# First Major ministry

* This article is part of a series aboutJohn Major
Electoral history
MP for Huntingdon
1990 budget
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Premiership
First ministry and term (November 1990 – April 1992)
1990 leadership election
Ministry
Citizen's Charter
Charter Mark
Cones Hotline
Early 1990s recession
Gulf War
1992 general election
Second ministry and term (April 1992 – May 1997)
Ministry
Black Wednesday
National Lottery
Further and Higher Education Act 1992
Grant-maintained schools
Maastricht Treaty
rebels
Northern Ireland peace process
Downing Street mortar attack
Downing Street Declaration
1993 reviews of the British honours system
Council Tax
Child Support Agency
1993 vote of confidence
Back to Basics
Privatisation of British Rail
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
1995 Conservative Party leadership election
The Cullen Reports
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Committee on Standards in Public Life
Arms-to-Iraq affair
Scott Report
United Kingdom BSE outbreak
Wirral South by-election
Resignation Honours
Bibliography
The Autobiography
More Than a Game
My Old Man :
vte :
John Major formed the first Major ministry upon the resignation of Margaret Thatcher in November 1990, after being invited by Queen Elizabeth II to form a new government. Major inherited a majority government.

## Formation

The resignation of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister came on 22 November 1990, more than 11 years after she had first been elected. Former Cabinet minister Michael Heseltine had challenged her leadership earlier in November and although she fared better than him in the leadership contest, she was unable to gain an outright win and handed in her resignation, paving the way for a new Conservative leader more likely to win the next general election which was due within 18 months.
The announcement of the Community Charge (often referred to as the Poll Tax) during 1989 and the onset of a recession shortly before Thatcher's resignation had seen Tory support plunge in the opinion polls, most of which were showing a double-digit Labour lead and making it seem likely that Neil Kinnock would be the next prime minister.
Conservative MPs elected Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Major as their new leader on 27 November 1990, and he was invited by the Queen to form a majority government the following day.

## Fate

The change of leader from Margaret Thatcher to John Major saw a revival in Tory support, with the double-digit lead in the opinion polls for the Labour Party being replaced by a narrow Conservative one by the turn of 1991. Although a general election did not have to be held until June 1992, Labour leader Neil Kinnock kept pressurising Major to hold an election during 1991, but Major resisted the calls and there was no election that year.
The recession which began in the autumn of 1990 deepened during 1991, with unemployment standing at nearly 2.5 million by December 1991, compared to 1.6 million just 18 months earlier. Despite this, Tory support in the opinion polls remained relatively strong, with any Labour lead now being by the narrowest of margins, although Labour still made some gains at the expense of the Tories in local elections, and seized the Monmouth seat from the Tories in a by-election.
Major finally called an election for 9 April 1992 which ended the first Major ministry. In a surprise to most pollsters, Major won the election, which led to the formation of the Second Major ministry and a fourth consecutive Conservative term in office.

## Cabinet
### November 1990 – April 1992

First Major Cabinet :
| Portfolio | Minister | Term |
| Cabinet ministers |||
| Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury Minister for the Civil Service | The Rt Hon. John Major MP | 1990–97 |
| Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain | The Rt Hon. The Lord Mackay of Clashfern | 1987–97 |
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | The Rt Hon. Norman Lamont MP | 1990–93 |
| Foreign Secretary | The Rt Hon. Douglas Hurd MP | 1989–95 |
| Home Secretary | The Rt Hon. Kenneth Baker MP | 1990–92 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | The Rt Hon. John Gummer MP | 1989–93 |
| Secretary of State for Defence | The Rt Hon. Tom King MP | 1989–92 |
| Secretary of State for Education | The Rt Hon. Kenneth Clarke MP | 1990–92 |
| Secretary of State for Employment | The Rt Hon. Michael Howard MP | 1990–92 |
| Secretary of State for Energy | The Rt Hon. John Wakeham MP | 1989–92 |
| Secretary of State for the Environment | The Rt Hon. Michael Heseltine MP | 1990–92 |
| Secretary of State for Health | The Rt Hon. William Waldegrave MP | 1990–92 |
| Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | The Rt Hon. Peter Brooke MP | 1989–92 |
| Leader of the House of Commons Lord President of the Council | The Rt Hon. John MacGregor MP | 1990–92 |
| Leader of the House of Lords Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal | The Rt Hon. The Lord Waddington | 1990–92 |
| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | The Rt Hon. Chris Patten MP | 1990–92 |
| Secretary of State for Social Security | The Rt Hon. Tony Newton MP | 1989–92 |
| Secretary of State for Scotland | The Rt Hon. Ian Lang MP | 1990–95 |
| Secretary of State for Trade and Industry President of the Board of Trade | The Rt Hon. Peter Lilley MP | 1990–92 |
| Secretary of State for Transport | The Rt Hon. Malcolm Rifkind MP | 1990–92 |
| Chief Secretary to the Treasury | The Rt Hon. David Mellor MP | 1990–92 |
| Secretary of State for Wales | The Rt Hon. David Hunt MP | 1990–93 |
| Also attending cabinet meetings |||
| Attorney General for England and Wales | The Rt Hon. Patrick Mayhew MP | 1987–92 |
| Chief Whip Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury | The Rt Hon. Richard Ryder MP | 1990–95 |

