Go to the Head of the Class

By William Underhill

When David Cameron took office three months ago, Britain held its breath. The country's youngest prime minister in more than a century, untested in government, the 43-year-old inherited a fragile economy, an unpopular war, and a country fed up with politicians. But his drastic plans for tackling the budget deficit have soothed the markets, and his assured manner has impressed fellow heads of state--even in the European Union, normally tricky territory for a British Conservative. His calm managerial style also makes a welcome change at Downing Street after volatile predecessor Gordon Brown. As a result, Cameron's satisfaction rating among voters has climbed to almost 50 percent, and analysts across the political spectrum are hailing him for his daring: "He is showing himself as potentially the best all-round prime minister of the modern era," says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle. Britain can breathe easy, for now.