1990 - 1997

Question 1

JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
Give the second ballot statistics

Answer 1

Major: 49.7%
Heseltine: 35.2%
Hurd: 15.1%

Question 2

JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
What were Major’s natural instincts?

Answer 2

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’

Question 3

JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
Why did conservatives jump in the polls?

Answer 3

‘Honeymoon effect’, Thatcher’s personal unpopularity

Question 4

JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
What did major do with poll tax?

Answer 4

Abandon it for council tax, meant £1.5 billion wasted but get away from unpopular policy could blame on predecessors

Question 5

JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
What did major say he wanted?

Answer 5

Classless society, made clear more money for health and education

Question 6

JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
When did Major leave school?

Answer 6

16, became a clerk, then stood to be an MP

Question 7

JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
What was Major to an MP?

Answer 7

A stolid figure

Question 8

JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
How did Thatcherites view Major?

Answer 8

“One of us”

Question 9

JOHN MAJOR: A NEW LEADER
What did Major enjoy?

Answer 9

Cricket - appealed to ordinary pp

Question 10

1992 GENERAL ELECTION
When did Major call the general election?

Answer 10

1992, almost at the last moment before the end of the 5 year parliamentry term

Question 11

1992 GENERAL ELECTION
What were opinion polls before the election campaign?

Answer 11

Cons - 29%
Labour - 41%

Question 12

1992 GENERAL ELECTION
What happened towards the end of the longer than usual election campaign?

Answer 12

Opinion polls swang back in favour of conservatives

Question 13

1992 GENERAL ELECTION
Describe major’s campaign

Answer 13

• Respect for soapbox politics such as impromptu speeches in towns like Luton
• Good campaign

Question 14

1992 GENERAL ELECTION
What were Major and Kinnock both convinced of?

Answer 14

Thatcher would not have won

Question 15

1992 GENERAL ELECTION
What did Kinnock argue?

Answer 15

• 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

Question 16

1992 GENERAL ELECTION
From mid 1991 to 1992 what happened to unemployment?

Answer 16

Rose from 1.6 million to 2.6 million.

Question 17

1992 GENERAL ELECTION
What were many homeowners trapped in?

Answer 17

Negative equity and had their homes repossessed, impacting many traditional conservative voters

Question 18

1992 GENERAL ELECTION
With an election imminent, what did Major do?

Answer 18

High public spending, half forced as a result of unemployment, but huge borrowing used for subsidies on transport and increased NHS spending