## List of ministers

Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.
| Office | Name | Date |
| Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury Minister for the Civil Service | John Major | 28 November 1990 – 1 May 1997 |
| Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain | The Lord Mackay of Clashfern | Continued in office |
| Leader of the House of Commons Lord President of the Council | John MacGregor | Continued in office |
| Leader of the House of Lords Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal | The Lord Waddington | 28 November 1990 |
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | Norman Lamont | 28 November 1990 |
| Chief Secretary to the Treasury | David Mellor | 28 November 1990 |
| Minister of State for Treasury | Gillian Shephard | 28 November 1990 – 11 April 1992 |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury | Richard Ryder | 28 November 1990 |
| Financial Secretary to the Treasury | Francis Maude | Continued in office |
| Economic Secretary to the Treasury | John Maples | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Lords of the Treasury | Tom Sackville | Continued in Office – 14 April 1992 |
| Lords of the Treasury | Sydney Chapman | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Lords of the Treasury | Greg Knight | Continued in office – 27 May 1993 |
| Lords of the Treasury | Irvine Patnick | Continued in office – 20 July 1994 |
| Lords of the Treasury | Nicholas Baker | 3 December 1990 – 20 July 1994 |
| Assistant Whips | Timothy Wood | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Assistant Whips | Timothy Kirkhope | Continued in office – 15 December 1992 |
| Assistant Whips | Timothy Boswell | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Assistant Whips | Neil Hamilton | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Assistant Whips | Nicholas Baker | Continued in office – 3 December 1990 |
| Assistant Whips | David Davis | 3 December 1990 – 28 May 1993 |
| Foreign Secretary | Douglas Hurd | 26 October 1989 |
| Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | Lynda Chalker | Continued in office – 1 May 1997 |
| Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | The Earl of Caithness | Continued in office – 15 April 1992 |
| Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | Tristan Garel-Jones | Continued in office – 27 May 1993 |
| Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | The Hon. Douglas Hogg | Continued in office – 5 July 1995 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | The Hon. Mark Lennox-Boyd | Continued in office |
| Minister for Overseas Development | Lynda Chalker | Continued in office |
| Home Secretary | Kenneth Baker | 28 November 1990 |
| Minister of State for Home Affairs | John Patten | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Minister of State for Home Affairs | The Earl Ferrers | Continued in office – 20 July 1994 |
| Minister of State for Home Affairs | Angela Rumbold | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs | Peter Lloyd | Continued in office – 15 April 1992 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | John Gummer | Continued in office |
| Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | The Baroness Trumpington | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | David Curry | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | David Maclean | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Minister for the Arts | Tim Renton | 28 November 1990 |
| Secretary of State for Defence | Tom King | Continued in office |
| Minister of State for the Armed Forces | The Hon. Archie Hamilton | Continued in office |
| Minister of State for Defence Procurement | Alan Clark | Continued in office |
| Under-Secretary of State for Defence | Kenneth Carlisle | 28 November 1990 – 15 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Defence | The Earl of Arran | 28 November 1990 – 15 April 1992 |
| Secretary of State for Education and Science | Kenneth Clarke | Continued in office |
| Minister of State, Education and Science | Timothy Eggar | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Education and Science | Alan Howarth | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Education and Science | Michael Fallon | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Education and Science | Robert Atkins | 28 November 1990 – 14 April 1992 |
| Secretary of State for Employment | Michael Howard | Continued in office |
| Under-Secretary of State, Employment | Robert Jackson | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Employment | Eric Forth | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Employment | The Viscount Ullswater | Continued in office – 16 September 1993 |
| Secretary of State for Energy | John Wakeham | Continued in office |
| Under-Secretary of State, Energy | The Hon. Colin Moynihan | Continued in office – 11 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Energy | David Heathcoat-Amory | 28 November 1990 – 11 April 1992 |
| Secretary of State for the Environment | Michael Heseltine | 28 November 1990 |
| Minister of State for Local Government | Michael Portillo | Continued in office |
| Minister of State for Housing | Sir George Young | 28 November 1990 |
| Minister of State for Environment and Countryside | David Trippier | 28 November 1990 |
