"[374], In the 1999 New Year Honours List, Major was made a Companion of Honour for his work on the Northern Ireland peace process. [36][34], In 1959 Major had joined the Young Conservatives in Brixton and soon became a highly active member, which helped increase his confidence following the failure of his school days. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Major was also satirised by Patrick Wright with his book 101 Uses for a John Major (based on a comic book of some 10 years earlier called 101 Uses for a Dead Cat), in which Major was illustrated serving a number of bizarre purposes, such as a train-spotter's anorak or as a flag-pole;[327][328] Wright published a second collection of '101 Uses', as well as a parodic cartoon biography of Major entitled Not Inconsiderable: Being the Life and Times of John Major.[329]. [85][86][87] Major assiduously courted contacts at all levels of the party in this period, joining the informal 'Guy Fawkes club' of Conservative MPs and attending various Committees. Captions are provided by our contributors. The ballot was held on the afternoon of 27 November; although Major obtained 185 votes, 2 votes short of an overall majority, he polled far enough ahead of both Hurd and Heseltine to secure their immediate withdrawal. Starring Gerald McRaney, Shanna Reed, Nicole Dubuc, Chelsea Hertford, Marisa Ryan, Matt Mulhern and Beverly Archer, "Major Dad" premiered on September 17, 1989 as part of CBS' Monday night comedy. In response, Currie said "he wasn't ashamed of it at the time and he wanted it to continue. JOHN MAJORS son-in-law, Luke Salter, died in hospital yesterday, three months after disclosing that he had an inoperable form of brain cancer. By the end of his premiership his puppet would often be shown observing the latest fiasco and ineffectually murmuring "oh dear". Mother of Richard Jackman; Mehitable Jackman and Deacon George Jackman. [354] The marriage ended in an acrimonious divorce in 2003, with Noble accusing Major of "unreasonable behaviour". [7] John Major later described the family's circumstances at this time as being "comfortable but not well off". [198] Major subsequently announced on 22 November that he would stand in the second ballot, with Thatcher's backing. Speculation over Major's leadership had continued since his re-election in 1995, and intensified as it became increasingly likely that the Conservatives would suffer a landslide defeat in the upcoming general election.
John Major Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life, Achievements [178][179] An interest rate cut of 1% (from 15%) was also announced on the same day. ",[321] whereas on the left Labour's Alastair Campbell dismissed him as a "piece of lettuce that passes for prime minister"[322] and Labour MP Tony Banks said of Major in 1994 that, "He was a fairly competent Chairman of Housing on Lambeth Council. "[315], During his leadership of the Conservative Party, Major was portrayed as honest ("Honest John")[316][317] but unable to exert effective control over his fractious party. The 1991 Japan Festival also took place under his premiership. John began attending primary school at Cheam Common School from 1948. [325][326] Bell also used the humorous possibilities of the Cones Hotline, a means for the public to inform the authorities of potentially unnecessary traffic cones, which was part of the Citizen's Charter project established by John Major. [96][97], Major comfortably won re-election to the now slightly enlarged seat of Huntingdon at the 1983 general election. [23][24][25][nb 4], Major's interest in politics stems from this period, and he avidly kept up with current affairs by reading newspapers on his long commutes from Brixton to Wimbledon. [275], In February 2005, it was reported that Major and Norman Lamont delayed the release of papers on Black Wednesday under the Freedom of Information Act. Elizabeth Major, daughter of former Prime Minister John Major, with her fiance Luke Salter at her family home near Huntingdon, where they formerly announced their engagement. [334], Major was often mocked for his nostalgic evocation of what sounded like the lost Britain of the 1950s .mw-parser-output div.crossreference{padding-left:0}(see Merry England);[335] for example, his famous speech stating that "Fifty years from now Britain will still be the country of long shadows on county grounds, warm beer, invincible green suburbs, dog lovers and pools fillers and as George Orwell said 'old maids bicycling to Holy Communion through the morning mist'. [308] Dennis Kavanagh likewise states that Major did relatively well considering the unbridgeable divides that existed in the Conservative Party in the 1990s, chiefly over Europe, whilst also delivering economic growth, a more user-focused public sector and the basis of peace settlement in Northern Ireland. [388][389], A large bust of John Major by Shenda Amery in Huntingdon Library was unveiled by his wife Norma in 1993. [257][249][347] As with all former prime ministers, Major is entitled to round-the-clock police protection.[348][349]. The journalist Peter Oborne was one such figure, though writing in 2017 he stated that he now regrets his negative reporting, stating that he himself and the press in general were "grossly unfair to Major" and that this was motivated at least in part by snobbery at Major's humble upbringing. He supported the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign for the UK to remain in the European Union, and has often criticised Brexit since the outcome of the 2016 referendum. It was replaced with the physical Euro currency in 1999. It will affect nearly every single aspect of our lives for many decades to come. 2023 Getty Images. He describes the illness as 'a form of cancer of the meninges, the layer of tissue that overlays the brain and spinal cord'. After Blair succeeded Major as prime minister, Major served as Leader of the Opposition for seven weeks while the leadership election to replace him took place. Things are obviously rather odd and difficult for us at the moment, and the chemotherapy makes me very tired. Find the right content for your market. