Forums → WEPR → The Greatest leader your country has ever had... and the worst.

This should stimulate a lively debate, I think. Who is the greatest person ever to lead your country, and who is the worst? I'm leaving the question vague, because I want to see how you define greatness in a leader.

In England, there have been a few good leaders. Winston Churchill led us through the second world war. Harold Wilson gave us the national health service. Lord Grey expanded the electoral roll, and abolished slavery. Overall though, I'd have to go with David Lloyd George, who led Britain during the first world war, and laid the foundations for the welfare state.

As for terrible leaders, there were some really terrible ones. Lord North caused the American Revolution, and then lost the ensuing war. Oliver Cromwell was a totalitarian religious zealot/military dictator. But the worst has to be either Margaret Thatcher completely screwed up the closing of the heavy industry, and used excessive force in the Falklands war or Tony Blair, who decided to go to war over Saddam Hussein's imaginary WMDs, and basically became George W. Bush's willing doormat.