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| Period in Office: | November 28, 1990 - May 2, 1997 |
| PM Predecessor: | Margaret Thatcher |
| PM Successor: | Tony Blair |
| Date of Birth: | March 29, 1943 |
| Place of Birth: | Brixton |
| Political Party: | Conservative |
The Right Honourable John Major CH is a British politician and was Prime Minister of the United KingdomIn the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is the head of government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. According to custom, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet (which he or she heads) are re from 1990 to 1997, attaining that office when he succeeded Margaret Thatcher as Conservative Party leader.
Major was born March 29, 1943, the son of Tom Major-Ball, a travelling showman. He was christened 'John Roy Major' but only the name John is shown on his birth certificate. He used the middle name Roy until the early 1980sMillennia: 1st millennium 2nd millennium 3rd millennium Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s Years: 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 Events and trends.
Although born in the wealthy Worcester Park area of SuttonThe London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in outer southwest London. It includes the areas: Beddington Beddington Corner Belmont Benhilton Carshalton Carshalton Beeches Carshalton on the Hill Cheam Hackbridge Little Woodcote North Cheam Rosehill St, Major grew up in the much poorer Brixton where the family were forced to move after the failure of his father's business. He had an undistinguished education at Rutlish Grammar School and left school at 16. He applied to become a bus conductor, but his application was rejected, allegedly because of poor arithmetic. His first job was as a clerk in an insurance broking firm in 1959, and, for a time, he worked manufacturing gnomes with his brother, Terry Major-Ball. He eventually went to work as an executive at Standard Chartered Bank in May 1965 where he rose quickly through the ranks, before leaving on his election to Parliament in 1979. He is an Associate of the Institute of Bankers.
He married Norma Johnson on October 3, 1970. They have a son ( James Major ) and a daughter ( Elizabeth Major ).
Major was interested in politics from an early age, giving speeches on a soap-box in Brixton market. He stood as a candidate for Lambeth Borough Council at the age of 21 in 1964, and was unexpectedly elected in the Conservative landslide in 1968. While on the council he served as Vice-Chairman of the Housing Committee, being responsible for the building of several council housing estates. Despite moving to a ward which was easier for the Conservatives to win, he lost his seat in 1971.
He stood for election to Parliament in St. Pancras North, Camden in both general elections of 1974 but failed to win the traditionally Labour seat. In May 1976 he was selected by Huntingdonshire Conservatives as their candidate at the next election, winning the safe seat in the 1979 general election. Following boundary changes, Major became MP for Huntingdon in 1983 and subsequently won the seat in the 1987, 1992 and 1997 elections. He stood down at the 2001 general election.
He was a Parliamentary Private Secretary from 1981 and assistant whip from 1983. He was made Under-secretary of State for social security in 1985 and became minister in the same department in 1986. He entered the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 1987,and was chosen as Foreign Secretary in 1989. He spent only three months in that post before becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer after Nigel Lawson's resignation in October 1989. Major presented only one budget in the spring of 1990. He publicised it as a budget for savings and announced the TESSA (Tax Exempt Special Savings Account) arguing that measures were required to address the marked fall in the household savings ratio that had been apparent during the previous financial year.
When Michael Heseltine's challenge to Margaret Thatcher's leadership of the Conservative Party forced the contest to a second round and Thatcher withdrew, John Major entered the contest alongside Douglas Hurd. Though he fell two votes short of the required winning margin of 187 votes in the second ballot, Major's result was sufficient to secure immediate concessions from his rivals and he became prime minister on November 27, 1990.
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