Furthermore, the narrow majority achieved after the 1992 election left him exposed to internal Conservative rebellions, which only worsened as time went by, abetted by a hostile press, as it became clear the Conservatives would lose the next election. Norma Major - Wikipedia Sponsored A spokesman. "[312] Seldon reiterated these views in his contribution to the 2017 volume John Major: An Unsuccessful Prime Minister? The veterinary nurse wed medical student Luke Salter, 28, at All Saints' Church at Somerby in Rutland.. ATU: More than 600 programmes, from pre-degree to doctoral level. [216][217] With a high turnout, the Conservatives earned over 14 million votes which remains a record in any UK general election. 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. Major was at home in Huntingdon recovering from a pre-arranged wisdom tooth operation during the first leadership ballot, which Thatcher won but not by the required threshold, necessitating a second round. [391][392] The National Portrait Gallery holds two paintings of Major the first official portrait of him as prime minister, painted by Peter Deighan in 1994,[393][394] and one of John and Norma by John Wonnacott, painted in 1997. [224] Following a string of by-election defeats, the Conservatives' majority of 21 had been eroded by 13 December 1996.[225]. He was born in Surrey, South East England, and grew up there, before his family moved to Brixton. [208], Major became prime minister on 28 November 1990 when he accepted the Queen's invitation to form a government, succeeding Margaret Thatcher. [94][95] During this period Major became also involved in the response to protests at RAF Molesworth, which lay in his constituency; various peace groups were opposed to the siting of cruise missiles at the base and had established a permanent 'peace camp' there. He wrote that "during my premiership interest rates fell from 14% to 6%; unemployment was at 1.75million when I took office, and at 1.6million and falling upon my departure; and the government's annual borrowing rose from 0.5billion to nearly 46billion at its peak before falling to 1billion". [84] He made his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 13 June 1979, voicing his support for the government's budget. ", "Honest John gives it to us straight stale buns and all", "Over the top? 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. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Lookfantastic - Lookfantastic discount code, Treat yourself to offers on make-up and accessories, Get the right equipment and sportswear for less, Save money on outlet and full-price orders, Holland and Barrett - Holland and Barrett promotions, Click through to find the latest voucher codes, Feel good with amazing savings with Cult Beauty, Save money on your favourite brands this month, 'We're not your enemies!' [233] He remained active in Parliament, regularly attending and contributing in debates. Every time he gets up now I keep thinking, 'What on earth is Councillor Major doing?' [214][215] However, opinion polling for Major's government remained stable during this period. [90] At this time Major lived in De Vere Close, Hemingford Grey. During this period, Michael Portillo had frequently been touted as the favourite to replace Major, but lost his seat in the election, thus eliminating him from the running. "[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]. One day both yet may come to recognise and appreciate it. [238] In 1999 he published his autobiography, covering his early life and time in office, which was generally well received. "[291] In early 2020, after the UK formally left the EU with an initial deal, Major expressed his concerns about a future trading deal with the EU being "flimsy". [211] The high interest rates led to more saving, less spending and less investment in the UK's sectors. Drinking, smoking or eating comfort food with a partner improves your relationship but can be detrimental to Do not sell or share my personal information. [62][63] John's mother died shortly before in September at the age of 65. Hon. In February 1970 Major became Chairman of the Housing Committee, being responsible for overseeing the building of several large council estates. Get in touch for commercial uses. Major called the series a "barrel-load of nonsense" for a fictitious storyline in which the then Prince Charles lobbies Major in 1991, attempting to oust Queen Elizabeth II from power. Though a Labour stronghold, the Conservatives received a huge boost following Enoch Powell's anti-immigration 'Rivers of Blood speech' in April 1968 and Major won, despite strongly disapproving of Powell's views. [281], Following the 2010 general election, Major announced his support for the CameronClegg coalition, and stated that he hoped for a "liberal conservative" alliance beyond 2015, criticising Labour under Ed Miliband for playing "party games" rather than serving the national interest. "[271], Major has become an active after-dinner speaker, earning over 25,000 per engagement for his "insights and his own opinions" on politics and other matters according to his agency. Collect, curate and comment on your files. [7] John Major later described the family's circumstances at this time as being "comfortable but not well off". John also had two other half-siblings from his father's affairs which he was not to learn of until much later. Learn more about how you can collaborate with us. [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. . 