UK needs Churchill not John Major type PM successor - reason must triumph over grudge. By Wilbert Mukori

Britain has a history of changing leaders in mid-stream; notable in 1940 and more recently in 1990. The question now will PM David Cameron be replace by a mediocre leader as happened when John Major took over from PM Margaret Thatcher in 1990 or would he replace by a strong and decisive leader as happened when Winston Churchill replaced PM  Neville Chamberlain in 1940.

 

 

PM Margaret Thatcher was forced out of No 10 in 1990 as a result palace coup within her own party. She conspired to ensure that her real challenger at the time, Michael Heseltine, did not succeed her. John Major benefited from the Iron Lady’s, as Mrs. Thatcher was popularly known, vengeful anger because few would doubt the Heseltine would have made a better PM that Major as history showed. It is rumored; the Iron Lady went endorsed Tony Blair, of New Labour leader, who went on to defeat John Major, her Conservative party protégé in the 1997 general elections.

 

 

The pressure for PM Neville Chamberlain to go in May 1940 where of his own making in that he had failed to see the Germany Chancellor, Adolf Hitler, for what he was - the ruthless tyrant hell-bend on war and conquest. Hitler took full advantage of PM Chamberlain and others’ policy of appeasement to rearm Germany and to carry on with his acts of aggression. The string of defeats of the British and her Allies at the hands of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Army made is untenable for PM Chamberlain to continue as leader. He was succeeded by the decisive and gritty Winston Churchill.

 

 

The political reality of the IN/OUT EU referendum has forced PM David Cameron to resign. He had campaigned for IN, and put everything in it, “his passion, mind and body” as he readily admitted. By resigned when the OUT won the day, PM Cameron was tacitly acknowledging he had put his political career as PM on the line too!

 

 

The present British political crisis is more like the 1940 than the 1990 crisis in that the country is setting off into unknown territory with lots of unknowns. The country needs a decisive and gritty leader, someone who really believed that Britain was better off OUT of the EU. This is hardly the time for a steady-she-goes type leader who believed that Britain was better off IN the EU and will therefore be going out but always wishing they had stayed.

 

Of the two leading candidates fighting to replace PM Cameron; Boris Johnson is decisive and gritty and he passionately believes Britain can thrive and prosper OUT of the EU, he is therefore the ideal candidate to lead the nation at this critical point.

 

Home Secretary Theresa May campaigned to remain in the EU; whether her mind body and soul was in that campaign it is hard to say but what matters here is her mind, body and soul in where the country is going now – OUT of the EU. Having decided to leave the EU the last thing Britain want is to sail off into the unknown with a captain who is there in flesh but his/her mind and passion is still in the EU.

 

The Conservative MPs, party members and the nation at large need a cool head and put the nation’s needs above all else. The country needs right now is a Winston Churchill type leader and not a John Major type and to elect the right leader, reason must triumph over the grudge and sentiment.