Britain’s six prime ministers since 2016 – ranked!

Clockwise from top left: Cameron, May, Johnson, Starmer, Sunak and Truss. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/Aaron Chown/Andrew Matthews/James Manning/Kirsty O'Connor/PA View image in fullscreen Clockwise from top left: Cameron, May, Johnson, Starmer, Sunak and Truss. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/Aaron Chown/Andrew Matthews/James Manning/Kirsty O'Connor/PA Britain’s six prime ministers since 2016 – ranked! From Cameron’s Brexit exit to Starmer’s Burnham bow-out, half a dozen PMs have gone. So who’s the best of the bunch? The UK has had six prime ministers in the last 10 years – with a seventh likely to be in place by as early as mid-July. John Crace ranks those who have been booted out of Downing Street between 2016 and 2026. Worst of all is… 6. David Cameron View image in fullscreen David Cameron. Photograph: WPA/Getty If you’re looking for villains, the architect of much of the political chaos of the last 10 years, then David Cameron is your man. On the surface he had many of the characteristics a prime minister needs – he knew how to make a speech and was a good performer in the Commons – but he also had fatal flaws. Mostly his entitlement and carelessness. Even now he is either oblivious or indifferent to the damage he has done and would be astonished to find himself heading this list. It was his programme of austerity that lit the touchstone for communities feeling left behind, that government was no longer working for them. Then came the referendum. Promised as a means of resolving an internal problem in the Conservatives – membership of the EU barely registered as a national grievance in 2014 – so that Cameron, spooked by the rise of Ukip, could go into the 2015 general election with his party more or less united. To his and everyone else’s surprise he won an outright victory and was obliged to deliver on his promise. Even then, there was plenty of time to mitigate the damage. Dave had said the referendum would be held by the end of 2017. Time that could have been used to prepare the ground and plan an effective campaign for remain. Yet he chose to go early, partly because he wanted to get it out of the way, but mainly because he thought he would win easily. Two weeks before the vote he was asked if he would stick around if remain lost. He said yes. Of course. At 9.30am on the morning after, he was gone , whistling to himself as he entered Downing Street for a final time. As if he didn’t give a toss. He would be fine whatever. A peerage down the line. Others could deal with the fallout. An economy made infinitely worse and a divided country that subsequent prime ministers would find almost ungovernable. View image in fullscreen David Cameron promises a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU in January 2013. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA 5. Liz Truss View image in fullscreen Liz Truss. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA If this were a list of my favourite prime ministers, Liz Truss would have easily come top. I knew she was going to be sketch gold whe