I’ve tried to approach this with an open mind and not let my own political leanings decide the order. That means giving credit where I think it’s deserved and recognising failures even when they belong to someone I wanted to succeed. Whether I’ve managed that is another matter. We all like to think we’re fair, usually just before explaining why we’re right.
I was nine when Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister. Since then, I’ve watched quite a few people move into Downing Street, promise to sort everything out and eventually leave someone else to have a go.
Some achieved lasting changes. Some dealt with enormous crises. One barely had time to work out which bin went out on a Thursday.
This is my ranking of the ten Prime Ministers from Thatcher to Starmer. I’ve considered the economy, their achievements, their mistakes and what they left behind. It’s my opinion, so you’re welcome to disagree. Preferably after I’ve finished.
The economy matters, but growth figures don’t tell the whole story. Governments inherit problems, world events interfere and a country getting richer doesn’t necessarily mean the people living in it feel better off.
1. Tony Blair, 1997–2007
Blair comes first because his government delivered changes that made a difference: the minimum wage, devolution, the Human Rights Act, investment in the NHS and a major role in securing the Good Friday Agreement. He also won three elections, which is usually a sign that you’re doing something people like.
The economy grew steadily and unemployment fell. He inherited an improving economy from John Major, though, and Gordon Brown deserves plenty of credit for managing it.
Then there’s Iraq. The decision to go to war, and the case presented for doing so, badly damaged trust in Blair. It remains a huge part of his record and cannot be brushed aside because the domestic figures looked good.
For me, his achievements put him first. Iraq makes it a much more uncomfortable choice.
2. Margaret Thatcher, 1979–1990
I was nine when Thatcher came to power. She was also one of my teenage crushes. I know. Other people had Debbie Harry; apparently I had questions about monetary policy.
Thatcher changed Britain more than almost anyone else on this list. Her governments sold off state-owned businesses, reduced trade union power and gave council tenants the chance to buy their homes. Supporters credit her with making Britain more competitive and tackling inflation.
But the price was high. Unemployment rose sharply, industries disappeared and many communities were left struggling for years. The poll tax was another major mistake, causing widespread anger and helping bring about her downfall.
She won three elections and left a lasting mark on the country. Whether you think that mark was an improvement probably depends on where you lived and what happened to your job.
Second place recognises her influence and achievements. The teenage crush has not been included in the scoring.
3. John Major, 1990–1997
Major deserves more credit than he often gets. Following Thatcher was never going to be easy, particularly when your own party kept arguing about Europe.
His early years brought recession, rising unemployment and Black Wednesday. But the economy recovered, unemployment later fell and he left Blair a much healthier situation than the Conservatives’ 1997 defeat might suggest. He also helped lay the groundwork for the Northern Ireland peace process.
The problem was that voters had grown tired of the Conservatives. Party divisions and scandals overshadowed the recovery.
Major always looked like someone who might help you fill in a difficult form. Less exciting than some of his successors, certainly, but we’ve since discovered that exciting is not always what you want from a Prime Minister.
4. David Cameron, 2010–2016
Cameron’s government introduced same-sex marriage, unemployment fell and he managed to keep the coalition together for five years. He then won a Conservative majority in 2015.
Austerity is a much more contested part of his record. Supporters thought spending cuts were necessary after the financial crisis. Critics point to the lasting damage to councils, public services and people who relied on them.
Then came the Brexit referendum. Cameron called it, campaigned to remain, lost and resigned.
Whatever your view of Brexit, that was an enormous gamble with the country’s future. He left his successors to deal with the result, which is rather like organising a complicated quiz and going home before the answers.
5. Gordon Brown, 2007–2010
Brown waited years to become Prime Minister, then arrived just in time for the global banking system to fall apart. You’d have been annoyed.
His response to the financial crisis is the strongest part of his record. His government stepped in to support the banks, and he helped coordinate an international response at a very dangerous moment.
