Starmer most popular PM – in Toby Jug sales

The Houses of Parliament gift shop, a bastion of British political kitsch and history, offers a unique collection of 11cm-tall Toby Jugs, each meticulously crafted to represent the nation’s leaders. The collection spans from the Conservative statesman Andrew Bonar Law, who served a brief premiership in the early 20th century, right up to the most recent occupants of Number 10. Priced at £35 apiece, these miniature effigies offer more than just a souvenir; their sales figures can, at times, illuminate the often-unpredictable currents of public affection and historical interest.

In 2025, Starmer’s Toby Jug emerged as the undisputed champion, with a total of 116 units sold. This figure included a notable 32 purchases made by his parliamentary colleagues, perhaps as a show of solidarity, a subtle jab, or even a collector’s item for their own political menagerie. A further 84 sales were recorded online, indicating broader public interest beyond the Westminster bubble. This unexpected surge in sales for Starmer, particularly during a period described as "tough," suggests a complex interplay of factors, from genuine admiration to ironic appreciation.

Trailing Starmer in 2025 were some of the most recognizable names in recent British politics. Boris Johnson’s jug secured second place with 48 sales, followed closely by the iconic figures of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, both chalking up 46 sales each. While these numbers reflect individual year performance, a broader perspective emerges when examining sales over the last five years, from 2020 to 2025.

Over this five-year period, Boris Johnson consistently held the ceramic crown, accumulating an impressive 425 sales. His enduring appeal, even after leaving office, speaks volumes about his unique connection with a segment of the public. Andrew Gimson, author of "Gimson’s Heroes: Brief Lives from Boudicca to Churchill," offered a compelling explanation for Johnson’s sustained popularity in pottery form. "What this reminds us is that he cheers people up," Gimson told 5 Live. "And he still has that ability to tease the establishment, to do what the establishment doesn’t want, and to make jokes at moments when other people are being pious and solemn and dreary." This suggests that Johnson’s persona, his perceived jester-like qualities and willingness to defy convention, translates into a tangible, collectible item that resonates with a certain demographic.

Following Johnson in the five-year ranking are two titans of British politics: Sir Winston Churchill with 305 sales and Lady Margaret Thatcher with 279. Their positions are less surprising, given their monumental historical significance and the strong, often polarized, emotions they continue to evoke. Churchill, a wartime hero, and Thatcher, a transformative, if controversial, leader, both possess a legacy that extends far beyond their time in office, making their Toby Jugs perennial favorites for collectors and history enthusiasts.

The top 10 for the 2020-2025 period reveals further fascinating insights. Sir Tony Blair, the longest-serving Labour Prime Minister of recent times, secured 160 sales, reflecting a continued interest in his New Labour era. Remarkably, Liz Truss, despite her record-breakingly brief 49-day tenure, landed fifth with 154 sales. This anomaly strongly hints at the "ironic buys" phenomenon, where the sheer brevity and tumultuous nature of her premiership made her an instant, albeit unusual, collector’s item. Clement Attlee, the architect of the post-war welfare state, garnered 123 sales, a testament to his lasting legacy. Harold Wilson, another Labour stalwart, followed with 119 sales. Starmer’s total of 116 for the five-year period places him in eighth position overall, a figure almost entirely driven by his 2025 sales, underscoring his sudden surge in ceramic popularity. Rishi Sunak, his predecessor, registered 106 sales, and Theresa May completed the top ten with 99.

At the other end of the spectrum, the sales figures offer a poignant glimpse into political obscurity. The least popular Prime Minister in Toby Jug form over the past five years was Sir Alec Douglas-Home, a Conservative who served for a mere 363 days between 1963 and 1964 before losing the general election to Harold Wilson’s Labour. His jug sold a paltry 25 units in five years, including just two in 2025. Gimson humorously noted that Sir Alec, known for his delightful modesty, would likely have taken this lack of ceramic success in his stride. He recounted an anecdote where Douglas-Home, post-premiership, was mistaken by two old ladies on a train who lamented he had "never been prime minister." His sweet reply: "Well, as a matter of fact, I was prime minister! But only for a very short time."

Other less popular figures from history include Bonar Law (29 sales), Stanley Baldwin (34), Ramsay Macdonald (38), Anthony Eden (43), Neville Chamberlain (48), James Callaghan (50), and Edward Heath (55). These figures represent various eras and political leanings, but their lower sales suggest either a fading memory in public consciousness or a lack of the distinctive, perhaps polarizing, qualities that drive memorabilia purchases. Even more recent figures like David Cameron (72 sales) and Gordon Brown (91 sales) offer interesting comparisons. Brown, despite losing the 2010 election to Cameron, outsold him in the Toby Jug market, reversing their electoral fortunes in the world of pottery.

This discrepancy led Gimson to further analysis. He suggested that Cameron, "though an astonishingly skillful politician, never formed an emotional connection with the British people, and people want to buy things which actually move them." This lack of emotional resonance, Gimson argued, made Cameron’s jug less appealing to collectors. It highlights that success in the political arena does not always translate into appeal as a collectible item; instead, a certain charisma, a defining moment, or even a degree of notoriety can often be more potent drivers of sales.

The concept of "ironic buys" is crucial to understanding some of these figures. Ann Thorpe, an auctioneer at Dartmoor Auctions, emphasized this point: "I think you do sometimes get ironic buys, you know, and things like people’s secret Santa presents and that kind of thing." This explains the surprising sales of figures like Liz Truss, whose short, tumultuous time in office made her a memorable, if not entirely positive, figure. Such purchases are often driven by novelty, humor, or a desire to commemorate a particularly bizarre moment in political history, rather than genuine admiration for the leader’s policies or performance. These jugs become conversation starters, symbols of a shared cultural experience, or even a playful jab at the political establishment.

The craftsmanship behind these distinctive items is rooted in a rich British tradition. The Toby Jugs are handmade and hand-painted by skilled potters at Bairstow Manor in Stoke-on-Trent, a region renowned for its pottery heritage. Roger Bairstow, who runs the firm, shared the origin story of the prime ministerial collection. Initially a big fan of Winston Churchill, he crafted numerous figurines and jugs of the wartime leader, selling them to historic sites like Blenheim Palace. From this foundation, the idea gradually evolved into creating jugs for prime ministers, with Tony Blair being the first contemporary leader to be immortalized in ceramic form in 1997.

The question remains whether these contemporary Toby Jugs will retain their value and become sought-after collector’s items in the future. The motivations behind their purchase – be it genuine admiration, historical interest, or ironic amusement – will undoubtedly influence their long-term collectibility. The sales patterns suggest a dynamic relationship between political events, public perception, and the whimsical world of memorabilia. Starmer’s unexpected rise to the top of the Toby Jug sales in 2025 serves as a quirky reminder that popularity can manifest in the most unexpected of forms, often detached from traditional metrics of political success, and sometimes simply because a certain ceramic likeness catches the eye, or perhaps sparks a chuckle.