Simon Lancaster’s Post

Yes, Prime Minister: will this be lucky or unlucky number 13? I rarely write about politics, although I’ve had 12 different prime minsters now during my lifetime, all starting with the battles between Harold Wilson and Edward Heath. I remember the winter of discontent, which was probably the final nail in Jim Callaghan’s premiership. I remember blindly walking into the poll tax riots, which were the beginning of the end for Margaret Thatcher. And I remember waking up in May 1997 to a very inspiring victory speech by Tony Blair, thinking we’d entered a new fresh age of politics. History and the Almighty will ultimately judge Tony Blair. What I do know is that in the last decade at least, it has been a continuous embarrassment of disasters. Sleaze, contempt, greed, incompetence and outright lies. Just when you think things can’t get any worse. They somehow manage to. The D Day commemoration events last week reminded us how fortunate we are to have the freedom to vote, and the power to decide who governs us. This is a privilege not afforded to all. We need to now use that freedom wisely that so many died for. Read the manifestos, listen to the debates, recognise the shallow promises that smack of desperation and make your vote count. Don’t be drawn into right wing hatred. Brexit was built on that and look how well that’s gone. Get it wrong and entice hatred and the universe will conspire to find a way of slapping you in the face when you least expect it. [All views and opinions are my own. Image credit: The Telegraph]

The frustration and disappointment with this so-called Prime Minister runs deep. It's disheartening to witness how he has mastered the art of deceit, much like Boris Johnson. Instead of prioritizing the needs and well-being of the people he is meant to serve, he seems to only care about advancing his own agenda. It's alarming to think that this elected Prime Minister was chosen by his own comrades, rather than the collective will of the people. This raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of his leadership. Urgent action must be taken before he inflicts irreparable damage upon our country. In other nations, such as France, the people would have taken to the streets to voice their grievances. They have shown in the past that they refuse to be silent when their voices are ignored. It begs the question: why are the British people not mobilizing in the same way? We often engage in discussions, expressing our dissatisfaction, but what concrete steps are we taking to hold our leaders accountable? It is crucial that we move beyond mere words and translate our frustrations into action. We must demand transparency, accountability, and genuine representation from our elected officials. It is time for the British people to rise up, peacefully but resolutely, and demand the change that we so desperately need. Let us not be complacent any longer. The power lies within us, and it is up to us to reclaim it. Together, we can ensure that our country is led by individuals who truly have the best interests of the people at heart. The time for action is now.

The frustration and disappointment with this so-called Prime Minister runs deep. It's disheartening to witness how he has mastered the art of deceit, much like Boris Johnson. Instead of prioritizing the needs and well-being of the people he is meant to serve, he seems to only care about advancing his own agenda. It's alarming to think that this elected Prime Minister was chosen by his own comrades, rather than the collective will of the people. This raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of his leadership. Urgent action must be taken before he inflicts irreparable damage upon our country. In other nations, such as France, the people would have taken to the streets to voice their grievances. They have shown in the past that they refuse to be silent when their voices are ignored. It begs the question: why are the British people not mobilizing in the same way? We often engage in discussions, expressing our dissatisfaction, but what concrete steps are we taking to hold our leaders accountable? It is crucial that we move beyond mere words and translate our frustrations into action. We must demand transparency, accountability, and genuine representation from our elected officials. It is time for the British people to rise up, peacefully but resolutely, and demand the change that we so desperately need. Let us not be complacent any longer. The power lies within us, and it is up to us to reclaim it. Together, we can ensure that our country is led by individuals who truly have the best interests of the people at heart. The time for action is now.

The frustration and disappointment with this so-called Prime Minister runs deep. It's disheartening to witness how he has mastered the art of deceit, much like Boris Johnson. Instead of prioritizing the needs and well-being of the people he is meant to serve, he seems to only care about advancing his own agenda. It's alarming to think that this elected Prime Minister was chosen by his own comrades, rather than the collective will of the people. This raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of his leadership. Urgent action must be taken before he inflicts irreparable damage upon our country. In other nations, such as France, the people would have taken to the streets to voice their grievances. They have shown in the past that they refuse to be silent when their voices are ignored. It begs the question: why are the British people not mobilizing in the same way? We often engage in discussions, expressing our dissatisfaction, but what concrete steps are we taking to hold our leaders accountable? It is crucial that we move beyond mere words and translate our frustrations into action. We must demand transparency, accountability, and genuine representation from our elected officials. It is time for the British people to rise up, peacefully but resolutely, and demand the change that we so desperately need. Let us not be complacent any longer. The power lies within us, and it is up to us to reclaim it. Together, we can ensure that our country is led by individuals who truly have the best interests of the people at heart. The time for action is now.

