How do you rate John Majors tenure as PM?

[CFC]

With the benefit of hindsight it was a damn good 7 years: stable and strong economy, good progress made with the Irish peace process, no deeply divisive social issues such as the miners strike or poll tax, no wars and a PM who was a pretty decent chap all told, certainly not polarising like Thatcher or Blair.

I look upon his tenure with great fondness and Ive never voted Tory in my life! Whats your take on it?

[lapsedhibee]

With the benefit of hindsight it was a damn good 7 years: stable and strong economy, good progress made with the Irish peace process, no deeply divisive social issues such as the miners strike or poll tax, no wars and a PM who was a pretty decent chap all told, certainly not polarising like Thatcher or Blair.

I look upon his tenure with great fondness and Ive never voted Tory in my life! Whats your take on it?

Wasn't it his government that banged on about family values - while he was porking Edwina Currie?

[CFC]

Pretty trifling in the wider scheme of things though dont you think?

[Future17]

Wasn't it his government that banged on about family values - while he was porking Edwina Currie?


Pretty trifling in the wider scheme of things though dont you think?

Porking, Currie, trifling - all this chat is making me hungry.

[lapsedhibee]

Pretty trifling in the wider scheme of things though dont you think?

The porking perhaps, but not sure that hypocrisy is trifling.

[greenlex]

Who?

[steakbake]

There was the ERM debacle, black wednesday and all that sort of stuff.

Unremarkable is how I would put it. I think though that while the right wing of the Tory party are very alien to me in their views, one of the legacies of that time is the impact of the euro-skeptics. They kept the UK out of the Euro which, with hindsight, was probably one of the better decisions a UK government has made in the last couple of decades.

[LancashireHibby]

Given the relative euphoria that greeted Labour's election win in 1997 (who'd have thunk it now?!), that to me suggests all wasn't great with Major's government, at least in it's latter years. Bit too young to remember in all honesty, though I did take some note of politics shortly before the election.

[hibbytam]

There was the ERM debacle, black wednesday and all that sort of stuff.

Unremarkable is how I would put it. I think though that while the right wing of the Tory party are very alien to me in their views, one of the legacies of that time is the impact of the euro-skeptics. They kept the UK out of the Euro which, with hindsight, was probably one of the better decisions a UK government has made in the last couple of decades.

I thought that keeping out of the euro was a Blair/Brown choice?

[steakbake]

I thought that keeping out of the euro was a Blair/Brown choice?

I remember being a Labour party member in the 90s and they were generally all for it. Eurosceptics were generally painted out at short sighted, narrow minded xenophobes. Times don't really change but I'd argue that it was the prominence and the establishment of the eurosceptic wing of the Tories that has ensured we are out.

Brown wanted the Euro to meet certain criteria and kicked the decision into the long grass because as much as there is euroscepticism in the Tory ranks, labour is not short of it's eurosceptics either.

[magpie1892]

Brown wanted the Euro to meet certain criteria and kicked the decision into the long grass because ...he wanted to be the one to take the UK into the Euro, and not Blair..!

[lucky]

...he wanted to be the one to take the UK into the Euro, and not Blair..!
Shock horror magpie reinventing Labour history. Fact is Brown kept the UK out of the Euro by demanding very stringent conditions for us to join. As such we never joined.

Back on the topic, if I recall majors government was the most corrupt government we have had in recent times.

[Jack]

There was the ERM debacle, black wednesday and all that sort of stuff.

Unremarkable is how I would put it. I think though that while the right wing of the Tory party are very alien to me in their views, one of the legacies of that time is the impact of the euro-skeptics. They kept the UK out of the Euro which, with hindsight, was probably one of the better decisions a UK government has made in the last couple of decades.

A remarkably quiet shift overseen by a remarkably dull government – until we found out they were too busy being corrupt, immoral, lying, thieving etc. etc. to run the country.

Given the experience of that spotting it this time round has been easier.:agree:

[heretoday]

Pass the soap please, Edwina.

Yes Prime Minister.

[Hibbyradge]

I met him when he was PM.

He was pleasant enough, but didn't answer my question. :rolleyes:

[Leicester Fan]

A very decent chap. One or two bad eggs in the party then but no worse than the last Labour govt.

[ronaldo7]

One word...............Sleaze.

[Holmesdale Hibs]

I met him when he was PM.

He was pleasant enough, but didn't answer my question. :rolleyes:

What did you ask him?

I thought he came across quite well in the Major Years tv program that was on a while back. Grew up not far from where I used to live in Brixton.

[CFC]

One word...............Sleaze.Meh, a little bit of sexual deviancy here and there, they are politicians after all not saints. Drawing parallels with Clinton how big of a deal was that Lewinsykgate affair, worth wasting public money on impeachment proceedings over?

[--------]

Shock horror magpie reinventing Labour history. Fact is Brown kept the UK out of the Euro by demanding very stringent conditions for us to join. As such we never joined.

Back on the topic, if I recall majors government was the most corrupt government we have had in recent times.


Oh, I don't know - IIRC Blair and his cronies weren't any better.

We have the politicians we deserve, I fear.

[Nakedmanoncrack]

With the benefit of hindsight it was a damn good 7 years: stable and strong economy, good progress made with the Irish peace process, no deeply divisive social issues such as the miners strike or poll tax, no wars and a PM who was a pretty decent chap all told, certainly not polarising like Thatcher or Blair.

I look upon his tenure with great fondness and Ive never voted Tory in my life! Whats your take on it?

If you ignore the Gulf War of 90/1, and 'Operation Desert Shield' attacks which continued for most of his tenure.

[CFC]

If you ignore the Gulf War of 90/1, and 'Operation Desert Shield' attacks which continued for most of his tenure.Major was not PM at the outset of that crisis. In fact he had barely been PM for a month before ODS started, the main campaign was concluded within 2 months. Contrast that with Tony Blair whose illegal war in Iraq lasted longer than Majors time at number 10.

[Nakedmanoncrack]

Major was not PM at the outset of that crisis. In fact he had barely been PM for a month before ODS started, the main campaign was concluded within 2 months. Contrast that with Tony Blair whose illegal war in Iraq lasted longer than Majors time at number 10.

Indeed, he wasn't PM at the start of the war though he pursued it enthusiastically along with the sanctions which were arguably the worst crime of all. Certainly no dispute that in warmongering terms he couldn't compete with Blair.

[lucky]

Oh, I don't know - IIRC Blair and his cronies weren't any better.

We have the politicians we deserve, I fear.

I agree, especially your local MSP.

[--------]

I agree, especially your local MSP.


I wondered when that would come along. :rolleyes:

Whatever else Alex is, he's infinitely more accessible and effective than wee Karen ever was.

[GhostofBolivar]

Who?

Terry Major-Balls' brother.

[Dashing Bob S]

At best the Brian Kerr of British politics, at worst a dull, drab and witless tit.