1957: Why Macmillan and not Butler?

It's often been suggested that Butler was 'the best PM we never had' - by '57, he had immense experience
1. Architect of the education reforms brought in by the wartime coalition government.
  1. 1944 Education Act
2. Played a key role in reviatlising Conservative policies during the years of opposition after '45.
3. Chancellor in Churchill's government from '51.
4. When Eden was out of action through illness after Suez, Butler took over as acting PM.
5. Eden confidently expected Butler to be chosen as his successor, so did Butler.
Macmillan was a formidable rival
1. Made great political success as housing minister.
  1. Delivered the ambitious 300,000 new houses a year promised in the '51 manifesto.
2. More of a showman than Butler.
3. Butler maybe just lacked the killer instinct - Macmillan certainly did not.
Main problem was that Butler wasn't nearly as popular in the Party as he was with the country
1. Vast majority of Eden's cabinet preferred Macmillan.
  1. Only 3 supported Butler.
2. Many backbenchers resented Butler as 'too clever by half'.
  1. A nevative intention, to 'Stop Butler', had an important influence.
Memories of appeasement and mass unemployment in the 1930s
1. Macmillan had been a dissenter over both issues.
  1. Voted to remove Chamberlain in '40.
2. Butler, however, had been closely linked to the policy of appeasement.

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