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. [373] He shied away from the topic when in office, stating that "I have always been a little wary of politicians who parade their faith, and prefer a little English reserve on the subject. [282][283] Nevertheless, in 2013 Major expressed his concern at the seeming decline in social mobility in Britain: "In every single sphere of British influence, the upper echelons of power in 2013 are held overwhelmingly by the privately educated or the affluent middle class. [257] They also own a flat in London and a holiday home on the Norfolk coast at Weybourne, which they have in the past invited ex-soldiers to use for free as part of the Afghan Heroes charity. The couple have yet to set a date for their wedding, but Elizabeth (27) said it was "very unlikely" to be before brother James (24) weds TV game-show hostess Emma Noble. His wife consulted specialists over fears that it might be a hereditary condition which could affect their two-year-old son, but the infant was later given the all-clear. [196][197] Following discussions with her cabinet, in which many stated that though supporting her they doubted she could win, Thatcher withdrew from the contest and announced that she would resign as prime minister once a new leader had been elected. Lord Cranborne, his chief of staff during the election, and the chief whip, Alastair Goodlad, both pleaded with him to stay on: they argued that remaining as leader for a few months would give the party time to come to terms with the scale of defeat before electing a successor. [164][160], The European Community's push for full Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) was another important factor in Major's time as Chancellor; in June 1990 he proposed that instead of a single European currency there could instead be a 'hard ECU',[nb 9] which different national currencies could compete against and, if the ECU was successful, could lead to a single currency. "[312] Seldon reiterated these views in his contribution to the 2017 volume John Major: An Unsuccessful Prime Minister? [212] By December 1991, unemployment was at 2.5 million (compared to 1.6 million 18 months earlier). Alamy and its logo are trademarks of Alamy Ltd. and are registered in certain countries. [211] The high interest rates led to more saving, less spending and less investment in the UK's sectors. However, his polite, easy-going manner was initially well received by both his supporters and his critics. [390], A painting of John Major by Diccon Swan is on display at the Carlton Club, and was unveiled by his wife Norma in 1994. "[294], In February 2023, Major made a speech at the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Britain, where he said that Brexit was "a colossal mistake" and that Johnson agreed the Brexit protocol knowing it was "a mess".[295][296].
John Major - Wikipedia Major's daughter loses husband to cancer - The Times Major's elder brother Terry, who died in 2007, became a minor media personality during Major's period in Downing Street, writing a 1994 autobiography, Major Major: Memories of an Older Brother, and appearing on TV shows such as Have I Got News for You.
[381], In 2008, Major won the British Sports Book Awards (Best Cricket Book) for More Than a Game. But we are very hopeful and the treatment is being undertaken with the aim to cure. Copyright 02/05/2023 Alamy Ltd. All rights reserved. They were married at the parish church, All Saints, in Somerby in March 2000. Two plaques commemorating John Major in South London. Redefining the workforce: what jobs are AI likely to replace first? [144] In September 1989 Major delivered a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, in which he pledged to support Colombia's effort to tackle the drugs trade and reiterated Britain's opposition to the apartheid regime in South Africa. To the surprise of many pollsters, the Conservatives won a majority, with 336 seats, and earning 41.9% of the vote. [235] Jonathan Djanogly took over as MP for Huntingdon, retaining the seat for the Conservatives at the 2001 election. Learn more about how you can collaborate with us. [10] Following a German V-1 flying bomb attack in the area in 1944 which killed several people, the Majors moved to the village of Saham Toney, Norfolk, for the duration of the war.[7][8]. Major's first ministry was dominated by the early 1990s recession which was believed to be caused by high interest rates, falling house prices and an overvalued exchange rate. [249] In February 2012, Major became chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust,[250] which was formed as part of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II and is intended to support charitable organisations and projects across the Commonwealth, focusing on areas such as cures for diseases and the promotion of culture and education. [211] Falling house prices stalled construction in the housing sector. [181][nb 10] He also agreed a restructuring and write-off of some Third World debt at a Commonwealth Finance Ministers meeting in Trinidad and Tobago in September 1990. In the leadership election, Major comfortably beat John Redwood in June 1995. He is married to Norma Major; the two share a son and daughter. MAJOR'S DAUGHTER ELIZABETH FALLS OFF HORSE:.