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John Major is the one who replaced Margaret Thatcher. John Major: biography Prime Minister of Great Britain John Major was the successor

Personal profile
John Major - British Prime Minister
At one of the receptions (hosted by the International Monetary Fund in Washington)
British Prime Minister John Major allowed the famous
palmist Letitia Palmer to read his hand. Looking at
the palm of the leader of the British Tories, the American Cassandra could not hide
surprise: “Outwardly you look calm and peaceful, but you are tormented
contradictions. Danger and trials inspire you, you revel in the struggle,
and competition is the source of your inspiration." Then Major only
smiled condescendingly, but, according to people close to him, then more than once
recalled this episode, repeating: “And how does she know what kind of
character..."

About difficult childhood and vicissitudes of fate
John Major was born on March 29, 1943 in Merton (a suburb of London) into a family
former circus performer. Family head Abram Thomas Major-Bell
Major-Bell), leaving the arena no longer young, earned money by manufacturing and
selling Yuletide elves. But he did not turn out to be a businessman: accumulated
with great difficulty, Abram used the money extremely imprudently, investing
them into an obviously hopeless case. When it went bankrupt, the family was forced
leave the small house in Merton and move to a two-bedroom apartment in
poor London neighborhood of Brixton. John did not know his father's care, for he was
a very late child: when he was born, his father was already over 67 years old;
three years after John was born, he became blind and had to be taken care of
to the baby, who often accompanied him on walks as a guide.
John was the fourth child in the family. The Majors' first son, Frank, died in
early childhood. John's sister Pam and brother Terry are still alive today, but they
fates can hardly be called happy - Terry, for example, at the time of his election
his younger brother, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, was unemployed. Pam
I also never had enough stars from the sky.
John studied at a public school in Brixton with his children
railway workers and the unemployed. This school could not be called
brilliant from the point of view of the knowledge it provides, which, however, did not prevent Major
feel quite comfortable there - a person is naturally cheerful and
communicative. He also turned out to be a good athlete: during his time at school he
became famous as the best cricketer in the area.
However, at the age of 16, John left school - he needed to earn money. My
he began his working life in one of the banking companies in the City, but the service
there did not last long, because, in his words, among the “starched and
prim clerks" he felt uncomfortable. After long ordeals
offices and labor exchanges, he finally got a job as a laborer, and then
mason at a construction site. And only just managed to somehow correct his
financial situation, how the company went bankrupt, and Major was fired. This is where
he had a chance to experience first-hand the burden of economic problems.
(Then he could not know that with the same problems - but on a different level - he
will have to work in a different capacity and that he will be responsible for the fate of those
with whom I once jostled at the window at the employment office.)
The unemployed man was 19 years old, and his love of life was enough for all nine months
forced idleness. In the morning - job search, regular visits to the stock exchange
labor, and in the evening - a movie. Romantic Hollywood films of the post-war era
with a constant happy ending formed a rather rosy picture for him
peace. Therefore, when in real life a place in management suddenly became vacant
according to energy supply, John lasted there for less than a month, cruel
disappointed in how far routine everyday life is from the fairy tale on screen.
Life, however, took its toll, and Major had to get a job as a bus driver.
conductor. And again he was destined to fail: the future minister
Finance was unable to pass the exam required to hold the position of conductor
in math and lost my job.
After pushing around like this for about two years, John settled at Standard Chartered at the age of 22
Bank and even received an appointment to Nigeria as its official
representative And again he was unlucky: he got into a car accident, after
which I was able to get back on my feet (literally) only a year later. So he
celebrated my 23rd birthday: behind me - futile searches and tossing,
There was almost no prospect ahead. However, this is "almost"
sometimes it means a lot in life.

