Editor – What does the country need? A young person of great energy, able to work flat out for hours at a time and go on doing so for days, on little sleep, able to choose his staff and bring them on board: they have to admire him (or her) and see the ability and promise.
In addition, this leader must possess a clear vision and unwavering determination, inspiring those around them to strive for a common goal: the good of the country. Leadership is not merely about authority, but about fostering genuine loyalty and respect among colleagues, motivating them to achieve far more than they thought possible. One, well educated in law, philosophy, psychology, economics and science. The best ever Prime Minister was The Younger Pitt. William was derided, at first, by the seniors in opposition parties.
Pitt was educated by his father, Earl of Chatham, brought up to memorise political speeches and orate them himself, off-the-cuff, from earliest childhood; reported standing up on a block addressing the trees as if they were members of the House of Commons. Urged by his father, he learned to speak melodiously, clearly,
to structure an argument and think on his feet. He learned to take any book he was acquainted with in Latin or Greek or French and translate it into English, eg, verbatim, without pause.
To begin, he would stop until he could call to mind the correct word. But in time, he never had to stop: the process was continuous and without effort. By the time he entered Cambridge University, aged 14, he could translate eight pages of Thucydides, (from anywhere), into English. He soon became a star at everything, including economics and mathematics, ideally equipped to be a Chancellor.
Entering the House of Commons aged 21, in 1780, he took the place by storm. He could speak on almost any subject without preparation, other than a short walk to collect his thoughts. Within a few years, he was Chancellor of the Exchequer making the best speeches ever heard, lasting three hours; the budget understood as never before, in impeccable reasoning, astonishing everyone. No wonder a year later, the King, who hated Fox and Lord North, asked Pitt to be Prime Minister three times, which he refused, for he was an
independent, attached to no party, could have no control. Finally, Pitt was forced to agree to the King’s request at the fourth time of asking. The King, George III, Pitt realised, had to be helped, despite knowing he could not have a majority for anything. Thus he could not control the government. For several months, laughed at by most as a mere boy, he lost every vote in the Commons, but gradually, people all over Britain began to understand Pitt’s value and petitioned in his support. So the tide turned in his favour and he had full control of the government most of the time. Pitt’s intellectual originality and deep understanding of the structure of everything enabled him to be, by far, the greatest leader of the country. He served for eighteen years during the Napoleonic War until he resigned, when the King would not allow him to bring the Irish MPs into the House of Commons and emancipate Ireland from all the dishonesty which had made the Irish an inferior
people.
For years, Pitt fought
alone to keep the King in power despite suffering from a brain disease that made him mad and uncontrolled. Addington, a friend of
Pitt’s and speaker of The Commons, was appointed P.M. but could not do the job and had to be deposed, Pitt becoming P.M. again. He died in 1807, mostly from addiction to drinking port, the accepted medical advice for gout: in fact, uric acid crystals were affecting the joints of anyone taking gout. He died in 1807. At that time, water was often polluted so those who could afford it drank two or three bottles a day.
Pitt is the role model for any Prime Minister. The kind of person we need in charge of government. He devised the sinking fund, controlled the nation’s finances as never before and when there was a temporary deficit in The Treasury, Pitt borrowed £10,000 to help pay it off, getting his friends to chip in £100,000 each. The deficit was overcome. Pitt had to pay interest on that money all his life and ended with debts of £40,000 which the Commons paid. All his life he was cheated by servants but paid no heed to his debts because he was devoted to serving the country and had time for nothing else. He never married for that reason.
William Scott
Isle of Bute
