John Major Flashcards
what was John Major’s style as a prime minister?
pro-EU
tended to react to issues, he was not as driven as Thatcher
lacked strong control
what was the significance of the Maastricht Treaty? what was Margaret Thatcher‘s view of this? what deal did John Major get over the Maastricht Treaty?
the Maastricht Treaty granted Brussels greater power
Thatcher called this “a recipe for national suicide” and was totally opposed
John Major was determined to prevent a single European currency and so negotiated for Britain to opt out
he also opted out of the workers’ rights charter
what happened on Black Wednesday? what was John Major’s response?
unemployment reached well over 2 million and interest rates reached over 10%
led to frantic selling
John Major raised interest rates to 15% to secure the pound
he recalled Parliament
he also left the ERM (exchange rate mechanism) — led to the worst economic crisis since the 1970s
what was the significance of leaving the ERM for John Major?
it was a significant blow to his authority and reputation, even though the economy was beginning to improve
worst economic crisis since the 1970s
what was the aim of the ‘back to basics’ campaign? what was the impact of this campaign?
John Major launched the ‘back to basics’ campaign, which aimed to restore traditional British values such as the family
however, this campaign made him look out of touch and backward looking
what kind of scandals hit the Conservatives?
sex scandals
cash for questions
’sleaze’ reputation
this undermined the party, ruined its reputation but also undermined John Major’s authority even more
the media responded to the scandals by labelling the Conservative party as the ‘sleaze’ party
election victories
1992 – 21 seat majority, 77.7% turnout
context of rule: EU DIVIDES, SMALL MAJORITY, BLACK WEDNESDAY + MAASTRICHT TREATY
EU divides – Conservative party divided over the EU and The Maastricht Treaty, did not give the appearance of unity and therefore came across as weaker than ever
Small majority – Major did not have a strong position in the Commons, he and his party found it very difficult to implement their policies and have any real influence, only reinforced his lack of authority and control
Black Wednesday - billions of pounds wasted in a futile attempt to defend the value of the pound, frantic selling, unemployment well over 2 million, interest rates rose to 15%, led to Major’s decision to leave the ERM
Maastricht Treaty – would grant greater powers to Brussels, Major formed a deal to opt out of a single European currency and took out the workers’ rights charter
context of rule: LEAVING THE ERM, BACK TO BASICS CAMPAIGN, SCANDALS + THE GULF WAR
Leaving ERM – GDP was withdrawn from the ERM and the stock market crashed at a cost of over £3.3 billion, the Tories lost their reputation of being financially responsible and fell in popularity, worst financial crisis since the 1970s
Back to Basics campaign – intended to restore traditional British values but came across as out of touch and very backward looking
Scandals – the media reported on several sex and corruption scandals such as ‘cash for questions’ surrounding the Conservative party which led them to be associated with the terms ‘sleaze’ and ‘nasty party’, this swung public opinion towards Blair because the Conservatives were now seen as a party who abused their time in power
Gulf War - lead Britain through the first Gulf War, playing a key role in persuading US President Bush to support no-fly zones, during this period, Major and his Cabinet survived an IRA assassination attempt by a mortar attack
the Conservatives managed to regain a lead in the opinion polls after this period, with polls also showing Major as the most popular Prime Minister since Harold Macmillan in the early 1960s
key beliefs
pro-EU
traditional British values – emphasis on family, marriage, etc via the Back to Basics campaign
privatisation
key policies
peace in Northern Ireland - began work engaging with the IRA to work towards a peaceful end to the conflict in Northern Ireland, leading the way for the Good Friday Agreement in 1998
ERM – leaving the ERM eventually caused the economy to begin improving and started Britain’s longest period of continuous economic growth
privatisation - Major privatised British Rail, splitting it up into franchises to be run by the private sector
the Maastricht Treaty – would grant greater powers to Brussels, Major formed a deal to opt out of a single European currency and took out the workers’ rights charter
leadership style
conciliator, not a visionary
dealt with short term problems as they arose rather than having a clear long-term plan
lack of control over his party
strove for consensus within his cabinet rather than dominating them – cabinet government, not a prime ministerial government like Thatcher’s
strengths and weaknesses of leadership style
labelled as being ‘grey’ and boring, often mocked on satirical TV shows like Spitting Image
undermined his authority and reputation even more, he did not have solid standing or genuine control during his time in office
however, Thatcher was viewed as being too harsh and dominant which meant that Major was a leader who gave the party a much-needed break
EXAMPLES – demonstrating ability to dictate events and determine policy
Maastricht Treaty – Major successfully negotiated and formed a deal to opt out of a single European currency and took out the workers’ rights charter
Gulf War - lead Britain through the first Gulf War, playing a key role in persuading US President Bush to support no-fly zones
Peace in Northern Ireland - began work engaging with the IRA to work towards a peaceful end to the conflict in Northern Ireland, leading the way for the Good Friday Agreement in 1998
EXAMPLES – demonstrating inability to dictate events and determine policy
Black Wednesday/ERM – Black Wednesday led to Major’s decision to leave the ERM, GDP was withdrawn from the ERM and the stock market crashed at a cost of over £3.3 billion, the Tories lost their reputation of being financially responsible and fell in popularity, worst financial crisis since the 1970s
Back to Basics campaign – intended to restore traditional British values but came across as out of touch and very backward looking
Scandals – inability to determine events, several sex and corruption scandals such as ‘cash for questions’ led them to be associated with the terms ‘sleaze’ and ‘nasty party’, this swung public opinion towards Blair because the Conservatives were now seen as a party who abused their time in power