Career started at 23
Perseverance took over. John returned to the bank and began to study in earnest
The banking profession somehow attracted his restless nature. This time it
the efforts were not in vain, and the career suddenly began to develop
Hollywood scenario: the executive clerk was noticed by the Minister of Finance
Anthony Barber. The major pleasantly surprised him with a rare
intelligence and sociability. Taking a closer look at the clerk,
the minister also noticed one more quality - “photographic memory and amazing
ability to digest information." Moreover, John, from a young age,
despite his humble origins, he showed sincere sympathy for
Conservative Party. All this turned him around in a way unexpected for Major.
fate. The direction of the bank clerk's career was set - Major went
"along the political line."
At the bank he received the position of head of the press service, in which he was able
establish good connections with venerable journalists, who then more than once
provided him with the necessary services. At the same time, Major was elected chairman
Bristol branch of the Conservative Party, after which, much to the surprise of
those around him, took the risk of immediately putting forward his candidacy for the elections in
municipality. And he won. The taste of victory was sweet, and John already
runs for parliament. Here, however, there was a delay. Only in 1979,
on the third attempt, when the Tory party was first led into battle by the “Iron Lady” -
Margaret Thatcher - John Major became a member of the House
communities from Huntington.
True, at first Thatcher did not single out the young and ambitious parliamentarian
among other "conservative backbenchers". His benefit before
Prime Minister took place a little later, and it happened in the best
theatrical traditions, when instead of a sick actor they are released on stage
unknown. During the bombing of a Brighton hotel where a conference was being held
Conservative Party, its chief parliamentary organizer, John, was wounded
Waham (John Waham), and Major began to temporarily perform his duties.
It was then that he was invited to dinner with Thatcher. Major passed his “exam”
with brilliance: he was courteous enough and knowledgeable enough, quite
tactful and independent enough to express his own opinions.
Relations between the two conservatives quickly went uphill. In 1988 the Majors were
the only family honored to attend the celebration
Thatcher's Christmas at her country residence, Checkers. Until then, by will
Prime Minister Major was appointed Chief Secretary of the Ministry
finance and was thus introduced into the government cabinet.
He was very successful in his new position, managing to maintain good relations with
by all members of the cabinet. Subsequent events shocked not only parliament,
but also Major himself. Thatcher offered him the post of head of the Foreign Office.
However, before he could recover from the shock, Major found himself back in the ministry
finance, now, however, as its head. According to Major himself
newspaper Observer, the position of head of the Foreign office was not to his liking:
"The Minister of Foreign Affairs is developing concepts, and the Minister of Finance
- facts and figures. As for me, I really feel better with
facts and figures."

Thatcher's legacy
She became an idol in Russia, the founder of a whole fashion trend - business
costumes a la Thatcher, immediately adopted by the “Kremlin ladies” -
"Iron Margaret" had a reputation among the British similar to that of
Gorbachev in her homeland: good for foreigners and not too accommodating
compatriots. According to one estimate, England experienced a revolution under Thatcher.
entrepreneurship and government regulation. On the other side,
financial and especially tax policy have become the main focus of
criticism of opponents. True, the name of John Major in parliamentary disputes
rarely bowed. Was Thatcher herself trying to protect her from attacks?
protégé, or the opposition had a grudge against other members of the cabinet - it remains
a mystery.
It remains a mystery whether Thatcher’s resignation was voluntary or, as they wrote
some London newspapers, "the result of a conspiracy", although most likely the proud
Margaret heeded the delicate hints of her party comrades not to take risks and “leave
"worthy": lobbyist attacks did not bode well.
In 1990, she surrendered her powers not only in the government, which
led for almost ten years, but also lost leadership positions in the party,
who nominated her to the highest post of executive power. The decision was not easy
but the “iron lady” retained her dignity to the end. She already had an appointment
successor, and within 24 hours all Tory leaders were notified of her decision:
"Only Major." 47-year-old John Major himself is first about success and not
thought. He followed events from the sidelines, preferring not to even show himself
in public. During the voting, he was two votes short of being elected (185), but he
rivals, not wanting to cause confusion in the party ranks, like gentlemen, removed
their candidacies. However, there were also stubborn people who fought to the end
Thatcher's "successor". The London newspaper THE INDEPENDENT, for example,
published somewhere Thatcher’s overheard (or someone made up) phrase about
that she would like to play a leading role in the party and government cabinet,
“even if sitting in the back seat,” and supposedly Major is the most convenient for
performing such a role is a figure.