A Prime Ministerial Mixed Bag: The Ideal Leader From Imperfect Ingredients Leadership is a blend of charisma, meticulousness, dedication, and dogged determination. When we examine our recent prime ministers, it's clear that if you could mix Boris Johnson’s untamed political skills and endless optimism, Rishi Sunak’s meticulous attention to detail, Theresa May’s dedication to public service, and Liz Truss’s destructible determination, you’d find the ultimate leader. Yet, like a cocktail made with too much gin and not enough tonic, each alone is hard to swallow. Boris Johnson, the political Houdini, might not always pull a rabbit out of the hat, but his tricks kept us entertained. His charisma can turn the dullest group into a merry gathering, even if his ideas seem to come out of thin air. Although, gatherings are a sore point. Rishi Sunak, in contrast, is the spreadsheet wizard. One can imagine him balancing the nation's budget on an abacus with the accuracy of a Swiss watchmaker. His attention to detail is notable, although one wonders if he sometimes misses the forest for the meticulously pruned trees. A smoking ban comes to mind. Theresa May, the industrious headmistress of British politics, demonstrated dedication to public service. Her devotion was both her strength and her Achilles’ heel – tenacious as a terrier, but periodically obstinate as a brick wall. Occasionally she is seen running through wheat. And then there's Liz Truss, whose dogged determination is a force of nature. Like a bulldog, once she sinks her teeth into a plan, she won’t let go. Her resilience is admirable. In the meantime, here’s a snapshot of us. Notice the glint in her eye – the look of zeal that she brought to her brief 49-day stint as Prime Minister. You can hear the war cry still, "Growth at any cost!" Now, if we could somehow mix these traits into a single leader, we'd have a prime minister capable of charming the electorate, meticulously planning every detail, dedicating themselves wholly to the public good, and bulldozing through obstacles with unflinching resolve. If nothing else, they’ve given us plenty to talk about – and perhaps even a recipe for leadership.

Where does Scott Morrison rank in our pantheon of Prime Ministers? Our Executive Director Nick Dyrenfurth was interviewed for a feature in today's The Age and Sydney Morning Herald by James Massola Nick's answers may surprise! "Nick Dyrenfurth, an author, historian and executive director of the Labor think tank the John Curtin Research Centre, who participated in Monash University’s 2020 list of Australia’s best and worst prime ministers, argues that at least a decade must pass before Morrison’s legacy (or that of any prime minister) can be properly assessed. But Dyrenfurth argues Morrison achieved more than either Tony Abbott or Malcolm Turnbull. “It’s pretty clear that Menzies, Deakin and Howard are the three outstanding non-Labor PMs. And then you have a whole lot of second-order PMs like (Malcolm) Fraser, (Stanley) Bruce and (Joseph) Lyons. Dyrenfurth argues Morrison is in a third category, along with Abbott and Turnbull, but says: “I think Morrison is above both of them”, because of how he handled the initial response to COVID, the AUKUS defence agreement and for winning the 2019 election. “Credit to him and Josh Frydenberg for massively increasing Jobseeker payments. But his weak points included gender – he did not deal well with women – and climate change. The way PMs conduct themselves after they leave office is important in terms of their legacy, and (Julia) Gillard has risen in people’s estimation. You look at Turnbull and Abbott, their legacy has been tarnished.” Check out the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gT6GDsB8

After several prime ministers in quick succession its felt like we’ve had a new one each week (well, almost).   Why has the office of prime minister become so Impossible?   Why did Liz Truss lose to a lettuce?   Who actually brought down Boris Johnson? (spoiler: himself)   How have the 57 inhabitants of Number 10 succeeded, failed, inspired and, depressed us? What can we learn from these peculiar characters and the history of the office?   In our new work, Anthony Seldon and I explore this and much more, spanning a rich 303-year history of our leaders and nation.   Our central aim is to show what can be learnt, and how, importantly, we can IMPROVE the office of prime minister so it becomes a little less impossible.   In an increasingly dangerous world this is more important than ever.   The NEW Impossible Office is out in March 2024, published by Cambridge University Press, and can be pre-ordered now!   Amazon: https://lnkd.in/e4pTpPWR   Cambridge: Cambridge.org/ImpossiblePB

Whilst we acknowledge what both Prime Minister RIshi Sunak and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated and the 'visual impact' of a non-white i.e. Asian Prime Minister; it must be noted about the lack of cognitive diversity, creativity or diversity of POETS' (i.e. Perspective Outlook Experiences Thought Sector & Social Background: https://lnkd.in/eJdxbxPE ). So, I find it reassuring that we can all be Prime Minister - if only we were born to high-income, wealthy mum and dad; living in a lovely suburbia house; attending the best prep and private schools by paying full-fees every year - which are above the average UK national annual income (gross salary that is); studying PPE at Oxford University; and then being in the top 1% of 1%, yes, of another 1% of earners and wealth (given role and marriage). So yes, "Not so long ago, these things would have been unimaginable. Putting party politics aside, Rishi Sunak will go down in history as a symbol of just how far we have come in our journey towards building a more diverse and inclusive society." Or as Tesco used to say "Every little helps!" Wealth and income - even modest - are THE great enablers of privilege and trajectory. End of.