Models himself on his great-great Uncle Adolph.
Any thoughts on my new avatar?
- Thread starter fillyboy
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Mmmm, I tend to agree.
I love the way Michael Portillo dresses,no need for him to hold up the umbrella so people can see where he is, wonder if only for the TV? Does he dress like that when not following his Bradshaws Guide?
Flamboyant?
That's not what I said at all. My comment was towards any politician that gets to become leader of their party. I didn't say 'all politicians are liars'. Some posters on here are liars.
I love the way Michael Portillo dresses,no need for him to hold up the umbrella so people can see where he is, wonder if only for the TV? Does he dress like that when not following his Bradshaws Guide?
He's just 'Good with colours' as some would say.
It could be cancer.
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They are both legendary geezers.
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Gove's a bright bloke, but I can't imagine anyone actually liking him.
Looking through the cabinet I can't see an obvious PM.
I suppose maybe Rishi, or, um, um, um.....
Looking through the cabinet I can't see an obvious PM.
I suppose maybe Rishi, or, um, um, um.....
D
Deleted member 18243
Gove is another fake conservative, promised to do this and that but didn't, settled into the leftie establishment, ditto Priti Patel.
I like Portillo on telly, on talk shows or on the railways. He could have been PM, he was in the running at one point but after seeing how TV personality Boris Johnson fared as PM, I doubt Portillo would've been any better. These people haven't got the stomach for politics. Conservative but without the guts to carry it through.
Preached socialism from a vantage of wealth. Renounced his hereditary title but not its money. Secret conservative but kept in with the masses in case of a revolution. Smoked a pipe.
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I was surprised that on his death the title still existed and passed to his son even though it was only created for Tony Benn in the first place.
A bit like Camilla being The Princess of Wales although no one calls her that because of Diana.
Just aristocratic BS the country would be better off without.
Anthony Wedgewood Benn inherited the title from his old man, champagne socialist, Trotskyist, might have been Jeremy Corbyns older brother.
Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (3 April 1925 – 14 March 2014; known between 1960 and 1963 as Viscount Stansgate) was a British politician, writer and diarist who served as a Cabinet minister in the 1960s and 1970s. A member of the Labour Party, he was Member of Parliament for Bristol South East and Chesterfield for 47 of the 51 years between 1950 and 2001. He later served as President of the Stop the War Coalition from 2001 to 2014.
The son of a Liberal and later Labour Party politician, Benn was born in Westminster and privately educated at Westminster School. He was elected for Bristol South East at the 1950 general election but inherited his father's peerage on his death, which prevented him from continuing to serve as an MP. He fought to remain in the House of Commons and campaigned for the ability to renounce the title, a campaign which succeeded with the Peerage Act 1963. He was an active member of the Fabian Society and served as Chairman from 1964 to 1965. He served in the Labour government of Harold Wilson from 1964 to 1970 first as Postmaster General, where he oversaw the opening of the Post Office Tower, and later as Minister of Technology.
Benn served as Chairman of the National Executive Committee from 1971 to 1972 while in Opposition. In the Labour government of 1974–1979, he returned to the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Industry and subsequently served as Secretary of State for Energy. He retained that post when James Callaghan succeeded Wilson as Prime Minister. When the Labour Party was in opposition through the 1980s, he emerged as a prominent figure on the left wing of the party and unsuccessfully challenged Neil Kinnock for the Labour leadership in 1988. After leaving Parliament at the 2001 general election, Benn was President of the Stop the War Coalition until his death in 2014.
Benn was widely seen as a key proponent of democratic socialism and Christian socialism. Originally considered a moderate within the party, he was identified as belonging to its left wing after leaving ministerial office. The terms Bennism and Bennite came into usage to describe the left-wing politics he espoused from the late 1970s and its adherents. He was an influence on the politics of Jeremy Corbyn, who was elected Leader of the Labour Party a year after Benn's death, and John McDonnell, who served as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer under Corbyn.
Ah, I'm sorry, my mistake.
However, the title was only invented in 1942.
However, the title was only invented in 1942.
How bizarre, why not Alan Johnson or James Callaghan, decent principled Socialists, and electable, even Tony Blair at a push. Do you have 'massive respec' for Corbyn for giving 'my lot' a landslide win, well, obviously you must do. Strange. You've probably got a portrait of Michael Foot on your 'parlour' wall.
Filly makes the foolish assumption that nobody with an interest in social justice is allowed to be rich, and that Labour politicians should not be allowed in the House of Lords.
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Oh, the troll's done his night round.
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A PM has to be very bright so they can learn a lot and hold it in their head and understand it. Not many can do that. They also need to have vision, and integrity. That cuts many more out. Alan Johnson, Ed Balls, Corbyn, Foot weren't bright enough. Callaghan was, Blair was Smith probably too. Brown turned out to be a one of the most criticised chancellors despite his supposed ability, and a forgettable PM. I think Starmer would be a bit like John Major - brain's OK but not enough vision and energy. Maybe Emily Thornberry ...? Boris has, errm, some good qualities - but I suspect patience with his shortcomings is evaporating, while his party is anointed with the sleaze brush. Someone commented that Boris evicted the decent tories - there's some truth in that, but i doubt even Hunt would be strong enough. I thought May would be a safe pair of hands, but she wasn't, then it only took Grenfell to pitch her out.
Sunak might be OK if he can (continue to?) juggle the monetary policies. Tough times to get growth, employment, prices and Bal of Payments under control. He'd probably get a better relationship with the B of E than buffoon Boris, to help with keeping the fiscal stuff from getting out of hand. All very well making bonds available, only if companies can use them profitably. Stagflation looms.
The last PM I was sort of proud to have at the top at the time was Tony Bliar, to begin with. But look how that turned out.
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My 2 cents -
A PM has to be very bright so they can learn a lot and hold it in their head and understand it. Not many can do that. They also need to have vision, and integrity. That cuts many more out. Alan Johnson, Ed Balls, Corbyn, Foot weren't bright enough. Callaghan was, Blair was Smith probably too. Brown turned out to be a one of the most criticised chancellors despite his supposed ability, and a forgettable PM. I think Starmer would be a bit like John Major - brain's OK but not enough vision and energy. Maybe Emily Thornberry ...? Boris has, errm, some good qualities - but I suspect patience with his shortcomings is evaporating, while his party is anointed with the sleaze brush. Someone commented that Boris evicted the decent tories - there's some truth in that, but i doubt even Hunt would be strong enough. I thought May would be a safe pair of hands, but she wasn't, then it only took Grenfell to pitch her out.
Sunak might be OK if he can (continue to?) juggle the monetary policies. Tough times to get growth, employment, prices and Bal of Payments under control. He'd probably get a better relationship with the B of E than buffoon Boris, to help with keeping the fiscal stuff from getting out of hand. All very well making bonds available, only if companies can use them profitably. Stagflation looms.
The last PM I was sort of proud to have at the top at the time was Tony Bliar, to begin with. But look how that turned out.
