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Related: About this forumDavid Cameron rated 'one of the worst Prime Ministers in modern history'
The former Conservative leader came third from bottom in the table of post-war leaders, faring worse than Labour's Gordon Brown, in the survey of academics who specialise in politics and contemporary British history.
The European Union referendum was ranked as Cameron's greatest failure by nine out of ten of the respondents, with one claiming it was the greatest defeat of any prime minister "since Lord North lost America".
Only Sir Anthony Eden, whose reputation was left in tatters by his handling of the Suez crisis, and Sir Alec Douglas-Home, who only lasted a year, were ranked lower than Cameron in the list of 13 prime ministers who have served since 1945.
http://www.itv.com/news/2016-10-13/david-cameron-rated-one-of-the-worst-prime-ministers-in-modern-history/
Blimey. I'm not a political expert, but I could have come up with the same verdict four years ago.
Still, Dave can at least console himself with the prospect that he won't be third from bottom for long.
Foggyhill
(1,060 posts)LeftishBrit
(41,208 posts)People can be very successful at carrying out evil plans, which may explain why Thatcher comes second on the list, because I certainly wouldn't call her a *good* Prime Minister. I do agree about Attlee being the best. As for poor old Douglas Home, it's true that he never got a chance to do very much except lose an election, but that also means he didn't do much that was actively evil.
Cameron was certainly a tragic failure; and what is much more tragic is that he has brought his country down with him.
Denzil_DC
(7,250 posts)On the same basis, Blair ranks highly in this survey.
Despite some of the undeniable social policy gains during his tenure (and if anyone argues on that basis, we also have to give credit to Cameron for instituting same-sex marriage, for instance), it's arguable that the mess we're in now (the country and the Labour Party, as well as a large swathe of the rest of the world) is in no small part his legacy, following on from Thatcher (via Major, who was basically a caretaker) and setting the stage for Cameron.
Matilda
(6,384 posts)The most useless Prime Minister in forty years (since the hapless Billy McMahon).
"Waffles" Turnbull has achieved nothing in his first year in office except to give tax breaks to the richest Australians. (That includes politicians, which is why it was supported by the RW-Labor government).
A pox on all of them.
T_i_B
(14,744 posts)T_i_B
(14,744 posts)...but David Cameron is easily the worst Prime Minister of my lifetime, and Theresa May is on course to be far far worse. She could even be as bad as Lord North at the present rate!