There are fair questions about his earlier years as Chancellor, including whether the banks had been allowed too much freedom. His claims about ending boom and bust also aged badly.
He struggled to win people over and lost the 2010 election. But judging him mainly by poor economic figures during a worldwide crash misses the importance of what he did when things went wrong.
6. Keir Starmer, 2024–2026
Starmer won a huge majority in 2024, giving Labour the chance to make substantial changes. The Employment Rights Act 2025 is an important part of his government’s record.
But winning an election and improving people’s lives are different jobs. Voters want to see better public services, affordable bills and an economy that works for them. A large majority does not deliver those things on its own.
The economic picture was mixed, and unemployment rose rather than staying around 4%.
Sixth feels fair for a short premiership with a limited record to judge. Promising competent government is a start. Eventually, people need to see the results.
7. Rishi Sunak, 2022–2024
Sunak took over after Liz Truss, so simply getting through his first week without alarming the financial markets counted as progress.
He helped restore some confidence and inflation fell during his time in office. He cannot claim all the credit for that, though. The Bank of England and changes in international prices also played their part.
Growth remained weak, public services were under pressure and the Conservatives had become deeply unpopular. His government passed the Illegal Migration Act, but passing legislation is only useful if it produces results.
The 2024 election ended in a historic Conservative defeat. Sunak brought some order after the Truss disaster, but by then voters had heard quite enough about giving the government more time.
8. Theresa May, 2016–2019
May inherited Brexit and spent most of her premiership trying to get an agreement through Parliament. Her own party often seemed determined to make that impossible.
Calling the 2017 election was a serious mistake. She expected a stronger majority and ended up losing the one she already had. That made delivering Brexit even harder.
She did pass the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, but her withdrawal agreement was repeatedly rejected.
I have some sympathy for her. It was an extremely difficult job, and she kept going under enormous pressure. But determination could not make up for the mistakes or produce the agreement she needed.
9. Boris Johnson, 2019–2022
Johnson won a large majority in 2019 and took Britain out of the EU. His government also supported the vaccine programme, whose success owed a great deal to scientists, NHS staff and everyone involved in delivering it.
COVID was an enormous challenge, and any fair assessment has to recognise that. But the government’s decisions, and the behaviour of those making them, still deserve scrutiny.
For me, Partygate is personal. While Boris and others in Downing Street were partying, my mother died alone. Only six of us could attend her funeral.
We followed the rules at one of the worst moments of our lives. Discovering that people at the heart of government had broken those rules was deeply hurtful. It was about far more than a cake or a badly judged gathering.
Johnson was good at winning attention and elections. His conduct in office damaged trust, and I cannot separate that from my judgement of his premiership.
10. Liz Truss, 2022
Forty-nine days. I’ve had unanswered emails hanging around longer.
Truss wanted to boost growth through tax cuts. The problem was that her government announced a huge package without convincing the markets that the figures added up.
The mini-budget caused serious turmoil, borrowing costs rose and much of the plan was quickly reversed. Her premiership was over almost before it had started.
There is little point giving her a neat annual growth figure for 49 days in office. We can judge the decisions she made and their immediate consequences, and those put her firmly at the bottom.
Looking back, I want a Prime Minister who improves people’s lives, handles a crisis properly and accepts responsibility when things go wrong. Being good at campaigning is useful, but the job starts after you win.
Hopefully, I can return to this list in three years and add Andy Burnham at the top. That’s my hope, rather than a place reserved for him. He’ll have to earn it through what he delivers, using the same standards I’ve applied to everyone else.
That’s my order for now. Yours may be different. And yes, I appreciate that admitting to a teenage crush on Margaret Thatcher may have distracted you from the entire argument.
Further reading
For background, see the official list of past Prime Ministers and Parliament’s guides to the UK economy in the 1980s and 1990s.
You can also read my earlier piece on Winston Churchill or browse more of my Top 10 lists.