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. [191][177] On 1 November, the pro-European deputy prime minister Geoffrey Howe resigned, issuing a fiercely critical broadside against Thatcher in the House of Commons on 13 November. [395], There is a large John Major Suite at The Oval, home to Surrey County Cricket Club; the venue also contains a painting of Major. [132] There were also fears within the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) that Major would be Thatcher's 'hatchet-man', as her relations with the department under Geoffrey Howe had been poor and characterised by mutual distrust. [168] More successfully, Major managed to get the new European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) located in London. [219], On 16 September 1992, the pound sterling crashed out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism after the Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont had invested heavily in trying to keep it there, adjusting interest rates four times in one day. [48][49] Leaving hospital, he split his time between Jean Kierans' house and a small rented flat in Mayfair, working at Standard Bank's London office and resuming his banking diploma and activities with the Young Conservatives in his spare time. The veterinary nurse wed medical student Luke Salter, 28, at All Saints' Church at Somerby in Rutland. Sir John Major and Norma Christina Elizabeth Wagstaff, on 26 March 2000 at All Saints' Church, Somerby, Leicestershire, England G. 1 He died on 22 November 2002 at age 30, from brain cancer. Mr Salter, whom friends describe as a good all-round sportsman, particularly keen on cricket and golf, has had to stop his work as a doctor for Leicester University Hospitals NHS Trust. [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. [17] A recalled business loan which the family were unable to repay forced Tom Major to sell the house in Worcester Park in May 1955, with the family moving to a cramped, rented top-floor flat at 144 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton. [344], Major married Norma Johnson (now Dame Norma Major) on 3 October 1970 at St Matthew's Church, Brixton. [18][19][nb 3] With his parents distracted by their reduced circumstances, John Major's difficulties at Rutlish went unnoticed. "[336] Major complained in his memoirs that these words (which drew upon a passage in George Orwell's essay The Lion and the Unicorn)[337] had been misrepresented as being more naive and romantic than he had intended, and indeed his memoirs were dismissive of the common conservative viewpoint that there was once a time of moral rectitude; Major wrote that "life has never been as simple as that". [116][117], Following the 1987 general election, in which Major retained his seat with an increased majority,[118][119] he was promoted to the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, making him the first MP of the 1979 intake to reach the Cabinet. [228][229] Major himself served as shadow foreign secretary (having served as foreign secretary for three months in 1989) and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, and the office of Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland was left vacant until after the 2001 general election as the party no longer had any Scottish MPs. [129][130], In 19871988 it became clear that Major had become a 'favourite' of Margaret Thatcher and he was widely tipped for further promotion. [205][206][207] At 47, he was the youngest prime minister since Lord Rosebery some 95 years earlier. Membership of the Order of the Garter is limited in number to 24, and as a personal gift of the Monarch is an honour traditionally bestowed on former prime ministers. [236], Like some post-war former prime ministers (such as Edward Heath), Major turned down a peerage when he retired from the House of Commons in 2001. [21][22] Major left school just before his 16th birthday in 1959 with just three O-level passes in History, English Language and English Literature, to his parents' disappointment. Industry 4.0 and the future of work: How to prepare for the digital age, Brian Mooney: Creation of technological universities brings risks as well as benefits, Ammi Burke returns to High Court for hearing on claim of unfair dismissal from law firm, Prize bonds - could it be you? It shouldn't be used for commercial use which includes advertising, marketing, promotion, packaging, advertorials, and consumer or merchandising products. Having left school a day before turning sixteen, Major joined the Young Conservatives in 1959, and soon became a highly active member. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF. 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". It is believed the newly-weds agreed exclusive rights to film inside the church and reception with Hello! Elizabeth Major was present in court for the hearing. [34] After Major became prime minister, it was misreported that his failure to get a job as a bus conductor resulted from his failing to pass a maths test; he had in fact passed all of the necessary tests but had been passed over owing to his height. [59][60] Despite the Lambeth housing team being well-regarded nationally, Major lost his seat in the 1971 Lambeth London Borough Council election. [302], Writing shortly after he left office, the historian and journalist Paul Johnson wrote that Major was "a hopeless leader" who "should never have been Prime Minister". [257][249][347] As with all former prime ministers, Major is entitled to round-the-clock police protection.