||ENGLAND MS Elizabeth Major (Daughter of PM) along|Cambs in jockey gear PAN R-L|Huntingdon LACMS Elizabeth on horse PAN L-R and away| CMS John Major PM and wife Norma at race| course| CBV Norma taking picture| LS Race in progress| TLMS Elizabeth's horse crossing finishing| post as she falls off to [305] Oborne singled out Major's achievements in the Northern Irish peace process, boosting the economy, keeping Britain out of the Eurozone, and his reforms of public services as being worthy of praise. . He was elected to Lambeth London Borough Council in 1968, and a decade later to parliament, being elected as the Conservative MP for Huntingdonshire, later Huntingdon, in the 1979 general election. [149][150] The summit ended acrimoniously, with Thatcher controversially and against established precedent issuing a second final communiqu stating Britain's opposition to sanctions, with the press seizing on the apparent disagreement on the matter between Major and Thatcher. [70] Meanwhile, Major continued to work at Standard Bank (renamed Standard Chartered from 1975), having completed his banking diploma in 1972. Mark Stuart, writing in 2017, stated that Major is "the best ex-Prime Minister we have ever had", praising him for initiating the Northern Ireland peace process, peacefully handing Hong Kong back to China, creating the National Lottery and leaving a sound economy to Labour in 1997. [70] They continue to live at their constituency home, Finings, in Great Stukeley, Huntingdonshire. [350][351] Salter died on 22 November 2002 from cancer. [237], Since leaving office, Major has tended to maintain a low profile in the media, occasionally commentating on political developments in the role of an elder statesman. While prime minister, Major had pursued energetic campaigns aimed at boosting bilateral trade: "Priority Japan" (19911994) and "Action Japan" (19941997). 'Unfortunately, chemotherapy makes you quite susceptible to infection so I cannot spend a lot of time at the hospital,' he said. [262] Major has also attended the funerals of notable political figures, such as Nelson Mandela in December 2013,[263] former US first lady Barbara Bush at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas on 21 April 2018[264] and the state funeral of George H. W. Bush on 5 December 2018.[265]. Immediate Family: Daughter of George Majors and Susanna Pray.
It will make our country poorer and weaker. It is believed the newly-weds agreed exclusive rights to film inside the church and reception with Hello! Mr Salter said he was 'upbeat' about his chances of beating the killer disease - but that the rarity of his tumour made it impossible to say what his chances of a full recovery were. Major never succeeded in reconciling the "Euro-rebels" among his MPs to his European policy, who although relatively few in number, wielded great influence because of his small majority and their wider following among Conservative activists and voters. [169][170], By early 1990 Major had become convinced that the best way to combat inflation and restore macroeconomic stability would be if the British pound were to join the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM), and he and Douglas Hurd (Major's successor as Foreign Secretary) set about trying to convince a reluctant Thatcher to join it. [158][159], As Chancellor, Major presented only one Budget, the first to be televised live, on 20 March 1990. and so am I", "Major and Thatcher: they're both related to me, says Mr Crust", "Sir John Major becomes British Gymnastics Patron", "John Major 'touched' to receive freedom of Cork", "Sir John Major's Speech at Joint Award for Outstanding Contribution to Ireland", "Sir John Major accepts Outstanding Contribution to Ireland Award at the 2014 Business & Finance Awards", "Embassy of Japan in the UKJapanese Government honours The Rt. reining in the power of trade unions and privatising failing industries) had already been completed under Thatcher, the swift nature of his rise to power left him little time to formulate policy positions and upon becoming prime minister he was immediately thrust into having to deal with the Gulf War and a major recession. London - The daughter of the former British prime minister, Mr John Major, yesterday announced her engagement, after her fiance, Mr Luke Salter, proposed to her on Christmas morning. [345][62][63] She was a teacher and a member of the Young Conservatives. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. [168] More successfully, Major managed to get the new European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) located in London. He said that he wanted a "firebreak from politics" and to focus on writing and his business, sporting and charity work. Not for resale. [406][407] Major Close, in Loughborough Junction near where John grew up, is also named for him; the street was to be called 'Sir John Major Close', however this long name breached council guidelines.[408]. [90] At this time Major lived in De Vere Close, Hemingford Grey. [106], In September 1985, Major was made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS), before being promoted to become Minister of State in the same department in September 1986. To me, from my background, I find that truly shocking. 