British MPs on British PMs: Parliamentary Evaluations of Prime Ministerial Success. (June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Is Part Of: Politics. Volume 35:Number 2(2015)
• Page Start: 111
• Page End: 127
• Publication Date: 2015-06
• Subjects: Prime Ministers -- leadership -- members of parliament -- student projects; Political science -- Periodicals; 320
• DOI: 10.1111/1467-9256.12074
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0263-3957

Abstract

This article reports the results of a recent survey of British Members of Parliament (N = 158) to explore parliamentary evaluations of post-war British Prime Ministers. The survey was fielded in 2013 as a part of a collaborative research project undertaken by undergraduate students. It finds that MPs in general rated Margaret Thatcher as the most successful post-war Prime Minister, with Clement Attlee a close runner-up. It also finds that MPs prioritised the implementation of party policy above merely winning elections, and that MPs thought successful Prime Ministers need to be decisive, principled and intelligent.