Quote: sootyj @ May 19 2009, 6:51 AM BSTMajor was not so nice more of a bully and a control freak. One of those peculiar cases of people remembering the satire not the person.
Also he privatised the railways - something even Thatcher thought better off - for which he should never, ever be forgiven.
Quote: Timbo @ May 19 2009, 11:47 AM BSTAlso he privatised the railways - something even Thatcher thought better off - for which he should never, ever be forgiven.
And his son has the internal organs of a pig and was married to Michelle Marsh for a bit. Plus he had no lips.
Quote: Maurice Minor @ May 19 2009, 9:51 AM BSTI can never understand why Thatcher didn't decide when to quit, or have some sort of plan. She was shrewd - whether or not she had a list of things still to achieve, she should have been savvy enough to realise that a politician can't go on forever and can never do everything they set out to do. It has to be handed on at some point. She will always be remembered for the way she was kicked out. And it did keep them out of power for a long time as they didn't know what to do next.
Well, after a while power tends to cloud one's view, so one could argue (and this was much the reasoning for throwing her out) that she had lost a bit of that shrewdness, and that 'common touch'. However, I've always suspected that she would probably have gone, either by choice or by a much cleaner 'persuasion' from the cabinet, at the election.
It strikes me we'd be better off following the American model and limiting leaders terms in office.
Quote: chipolata @ May 19 2009, 9:59 AM BSTBecause she thought she was immortal, poltically speaking. They all do. They never think it will end. And they're surrounded by yes men who feed this delusion.
Indeed, yes. It's a pity that Gordon Brown was in this position even before he took office.
John Major's contribution to British politics will not to be remembered as was one of the great PMs. His contribution was to come up with phrases such as 'Extremely agreeable' and 'Oh yes', shagging Edwina Currie and the Citizens Charter (Cones hotline anyone?) His greatest triumph and disaster for the Tories was to win the 1992 general election. It's only until recently the Tories have recovered from that and getting rid of Thatcher in 1990.
Quote: Aaron @ May 19 2009, 12:53 PM BSTIndeed, yes. It's a pity that Gordon Brown was in this position even before he took office.
To be fair to Gordon Brown, he has got one glass eye.
Quote: Yellows 586 @ May 19 2009, 12:53 PM BSTJohn Major's contribution to British politics will not to be remembered as was one of the great PMs. His contribution was to come up with phrases such as 'Extremely agreeable' and 'Oh yes', shagging Edwina Currie and the Citizens Charter (Cones hotline anyone?) His greatest triumph and disaster for the Tories was to win the 1992 general election. It's only until recently the Tories have recovered from that and getting rid of Thatcher in 1990.
What PMs or indeed politicians are remembered as greats? To quote Enoch Powell, "All political careers end in failure." Very few manage to stage manage a succesful exit and leave a glowing legacy.
Quote: Yellows 586 @ May 19 2009, 12:53 PM BSTHis contribution was shagging Edwina Currie
Well you can't accuse him of anti-semitism.
Waiting for 2:30 now. Will be very interesting to see today's botched speech.
Quote: chipolata @ May 19 2009, 12:56 PM BSTWhat PMs or indeed politicians are remembered as greats? To quote Enoch Powell, "All political careers end in failure." Very few manage to stage manage a succesful exit and leave a glowing legacy.
Well Robin Cook isn't too badly thought of, nor Mo Mowlam... So basically you have to die/be killed by MI5.
Quote: Griff @ May 19 2009, 1:01 PM BST
He is great, although not always for the right reasons.
The pie is probably the most eloquent thing in that picture.
Quote: Griff @ May 19 2009, 1:01 PM BST
New Labour's page 3 favourite.
Quote: chipolata @ May 19 2009, 1:03 PM BSTHe is great, although not always for the right reasons.
His greatness is his girth, not his personality or political career.
Quote: Aaron @ May 19 2009, 1:08 PM BSTHis greatness is his girth, not his personality or political career.
He was great because he genuinely went against the grain of what a modern politician is, in much the same way Borish Johnson does. His mangling of the English language and punching of mullet-headed twats were deliciously at odds with the identikit New Labour clones.
True. But he also part-privatised the Tube and was generally a big fat shiny bell end.
