James!

yak yak yak!

Churchill was a great Briton for a war situation requiring a figure head who was bolshy [ or pissed as the case me be]but not for anything else – see Gallipoli campaign for an example of his brilliance I am sure his pithy putdowns would have been held in high regard on STW.

How about some of the medical chaps?

Joseph Lister – defined antispesis and thus stopped a lot of people dying

James Simpson – anaesthetics

James Mason. He was from Huddersfield 🙂

Actually, in more modern times, then surely Aneurin Bevan has to be in with a shout? Came from humble beginnings in a Welsh mining town, and went on to be the main architect of the NHS.

One things for sure – it isn't a trade unionist….

Aneurin Bevan

Good shout.

Sir Francis Bacon?

All round smartarse, father of the scientific method and killed by a dodgy frozen chicken in the 16th century.