The Whiggish Pantheon
Presented in limerick form
The Earl Grey
A statesman who wasn't ephemeral,
He beat back the country's best general,
He floats my boat,
Gave you the vote,
Reformed not just one thing, but several.
William Gladstone
Never a favourite with Vicky,
(To be fair, she could be quite picky,)
He cemented his reign,
Via national campaign,
And his bond with the people was sticky.
John Stuart Mill
He might not be all that good-looking,
His mind, not his face, was what took him,
But he still had some thoughts,
Many of some import,
If seeing him speak: make a booking.
The Earl Russell
I give you now Lord John Reformer,
A consummate Whiggish performer.
A favourite of Grey,
(His own protégé,)
In the end: a party transformer.
Charles James Fox
A radical PM for sure,
No one can say he as a bore.
An MP at 19,
Ended only PC,
But, in fairness, he didn't want more.
The Viscount Melbourne
A father-like man for the queen,
His private life: somewhat obscene.
But his character: good,
If misunderstood,
He preferred being part of a team.
The Viscount Palmerston
A man who was often divisive,
His policies, no less, were decisive,
Became PM late,
Ended lying in state,
His nickname was somewhat derisive.
The Earl of Beaconsfield
A dandyish Jew, was old Ben,
His career: not the best (to begin).
Although he was Tory,
He wrote a good story,
And ended up at Number Ten.
The Earl of Oxford
No one really knew his first name,
And the war was a bit of a pain.
Some called him "Squiffy",
His drink rate was iffy.
He was friends with a man called Haldane.
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Some say he isn't that quotable,
Indeed, he's neither too notable,
But he came and he saw,
With an aim to reform,
And his drinks he preferred always potable.
