The Good, the Not so Good, and Liz Truss: MPs’ Evaluations of Postwar Prime Ministers

Abstract

This article reports the findings from a 2023 survey that invited all MPs to evaluate the performance of postwar prime ministers from Clement Attlee to Liz Truss. It also compares MPs’ responses with those from a similar survey conducted in 2013. Among the MPs who responded in 2023, Margaret Thatcher was ranked as the most successful postwar prime minister, and Truss was ranked as the least successful. The results further suggest that prime ministers’ historical reputations among MPs are relatively sticky, closely associated with their length of tenure in 10 Downing Street, and greatly affected by party loyalties. Lastly, the rankings based on parliamentary opinion in 2023 are broadly comparable with those based on recent surveys of academic and public opinion.