"Your own head"
The reason for the success of John Major, who always preferred to remain in the shadow
was thoroughly discussed in London newspapers. Many observers were inclined to
thoughts that it’s not even about political intrigues or machinations, but about character
the prime minister himself. Unlike their rivals, who spent their youth in
walls of Oxford and Cambridge, Major has every reason to say that he
knows his people firsthand. Therefore, those who have long ceased to judge the authorities
the propertied, from the standpoint of some mythical “good old England,” the British immediately
accepted him as one of their own. At the same time, Major managed to maintain good relations with
political elite. The press attributes to him the political sympathies of himself
of various persuasions - from left to ultra-right. But the prime minister himself reacts to these
disputes indifferently, noting that he is a “liberal-minded person”, “practical
politician" and not at all "a moral philosopher in the manner of Adam Smith."
Were Margaret Thatcher's hopes for the role of "Cardinal Richelieu" in the cabinet justified?
Major is not a simple question. The answer will most likely be
negative. Major retained the kindest feelings towards Thatcher, and in number
only Mikhail Gorbachev can compete with him in compliments addressed to her. But
the days of apprenticeship were over, and the prime minister managed to feel not only a taste for
big politics, but also self-confidence. Now he says more and more often: “I
- your own head."
He proved this during the parliamentary elections in April 1992, when
brilliantly defended the right to remain in the Downing Street mansion for another five years,
having escaped the label of "Margaret Thatcher's heir". For the Tories who received
The House of Commons of Parliament has 336 seats, more than 14 million voters voted.
Now the ruling party has a majority of 21 seats in parliament, which,
True, it’s less than Thatcher’s team managed to get, but it’s quite enough,
to feel calm. On "Blue Friday", as they called it after the color
Tory flag election day British journalists drinking champagne on Downing Street
flowed like a river, and only the Prime Minister remained equanimous. Having tasted your beloved
eggs and bacon, he allowed himself to relax for a couple of hours, and then again
got to work. The reaction of the business circles of the City of London was extraordinary
stormy. Share prices of the 100 largest companies jumped by 136.2 points, and their
total value increased by £27 billion - visual
evidence of trust in government.
Having received voter support, the Prime Minister immediately carried out a reorganization
cabinet, introducing four new ministers into it. Commenting on the reshuffles,
London's TODAY noted that Major wanted to unite the Conservative party,
in which there were strong disagreements between supporters of “hard Thatcherism” and
adherents of "national harmony", between "Europeans" and
"Eurosceptics". Thanking those who faithfully served him in the election campaign
Norman Lamont and John Selvin Hammer
portfolios of the Ministers of Finance and Agriculture respectively, Major
retained the "economic" ministries for representatives of the right wing
parties. “Social” departments were tactfully handed over to representatives of moderates.
In his opinion, the toughness of the "right" is good for monetary policy, but
inappropriate in matters directly affecting the consumer basket
British. Well, this combination of liberals and conservatives is quite in the spirit
modern politics - and not only in Great Britain.
Pragmatism did not change Major’s approach to the national issue,
becoming more and more delicate for Foggy Albion, suffering from
influx of immigrants. He appointed an extremely peace-loving Minister of Defense
intellectual - Scotsman Malcolm Rifkind, believing that
the population of this province will support the minister, and separatist sentiments in
Scotland will not harm London's established practice of deploying nuclear submarines
off its shores.
National problems, meanwhile, remain a target for criticism
Prime Minister in Parliament and the cause of riots and terrorist attacks
on the streets of London. Last October, outside his Downing Street residence
a bomb was detonated. By luck, Major wasn't there.
The terrorist turned out to be a soldier of the Irish Republican Army (The Irish
Republican Army), fighting for the secession of Northern Ireland.

