# John Major

| The Richt Honourable Sir John Major KG CH |
| --- |
| Major in 1995 |
|  |
| Prime Meenister o the Unitit Kinrick |
| **In office** 28 November 1990 – 2 May 1997 |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Depute | Michael Heseltine (1995-97) |
| Precedit bi | Margaret Thatcher |
| Succeedit bi | Tony Blair |
| Leader o the Opposeetion |
| **In office** 2 Mey 1997 – 19 Juin 1997 |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Meenister | Tony Blair |
| Depute | Michael Heseltine |
| Precedit bi | Tony Blair |
| Succeedit bi | William Hague |
| Shaidae Foreign Secretar |
| **In office** 7 Mey 1997 – 11 Juin 1997 |
| Leader | *Himsel* |
| Precedit bi | Robin Cook |
| Succeedit bi | Michael Howard |
| Leader o the Conservative Pairty |
| **In office** 27 November 1990 – 19 Juin 1997 |
| Precedit bi | Margaret Thatcher |
| Succeedit bi | William Hague |
| Chancellor o the Exchequer |
| **In office** 26 October 1989 – 28 November 1990 |
| Prime Meenister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Precedit bi | Nigel Lawson |
| Succeedit bi | Norman Lamont |
| Secretar o State for Foreign an Commonweel Affairs |
| **In office** 24 Julie 1989 – 26 October 1989 |
| Prime Meenister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Precedit bi | Geoffrey Howe |
| Succeedit bi | Douglas Hurd |
| Chief Secretar tae the Treasury |
| **In office** 13 Juin 1987 – 24 Julie 1989 |
| Prime Meenister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Precedit bi | John MacGregor |
| Succeedit bi | Norman Lamont |
| Meenister o State for Social Security |
| **In office** 10 September 1986 – 13 Juin 1987 |
| Prime Meenister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Precedit bi | Tony Newton |
| Succeedit bi | Nicholas Scott |
| Member o Pairlament for Huntingdon Huntingdonshire (1979–1983) |
| **In office** 3 Mey 1979 – 7 Juin 2001 |
| Precedit bi | David Renton |
| Succeedit bi | Jonathan Djanogly |
|  |
| Personal details |
| Born |  (1943-03-29) 29 Mairch 1943 Carshalton, Surrey, Ingland |
| Naitionality | British |
| Poleetical pairty | Conservative |
| Spoose(s) | Norma Johnson (m. 1970) |
| Relations | Tom Major-Ball (faither, deceased) Terry Major-Ball (brither, deceased) |
| Bairns | James Elizabeth |
| Religion | Anglicanism |
| Signatur | File:Signature of John Major.png |

**Sir John Major**, KG, CH (born 29 Mairch 1943) is a Breetish Conservative Pairty politeecian who served as Prime Meenister o the Unitit Kinrick an Leader o the Conservative Pairty frae 1990 tae 1997. He served as Furrin Secretar an then Chancellor o the Exchequer in the Thatcher Govrenment frae 1989 tae 1990, an wis the Member o Pairlament (MP) for Huntingdon frae 1979 till his retirement in 2001. Syne the daith o Margaret Thatcher in 2013, he haes been the auldest leevin umwhile Prime Meenister.

Born in St Helier, Surrey, Major grew up in Brixton. He ineetially wirked as an insurance clark, an then at the London Electricity Board, afore acomin an executive at Standard Chartered. He wis first electit tae the Hoose o Commons at the 1979 general election as the Member o Pairlament for Huntingdon. He served as a Pairlamentar Preevat Secretary, Assistant Whip an as a Meenister for Social Security. In 1987, he wis appyntit Chief Secretar tae the Thesaury, an then as Furrin Secretar twa years later. Juist three month later in October 1989, he wis promotit tae Chancellor o the Exchequer, whaur he presentit the 1990 budget.

Major becam Prime Meenister efter Thatcher's reluctant resignation in November 1990. He presidit ower Breetish pairteecipation in the Gulf War in Mairch 1991, an negotiatit the Maastricht Treaty in December 1991. He went on tae lead the Conservatives tae a record fowert consecutive electoral veectory, winnin the maist votes in Breetish electoral history wi ower 14,000,000 votes at the 1992 general election, awbeit wi a reduced majority in the Hoose o Commons. Shortly efter this, even tho a staunch supporter o the Excheenge Rate Mechanism (ERM), his govrenment becam responsible for Breetish exit frae the ERM efter Black Wadensday on 16 September 1992. This event led tae a loss o confidence in Conservative economic policies an Major wis niver able tae achieve a lead in opeenion polls again.

Despite the eventual revival o economic growthe amangst ether successes sic as the beginnings o the Northren Ireland peace process, bi the mid-1990s, the Conservative Pairty wis embroiled in scandals involvin various MPs (includin cabinet meenisters). Creeticism o Major's leadership reached sic a pitch that he chuise tae resign as pairty leader in Juin 1995, challengin his creetics tae aither back him or challenge him; he wis duly challenged bi John Redwood but wis easy re-electit. Bi this time, the Labour Pairty haed abandoned its socialist ideology an muived tae the centre unner the leadership o Tony Blair an wan a laorge nummer o bi-elections, eventually deprivin Major's govrenment o a pairlamentar majority in December 1996. Major went on tae lose the 1997 general election five month later, in ane o the lairgest electoral defeats syne the Great Reform Act o 1832.

Major wis succeedit bi William Hague as Leader o the Conservative Pairty in Juin 1997. He went on tae retire frae active politics, leavin the Hoose o Commons at the 2001 general election. In 1999, a BBC poll o 20t-century UK Prime Meenisters ranked him 17t.