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Chronology of John Major's Premiership

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Chronology of John Major's Premiership 1990 13 November Sir Geoffrey Howe's resignation speech bitterly attacks Margaret Thatcher's leadership, especially her stance towards the European Union. 14 November Michael Heseltine announces that he will challenge Margaret Thatcher for the leadership of the Conservative party. 20 November First ballot of Conservative leadership contest: Margaret Thatcher defeats Michael Heseltinc by 204 votes to 152, but is four votes short of the necessary 15 per cent majority. 22 November Margaret Thatcher announces her resignation as Conservative leader. 27 November John Major wins 185 votes in the second ballot of the Conservative leadership contest, and although this is technically two votes short of an outright majority, the other two contenders, Michael Heseltinc and Douglas Hurd, stand down to allow Major to become leader of the Conservative party and Prime Minister. 1991 17 January Start of the Gulf War against Iraq. 28 February Ccascfire in Gulf War. 11 March John Major speaks of his desire to sec Britain 'at the very heart of Europe'. 19 March Norman Lamont's Budget increases VAT from 15 per cent to 17.5 per cent. 1 April Reforms of the NHS launched: NHS Trusts and GP fundholders established, while hospitals operate internal markets. 23 April Michael Heseltine announces that the poll tax will be replaced by a council tax from April 1993. 20 May Publication of White Paper on higher education, presaging the abolition of the 'binary divide' between universities and polytechnics. 22 July John Major launches the Citizen's Charter. 1 October Introduction of parliamentary Bill to replace the poll tax with a new council tax. 18 November Publication of a White Paper, Competing for Quality, indicating which government services might become subject to competitive tendering. 9-10 December Summit of EU leaders at Maastricht, Holland. John Major secures 'opt-out' for Britain from Social Chapter and single European currency. 1992 7 January Britain signs the Maastricht Treaty. 21 February Conservative MP Richard Shepherd attempts to introduce 250 Chronology of John Major's Premiership 251 Bill requiring the government to hold a referendum on the Maastricht Treaty. 9 April General election. Conservative party re-elected with a 21-seat majority. 6 May Queen's Speech announces government's intention to privatise British Coal and British Rail. 15 May Margaret Thatcher denounces the Maastricht Treaty in a speech at The Hague (Holland). 21 May 22 Conservative MPs vote against the Second Reading of the Bill to ratify the Maastricht Treaty. 3 .Tune More than 100 Conservative MPs sign an Early Day Motion demanding a 'fresh start' vis-a-vis the European Union. 16 September Britain forced to withdraw from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism following a serious run on the pound. 13 October Michael Heseltine announces imminent closure of 31 coal mines, entailing the loss of 30 000 jobs. This proposal is hastily revised following widespread public condemnation and demonstrations. 22 October Opinion poll reveals that 77 per cent of the British public are 'dissatisfied' with John Major's premiership; only 16 per cent are 'satisfied'. 4 November Government wins Commons' debate on Maastricht Treaty by three votes, as 26 Conservative MPs vote against it. 1993 18 February Official statistics reveal that unemployment has risen to 3 062 065. 21 February In the wake of the abduction and murder of two-year old James Bulger by two boys aged 10, John Major suggests that society should 'condemn a little more and understand a little less'. 9 March Two teaching unions vote to boycott 'key stage' tests in June. 17 March Norman Lamont's Budget imposes VAT on domestic fuel. 1 April Launch of 'Care in the Community' programme. 6 May Liberal Democrats win the Newbury by-election with swing (from the Conservatives) of 28.4 per cent. 27 May Norman Lamont replaced as Chancellor of the Exchequer by Kenneth Clarke. 9 .Tune In a speech from the backbenches, Norman Lamont criticises John Major's leadership, alleging that Major conveys the impression of 'being in office but not in power'. 22 .July Major's Government is defeated by 324 votes to 316 in House of Commons vote over the Social Chapter. John Major immediately announces that the issue will be presented the following evening as a 'vote of confidence'. 23 .July Major wins 'vote of confidence' by 339 votes to 299. 25 .lu~y John Major alleged to have called, in an off-the-record conversation with a television presenter, three of his Cabinet colleagues 'bastards'. 29 .July Liberal Democrats win Christchurch by-election with a swing (from the Conservatives) of 35 per cent. 2 August Britain ratifies the Maastricht Treaty. 252 Chronology of John Major's Premiership 8 October John Major's speech at Conservative party's annual conference launches 'back to basics' initiative. 15 December John Major and the Irish Prime Minister, Albert Reynolds, sign the 'Downing Street Declaration'. 