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John Major
Retired figureUnited KingdomBorn 1943

John Major

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1990-1997) · Leader of the Conservative Party (1990-1997)

Conservative leader and prime minister from 1990 to 1997. He signed the Maastricht Treaty with opt-outs, privatised rail and coal assets and started contacts that led to peace in Northern Ireland.

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Profile on 12 axes10 of 12 documented
ECONOMYSTATESOCIETYWORLDOwnershipMarketsWelfareAuthoritySecurityStructureMoralityReligionTechnologyCultureTradeForeign
Where they stand

John Major, axis by axis

  1. 01Ownership+50
    PublicPrivate
  2. 02Markets+45
    PlannedFree
  3. 03Welfare+30
    SharedSelf-reliant
  4. 04Authority-35
    DemocraticStrong leader

    Since leaving office he has stood up for the role of Parliament as a check on ministers. He joined the 2019 legal challenge to the prorogation of Parliament. The score tilts toward democratic checks.

  5. 05Security+30
    LibertyOrder
  6. 06Structure+40
    LocalCentral

    Before the 1997 referendums he opposed handing powers to Scotland and Wales, so the score tilts central.

  7. 07Morality+15
    ProgressiveTraditional

    His 1993 Back to Basics campaign was tied to traditional values, though it was pitched mostly as being about public services and law and order. The score is mildly traditional.

  8. 08ReligionNo clear record
    SecularReligious

    Not much is on record about his views on religion in public life, so there is no score here.

  9. 09TechnologyNo clear record
    EmbraceCaution
  10. 10Culture+10
    MulticulturalNational identity
  11. 11Trade-60
    GlobalProtected

    He signed Maastricht with exemptions from the euro and the social chapter, then supported Remain in 2016 and called Brexit a colossal mistake. The score tilts toward free trade.

  12. 12Foreign policy+5
    CooperationStrength

2 axes have no clear record, so matching leaves them out.

Who is John Major?

John Major was born in 1943 in Surrey and grew up in Brixton, quitting school at 16. He joined Lambeth Council at 21 and was elected MP for Huntingdonshire in 1979. Margaret Thatcher promoted him quickly, and he held three big posts under her: deputy to the Chancellor, Foreign Secretary and then Chancellor himself. He replaced her as prime minister in November 1990 and led Britain during the Gulf War. He won in 1992 with more votes than any party in British history, yet his majority was slim. Within months Black Wednesday dumped sterling from the Exchange Rate Mechanism. Splits on Europe and sleaze claims dragged him down, and Labour crushed him in 1997. He left the Commons in 2001 and now holds no office, though he speaks on public affairs.

Political views

  • Introduced the Citizen's Charter in 1991 to set service standards and ways to complain about public bodies.Source: en.wikipedia.org
  • Abolished the poll tax, the community charge, and brought in the council tax.Source: gov.uk
  • At Maastricht he kept Britain out of the single currency and the social policy chapter.Source: gov.uk
  • Privatised British Rail in the Railways Act 1993 and sold the main parts of British Coal.Source: legislation.gov.uk
  • Made the first approaches toward ending the Northern Ireland conflict, helping to prepare the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.Source: gov.uk
  • Campaigned for staying in the EU in the 2016 referendum and has criticised Brexit repeatedly since.Source: en.wikipedia.org

Legacy

Fans of Major say he brought a quieter manner after Thatcher, that growth ran strong for years after 1992 and that he took the first steps in the Northern Ireland peace process, which earned him the Companion of Honour. His critics start with Black Wednesday, when billions were spent in a failed effort to hold up the pound. They also dislike rail privatisation, which is still argued over. Party divisions on Europe and a string of scandals hit his government, and because he had launched Back to Basics, opponents accused his ministers of double standards. With time, historians have tended to judge him more kindly.

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John Major: questions

What party is John Major in?

He is a Conservative. Between 1990 and 1997 he led the party and served as prime minister, and he represented Huntingdon in the Commons until 2001.

How did John Major view Brexit?

He campaigned to remain in the EU in 2016. Since then he has often attacked Brexit, calling it a colossal mistake.

Sources