Topic 5: Major's 2nd Government (1992-97) Flashcards
2
Describe the introduction of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
- Introduced by Home Sec Michael Howard
- to crack down on growing social disorder
3
Describe the terms of the the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
- Clamped down on illegal rave parties
- Right to silence when speaking to law officials abolished over fears it was a protection against self-incrimination
- Obliged courts to impose fixed penalties for certain crimes
2
Describe the impact of the the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
- Prison population rose from 40k in 1994 to 65k in 1997
- Led to overcrowding and subsequent police brutality
5
Describe the political impact of the ERM disaster
- Economic credibility that had won 1992 election had dissipated
- Labour held 23% poll lead throughout 1993
- Lost subsequent every by-election
- Economic recovery on basis of policies that he had never supported i.e. outside of ERM
- Political capital from economic improvement was therefore minimal
3
Describe Tory Party funding scandals under Major
- Turkish-Cypriot businessmen Asil Nadir broke bail and fled to Cyrprus after fraud charges in 1993 - had donated £440k to Tory Party
- Party treasurer Lord McAlpine admitted to accepting donations from HK and American businessmen and channelling funds through offshore accounts
- Accusations of Saudi donations
3
Describe the ‘Back to Basics’ campaign
- David Mellor forced to resign as Culture Secretary after publicised affair with actress
- Tory Party Conference 1993 - Major launched ‘back to basics’ campaign
- Return to core values of family, education and morality
6
Describe the failure of the ‘Back to Basics’ campaign
- Dubbed ‘back to base sex’ following sex and money scandals
- By Feb 1994, 8 Con MPs had been involved in some form of scandal
- Stephen Milligan death
- Scott Enquiry
- ‘Cash for questions’
- Major’s own extramarital affair with Edwina Currie not disclosed until 2002
2
Describe the death of Stephen Milligan MP
- Feb 1994
- died from autoerotic asphyxiation
5
Describe the Scott Enquiry
- Reports has surfaced of illegal arms sales to Iraq in the late 1980s
- British arms manufacturer Matrix Churchill had been bought out by Iraqi govt in 1989
- Commissioned in 1992
- Several Con MPs implicated
- Reported findings in 1996, though largely classified
3
Describe the ‘Cash for questions’ scandal
- Tim Smith MP and Neil Hamilton MP
- Bribed to ask questions in parliament on behalf of Mohammed Al-Fayed, Egyptian Harrods owner
- Hamilton lost seat to independent anti-sleaze candidate Martin Bell in 1997 election
2
Describe the decline in polling for the Conservatives 1992-97
- 1993 Gallup polling showed that Conservatives were most unpop govt since 1938 (when polling began)
- Major most unpopular PM
2
Describe the rise of eurosceptic groups on the right 1992-97
- 1993, Sir Michael Spicer MP set up ERG to organise concerns over increasing EU integration and monetary union opposition
- UKIP set up 1993
4
Describe Conservative divisions over Europe 1992-97
- Major’s natural pro-Europe attitude has to be reduced to appease increasingly eurosceptic factions
- Called confidence vote in own government 1993
- Major taped calling 3 eurosceptic cabinet members ‘bastards’ in 1993 (including Portillo and Howard)
- 1995, Major resigned as party leader to initiate leadership challenge to reassert control
2
Why did Major call a confidence motion in his own government in 1993?
- To ensure Parliamentary support for Maastricht Treaty
- threatened removal of whip
5
Describe the Conservative leadership contest 1995
- Portillo declined to run
- Thatcherites and eurosceptics backed Redwood
- Major won landslide with 66% of PLP support
- Yet 89 MPs backed Redwood, indicating continued issues amid slim majority
- Blair mocked Major - ‘I lead my party, you follow yours’