Scandals are not for Major
Throughout his political career, John Major successfully maintained the image
a bit of a dry and busy politician. Humble former clerk
The baggy suit is still a dark horse for reporters. AND
despite all the efforts of lovers of “fried facts”, his biography does not last long
managed to find anything that could cause a scandal. Eager for
scandals, the newspaper men had already completely given up. All they had to do was write
about Major's 50-year-old wife Norma, who prefers most
spend time in the family suburban home rather than in a residence on
Downing Street, where her husband is engaged in government affairs from morning to night.
But at the end of January, as soon as the passions around the affair with
married lady of the heir to the throne, Charles, who has not yet dissolved his marriage with
Princess Diana, the British were given a new sensation. Hero-lover
publications in NEW STATESMAN, SOCIETY and SCALLYWAG were made by a 49-year-old father of two
adult children John Major. The Prime Minister himself learned about this while on a visit to
India. Unlike Prince Charles, who gave up in front of journalists, Major
showed his inherent firmness and loyalty to the protected image. Upon return
he immediately ordered his lawyers to sue the gossip publishers
to court. The lawsuit was brought against two magazines - the left-wing weekly NEW STATESMAN
and the satirical publication SCALLYWAG, although those who want to warm their hands to the sensation
there was much more: the article was published by almost all major London newspapers,
including THE TIMES.
Representatives of the Prime Minister's press service stood up to defend their honor and dignity
their patron, did not deny that Major “is actually familiar with the one mentioned in
article by Mrs. X.", but assured that "the allegations of the existence between them
love affair are unfounded." As for public opinion, then
even among Major's opponents - in the Labor wing of parliament - they think
this story is nothing more than a rumor and is classified as “exclusively personal”
prime minister's affairs. One way or another, Major got another opportunity to write
his name in British history: he became the fourth English Prime Minister in this
century, who is suing the press. And here his name is on a par with the most
elected: Harold Wilson, Winston Churchill
Churchill) and David Lloyd-George.
Perhaps something else should be noted here: Major represents the
a rare type of politician to whom scandalous fame does not stick. He stays in
in the eyes of the British the way he decided to be for himself. And despite
scandal, problems of unemployment and budget deficit, the British did not lose
confidence in the prime minister: 51% believe that he will be able to overcome inflation, 61% -
that he is properly protecting Britain's international interests (although Major
and did not have such convincing arguments in favor of this as his
predecessor, who defended the Falkland Islands). He kept the close and
equal partnership with the USA. Relations with continental Europe are not going well
so cloudless, but the fact that the British Prime Minister is speaking there at
first roles, the fact is obvious.
As for Russia, John Major managed to show
greater insight than Margaret Thatcher: in the days of the August putsch
1991, when the “iron lady” raised the world community to its feet for
rescue from captivity of the "Foros prisoner", Major was the first of the European
leaders who contacted Boris Yeltsin by phone and supported him
morally.
It is too early to sum up John Major's political career. Occupy a chair
he will have to become prime minister until 1997 (unless something suddenly happens
early parliamentary elections), and world events do not give politicians
an opportunity to relax and take a breath. There is daily routine work going on.
The former clerk is no stranger to it, and he performs spectacular tricks (although
is the son of a circus performer) does not like.

NATALIA Kommersant-KALASHNIKOVA

Birth:March 29 ( 1943-03-29 ) (67 years old)
Carshalton Awards:

Beginning of a political career

Born in London in the family of a former circus performer, who later became a theater manager. He worked in the banking industry for about two decades. In 1979 he was elected a member of the British Parliament from the Conservative Party.

John Major was interested in politics from a young age. On the advice of his comrade Derek Stone, a member of the Conservative Party, he began making speeches at a makeshift platform in Brixton market. That year, at the age of 21, he ran for the Lambert Borough Council and was unexpectedly elected. On the council, he was vice-chairman of the building committee. However, in the year, despite the fact that John moved to another constituency where the Conservatives were more popular, he lost the election and lost his seat on the council.

Major was an active member of the Conservative Party's youth wing. According to his biographer Anthony Seldon, he attracted large numbers of young people in Brixton to the Conservative Party. Seldon also writes that he was greatly influenced by Jean Kierens, who was 13 years older than him and became his teacher and then lover. Communication with her prepared John for a political career and led to him becoming more ambitious and at the same time learning to present himself more competently. Their relationship continued for years.

Work in parliament and government

During Major's first year in office, the world economy experienced a recession, the first signs of which were already visible during the reign of Margaret Thatcher. The UK economy was also not in a better position because of this. It was therefore expected that in the general election of the year the Conservative Party, led by Major, would most likely lose to the Labor Party, led by Neil Kinnock. However, Major did not agree with this and began to campaign in a "street" style, speaking to voters in the spirit of his previous speeches in Lambert County. Major's flamboyant performance contrasted with Kinnock's smoother campaign and attracted voter sympathy. The Conservative Party won the election, although with a fragile parliamentary majority of 21 seats [ source not specified 222 days], and Major became Prime Minister for the second time.

