John Major

John Major
Name	John Major
Caption	Official portrait, c. 1990s
Office	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Term start	28 November 1990
Term end	2 May 1997
Predecessor	Margaret Thatcher
Successor	Tony Blair
Office2	Leader of the Conservative Party
Term start2	28 November 1990
Term end2	19 June 1997
Predecessor2	Margaret Thatcher
Successor2	William Hague
Birth name	John Major
Birth date	29 March 1943
Birth place	St Helier, Surrey, England
Party	Conservative
Spouse	Norma Johnson, 1970
Alma mater	Rutlish School

John Major. He served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, succeeding Margaret Thatcher after her resignation. His premiership oversaw the United Kingdom's exit from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, the negotiation of the Maastricht Treaty, and the beginning of the Northern Ireland peace process. Defeated by Tony Blair's Labour Party in a landslide election, his tenure marked the end of 18 years of Conservative government.

Early life and education

Born in 1943 in St Helier, Surrey, his family experienced periods of financial difficulty, living for a time in Brixton. He was educated at Rutlish School, a state grammar school in Merton, leaving at age 16 with three O-Levels. After a series of clerical jobs, including a period with the London Electricity Board, he began a career in banking with the Standard Chartered Bank. His early political involvement came through the Conservative Party in Lambeth, where he stood unsuccessfully for the Lambeth London Borough Council in 1968.

Political career before becoming Prime Minister

After an unsuccessful parliamentary candidacy in St Pancras North in 1974, he was elected as the MP for Huntingdonshire in 1979. He rose rapidly through the government ranks under Margaret Thatcher, serving as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Energy before joining the Whips' Office. He held ministerial positions including Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security, Minister of State for Social Security, and Chief Secretary to the Treasury. In 1989, he was appointed Foreign Secretary in a surprise reshuffle, serving only three months before becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer, a role in which he oversaw the United Kingdom's entry into the European Exchange Rate Mechanism.

Premiership (1990–1997)

Following Margaret Thatcher's resignation, he won the Conservative leadership election. His government signed the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, but its ratification in Parliament provoked severe divisions within the Conservative Party and led to rebellions by the Maastricht Rebels. In September 1992, the Black Wednesday currency crisis forced the Pound sterling's exit from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. Domestically, he launched the Citizen's Charter initiative and privatized British Rail. In Northern Ireland, his government commenced secret talks with the IRA and Sinn Féin, leading to the 1993 Downing Street Declaration and a ceasefire. His administration was weakened by economic recession and allegations of sleaze, culminating in a historic defeat in the 1997 United Kingdom general election to Tony Blair.

Post-premiership (1997–present)

After stepping down as Conservative leader, he remained the MP for Huntingdon until 2001. He has been an active member of the House of Lords since being created a life peer as Baron Major of Huntingdon in 2005. He has served in various business roles, including as Chairman of the Carlyle Group's European advisory board, and published his autobiography, *John Major: The Autobiography*, in 1999. He has been a periodic critic of subsequent Conservative leadership, notably opposing a hard Brexit and criticizing the policies of Boris Johnson.

Political views and legacy

A self-described One-Nation Conservative, his politics were often seen as more centrist than his predecessor's. His legacy is deeply intertwined with European Union policy, defined by the turmoil of Black Wednesday and the bitter parliamentary battles over the Maastricht Treaty. He is credited with laying essential groundwork for the Good Friday Agreement through his patient diplomacy in Northern Ireland. Historians often view his premiership as a transitional period between the Thatcherism of the 1980s and the New Labour era, managing a fractured party through a difficult economic and political climate.

Personal life

He married Norma Johnson in 1970; she later became a noted patron of the arts and served as a Lady of the Garter. They have two children, James Major and Elizabeth Major. A devoted cricket fan, he served as President of the Surrey County Cricket Club and is a lifelong supporter of Chelsea F.C.. His interests include reading, particularly historical biographies, and listening to Gilbert and Sullivan operas. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in 1999 and a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter in 2005.

Category:Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom Category:Leaders of the Conservative Party (UK) Category:Chancellors of the Exchequer Category:1943 births Category:Living people