Do politicians need sex appeal to be successful in these social media times?

Not necessarily sex appeal but a bit of charisma and ‘presence’ and a good voice are a great help, or anyway the lack of them is a disadvantage.
Mrs Thatcher knew this re voice but was unable to conquer it

Charisma definitely, and a connection with the electorate.

Hard working, being able to engage, and the ability to listen and do the job. Also smart and proffesional helps.

Well, Boris Johnson always looked as if Nanny needed to tidy him up before he went out. He appealed to some I suppose.

Starmer comes across as a safe pair of hands.

sex appeal? Slow burn 😀

God no!!

winterwhite

Not necessarily sex appeal but a bit of charisma and ‘presence’ and a good voice are a great help, or anyway the lack of them is a disadvantage.
Mrs Thatcher knew this re voice but was unable to conquer it

Thatcher had elocution

Blair and Cameron might have had a certain charm because they were youngish and dressed smartly but they had no charisma at all. They are bland and completely lacking in charm.

I always thought Labour’s John Smith had a good aura about him and would have been a real gentleman. He wasn’t handsome and he was older but he was attractive.

Countless women have been attracted to Boris Johnson because, although he is overweight and trundles along he looks like he would be fun and he does have charisma. He is confident enough not to care what people think about his mad hair and his beach shorts. I could listen to him for ages but Rishi maybe 5 minutes, he is so dull. So physical image is not as important as the person underneath and how their mind works and what interest they take in you.

I remember Anne Diamond being asked years ago who was the most interesting and attractive person she had ever interviewed. I expected her to say a film star or singer but she instantly said “Red Ken Livingston.” She said she could have listened to him all day.

Cossy, yes Margaret Thatcher did have elocution lessons and the result was frightful. All those hwhats uand hwhites. She never sounded sincere.

They need to have a 'presence' and be a good orator. I think RS has both , but KS has neither.

There's a rather hot politician who keeps cropping up on my TV here in France. He's the French Prime Minister. He's gay, not that that matters. I think he's in his early 30s, and has Jewish and Greek heritage. I'm not sure any of our PMs could look as sexy.

Sexy? good God no!

Like others say, presence, but more than anything a clear commitment and desire to improve life in this country for all its inhabitants, whatever party they are part of.

Not exactly “sex appeal” a polititian has to have an appealing personality, a person that presents as honest, reliable and of course a good orator.

I must admit to having a bit of a crush on Mark Carney who is supposedly in the running to be PM of Canada at some point. But I do like him and what he stands for, too. I don’t understand why somebody like Anthony Blincken (sp) isn’t standing for President in America. Nigel Farage could, in another universe, look like an Adonis and I still wouldn’t vote for him.Richard Tice is very good looking but I’d rather stick pins in my eyes than vote for him. Rory Stewart is certainly not good looking but I would be tempted to vote Conservative for the first time in my life if he was party leader.I remember, many years ago, taking a group of people to hear Philip Noel Baker speak because I’d heard that he was a great orator. This frail old man was wheeled in and I thought ‘what have I done’ but he was amazing. Michael Heseltine came to a people vote meeting that I attended and he had an unbelievable ministerial presence; as did Tony Benn. (apologies for rambling, I’m just thinking out loud, reall)..I remember Robin Cooke saying ‘my face is against me’ when he was high up in the Labour Party; his resignation speech was one of the greatest speeches I’ve ever heard in parliament.

Joseann now that man is sex on legs. Delicious.

I don’t think our next PM needs to be sexy, but he/she needs to be, as Smileless says, a good orator and have a certain ‘presence.’

I really liked Tony Benn. He would have made a great PM.

Sex appeal? I'd think not.. sex appeal is different to each person. I'm more than a bit shallow, to me sex appeal includes those who are very slim, have a full head of hair, pretty skin, wear clothing well, very clever.

Charisma, presence, good orator, sensible --- hmmm, RS may be on that list. However, nobody else agrees, don't worry

Do politicians need sex appeal to be successful in these social media times?

Like this?

But strangely Grannynannywanny many ladies loved him.

No. I’m struggling to think of any British politician, ever, who had it. Actually I tell a lie, my favourite has always been Disraeli, who was quite ugly but had a certain je ne sais quoi about him.

We went to several of his talks. The last one we went to when we lined up to get a book signed (I think it was called Letters to my Grandchildren and he signed it to my grandsons) I didn’t want to speak to him for long, just get the book signed, but he still chatted for ages. I met him another time and told him how cynical I had become about politics and he said to me, be critical but not cynical. He was too far to the left for me though and anti EU. Did you know he used to do Glastonbury every year?I found him more approachable than Heseltine who I felt I should curtesy in front of!

Do you mean Tony Benn Maybee?

maddyone

But strangely Grannynannywanny many ladies loved him.

It wasn’t just the ladies though, lots of blokes liked him as well and what he looked like when he was jogging wouldn’t have bothered them in the slightest!

It reminds me of the Diana/Camilla thing - one stunning, t’other not so much…

Looks aren’t everything are they?

maddyone

Do you mean Tony Benn *Maybee? *

I hope Maybe attended talks by Tony Benn and not Disraeli.

I met Tony Benn many times maddyone and yes, he would have made a great PM.

Lord Heseltine's great-grandfathers are both buried in paupers' graves.

As he said it made him consider “the lottery of life, the role of chance and the kaleidoscope of events”.