British Politics would be improved by the return of…

Michael Portillo

Rory Stewart.
Ed Balls is a good suggestion too, though. In fact, the two of them together could be a brilliant partnership. I know they were not in the same party, but even so ...

I agree, Michael Portillo. As far as Labour are concerned, Ed Balls and David Milliband.

Gordon Brown

Watching Portillo's latest TV series about the Pyrenees I realised he's a bit of an anarchist .

And yes, Gordon Brown.

Gordon Brown.

Gordon Brown and Rory Stewart

Gordon Brown

David Milliband

Ed Balls

Anniebach

Gordon Brown

David Milliband

Ed Balls

yes + Rory Stewart.

As for Michael Portillo, Volver- his father lost his life fighting against Franco during the Spanish Civil War. I remember a documentary where he met his uncle, who was pro Franco and fought for the other side. Very moving.

Deportation
Not to the colonies, but maybe Mars? for the Tory front bench.

His father didn't lose his life fighting Franco, he lived until 1993. He came to Britain and married the daughter of a lino millionaire from Kirkcaldy.

Portillo might be regarded as a good guy these days but he’s making a good living with his train programmes even though he was a staunch supporter of Thatcher who hated the railways and supported the road transport lobby. He’s also, I’m pretty sure, very much pro brexit even though he has European roots. So much as I enjoy his programmes I still remember what he was like as a politician.

David Cameron faced growing Tory pressure on Europe last night when the former cabinet minister Michael Portillo threw his weight behind the call by Lord Lawson for Britain to leave the EU.

As Boris Johnson entered the fray, by saying that Britain should be prepared to quit if it fails to secure better membership terms, Portillo said he "fervently" hopes the British people have the "guts" to vote no.

The intervention by a second Tory grandee came as Charles Moore, Margaret Thatcher's official biographer, revealed that the late prime minister came to believe after she left office that Britain should quit the EU. Writing in this week's issue of the Spectator, Moore says that Thatcher kept her views private after she was advised that her views would push her to "the fringes of public life".
…from The Guardian

Ken Clarke, Gordon Brown, Alan Johnson, Mo
Mowlem

volver

His father didn't lose his life fighting Franco, he lived until 1993. He came to Britain and married the daughter of a lino millionaire from Kirkcaldy.

Thanks for this. The documentary was a long time ago- maybe after his father died.

From recent times I’m missing Tom Brake, Chris Leslie, Anna Soubry, Dominic Grieve and Rory Stewart. All pretty much pushed out by their own parties (with the exception of Tom: he had a great rapport with Chris Leslie: I used to love listening to them in parliament).

Fleurpepper

volver

His father didn't lose his life fighting Franco, he lived until 1993. He came to Britain and married the daughter of a lino millionaire from Kirkcaldy.

Thanks for this. The documentary was a long time ago- maybe after his father died.

??I think the truth is stranger than fiction. The recent documentary series about the Pyrenees talks about his father's journey out of Spain.

And I did celebrate wildly when he lost his seat!

Paddy Ashdown

I thought he had died?

GrannyGravy13

Michael Portillo

How true.
It’s obvious from his train journey programs that he’s changed a lot.

Germanshepherdsmum

I thought he had died?

Sadly. Yes GSM Paddy has died, as has Mo Mowlem and many other good politicians. He could have been a great PM.

He could. I had the greatest respect for him and for Mo too.

Please not Gordon Brown ,he's been promising all sorts of nonsense since before the 2014 referendum and none of them actually happen! He gets dragged out whenever labour thinks they need someone with gravitas,sadly for Gordon its not really him,the VOW was a joke and he gave his name to it .
How any man who is apparently intelligent can be taken n by Tories is beyond me .Gordon is a has been best left in the past
Robin Cook would get my vote if I had to vote labour a man of principle

If I say it quietly will you please not shout at me? Tony Blair.