In the two most complete surveys of historians on the greatest British Prime Minister of the twentieth century, the first, by the BBC in 1999, ranked Winston Churchill first, David Lloyd George second and Clement Atlee third. In the University of Leeds 2004 survey Atlee was first, Churchill second, and Lloyd George third. Churchill served nine years over two terms of office, with an interregnum of six years by Atlee; Lloyd George served six years from the middle of World War I through 1922.

I was surprised when I first saw these polls that anyone could be ranked ahead of Churchill. Atlee had agreed to serve as Lord Privy Seal in the wartime coalition government with Churchill. He was an able, loyal second on whom Churchill depended greatly and was never let down. Atlee was also a spectacular Prime Minister in his own right. He employed Keynesian economics, laid the groundwork of the modern British welfare state, passed the National Insurance Act of 1946, established the National Health Service in 1948, and nationalized the utilities and major industries. In foreign affairs he urged a robust vigilance toward the Soviet Union which resulted in the Truman Doctrine, supported the Marshall Plan, the creation of NATO, and sent British troops to fight in the Korean War. Ample, more than ample, justification for Atlee being rated second-best, but first? I agree with the sentiment of the  English workingman at Churchill's funeral: "Don't ge'me wrong, I'm Labour all the way. But if it wa'nt for 'im I woul'n't be 'ere."

I am sure that I have told these two anecdotes of the Churchill-Atlee relationship before but for this post tell them again. Atlee was in personality the opposite of Churchill. "Modest and unassuming" is Wikipedia's description of Atlee. In the 1945 campaign, won by Labour in a landslide, Churchill said of his opponent, "He is a very modest man, with very good reason to be modest." And during his premiership in the great Commons debates over nationalization, during a restroom break, Atlee used the urinal right next to that where Churchill stood. Churchill moved down a stall. "What is the matter Sir Winston, feeling a little standoffish today?" "No", Churchill grumbled, "it's just that everytime you see something big you want to nationalize it."