You will have read of the death of (former!) atheist Michael Foot. Like his successor, Neil Kinnock he was a known atheist. One wonders if the atheism was a factor in their not beoming PM. The British public are perhaps happier with a John Smith, a Gordon Brown or a Tony Blair. The other connection, between those two is their Gwent ties. They with two or three others are men with Gwent/Monmouthshire connections who went high but never to the very top. The ones I am thinking of together are
1. Aneurin Bevan (1897-1960) - Monmouthshire born and raised, MP for Ebbw Vale, founder of the NHS, who stood for Labour leadership in 1955 but lost to Gaitskell.
2. Roy Jenkins (1920-2003) - Monmouthshire born and raised MP who became Chancellor, Home Secretary and Deputy Labour leader 1970-1972 before leaving to form the SDP.
3. Michael Foot (1913-2010) - West country born MP who succeeded Bevan in Ebbw Vale (after 10 years in Plymouth) and was Labour Party leader 1980-1983 after Callaghan, before Kinnock.
4. Neil Kinnock (b 1942) - Monmouthshire born and raised MP who succeeded Foot as Labour leader and served 1983-1992.
Of the three Wales based men who became PM
1. Lloyd George (1863-1945) Liberal PM 1916-1922 was a North Walian
2. J Ramsay MacDonald (1866-1937) Labour PM 1924 and 1929-1935 though Scots was MP for Aberavon in South Wales the first time he was in office.
3. James Callaghan (1912-2005) Labour PM 1976-1979 was born in Portsmouth but was MP for Cardiff South (East)
Clearly the lesson is that a Monmouthshire connection takes you a long way but it will not get you the top job!
