John Major: An Unsuccessful Prime Minister?: Reappraising John Major

by Ben Williams (Editor), Ben Williams (Editor), Kevin Hickson (Editor)

New
Hardcover
2017
$22.99

John Major's prime ministership was an eventful one. Between 1990 and 1997 he presided over Britain's participations in the Gulf War, the start of the Northern Ireland peace process, the Maastricht Treaty negotiations and, of course, Black Wednesday and Britain's exit from the ERM, as well as a surprise fourth consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party. An Unsuccessful Prime Minister? is the first wide-ranging appraisal of John Major's government in nearly two decades. Widely criticised by politicians on the right of the Conservative Party and from the other political parties as well as by journalists, Major's government was living on borrowed time towards the end, beset by splits over Europe and by allegations of sleaze before being crushed by New Labour in the 1997 general election. This book reconsiders the role of John Major as Prime Minister and the policy achievements of his government, and argues that although it was not one of the greatest of governments it did have more success than critics would allow.

Synopsis

John Major's prime ministership was an eventful one. Between 1990 and 1997 he presided over Britain's participations in the Gulf War, the start of the Northern Ireland peace process, the Maastricht Treaty negotiations and, of course, Black Wednesday and Britain's exit from the ERM, as well as a surprise fourth consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party. An Unsuccessful Prime Minister? is the first wide-ranging appraisal of John Major's government in nearly two decades. Widely criticised by politicians on the right of the Conservative Party and from the other political parties as well as by journalists, Major's government was living on borrowed time towards the end, beset by splits over Europe and by allegations of sleaze before being crushed by New Labour in the 1997 general election. This book reconsiders the role of John Major as Prime Minister and the policy achievements of his government, and argues that although it was not one of the greatest of governments it did have more success than critics would allow.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 368
Publisher: Biteback Publishing
Published: 23 May 2017
ISBN 10: 1785900676
ISBN 13: 9781785900679

Media Reviews

Twenty years after he left office, John Major's reputation is undergoing an extraordinary recovery. Written with great insight, the essays in this fascinating volume will surely shape the way we think about Major himself, his government and 1990s Britain. Astute, thoughtful and often surprising, they suggest that his government had far more substantial achievements than was often thought at the time, while the man himself emerges as one of our most likeable, pragmatic and effective Prime Ministers. A tremendous book. - Dominic Sandbrook; As a member of John Major's Cabinet, I saw at first hand the challenges and frustrations as well as successes. It did so much better than its critics recognised at the time. I welcome this appraisal which, though by no means uncritical, offers a better balanced assessment than has previously been available. - Virginia Bottomley; John Major had a torrid time as Prime Minister, but was a more substantial figure than his critics suggested. This timely reassessment of his record and achievements is an important corrective and should be read by everyone interested in the modern Conservative Party. - Andrew Gamble, University of Sheffield

Author Bio

Dr Kevin Hickson is a senior lecturer in British politics at the University of Liverpool, where he has taught since 2003. He specialises in British political ideologies and has published on the political thought of the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberals/Liberal Democrats.; Dr Ben Williams is a politics tutor at the University of Salford. He completed his PhD at the University of Liverpool between 2009 and 2013 and has written for a range of books, magazines, blogs and journals covering British politics.