Just 5 months after the start of Major’s second term as prime minister, a financial crisis erupted, which went down in history as “Black Wednesday”. The crisis was provoked by currency speculators (the most famous of whom was George Soros), who played on contradictions in the European monetary system and caused a sharp fall in the value of the British pound. The UK government was forced to devalue the pound and leave the European Monetary System (ERM). Major admitted that he came very close to resigning during the days of the crisis, and even wrote a letter asking for his resignation addressed to the Queen, although he never sent it. On the other hand, the government's finance minister, Norman Lamont (28 November 1990 - 27 May 1993), said that Major was calm these days. Despite this, in his autobiography Lamont consistently criticizes Major for his failure to make a clear decision and his refusal to withdraw the pound from the European monetary system at the very beginning of the crisis. According to Lamont, because of this, billions of pounds were wasted in fruitless attempts to keep the pound within the required limits, although it was already clear that this would most likely not be possible.

For 7 months after Black Wednesday, Major kept the composition of his government unchanged, but then, based on political expediency, offered Lamont (who had become extremely unpopular) another government post (Minister of the Environment). Offended, Lamont resigned, and the key post of Chancellor of the Exchequer was taken by a political heavyweight - Kenneth Clarke. The prolonged pause amid the ongoing crisis was perceived by observers as the prime minister's inability to make decisions, and Major's popularity fell even further.

After the forced withdrawal of Great Britain from the European monetary system, the British economy recovered at a fairly rapid pace. This was facilitated by a flexible economic policy with a floating exchange rate and low refinancing rates, and also because the fall in the value of the pound increased the attractiveness of British goods abroad, and exports rose sharply.

Sources

1. Major, J. John Major: The Autobiography / J. Major. – N-Y.: HarperCollins, 1999. – 800 pp.2. Major, J. Monarchy units our nation as a president never could / J. Major // The Daily Telegraph. – 2002. - May 17. 3. Major, J. More Than a Game: The Story of Cricket's Early Years / J. Major. – L.: HarperCollins, 2008. – 400 pp. 4. Major, J. The Erosion of Parliamentary Government / J. Major. - L.: Center for Political Studies, 2003. - 25 pp. 5. Major, J. Vote labor - if you want to be ruled by lies / J. Major // The Spectator. – 2001. - April 7.

