1990 - 1997 Flashcards
JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
Give the second ballot statistics
Major: 49.7%
Heseltine: 35.2%
Hurd: 15.1%
JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
What were Major’s natural instincts?
To unify the party: a difficult job bc of ongoing hostility to Michael Heseltine and fierce determination for some to take revenge on those who had ‘betrayed maggie’
JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
Why did conservatives jump in the polls?
‘Honeymoon effect’, Thatcher’s personal unpopularity
JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
What did major do with poll tax?
Abandon it for council tax, meant £1.5 billion wasted but get away from unpopular policy could blame on predecessors
JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
What did major say he wanted?
Classless society, made clear more money for health and education
JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
When did Major leave school?
16, became a clerk, then stood to be an MP
JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
What was Major to an MP?
A stolid figure
JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
How did Thatcherites view Major?
“One of us”
JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
What did Major enjoy?
Cricket - appealed to ordinary pp
1992 GENERAL ELECTION
When did Major call the general election?
1992, almost at the last moment before the end of the 5 year parliamentry term
1992 GENERAL ELECTION
What were opinion polls before the election campaign?
Cons - 29%
Labour - 41%
1992 GENERAL ELECTION
What happened towards the end of the longer than usual election campaign?
Opinion polls swang back in favour of conservatives
1992 GENERAL ELECTION
Describe major’s campaign
- Respect for soapbox politics such as impromptu speeches in towns like Luton
- Good campaign
1992 GENERAL ELECTION
What were Major and Kinnock both convinced of?
Thatcher would not have won
1992 GENERAL ELECTION
What did Kinnock argue?
- Major removed poll tax thatcher could not have done and presented himself as a candidate for change
- On the day Thatcher resigned said labour lost it’s most electable asset
1992 GENERAL ELECTION
From mid 1991 to 1992 what happened to unemployment?
Rose from 1.6 million to 2.6 million.
1992 GENERAL ELECTION
What were many homeowners trapped in?
Negative equity and had their homes repossessed, impacting many traditional conservative voters
1992 GENERAL ELECTION
With an election imminent, what did Major do?
High public spending, half forced as a result of unemployment, but huge borrowing used for subsidies on transport and increased NHS spending
