DeeTillEhDeh Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Was having a discussion in the pub about who the greatest PM was (which I think has been done here before)- it sort of then led on to who was the greatest political leader (not necessarily politician). Lots of the usual suspects came up - Ghandi, Mandela etc - so who would you consider to be the greatest and why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~~~ Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sloop John B Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Lord Palmerston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon EF Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Willie Rennie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsimButtHitsASix Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Ho Chi Minh - started as a waiter in London and defeated the world's greatest superpower and united a country Perhaps not exactly an angel but I like him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeTillEhDeh Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 Lord PalmerstonAnd why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeTillEhDeh Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 Willie Rennie And why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeTillEhDeh Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 And why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addie Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 And why? Because he can drink radioactive beer and still rip into Anna Sousby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandarilla Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I'm going for Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Obvious reasons. Being assassinated also puts a positive spin on things and makes it pretty difficult to criticise said leader. He was also a lot more politically radical than the mainstream media like to portray these days (just like Mandela). He was starting to get involved in the issue of poverty in northern cities - rather than just civil rights for black Americans. All round good guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon EF Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 And why? Strong leader, legendary charisma, masterful orator, formidable debater, rare visionary, above average sized penis, and will undoubtedly lead the meteoric Lib Dem revival in 2016 and beyond. Could be the first person to be hold the positions of First Minister, Prime Minister, UN secretary general, and President of the United Staes simultaneously? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I'm not a fan of the current vein of "What do the numbers say I should think?" politicians. I've got a sneaking admiration for the ones who sacrificed the possibility of holding higher office to stick to their principles however much they were vilified and mocked for them, often ending up in the wilderness as a result. Churchill was one of the few who vociferously opposed German rearmament in the early 30s, and found himself on the outs as a result, and while I don't hold any truck with either of their viewpoints, the likes of Tony Benn and Enoch Powell were also in that mould - more recently, Robin Cook proved himself worthy of respect over the Iraq war... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthernLights Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Lord Palmerston Pitt the Elder! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Clement Attlee who told "Austerity" to GTF, and built the NHS anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieStevenson Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Confidemus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeTillEhDeh Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 Thought I would put in my nomination. Greatest does not necessarily mean the best nor the most in line with your political ideals. For me it is the person who has had the greatest influence on the political process. For that reason my nomination, which may be a tad controversial, is Nicollo Machiavelli. In my opinion, Machiavelli was an innovative thinker who was not afraid to put his ideas into action or write them out for all to examine. The Prince influenced political thought from his time to the present and is as relevant to politics today as it was in 1513. His work and ideas have endured for centuries. It is for this reason that Machiavelli has had the biggest influence on history of any political leader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeTillEhDeh Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 Clement Attlee who told "Austerity" to GTF, and built the NHS anyway. Would have Attlee as my greatest PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fotbawmad Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 The "usual suspects" mentioned by OP are questionable figures, but the propaganda surrounding them gives us the impression they were all good. As for my choice, you don't have to look too far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I'm going for Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Obvious reasons. Being assassinated also puts a positive spin on things and makes it pretty difficult to criticise said leader. He was also a lot more politically radical than the mainstream media like to portray these days (just like Mandela). He was starting to get involved in the issue of poverty in northern cities - rather than just civil rights for black Americans. All round good guy. Very difficult to argue with his................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeTillEhDeh Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 Very difficult to argue with his.................If there was a black leader I'd actually go for Malcolm X - everyone focuses on his time with the Nation of Islam but forgets that he repudiated racism.Near the end of his life, Malcolm X was becoming more like King - and King was becoming more like him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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