David Cameron has been exposed as one of the worst Prime Ministers in modern history

David Cameron is today exposed as one of the worst Prime Ministers in modern history by political experts. 

The former Tory boss was rated third from bottom in the table of post-war leaders - but would have been classed as the biggest failure based on rankings for only his second term.

Mr Cameron fared worse than Labour’s Gordon Brown , the premier he regularly mocked while opposition leader, in the survey of academics who specialise in politics and contemporary British history. 

Only Sir Anthony Eden, whose reputation was left in tatters by his handling of the Suez crisis, and Sir Alec Douglas-Home, who only lasted a year, were ranked lower than Mr Cameron in the list of 13 PMs who have served since 1945.

Leeds University professor Kevin Theakston, who carried out the research, said: “For all his achievements as a successful coalition Prime Minister, David Cameron’s reputation and place in history seems destined to be defined by Brexit and his calling and losing the referendum.”

Nearly nine out of 10 said June’s European Union referendum was his greatest failure, with one claiming it was the worst defeat of any PM “since Lord North lost America”.

Pros Theakston added: “Academic opinion, as reflected in our survey, is currently pretty damning.

“But reputations can wax and wane as subsequent events, the passage of time and new evidence change perspectives.

“Depending on how Brexit works out, future historians and political scientists may come to a different verdict on Mr Cameron’s premiership and his place in the league table of prime ministers.” 

The survey follows similar polls in 2004 and 2010.

Labour’s Clement Attlee was again judged the most successful PM, scoring 8.5. He was followed by Margaret Thatcher on 7.2 and Tony Blair on 6.7. 

Winston Churchill received only 5.4 because the assessment is based on his 1950s government rather than his wartime leadership.

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Mr Brown was rated 4.6 while Sir Alec Douglas-Home scored 3.8 and Sir Anthony came bottom on 2.4.

Mr Cameron scored an embarrassing four - but when asked to rate his stints at No 10 separately he received 5.6 for the coalition years and just 2.1 for his Downing Street reign since his 2015 election victory.

Prof Theakston said: “This would place him at the bottom of the league table - as a worse prime minster than Anthony Eden, long seen as the biggest post-war failure in Number 10.”

Academics were also asked to rate the impact each of the last five prime ministers had on society, the economy, foreign policy and Britain’s role in the world, their political party, and democracy.

Mr Cameron was the only one to receive a negative rating in each area.

The latest blow to the ex-PM’s battered reputation came as he vowed to continue his flagship push for a “Big Society” in his first role after quitting politics.

He will help oversee the expansion of the National Citizen Service to help more teenagers gain life skills, as chairman of NCS Patrons.

Writing in the Telegraph, he said: “From industry to the arts, from sport to the media, from local communities to the wider public sector, we need everyone involved in a national mission to make NCS a normal part of growing up that can give every generation a greater sense of purpose, optimism and belonging.”