[348][349]. His heart did not beat at a regular pace and kept slowing down so much that on occasions it stopped, causing him to collapse. Two plaques commemorating John Major in South London. [88][89] He became Secretary of the Environment Committee and also assisted with work on the Housing Act 1980, which allowed council house tenants the Right to Buy their homes. [354] The marriage ended in an acrimonious divorce in 2003, with Noble accusing Major of "unreasonable behaviour". Open your image file to the full size using image processing software. Tom Major had planned to move the family to. He formed a temporary Shadow Cabinet, and Major himself served as shadow foreign secretary and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence. [396], There is a 'Heritage in Sutton' plaque on St Helier Hospital, where John Major was born in 1943,[397] and a plaque commemorating him in Archbishop's Park next to Lambeth Palace, included as part of the Lambeth Millennium Pathway. [110][111] Major began to gain a bigger profile, giving his first speech at the Conservative Party Conference in October 1986. The meeting was dominated by the issue of sanctions on South Africa, with Britain being the only country to oppose them, on the grounds that they would end up hurting poorer South Africans far more than the apartheid regime at which they were aimed. But I'm receiving treatment for it with a curative intent. It was not enough. Major was later to learn that the flat was in fact owned by his half-brother Tom Moss. BBC News | UK | John Major's daughter weds John and Norma Major, who have already endured a string of health scares with their son James, were away on holiday and unavailable to comment. There are also various plaques commemorating facilities opened by John Major: at Brampton Memorial Centre, Brampton (opened 1988),[398] Hamerton Zoo Park, Hamerton (1990),[399] Cadbury World, Birmingham (1991),[400] a tree commemorating the restoration of the River Mill pub, Eaton Socon,[401] the gardens at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon (2009),[402] the North Terminal extension at Gatwick Airport (2011),[403] Huntingdonshire Football Association headquarters, Huntingdon (2015),[404] and Alconbury Weald cricket pitch (2019). [293] In July 2022, immediately following Johnson's announcement he intended to resign as prime minister but would stay until a successor was chosen, Major called for Johnson's immediate replacement and removal "for the overall wellbeing of the country. They met on polling day for the Greater London Council elections in London, and became engaged after only ten days. [376], On 20 June 2008, Major was granted the Freedom of the City of Cork. To the surprise of many pollsters, the Conservatives won a majority, with 336 seats, and earning 41.9% of the vote. Copyright 02/05/2023 Alamy Ltd. All rights reserved. [245] In 2005 he was elected to the Committee of the Marylebone Cricket Club, historically the governing body of the sport, and still guardian of the laws of the game. Dame Norma Christina Elizabeth, Lady Major, DBE [1] (ne Wagstaff, formerly Johnson; born 12 February 1942) is an English philanthropist who is the wife of Sir John Major. John Major's son-in-law is fighting an inoperable form of brain cancer which is so rare it went undiagnosed for at least six months. [355] James later married Kate Postlethwaite (ne Dorrell), the mother of his second son. Following Thatcher's resignation in 1990, after a challenge was launched to her leadership, Major stood in the 1990 Conservative Party leadership election to replace her and emerged victorious, becoming prime minister. It will hurt most those who have least. She was three months' pregnant with a fourth child whose father was William Cameron. The news of Mr Salter's tumour comes three months after his wife's brother James Major, 27, suffered a meningitis scare and a burst appendix. [268][269] Commentators were quick to refer to Major's previous 'Back to Basics' platform to throw charges of hypocrisy at him. But maybe Campbell has a point on the press", "Not Inconsiderable: Being the Life and Times of John Major", "Rory Bremner's impression of John Major was so good, there were fears he could 'bring down the government', "Cabinet secretary 'voiced security fears' over Rory Bremner's impersonation of John Major", "Mr Major's Speech to Conservative Group for Europe", "John Major's Contributions in the 'The Major Years' 15 October 1999", "Historical British Prime Ministers On Screen", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCGuciAmOY4`, "John Major dismisses The Crown as a 'barrel-load of nonsense', "Take a video tour of 1992 Brixton with John Major", "Protection bill for John Major rises to 1.5m", "Tony Blair police protection costs under scrutiny", "Noble Vs Major: Sir John and Lady Major deny claims they are ignoring their autistic grandchild", "Major steals the show with 'secret siblings', "Major and Thatcher: how they are related: So it really is in the genes. [27] In 1956 Major met local MP Marcus Lipton at a local church fair and was invited to watch his first debate in the House of Commons, where Harold Macmillan presented his only Budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer. 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. He is married to Norma Major; the two share a son and daughter. [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. [114][115] Amidst intense media criticism, Major discussed the issue with Margaret Thatcher and an increase in the payments was approved. [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. Polly Cooper 96 episodes, . 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. Pay less and get more with our Packs. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options await you. The additional bitterness on the right wing of the Conservative Party at the manner in which Margaret Thatcher had been deposed did not make Major's task any easier, with many viewing him as a weak and vacillating leader. Tap into Getty Images global-scale, data-driven insights and network of over 340,000creators to create content exclusively for your brand.
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