1994 29 January Norman Lamont describes John Major as 'weak and hopeless', in an interview in The Times. 12 May John Smith, leader of the Labour party, dies from a heart attack. 27 May John Major speaks of the 'offensive problem' of begging on Britain's city streets, claiming that there was 'no justification' for it. 31 May John Major suggests that the move towards European integration should proceed on a 'multi-track, multi-speed, multi-layered' basis. 9 June Elections to the European Parliament, in which the Labour party wins 62 seats compared to the Conservatives' 18. Liberal Democrats win by-election in Eastleigh, Hampshire, with a swing (from the Conservatives) of 16.3 per cent. 24 June John Major effectively vetos the appointment of Belgian Prime Minister, Jean-Luc Dehaene, as successor to Jacques Delors as President of the European Commission. 21 July Tony Blair elected leader of the Labour party. 4 August A Gallup poll indicates that the Labour party has a 33 per cent lead over the Conservatives. 16 September John Major announces the end of the six-year broadcasting ban on members of Sinn Fein. 3 November Cabinet shelves plans to privatise the Post Office, following strong opposition to the proposal from Conservative MPs representing rural constituencies. 28 November Eight Conservative MPs have the party whip withdrawn after abstaining from the vote on the Second Reading of the European Communities (Finance) Bill, even though John Major had effectively made support for the Bill a vote of confidence. A ninth Conservative MP voluntarily resigns the party whip. 7 December Government defeated in Commons vote on Budget measure to increase VAT on gas and electricity to 17.5 per cent. 15 December Labour party wins by-election in Dudley, West Midlands, with a swing (from the Conservatives) of 29 per cent. 1995 6 April Labour party wins 20 of the 29 new Scottish local authorities, while the Conservatives win none, winning only 81 of the 1159 seats being contested. 24 April Conservative whip restored to the eight MPs who had abstained from a crucial vote in November. 22 June John Major resigns as Conservative leader in order to force a leadership contest, telling his critics in the party to 'put up or shut up'. 26 June John Redwood resigns as Secretary of State for Wales in order to challenge John Major for the leadership of the Conservative party. Chronology of John Major's Premiership 253 4 July John Major is re-elected as Conservative leader, having polled 218 votes to John Redwood's 89. However, with 20 abstentions, critics claimed that over 100 Conservative MPs - one-third of the parliamentary party - had declined to support Major. 7 October Alan Howarth, Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon, announces that he is joining the Labour party, due to the Conservatives' continued drift to the right. 29 December Emma Nicholson, Conservative MP for Devon West and Torridge, announces that she is joining the Liberal Democrats, due to the Conservative's abandonment of 'one-nation' Toryism. 1996 19 February Education Secretary, Gillian Shephard, announces that Sir Ron Dearing is to chair a committee of inquiry into the future of Higher Education. 20 March Health Secretary, Stephen Dorrell, says in Parliament that there is a link between Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease and BSE (mad cow disease). 27 March The European Commission announces a ban on the export of British beef (and related products). 11 April Labour wins by-election in Staffordshire South-East with a swing (from the Conservatives) of 22 per cent. John Major's government now has a parliamentary majority of one. 21 May John Major announces that, in retaliation for the EU's ban on exports of British beef, his government will veto all EU decisions requiring unanimous support. 13 June Two Conservative MPs, Sir John Gorst and Hugh Dykes, threaten to withdraw their support from the government in protest against the possible closure of the casualty ward at a hospital in Edgware, North London. 22 July David Heathcoat-Amory resigns as Paymaster-General due to the government's refusal to rule out completely Britain's future membership of the single European currency. 6 October Lord McAlpine, a former Conservative party treasurer, announces his defection to the Referendum party. 12 October Peter Thurnham, Conservative MP for Bolton North-East, joins the Liberal Democrats (having resigned the Conservative whip in February). 14 October The House of Commons' select committee on standards and privileges launches an inquiry into allegations that a former junior minister, Neil Hamilton, accepted 'cash for questions'. 13 November In the vote following a Commons' debate critical of its management of the BSE/beef crisis, the Major government has a majority of one. 6 December Conservative MP Sir John Gorst announces that he is withdrawing his support for the government in protest over its policy towards a hospital in his constituency (although he does not actually resign the Conservative whip).
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