Greatest chancellor

[rod]

Following on from PATHIEF question Gordon the greatest chancellor, who was the greatest chancellor is there any way of knowing?

[woofgang]

well first you have to define "greatest" rule out luck, external factors etcetera then look at the evidence

[Oneeyedvic]

It is far too subjective a question - a bit like who was the greatest painter.....

[wellhungjock]

There has to be a formula to work this out. I think the best chancellor in my lifetime is Gordon Brown if he remains chancellor for the next four or five years and continues the good work he may well get that honor (greatest chancellor)

[45703]

The greatest painter is a difficult one do you go on value of paintings sold or images or viewings. With a chancellor you have facts and figures did he manage to buck a world downturn cut inflation there are so many factors. Can you compare one chancellor in 2005 to another in1880 I�m not so sure.W.H.J a formula there are some clever ABKs you never know.

[chrisjm]

I'm sorry but definitely not. He inherited a good economy in 1997. His masterstroke was to immediately give the Bank of England independance. All credit to him for that. He adopted the previous govs spending plans. But after that it has gone pearshaped and believe you me we will pay for his spendthrift ways in the next term. Yes the NHS has arguably improved a bit, and schools only maybe, but nowhere near enough to justify the money thrown at them. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have gone from the productive sector to the non-productive sector, but not really to the front line in the latter. The economy is going to stumble big time and we are going to have to support these costs as well as pensioners whose pensions have been hit with his taxes. It will be back to square one I'm afraid and sadly we will need another radical Maggie to set things on the correct path.