Dominant Leaders in British Politics: Blair and Thatcher

This chapter applies the Leadership Capital Index to two of the most dominant 20th century British prime ministers. It uses the LCI took look at the two leaders in their crucial second terms when they sought to entrench and develop their reform agendas. Both cases are of political leaders beginning with particularly high levels of leadership capital: skilled leaders in a highly supportive institutional context with a large majority and high popularity ratings, facing a weak opposition. Although both leaders ‘lost’ capital mid-term following controversy, the comparison offers a clear contrast in the overall trajectory of capital.