St Andrew's Day

[Red Riley]

So his 'One Nation' shtick was either deluded or cynical?

He never actually said it, the quote comes from his novel 'Sybil (Or The Two Nations)'. At the time he was writing pot-boilers to pay off his mountain of debt. I suppose that where credit is

due, is that in his second administration, even if he didn't have much of a social conscience, he did allow others to exercise theirs. To see his genius, look to foreign affairs.

[Peckris]

So his 'One Nation' shtick was either deluded or cynical?

He never actually said it, the quote comes from his novel 'Sybil (Or The Two Nations)'. At the time he was writing pot-boilers to pay off his mountain of debt. I suppose that where credit is

due, is that in his second administration, even if he didn't have much of a social conscience, he did allow others to exercise theirs. To see his genius, look to foreign affairs.

It's funny - we think personality and "celebrity" are more important than substance and integrity these days, but it must have been true even back then. Disraeli has the reputation for being the dazzling statesman with a social conscience, while Gladstone is the dreary old fart who went around saving fallen women (excluding Victoria who apparently couldn't abide him: "He addresses us as if we were a public meeting." [sniff]).

[Red Riley]

Gladstone really was a boring old fart. The best comparison of the two men I have seen (by Robert Blake I believe) is that Gladstone's personality and beliefs would have prevented him being a top statesman at any time other than the Victorian era whereas Disraeli would have succeeded in any place and at any time. He was a consumate politician with an unerring knack of knowing whichway the wind was blowing.

[Peckris]

Gladstone really was a boring old fart. The best comparison of the two men I have seen (by Robert Blake I believe) is that Gladstone's personality and beliefs would have prevented him being a top statesman at any time other than the Victorian era whereas Disraeli would have succeeded in any place and at any time. He was a consumate politician with an unerring knack of knowing whichway the wind was blowing.

That really DOES sound like Tony Blair! Does make you wonder what might have happened if he hadn't finally honoured his arrangement with Brown and handed over the reins when he did. Possibly the 2010 election would have been closer and a different Coalition, or the same one we got but tempered by Labour breathing down their tiny majority.