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Post by johnsmith on Jul 19, 2015 16:58:33 GMT
OK, here is political and historical "what if".
If you could select any MPs who have ever sat in the House of Commons in the last 100 years, to form your ideal cabinet, who would you choose? You may add cabinet positions if you think they are important enough, or remove others if you think otherwise.
Here is my ideal cabinet......
Prime Minister - Hugh Gaitskell
Deputy Prime Minister - Harold Wilson
Chancellor - John Smith
Health - Nye Bevan
Education - Shirley Williams
Housing - Tony Benn
Foreign Secretary - Menzies Campbell
Home Secretary - Roy Jenkins
Defence - Winston Churchill
Trade and Industry - Vince Cable
Transport - Frank Dobson
Welfare - Clement Attlee
Scotland - Robin Cook
Wales - Neil Kinnock
N Ireland - Mo Mowlam
Environment - Caroline Lucas
Constitutional Reform - Charles Kennedy
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Harry Hayfield
Green
Cavalier Gentleman (as in 17th century Cavalier)
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Post by Harry Hayfield on Jul 19, 2015 20:12:46 GMT
Prime Minister - Margaret Thatcher
Deputy Prime Minister - Winston Churchill (my grandparents always say he was better taking orders than giving them)
Chancellor - Roy Jenkins
Health - Auerin Bevan
Education - Paddy Ashdown (battling for that 1p rise in taxes to pay for education)
Housing - George Brown
Foreign Secretary - Chris Patten
Home Secretary - John Reid
Defence - David Lloyd George
Trade and Industry - Michael Heseltine
Transport - Stephen Byers
Welfare - Frank Field
Scotland - Alex Salmond
Wales - George Thomas
N Ireland - John Hume
Environment - Caroline Lucas
Constitutional Reform - Tam Dayell
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2015 21:49:10 GMT
Prime Minister - Margaret ThatcherDeputy Prime Minister - Winston Churchill (my grandparents always say he was better taking orders than giving them) Chancellor - Roy Jenkins Health - Auerin Bevan Education - Paddy Ashdown (battling for that 1p rise in taxes to pay for education) Housing - George Brown Foreign Secretary - Chris Patten Home Secretary - John Reid Defence - David Lloyd George Trade and Industry - Michael Heseltine Transport - Stephen Byers Welfare - Frank Field Scotland - Alex Salmond Wales - George Thomas N Ireland - John Hume Environment - Caroline Lucas Constitutional Reform - Tam Dayell After making election night coverage available on YouTube, you really do go up in my estimation now. I'm sure she'd keep Churchill but soon sack the rest. |
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Post by carlton43 on Jul 19, 2015 22:43:50 GMT
Prime Minister........David Owen
Deputy................Nigel Lawson
Ch of Ex..............Roy Jenkins
Health.................Ian Macleod
Education..............Keith Joseph
Housing................Harold Macmillan
Foreign Off............Anthony Nutting
Home Sec...............Alan Milburn
Defence................Duncan Sandys
Trade & Ind............Lord Beaverbrook
Transport..............Cecil Parkinson
Welfare................Peter Shore
Scotland...............Bob Boothby
Wales..................Lloyd George
NI.....................Enoch Powell
Environment............Peter Thorneycroft
Const Reform...........Anthony Crossland
Agriculture...............Tom Williams
Colonies...................Winston Churchill
Leader of th House..Norman Tebbitt
Arts and Culture......Norman St.John Stevas
Lord Chancellor.......Quinton Hogg
Lord Privy Seal........Ernest Bevin
Minister without Portfolio..Lord Home
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johnloony
Conservative
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Post by johnloony on Jul 20, 2015 0:48:17 GMT
Prime Minister: Margaret Thatcher
Deputy PM: Peter Mandelson
Home Secretary: Roy Jenkins
Foreign Secretary: Paddy Ashdown
Chancellor of the Exchequer: George Osborne
Defence: Alan Clark
International Development: Nicholas Ridley
Education: Michael Gove
Health: David Cameron
Trade & Industry: Keith Joseph
Scotland: Rory Stewart
Wales: Michael Heseltine
Northern Ireland: Roy Mason
Constitutional Reform: Jacob Rees-Mogg
Employment: Ernest Bevin
Housing: Clement Attlee
Transport: Harold Macmillan
Welfare: Gavin Barwell
Environment & Climate Change: Simon Hughes
Local Government: Enoch Powell
Lord Chancellor / Justice: Maureen Colquhoun
Minister for Women & Equalities: Tulip Siddiq
Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs: Megan Lloyd George
Culture, Media & Sport: Winston Churchill
Leader of the House of Lords: Norman Tebbit
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neilm
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Post by neilm on Jul 20, 2015 8:10:31 GMT
Prime Minister........David Owen Deputy................Ernest Bevin Ch of Ex..............Roy Jenkins Health.................Ian Macleod Education..............Keith Joseph Housing................Harold Macmillan Foreign Off............Anthony Nutting Home Sec...............Alan Milburn Defence................Duncan Sandys Trade & Ind............Lord Beaverbrook Transport..............Cecil Parkinson Welfare................Peter Shore Scotland...............Bob Boothby Wales..................Lloyd George NI.....................Enoch Powell Environment............Peter Thorneycroft Const Reform...........Anthony Crossland Agriculture...............Tom Williams Colonies...................Winston Churchill Leader of th House..Norman Tebbitt Arts and Culture......Norman St.John Stevas Good choice there with Owen, although I am less inclined to be keen on the erstwhile MP for Chelmsford. |
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Jul 20, 2015 8:59:05 GMT
Prime Minister - Margaret Thatcher
Deputy Prime Minister - Norman Tebbit
Chancellor - Enoch Powell
Health - Liam Fox
Education - Angela Rumbold
Housing - Mark Reckless
Foreign Secretary - Douglas Carswell
Home Secretary - Winston Churchill
Defence - Lord Fisher
Trade and Industry - Alan Clark
Transport - Leslie Hore-Belisha
Welfare - Eric Geddes
Scotland - Colin Mitchell
Wales - Desmond Donnelly
N Ireland - Sir Edward Carson
Environment - Nicholas Ridley
Lord Chancellor - Lord Birkenhead
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Post by carlton43 on Jul 20, 2015 9:06:11 GMT
Some of those are inspired Pete. Some less so!