Literature about John Major

Anderson B. John Major: The Making of the Prime Minister / B. Anderson. - L.: Fourth Estate Classic House, 1992. - 352 pp.
Bonefeld W. A Major crisis? The politics of economic policy in Britain in the 1990s / W. Bonefeld, A. Brown, P. Burnham. - Aldershot: Dartmouth, 1995. - 240 pp.
Foley M. John Major, Tony Blair and a conflict of leadership: Collision course / M. Foley. - Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2002. - 212 pp.
Holmes M. John Major and Europe. The Failure a Policy 1990-1997: The Bruges Group; Occasional Paper No. 28 / M. Holmes. - L.: The Bruges Group, 1997. - 30 pp.
Junior P. Major Enigma / P. Junor. - L.: Michael Joseph Ltd, 1993. - 323 pp.
Major premiership. Politics and Policies under John Major / Ed.: P. Dorey - L.: Macmillan, 1999. - 296 pp.
Reitan E. A. The Thatcher revolution: Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair, and the transformation of Modern Britain, 1979-2001 / E. A. Reitan. - Lanham: Rowman & Littlefiled, 2003. - 352 pp.
Seldon A. Major. A political life / A. Seldon. - L.: Phoenix, 1998. - 876 pp.
Taylor R. Major / R. Taylor. - L.: Haus Publishing Ltd, 2006. - 176 pp.
The Major Effect / Ed.: D. Kavanagh, A. Seldon - L.: Macmillan, 1994. - 288 pp.
Williams H. Guilty Men. Conservative decline and fall 1992-1997 / H. Williams. - L.: Aurum Press, 1998. - 280 pp.
Wyn Ellis N. John Major / N. Wyn Ellis. - L.: Time Warner Paperbacks, 1991. - 288 pp.
Great Britain: the era of reform [Text] / Ed. Al. A. Gromyko; RAS. Institute of Europe. - M.: Publishing House "The Whole World", 2007. - 536 p.
Voronkov V. John Major [Text] / V. Voronkov // Echo of the Planet. - 1993. - No. 11. - P. 16-17.
Gromyko A. A. General elections in Great Britain [Text] / A. A. Gromyko // Nezavisimaya Gazeta. - 1997. - April 30.
Gromyko A. A. Political reformism in Great Britain (1970-1990) [Text] / A. A. Gromyko. - M.: XXI century - Consent, 2001. - 268 p.
Zhorov E. A. Anti-inflationary policy of the government of John Major in 1992-1997. and the problem of independence of the Bank of England [Text] / E. A. Zhorov // Bulletin of the Chelyabinsk State Pedagogical University. Science Magazine. - 2006. - No. 6.1. - pp. 146-155.
Zhorov E. A. John Major and the 1990 campaign for the election of the leader of the Conservative Party of Great Britain [Text] / E. A. Zhorov // Conference materials on the results of research work of graduate students and applicants of ChSPU for 2004 / Scientific. ed. V. V. Bazelyuk; Rep. per issue L. Yu. Nesterova. - Chelyabinsk: ChSPU Publishing House, 2005. - Part 1. - P. 121-125.
Zhorov E. A. The government of John Major and the new stage of modernization of the British economy (1990-1997): Abstract of the dissertation for the degree of candidate of historical sciences: 07.00.03. - Chelyabinsk, 2008. - 27 p.
Kapitonova N.K. John Major: successor or traitor of Thatcherism [Text] / N.K. Kapitonova // Observer. - 1999. - No. 1 (108).
Kapitonova N.K. Priorities of British foreign policy (1990-1997) [Text] / N.K. Kapitonova. - M.: ROSSPEN, 1999. - 144 p.
Moshes A. John Major [Text] / A. Moshes // Dialogue. - 1992. - No. 11 - 14. - P. 63 - 66.
Peregudov S. P. Thatcher and Thatcherism [Text]: RAS, Institute of World Economy and International Relations / S. P. Peregudov. - M.: Nauka, 1996. - 300 p.
Popov, V. I. John Major [Text] / V. I. Popov // MEiMO. - 1991. - No. 7. - P. 109-119.
Khabibullin R.K. John Major and constitutional reform in Great Britain [Text] / R. K. Khabibullin // Personality in the political history of Europe and the USA / Ed.: I. D. Chigrin, R. L. Khabibullin, O. A. Naumenkov, A. B Tsfasman. - Ufa, 1997. - pp. 111-113.

Predecessor: Margaret Thatcher	Leader of the UK Conservative Party –	Successor: William Hague
Predecessor: Margaret Thatcher	Prime Minister of Great Britain –	Successor: Tony Blair

p·o·r Prime Ministers of Great Britain
XVIII century	Walpole Compton Pelham Pelham Halls Cavendish Pelham Halls Stuart Grenville Watson-Wentworth Pitt Sr. FitzRoy Lord North Watson-Wentworth Petty-Fitzmaurice Cavendish-Bentinck Pitt Jr.
19th century	Pitt the Younger Eddington Pitt the Younger Lord Grenville Cavendish-Bentinck Perceval

British politician, Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1990 to 1997.

John Major was interested in politics from a young age. On the advice of his comrade Derek Stone, a member of the Conservative Party, he began making speeches at a makeshift platform in Brixton market. In 1964, at the age of 21, he ran for the Lambert Borough Council and was unexpectedly elected. On the council, he was vice-chairman of the building committee. However, in 1971, despite moving to another constituency where the Conservatives were more popular, John lost the election and lost his seat on the council.

At the 1974 general election, Major stood for parliament in North St Pancras, where Labor had traditionally been strong, and failed to win. In November 1976 he was chosen as the Conservative candidate for Huntingdonshire, and was elected to Parliament at the next general election in 1979. He was then re-elected from the same district in 1987, 1992 and 1997, with a record margin of victory in 1992. Major no longer participated in the 2001 elections.

