The Prime Ministers We Never Had: Success and Failure from Butler to Corbyn

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McMullen Rigg, James (1899). "Townshend, Charles". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol.57. London: Smith, Elder & Co. Quinault, Roland (2011). British Prime Ministers and Democracy: From Disraeli to Blair. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-1105-0.

Butler & Butler 2010, pp.61, 270; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p.392; Seldon 2007, pp.77, 371, 647; UK Parliament 2017b. The late Tony Benn has been called the "Grandfather of British Politics," and was known in his old age as a great speaker and man of morals beloved by both sides of the House. As a young politician, however, he was a firebrand, and in the mid-70s (and later in opposition) was Thatcher and the new right's loudest critic. A Guardian obituary recently argued that his challenges to the government during these years "shattered the centre of British politics." Proudly socialist, Benn refused to take part in the neoliberal "me decade." Lefties mourn his downfall to this day. I felt the author’s unique contributions to this book were their interesting in-person encounters with many of the book’s subjects, their casual observations about the behaviours of these actors and their shrewd observations about trends in modern British politics. The latter in particular included some observations so well made that I have even had to re-examine some of my own preconceptions. The author stated that in British politics we often see what we want to see. He may be right about that.Prime ministers of the United Kingdom (1730–2011)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 2011. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Mahon, Viscount; Cardwell, Edward, eds. (1856). "Part II—The New Government; 1834–5". Memoirs by the Right Honourable Sir Robert Peel. London, UK: J. Murray. OL 23318495M. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911a). " Burghley, William Cecil, Baron". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol.4 (11thed.). Cambridge University Press. What kept him from the job? Clarke has always been too outspoken to make the grade in a party which traditionally relies on its right-wing grassroots. It is tempting to say Clarke, cigar and brandy in hand, would have been more than a match for ale-swilling Nigel Farage, but his cosmopolitan views would be unlikely to wash with Ukippers.

Stamp, Gavin (25 July 2016). "Who is Theresa May: A profile of UK's new prime minister". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 July 2016 . Retrieved 30 August 2018. Balfour 1910; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p.174; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp.177–184; Royal Society 2007, p.349. Deaths". The British Magazine and Review. Vol.1. 1782. The Most Honourable Charles Watson Wentworth. Cook & Stevenson 1980, p.11; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p.28; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp.16–21; Pryde et al. 1996, p.46; Tout 1910, p.740. I enjoyed this book immensely. It is British political history as Plutarch might have written it: these short vignettes are Lives, not histories, composed with an eye for character rather than a magnifying glass for detail, and expressed in conversational prose seasoned with anecdotes and peppered with quips. Like Plutarch, Richards is interested in drawing wider lessons from the lives he studies. While he tells these politicians’ stories very well, he never shies away from evaluating their actions, and asking why they never made it to the very top of British politics. Often, his conclusions are sapid: that the enemies you make to be a successful minister will make prevent you from ascending higher; that few things are more dangerous than being hailed as your party’s next leader before the vacancy arises; and that you can never stray too far from your party’s beliefs, regardless of how deeply held your own convictions are, if you aspire to lead it. And while Richards emulates Plutarch in many admirable respects, I trust his historical accuracy is better.I was happy to see Tony Blair elected as PM in 1997, but could never shake the feeling that if he had lived, John Smith would have been PM, and in my opinion would have done a much, much better job. A committed Christian, an honourable man and sorely missed in these days of image and spin.

Courthope, William, ed. (1838). Debrett's Complete Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (22nded.). London, UK: J. G. & F. Rivington – via the Internet Archive. His grace. It would have been nice for him to see the fruits of his labour now, both in terms of the Westminster and Scottish parliaments, although I suppose this was also the catalyst for the issues between Gordon and Tony which are still to be resolved.Hennessy, Peter (2001). "The Platonic Idea and the Constitutional Deal". The Prime Minister: The Office and Its Holders Since 1945. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-29313-0. Butler & Butler 2010, p.13; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p.281; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp.262–268. List of Fellows of the Royal Society 1660–2007" (PDF). Royal Society. July 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 May 2014 . Retrieved 28 August 2018. Kuenssberg, Laura (24 July 2019). "Boris Johnson: May bidding farewell before new PM takes office". BBC News. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022 . Retrieved 6 September 2022.

Balfour, Arthur (29 March 1910). "Duration of Parliament". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol.15. House of Commons. col.1189. Archived from the original on 2 September 2018. in 1860... Lord Palmerston, then the Leader of this House. To take some recent examples, Tony Blair and David Cameron came in due to elections in 1997 and 2010, while Gordon Brown, Theresa May and Boris Johnson all entered office following the resignation of their predecessors. Having been a member of the Labour party for a number of years, deeply disappointed after the 1992 election result, and having shared a London to Edinburgh shuttle with John, I was devastated on this day as the news filtered through. Cook & Stevenson 1988, pp.41–42; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p.17; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp.11–15. I thought that the chapter in regards to the Milliband brothers was very interesting and how the two brothers represented Blair and Brown for a new generation.Eccleshall & Walker 2002, pp.1, 5; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp.1–5; Pryde et al. 1996, pp.45–46. I think he was the one man who people did believe, whether they agreed with him or not, and I think he was the best Prime Minister Britain never had! Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p.136; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp.141–145; Pryde et al. 1996, p.47.