Interesting fact about Labour Party leaders

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Leaders of the Labour Party since 1945:

Atlee
Gaitskell
Wilson
Callaghan
Foot
Kinnock
Smith
Blair

Of those only Gaitskell and Smith had the permanant and loyal backing of a large Party faction... all the others stayed as leader as long as they did because all the Labour Party's numerous factional groups hated each other more than they hated the Leader.

[minionofmidas]

I don't think Gaitskell was an exception.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I don't think Gaitskell was an exception.

He sort of is... the Gaitskellites *were* a genuine group (as opposed to the mythical Wilsonites and Blairites) but were sort of medium sized... but the way he stayed as leader is the same as the others.

The leader the "hate less" principle is most obvious with is Wilson (especially in the early '70's)