What links Jeremy Hunt and Peter Lilley? (Tip: If you’re not sure who they are, that’s the clue.)

By Stephen Tall | Wed 9th July 2014 - 9:12 pm

Who’s the most famous cabinet minister? And who’s the least famous? That’s what YouGov set out to find out by inviting its representative sample of the public to type in the name, unprompted, of the post-holder of six senior cabinet positions. Here’s what they found…

So Iain Duncan Smith (36% correctly naming him as Work and Pensions secretary) and Jeremy Hunt (28% as health secretary) are the least famous cabinet members. Though, to be honest – like John Rentoul and with due respect to Mike Smithson – I’m actually quite impressed by how high all the figures are. Another happy consequence, perhaps, of fixed-term parliaments and the stability of coalition governments.

The YouGov survey reminded me of Conservative secretary of state for social security Peter Lilley’s classy response to his Labour shadow, Donald Dewar, 22 years ago:

* Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at The Collected Stephen Tall.

4 Comments

Simon 10th Jul '14 - 12:27pm

So no Lib Dems are well known? Or is it that Lib Dems dont get the most important jobs?
simon F 10th Jul '14 - 7:47pm

So is that why you all abstained during the Jeremy Hunt vote? Just didn’t know who he is? I still never have received an actual explanation about that…
Tim13 10th Jul '14 - 7:54pm

Admittedly, Stephen, some of those who have “passed on” almost automatically receive praise and positive comment, but Donald Dewar has gained almost hero status in some quarters. I can’t imagine Peter Lilley achieving that!
Passing through 11th Jul '14 - 3:03pm

” Another happy consequence, perhaps, of fixed-term parliaments and the stability of coalition governments.”

I’m not sure the fact that the likes of Gove and IDS have been allowed to stay in position long enough to become widely recognised could be described as a “happy consequence”.

I believe the country would be much better of if those two had been quietly put out to pasture 3 years ago. Still I live in hope that IDS at least will get peddled on Monday.