The Guardian's most-clicked politicians

Margaret Thatcher: Love her or hate her, the former Conservative prime minister is No 1. She may not be the most popular politician, but she garners most attention from Guardian readers. They say the old ones are the best! Photograph: PA

Barack Obama: The US president steals the limelight from British politicians, ranking second in the list of the most-viewed politicians by Guardian readers. Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuters

Lembit Öpik: A surprise entry at No 3, could the Liberal Democrat MP's popularity have more to do with his colourful love life than his passion for protecting the earth from asteroids? Photograph: Andy Hall

Tony Blair: How quickly we forget ... The former prime minister, who two years ago was viewed as the Labour party's biggest electoral liability, is now the fourth most popular politician for Guardian readers. Photograph: Dan Chung

George Galloway: Gorgeous George, the former Labour now anti-war Respect MP, has obviously turned his charm on Guardian readers, pipping Gordon Brown to come in at No 5. Photograph: Graeme Robertson

Gordon Brown: After all those years waiting in the wings for the top job, the PM now ranks No 6 in the Guardian's list of most-read politicians. Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA

Michael Martin: The former Commons speaker may not have been too popular among his fellow MPs, but the Glaswegian former steel worker has been a hit with Guardian readers, coming in at No 7 in the most-viewed chart. Photograph: Rex Features

Alan Johnson: The former postie and now home secretary may be tipped as a future Labour leader, but he is at No 8 for Guardian readers. Photograph: Martin Argles

David Miliband: The banana-wielding foreign secretary is the ninth most popular read – let's hope not for all the wrong reasons. Photograph: Martin Godwin

Vince Cable: "Twinkle-toes" Cable waltzes in at No 10. It's surprising the darling of all matters economic is not rated higher. Photograph: David Levene

George Osborne: Of all the weird ironies, the shadow chancellor pips Alistair Darling at No 11 on the Guardian's most-read rundown. Perhaps it has more to do with his penchant for meeting Russian oligarchs and gossiping about the Labour cabinet ministers he dined with on holiday in Corfu than his gloomy economic forecasts. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Alistair Darling: He used to be best-known for his alarmingly mismatched grey hair and black eyebrows, but Darling has earned acclaim for keeping a calm hand on the Treasury tiller, seeing off cabinet rivals vying for his job and forcing Gordon Brown to admit some difficult truths about the state of the public finances. The straight-talking chancellor is Guardian readers' 12th most popular politician. Photograph: Murdo Macleod

William Hague: At 13 Hague's chart rating doesn't quite eclipse the number of pints the former Tory leader used to be able to down as a lad, but it's interesting to note that the political child prodigy ranks ahead of David Cameron and Boris Johnson. Photograph: Martin Argles

Peter Mandelson: Tony Blair said the New Labour mission would not be accomplished until the party had learned to love the first secretary, business secretary and comeback king. At 14 in the chart, it would seem Gordon Brown's most senior cabinet colleague has some way to go to win over Guardian readers. Photograph: David Levene

Harriet Harman: At No 15, the deputy Labour leader who, despite the speculation, denies having an eye on Gordon Brown's job. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Jack Straw: The wily justice secretary is the 16th most popular politician according to Guardian reading stats. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

Nick Clegg: The low-profile Liberal Democrat leader makes a surprise entry at No 17. Photograph: Martin Argles

John Bercow: The former Conservative MP was a controversial choice for Commons Speaker. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Boris Johnson: Game-for-a-laugh Boris might have expected to come higher up the chart but the mayor of London will no doubt be delighted to learn he is more popular than the Tory chief, David Cameron. Photograph: Tim Whitby/Getty Images

David Cameron: Just in at No 20, the Conservative leader may not be suprised to learn he is less popular with Guardian readers than some of his colleagues, but eyebrows might be raised when he discovers which Tories are ahead of him ... Photograph: David Levene