| Minister of State, Environment | The Baroness Blatch | 21 May 1991 – 13 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Environment | The Baroness Blatch | Continued in office – 21 May 1991 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Environment | Robert Key | Continued in office – 15 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Environment | Tim Yeo | 28 November 1990 – 15 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Environment | Tony Baldry | 28 November 1990 – 20 July 1994 |
| Secretary of State for Health | The Hon. William Waldegrave | Continued in office |
| Minister of State, Health | Virginia Bottomley | Continued in office |
| Under-Secretary of State, Health and Social Security | The Baroness Hooper | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Secretary of State for Social Security | Tony Newton | Continued in office |
| Minister of State, Social Security | Nicholas Scott | Continued in office – 20 July 1994 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Social Security | The Lord Henley | Continued in office - 16 September 1993 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Social Security | Michael Jack | 28 November 1990 – 14 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Social Security | Ann Widdecombe | 30 November 1990 – 27 May 1993 |
| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | Chris Patten | 28 November 1990 |
| Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | Peter Brooke | Continued in office |
| Minister of State, Northern Ireland | Brian Mawhinney | 28 November 1990 – 14 April 1992 |
| Minister of State, Northern Ireland | The Lord Belstead | 28 November 1990 – 14 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland | Richard Needham (The Earl of Kilmorey) | Continued in office – 15 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland | Jeremy Hanley | 3 December 1990 – 27 May 1993 |
| Paymaster General | The Lord Belstead | 28 November 1990 |
| Secretary of State for Scotland | Ian Lang | 28 November 1990 |
| Minister of State for Scotland | Michael Forsyth | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Scotland | The Lord James Douglas-Hamilton | Continued in office – 6 July 1995 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Scotland | The Lord Strathclyde | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Scotland | Allan Stewart | 28 November 1990 – 8 February 1995 |
| Minister for Trade | Tim Sainsbury | Continued in office |
| Secretary of State for Trade and Industry | Peter Lilley | Continued in office |
| Minister for Industry | The Lord Hesketh | Continued in office |
| Minister for Industry | vacant | 21 May 1991 |
| Minister for Corporate Affairs | John Redwood | Continued in office – 13 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry | Edward Leigh | Continued in office – 27 May 1993 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry | The Lord Reay | 22 May 1991 – 14 April 1992 |
| Secretary of State for Transport | Malcolm Rifkind | 28 November 1990 |
| Minister of State, Transport | The Lord Brabazon of Tara | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Minister for Public Transport | Roger Freeman | 28 November 1990 – 20 July 1994 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Transport | Patrick McLoughlin | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Transport | Christopher Chope | Continued in office – 14 April 1992 |
| Secretary of State for Wales | David Hunt | Continued in office |
| Minister of State for Wales | Wyn Roberts | Continued in office – 20 July 1994 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Wales | Nicholas Bennett | 3 December 1990 – 14 April 1992 |
| Attorney General | Sir Patrick Mayhew | Continued in office |
| Solicitor General | Sir Nicholas Lyell | Continued in office |
| Lord Advocate | The Lord Fraser of Carmyllie | Continued in office |
| Solicitor General for Scotland | Alan Rodger | Continued in office |
| Treasurer of the Household | Alastair Goodlad | Continued in office |
| Comptroller of the Household | David Lightbown | 28 November 1990 |
| Vice-Chamberlain of the Household | John Mark Taylor | 28 November 1990 |
| Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms | The Lord Denham | Continued in office |
| Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms | The Lord Hesketh | 22 May 1991 |
| Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard | The Viscount Davidson | Continued in office |
| Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard | The Earl of Strathmore | 30 December 1991 |
| Lords-in-Waiting | The Viscount Long | Continued in Office - 2 May 1997 |
| Lords-in-Waiting | The Lord Reay | Continued in office – 21 May 1991 |
| Lords-in-Waiting | The Earl of Strathmore | Continued in office – 30 December 1991 |
| Lords-in-Waiting | The Lord Cavendish of Furness | Continued in office – 22 April 1993 |
| Lords-in-Waiting | The Viscount Astor | Continued in office – 16 September 1993 |
| Lords-in-Waiting | The Earl Howe | 30 May 1991 – 15 April 1992 |
| Lords-in-Waiting | The Baroness Denton | January 1992 – 15 April 1992 |

### Notes

* ↑ Also Minister of Overseas Development; created Baroness Chalker of Wallasey 24 April 1992.
* ↑ Also Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; created Baroness Chalker of Wallasey 24 April 1992.
* ↑ Functions transferred on 11 April 1992 to Department of National Heritage.
* ↑ Reorganised as Office of Education 10 April 1992.
* ↑ Under-Secretary of State, Sport.
* ↑ Office abolished 11 April 1992.
* ↑ Also Paymaster General.
* ↑ Also Minister of State, Northern Ireland.
* ↑ Not an MP.

## Footnotes

* ↑ "Holders of Ministerial Office in the Conservative Governments 1979–1997" (PDF). House of Commons Library. Retrieved 26 June 2017.