Who was the worst PM / King in Britain's history?

[Greenman]

Yes quite right happy to see it put right there emexem-cheers. Wolsey gave us the car named after him instead

[Mal Hombre]

Originally Posted by emexem

Greenman " Mind you he did give us Hampton Court Palace"

Sorry Greenman, Wolsley gave us Hampton Court- Henry, ahem, sort of suggested to Wolsley that it might be a nice prezzie!

Well Wolsey didn't need it,He having died just before Henry could execute Him.

[haroldeye]

When you think of the alternatives we could have had to the Queen (Maggie, Blair) we've had a good deal. Her uncle Edward VIII was pretty poor, a conceited, self centred little man who thought of little but himself.

Before him we were well served by our monarchs from William IV onwards.

The Georges were a rum lot,

George I, was an important German prince who spoke no English. He took the job not for Britain to defend Hanover but because he inherited it through his mother and a British act of Parliament. He didn't really like England very much especially as the politicians had far more power than his German ones. Had nothing to do with losing the American colonies.

George II wasn't a bad chap, a German who had to live in his British realm. Last Monarch to lead British troops in the field. Brought his kids up to be British.

George III - revelled in the name of Briton. Had mental health problems but hey! Trusted a slimy Scot courtier far too much and lost America. Most of his sons were very dodgy and would have been regarded so by members of this site.

George IV - A man so morally corrupt and inept have could have been a minister in Blairs government.

As for PM. Heath was awful, he destroyed so much with little or no regard for anything or anyone. But the ones who have damaged this country so much more are Blair and Brown.

[Wendigo]

King - Richard I, he preferred to be abroad fighting than sorting out problems at home but if you believe countless films & TV shows he was a God fearing saviour and King John an evil tyrant.

PM (sorry Greenman) Tony Blair, the most self serving, self satisfied, smug, sycophantic slimeball (that's enough S's for now) that ever squirmed (sorry !!) his way in an out of number 10. To my eternal shame I helped vote him in first time round but unlike some I soon saw through that thin veneer of a new style of honest politics and realised that he was as bad as any that had gone. Sadly he went further than any others and has milked millions on the backs of speaking tours and books with no apparent realisation of all the pain he caused.
2nd worst - Edward Heath for putting Europe before his own country

ps - before voting for John Major remember the favour we owe him for keeping Neil Kinnock out

[pharoahegypt]

The reason so many of our monarchs have spent time fighting away from home, is that most of them come from abroad in any case...!! Not sure why we put up such a struggle against a haggis eater coming down here to sit on the throne, considering most of the rest come from either German or mid European heritage...... the current mob are of mixed German and Greek heritage..!!!

[Greenman]

I liked Blair and Kinnock - Major was too creepy and boring. Okay those two might have done things you didn't like but name one MP or PM that hasn't done something to this country over the years either by scandal or just by being useless-if that wasn't the case we wouldn't have elections and have Assad or even Mugabe-style rulers which doesn't bear thinking about.

[TCO95]

I was taught he had, among his servants, a lad who took the punishments whenever the future king misbehaved. Hence the phrase "Whipping Boy". Is there any truth to this or is it just another urban legend?

[Mal Hombre]

No,This was common practice,The post of Whipping Boy had it's obvious drawbacks but could often lead to high office in later life.

[Greenman]

Yup true and Henry also had an official bottom wiper.

[palo5]

Originally Posted by Mal Hombre

...The post of Whipping Boy had it's obvious drawbacks...

You mean they didn't like it?