The choices and roles for Ridley, Carson, Mitchell, Geddes (the mad axeman) and Powell are invigorating. Many interesting suggestions.
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Post by Arthur Figgis on Jul 20, 2015 9:19:06 GMT
Prime Minister - Margaret Thatcher
Chancellor - John Redwood
Foreign Secretary - Douglas Hurd
Home Secretary - Roy Jenkins
Defence - Roy Mason
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, focussing on constitutional reform (including the regions/nations)- Lord Powell of King's Norton (hereditary peerage, naturally)
No other departments exist.
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Post by carlton43 on Jul 20, 2015 9:23:05 GMT
Prime Minister - Margaret Thatcher Chancellor - John Redwood Foreign Secretary - Douglas Hurd Home Secretary - Roy Jenkins Defence - Roy Mason Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, focussing on constitutional reform (including the regions/nations)- Lord Powell of King's Norton (hereditary peerage, naturally) No other departments exist. Admirable concision and some excellent choices. What about a Lord Chancellor? Possibly Quinton Hogg? |
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Jul 20, 2015 11:16:11 GMT
PM- Rab Butler
Chancellor- Iain MacLeod
Foreign- David Owen
Home- John Reid
Defence- Roy Mason
Education- Ken Clarke
Housing- Alf Morris
Trade & Industry- Michael Heseltine
Health- Enoch Powell
Welfare- Frank Field
Environment- Barbara Castle
Transport- Keith Joseph
Sport- Richard Caborn
Agriculture- Gwilym Lloyd George
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster- David Steel
Leader of the House- Jim Callaghan
Minister without Portfolio- Margaret Thatcher
Arts and Culture- Iain Gilmour
Europe- Anthony Eden
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Jul 20, 2015 11:36:20 GMT
I'm afraid that Butler would have been every bit the disaster as PM which leading Conservatives of his day feared.
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Post by johnsmith on Jul 20, 2015 11:42:04 GMT
Prime Minister - Margaret Thatcher Deputy Prime Minister - Norman Tebbit Chancellor - Enoch Powell Health - Liam Fox Education - Angela Rumbold Housing - Mark Reckless Foreign Secretary - Douglas Carswell Home Secretary - Winston Churchill Defence - Lord Fisher Trade and Industry - Alan Clark Transport - Leslie Hore-Belisha Welfare - Eric Geddes Scotland - Colin Mitchell Wales - Desmond Donnelly N Ireland - Sir Edward Carson Environment - Nicholas Ridley Lord Chancellor - Lord Birkenhead What a bunch of right wing headbangers most of that lot is. |
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Jul 20, 2015 21:56:12 GMT
I'm afraid that Butler would have been every bit the disaster as PM which leading Conservatives of his day feared. Sadly, I fear you might be right. I do fear though that his reputation as the nearly man will come to cloud his achievements entirely. |
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neilm
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Post by neilm on Jul 21, 2015 11:00:14 GMT
Prime Minister - Margaret Thatcher Chancellor - John Redwood Foreign Secretary - Douglas Hurd Home Secretary - Roy Jenkins Defence - Roy Mason Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, focussing on constitutional reform (including the regions/nations)- Lord Powell of King's Norton (hereditary peerage, naturally) No other departments exist. Didn't have you down as a fan of Hurd. |
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The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
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Post by The Bishop on Jul 21, 2015 11:37:22 GMT
Most people in Bosnia aren't.....
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Post by Arthur Figgis on Jul 21, 2015 12:11:56 GMT
That was the position I was least sure about. Actually, 'least sure' makes it sound like I was even slightly sure!
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Jul 21, 2015 12:21:50 GMT
In hindsight I've often wondered if it would have been better if Hurd had taken over instead of Major. He was right about Bosnia of course..
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neilm
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Post by neilm on Jul 21, 2015 12:30:07 GMT
Indeed. Something of a realist really, his actions over the Pergau dam are a further example.
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The Bishop
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Post by The Bishop on Jul 21, 2015 12:46:02 GMT
Another example of his "realism" was arguing Saddam should be allowed to massacre his opponents at the end of the first Gulf war (after Bush Snr had horrified him and other "realists" by urging the "Iraqi *people*" to overthrow SH) I leave others to judge whether that was a wise choice in the longer term or not......
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