Prime Minister Lord Kelvin?

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While William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, is renowned for his work as a physicist and engineer, he was also active in politics. He was a staunch Liberal, and considered standing for the constituency of Aberdeen and Glasgow Universities in 1869. Thomson declined however, as he was advised that the work required for him to be elected would keep him from his teaching and research work.

Thomson remained a Liberal, until the Second Home Rule Bill was introduced, after which he was a devoted Liberal Unionist. Indeed, he was a notable leader among the Liberal Unionists in the west of Scotland, and it has been suggested his ennobling was just as much for his political activity as for his scientific work.

Let's say Kelvin is elected to Parliament in 1869, where can he go from here? He's a respected public figure, so it's possible Gladstone could give him a minor cabinet post. Kelvin could gradually work up from there, until he's invited to become PM in the 1880s or 90s. Could Kelvin have a shot at being a decent, or even good PM, and how will his scientific work suffer as a result?
 
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For those wondering, I'm getting my information from Iain Hutchinson's "Lord Kelvin and Liberal Unionism."
 
William Thomson split with the Liberal Party in 1886 because of the first Home Rule Bill and became a Liberal Unionist. He was president of the West of Scotland Liberal Unionist Association from 1886 to 1892. [1] But it is unlikely he would become Prime Minister, even if he was a middle ranking cabinet minister in Gladstone's government from 1880 to 1885. The only Liberal Unionists who could have become Prime Minister were the Marquis of Hartington [the 8th Duke of Devonshire from 1891] and possibly Joseph Chamberlain. I can't see him becoming Prime Minister in 1895 instead of the Marquis of Salisbury or in 1902, when he was 78 years old, instead of Salisbury's nephew Arthur Balfour, or Chamberlain.

[1] See the entry for him in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
 
William Thomson split with the Liberal Party in 1886 because of the first Home Rule Bill and became a Liberal Unionist. He was president of the West of Scotland Liberal Unionist Association from 1886 to 1892. [1] But it is unlikely he would become Prime Minister, even if he was a middle ranking cabinet minister in Gladstone's government from 1880 to 1885. The only Liberal Unionists
who could have become Prime Minister was the Marquis of Hartington [the 8th Duke of Devonshire from 1891]. I can't see him becoming Prime Minister in 1895 instead of the Marquis of Salisbury or in 1902 instead of Salisbury's nephew Arthur Balfour, when he was 78 years old.

[1] See the entry for him in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
I knew my scenario would be pretty far-fetched - I came very close to posting this in ASB! If Salisbury and Devonshire are dead by 1895, and Randolph Churchill is still in power, then maybe Kelvin could be a compromise to keep Chamberlain and Churchill from taking power.
 
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