'Because of the rareness of it, it's difficult to speculate about how things will turn out. [50][51], Major stood again as Councillor in the 1968 Lambeth London Borough Council election, this time for Ferndale ward. [218] This was the Conservatives' fourth consecutive election victory. [333] The incident prompted Cabinet Secretary Robin Butler to warn Channel 4 head Michael Grade against any further calls for fear that state secrets could be inadvertently leaked. Mr Salter, who was 30 and had qualified recently as a hospital doctor, was the childhood sweetheart of the Majors only daughter Elizabeth, whom he married two years ago. Download content on demand when you need it. Chief Secretary to the Treasury (19871989). [59][60] Despite the Lambeth housing team being well-regarded nationally, Major lost his seat in the 1971 Lambeth London Borough Council election. [62][63] John's mother died shortly before in September at the age of 65. view all 20 Immediate Family John E. Major husband Elizabeth Major daughter Edward Major son Anne Finch Major daughter Katherine Major daughter Maria Major daughter George Bernard Major son George Marable father Ann mother Lt. Edward Henry Marable brother JOHN MARABLE brother William Marable brother view all Martha Marable's Timeline M N O P Q R S Links to other UK stories are at the foot of the page. To control some of the symptoms I have also had a small operation on the brain. [221][222], On 12 May 1994, John Smith died from a heart attack and was replaced by Tony Blair who continued Labour's modernisation under the slogan of "New Labour". [208], Major became prime minister on 28 November 1990 when he accepted the Queen's invitation to form a government, succeeding Margaret Thatcher. Major said Brexit is, "the worst foreign policy decision in my lifetime. John Major was born on March 29, 1943, in St Helier, Carshalton, Surrey, London, England. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [31][32] Major began working with his brother Terry at the garden ornaments business; this had been sold in 1959, enabling the family to move to a larger residence at 80 Burton Road, Brixton. In 1993, Major sued two magazines, New Statesman and Society and Scallywag, as well as their distributors, for reporting rumours of an affair with Clare Latimer, a Downing Street caterer, even though at least one of the magazines had said that the rumours were false. [319][320] Long-standing Conservative MP Enoch Powell, when asked about Major, stated "I simply find myself asking does he really exist? Major held several junior government positions under Thatcher from 1984 to 1987, including Parliamentary Private Secretary and assistant whip. [176][177] Thatcher finally agreed on 4 October, and Britain's entry into the ERM at a rate of DM 2.95 to 1.00 (with an agreed 6% floating 'band' either side) was announced the following day. Major made tackling inflation a priority, stating that tough measures were needed to bring it down and that "if it isn't hurting, it isn't working. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF. [248][273] Major was also a Director with the Ditchley Foundation from 2000 to 2009,[259][274] and a President of the influential centre-right think tank the Bow Group from 2012 to 2014.
Elizabeth Major, daughter of former Prime Minister John Major - Alamy Two years into his premiership, Major went on to lead the Conservative Party to a fourth consecutive electoral victory, winning more than 14 million votes, which remains the highest number ever won by a political party in Britain. Sir John Major KG CH (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from November 1990 to May 1997 and Leader of the Conservative Party from November 1990 to June 1997. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF. It was not enough. Wearing a full, flowing white dress with satin bodice, she waved for photographers before going into the church. His task became even more difficult after the election of the modernist and highly media-savvy Tony Blair as Labour leader in July 1994, who mercilessly exploited Conservative divisions whilst shifting Labour to the centre, thus making it much more electable. [307], In academic circles Major's legacy has generally been better received. 'I'd had the ring for about six weeks but I had the moment planned for a long time,' he said at the time. Mr Salter, who was 30 and had qualified recently as a hospital doctor, was the childhood sweetheart of the Majors' only daughter Elizabeth, whom he married two years ago. [104][105] Major narrowly avoided the IRA's Brighton hotel bombing in October 1984, having left the hotel only a few hours before the bomb went off. Yesterday he told of his fight with the potentially fatal condition, known. [42][43] Another formative influence on Major in this period was Jean Kierans, a divorce 13 years his elder with two children who lived opposite the family on Burton Road, who became his mentor and lover. [286][287], Major was a vocal supporter for the Remain campaign in the 2016 referendum on British membership of the European Union. [223] Some polling at the end of 1994 and the start of 1995 had Labour with a vote share of over 60%. RM G4HK04 - Elizabeth Major, daughter of former Prime Minister John Major, with her fiance Luke Salter at her family home near Huntingdon, where they formerly announced their engagement. Although public favourability of Major has improved since he left office, his premiership has generally been viewed as average in historical rankings and public opinion of British prime ministers..mw-parser-output .toclimit-2 .toclevel-1 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-3 .toclevel-2 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-4 .toclevel-3 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-5 .toclevel-4 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-6 .toclevel-5 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-7 .toclevel-6 ul{display:none}, John Major was born on 29 March 1943 at St Helier Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children in St Helier, Surrey, the son of Gwen Major (ne Coates, 19051970) and former music hall performer Tom Major-Ball (18791962), who was 63 years old when Major was born. An obituary of Tony Newton in The Daily Telegraph claimed that if Newton had not kept the affair a closely guarded secret, "it is highly unlikely that Major would have become prime minister".