The BBC did this some years ago I thought I'd like to see what the Hol thinks.

Name the British man and woman you thinks deserves the title of Greatest and why.

Man - Winston Churchill
He had his faults but the people who find fault in this country and it's history would themselves be history if it wasn't for him and his inspired leadership during WW2.

Woman - Elizabeth I
It was a tight call between her and Florence Nightingale but Liz just about wins it.

She played the game of thrones to perfection. Whilst her cousin Mary let her heart rule her head and got used and abused by the Scottish nobility she kept her head. She knew as soon as she married she lost power so she played her suitors and their countries off against each other always letting them think that had a chance.

She wasn't just a figurehead she had real power and used it. Whilst a protestant she didn't want to persecute Catholics and did her best to reign in her more bigoted ministers in a bigoted age.

During the Armada she showed real leadership and made a great speech which was all PR but still good stuff.

Your turn

One more point

Churchill and Elizabeth || for me.

One a sour faced old drunk and the other a former prime minister.

"It feels much better than it ever did, much more sensitive." John Wayne Bobbit

William Caxton
Edith Cavell

Palace since 19 August 1972. Palace 1 (Tony Taylor) Liverpool 1 (Emlyn Hughes)

For me, people are just people so they no one deserves an accolade for doing what they thought was the right thing.
If you want someone who's decisions changed Britain for the better I'd go Henry VIII.
For his own selfish reasons, he released us from the clutches of the Roman Catholic church and all that goes with it. Thanks Henry.

Women? They didn't matter until the 20th century, unless they were royal of course. One would have to give credit to Elizabeth I for her role in defending Britain from the Spanish and keeping Spanish Catholic rule away.

You have to mention Churchill but I'm sure there are many others who contributed something meaningful.
Orwell, Shakespeare, Newton, Faraday, Watson and Crick in the arts and science department, the list is very long.
You could flag up the Duke of Wellington or even Cromwell. It's all subjective.
Some might even say Thatcher, even if is just to annoy the tiresome Lefties.

Elizabeth I can't really be considered a Briton as she died a long time before the act of union came in.

Really anyone before 1707 isn't a Briton.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

Damn!
Looks like I will have to go with my second choice, Kate Bush.