He has been parliamentary secretary since 1981, then the party's parliamentary organizer (assistant whip) since 1983. In 1985, Major became Deputy Minister for Social Affairs, and since 1986 - Minister in the same department. He then became deputy finance minister in 1987, and in 1989 he was unexpectedly appointed foreign minister, despite having no diplomatic experience. He stayed in this position for only three months, after which he moved to the post of Minister of Finance. In this position, he managed to present only one budget to parliament - in the spring of 1990.

In the fall of 1990, under the influence of the opposition Margaret Thatcher, re-election of the party leader was held in the Conservative Party. Thatcher lost in the first round and refused to participate in the second. Then Major decided to take part in the elections and won them. The next day, November 27, 1990, he was appointed prime minister.

Major took over as prime minister shortly before the Gulf War began. He played one of the key roles in this war. In particular, it was he who convinced American President George H. W. Bush to declare the territory of Iraqi Kurdistan a no-fly zone for Iraqi aviation. This helped protect Kurds and Shia Muslims from persecution by Saddam Hussein's regime.

During Major's first year in office, the world economy experienced a recession, the first signs of which had been visible during Margaret Thatcher's reign. The UK economy was also not in a better position because of this. It was therefore expected that in the 1992 general election the Conservative Party, led by Major, would most likely lose to the Labor Party, led by Neil Kinnock. However, Major did not agree with this and began to campaign in a "street" style, speaking to voters in the spirit of his previous speeches in Lambert County. Major's flamboyant performance contrasted with Kinnock's smoother campaign and attracted voter sympathy. The Conservative Party won the election, although with a fragile parliamentary majority of 21 seats, and Major became prime minister for a second time.

Just 5 months after the start of Major’s second term as prime minister, the financial crisis erupted, which went down in history as “Black Wednesday.” The crisis was provoked by currency speculators (the most famous of whom was George Soros), who played on contradictions in the European monetary system and caused a sharp fall in the value of the British pound. The UK government was forced to devalue the pound and leave the European Monetary System (ERM). Major admitted that he came very close to resigning during the days of the crisis, and even wrote a letter asking for his resignation addressed to the Queen, although he never sent it. On the other hand, the government's finance minister, Norman Lamont (28 November 1990 - 27 May 1993), said that Major was calm these days. Despite this, in his autobiography Lamont consistently criticizes Major for his failure to make a clear decision and his refusal to withdraw the pound from the European monetary system at the very beginning of the crisis. According to Lamont, because of this, billions of pounds were wasted in fruitless attempts to keep the pound within the required limits, although it was already clear that this would most likely not be possible.

After the forced withdrawal of Great Britain from the European monetary system, the British economy recovered at a fairly rapid pace. This was facilitated by a flexible economic policy with a floating exchange rate and low refinancing rates, as well as the fact that the fall in the value of the pound increased the attractiveness of British goods abroad, and exports grew sharply.

(born 1943) British politician

John Major was born into a working-class family and therefore began working immediately after leaving school. Then he was only sixteen years old. He worked as a bank employee until 1979, for almost two decades. During this time, he made a good career, becoming a famous banker. In 1979 he was elected to parliament. But this did not mean that Major entered the political elite.

After some time, the young politician was noticed by then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and helped him quickly move up the career ladder. As Thatcher later admitted, she led Major along her own path.

At first he dealt with the problems of social security and insurance, then in 1987-1989. heads the Treasury; in 1989, for a short time, Major was Minister of Foreign Affairs, and in 1989-1990, Minister of Finance.

When he took over the leadership of the Conservative Party in November 1990, he was seen as the direct successor

Thatcher. And indeed, the “iron lady” handed over her post to him.

After his appointment as Prime Minister, Major managed to soften Thatcher's harsh policies, abolishing the unpopular poll tax and taking a more conciliatory position towards the issue of European integration.

True, Major was quite consistent in the movement towards political and economic cooperation with Europe, begun by Thatcher. Like his predecessor, he established excellent relations with the United States and was one of the first to support their efforts to expel Iraq from Kuwait.

