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10 OF THE BEST John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute 01


(1713-1792) In offi ce between 1762 and 1763, Stuart was the fi rst Prime Minister from Scotland after the Acts of Union in 1707. He was deeply unpopular in England – his appointment was largely down to the fact that he was a favourite of George III – and he eventually resigned after a number of verbal and even physical attacks. Apparently the 18th-century expression ‘Jack Boot’, meaning a stupid person, originated as a comment about his term as Prime Minister.


Prime suspects


Whatever your political stance, Scottish soil is a notable cross-party breeding ground for some of Britain’s best and worst Prime Ministers.


ARCHIBALD PHILIP PRIMROSE, 5TH EARL OF ROSEBERY (1847-1929)


Whilst at Eton, Rosebery demonstrated a remarkable intellect. Courted by both Disraeli and Gladstone, with the latter eventually winning out, Rosebery orchestrated Gladstone’s famous Midlothian


Campaign of 1879 – based on the style of canvassing he had witnessed in American elections. When Gladstone retired in 1894 Rosebery succeeded him. His offi ce was unsuccessful, and he resigned after one year. When he died, his estate was worth (in today’s money) almost £63 million, making him the richest Prime Minister ever.


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Sir Henry Campbell- Bannerman (1836-1908)


George Hamilton- Gordon, 4th Earl of


Aberdeen (1784-1860) Hamilton-Gordon’s rise in politics was rapid, becoming the Duke of Wellington’s foreign secretary after being a minister for less than six months. As Prime Minister – between 1852 and 1855 – he took Britain into the Crimean War, which proved to be his downfall. His personal life was peppered with tragedy: he lost both his parents when he was eleven, his fi rst wife died after only seven years of happy marriage and his daughters died young.


58 WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK 04


ARTHUR JAMES BALFOUR, 1ST EARL OF BALFOUR (1848-1930) Born at Whittinghame House, East Lothian, in 1874 Balfour was elected MP for Hertford and, in 1878, became Private Secretary to his uncle, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil Lord Salisbury, who became Prime Minister in 1885. In 1887 Salisbury appointed him Chief Secretary for Ireland, an appointment that surprised many and may have led to the coining of the phrase ‘Bob’s your uncle’. In 1902 Balfour became Prime Minister and there followed a period that was marred by some high-profi le cabinet resignations, which led to his own resignation in 1905.


A believer in free trade, Irish Home Rule and social improvement, Glaswegian Campbell-Bannerman has been referred to as Britain’s only ‘radical’ Prime Minister. He became Prime Minister in 1905 and subsequently led the Liberals to a landslide victory over the


Conservatives in the 1906 General Election. During his term he gave important powers to local authorities and trades unions and introduced free school meals for all children. Forced to resign in 1908 due to ill health, he then died 19 days later.


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