George Canning
(1770–1827)

George CanningAnecdote 1...

Sydney Smith said that Canning in office was like a fly in amber: "Nobody cares about the fly. The only question is — how the devil did it get there?"

Anecdote 2...

Canning was a master of the putdown. He once attended a church service, following which the clergyman asked his opinion of the sermon. Canning replied, "You were brief."

"Yes," said the clergyman, "you know I wanted to avoid being tedious."

"But you were tedious."

 

Quote-worthy...

“Indecision and delays are the parents of failure.”
“I can prove anything by statistics except the truth.” —George Canning


Biographical Note...

Canning was a British statesman, foreign secretary twice (1807–09, 1822–27), and Tory prime minister (1827). He suffered a stroke shortly after becoming prime minister and died a year later. Canning has come to be regarded as a "lost leader", with much speculation about what his legacy could have been had he lived to complete his term in office.


More Information...

Read a brief biography of George Canning on the official site of the British Prime Minister's Office.