All these moves made him popular with voters, so in April 1992 it was Major who led the Conservatives to a difficult election victory.

In 1993, he managed to achieve ratification of the Maastricht Agreements between the countries of the European Community, overcoming stubborn resistance from the so-called Eurosceptics in his party.

In 1993-1994, by promising a referendum on the status of the provinces, Major's government sought to end the guerrilla crossfire in Northern Ireland between rival Catholic and Protestant paramilitary groups. Thus, the long-term and bloody conflict in the region was stopped.

Like a typical Englishman, Major sought to speak out on any issue, believing that they were all equally important. Therefore, in the press one could simultaneously find his opinion on the upcoming elections and thoughts on the state of the environment.

Usually, their wives, the first ladies of the country, are of no less interest than the politicians themselves. At one time, Norma Major taught needlework and home economics at the College of Home Economics in Battersea. While her husband was pursuing a political career, she was equally persistent in maintaining the home.

However, before John Major's new election campaign, 54-year-old Norma began to appear more often with her husband at various receptions and events, although she did not do this as actively and willingly as Hilary Clinton. Norma Major is not a fan of public speaking.

At the same time, she cannot be considered either a “mother hen” or a “blue stocking.” She raised two children and wrote two critically acclaimed books. One of them is dedicated to the biography of opera singer Joan Sutherland, and the second to the history of Checkers, the official country residence of the British Prime Minister.

In June 1995, Major unexpectedly resigned as head of the party. With this step, he seemed to predetermine the outcome of the vote, starting the election campaign at a time when his rivals were not ready for it. With his short-term resignation, he simultaneously hoped to put an end to the criticism that had been leveled against him within the Conservative Party. Nevertheless, the decline in the Conservatives' popularity continued steadily, and at the general parliamentary elections on May 1, 1997, Major's party was literally crushed by Labor, and their young leader Tony Blair became the new prime minister.

After the Conservatives suffered a crushing defeat in the 1997 elections, Major was replaced as Prime Minister by Labour's Tony Blair and William Hague as Conservative leader.

Beginning of a political career

John Major was interested in politics from a young age. On the advice of his comrade Derek Stone, a member of the Conservative Party, he began making speeches at a makeshift platform in Brixton market. In 1964, at the age of 21, he ran for the Lambert Borough Council and was unexpectedly elected. On the council, he was vice-chairman of the building committee. However, in 1971, despite moving to another constituency where the Conservatives were more popular, John lost the election and lost his seat on the council.

Work in parliament and government

He has been parliamentary secretary since 1981, then the party's parliamentary organizer (assistant whip) since 1983. In 1985, Major became Deputy Minister for Social Affairs, and since 1986 - Minister in the same department. He then became deputy finance minister in 1987 and was unexpectedly appointed foreign minister in 1989, despite having no diplomatic experience. He stayed in this position for only three months, after which he moved to the post of Minister of Finance. In this position, he managed to present only one budget to parliament - in the spring of 1990.

In the fall of 1990, under the influence of the opposition Margaret Thatcher, re-election of the party leader was held in the Conservative Party. Thatcher won the first round, but fearing a split in the party, she decided not to participate in the second. Then Major decided to take part in the elections and won them. The next day, November 27, 1990, he was appointed prime minister.

As Prime Minister

In the first year of Major's reign, the world economy experienced a recession, the first signs of which were visible during the reign of Margaret Thatcher. The UK economy was also not in a better position because of this. It was therefore expected that in the 1992 general election the Conservative Party, led by Major, would most likely lose to the Labor Party, led by Neil Kinnock. However, Major did not agree with this and began to campaign in a "street" style, speaking to voters in the spirit of his previous speeches in Lambert County. Major's flamboyant performance contrasted with Kinnock's smoother campaign and attracted voter sympathy. The Conservative Party won the election, although with a fragile parliamentary majority of 21 seats, and Major became prime minister for a second time.

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John Major is the one who replaced Margaret Thatcher. John Major: biography Prime Minister of Great Britain John Major was the successor

Beginning of a political career

Work in parliament and government

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Literature about John Major

Beginning of a political career

Work in parliament and government

As Prime Minister

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