Sponsored A spokesman. Daughter of Humphrey Jones, Jr. and Elizabeth Jones Wife of Samuel Iremonger Major Mother of Richard Major; Lodowick Jones Major; John Major; Francis Major; George Majors and 8 others; ; . Luke Salter, 29, a newly qualified doctor, married the former Prime Minister's daughter Elizabeth, 30, two years ago. [90] At this time Major lived in De Vere Close, Hemingford Grey. [125][126], Whilst Chief Secretary Major took part in discussions over the future funding of the NHS, against the background of an NHS strike in February 1988 over pay, resulting in the 'Working for Patients' white paper and subsequent National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. Throughout his time in office Major was often acutely sensitive to criticism of him in the press; his biographer Anthony Seldon posits this to an inner vulnerability stemming from his difficult childhood and adolescence. This was later enacted under Labour Chancellor. [282][283] Nevertheless, in 2013 Major expressed his concern at the seeming decline in social mobility in Britain: "In every single sphere of British influence, the upper echelons of power in 2013 are held overwhelmingly by the privately educated or the affluent middle class. Major left the committee in 2011, citing concerns with the planned redevelopment of Lord's Cricket Ground. Major's elder brother Terry, who died in 2007, became a minor media personality during Major's period in Downing Street, writing a 1994 autobiography, Major Major: Memories of an Older Brother, and appearing on TV shows such as Have I Got News for You. [358] After leaving office Major became aware that his father fathered two half-siblings extramaritally: Tom Moss and Kathleen Lemmon. Mother of the UK's most premature twins who were given ZERO chance of survival says they are going from GP appointments crisis laid bare as figures show family doctors are cramming in up to 60 patients per day. 'Elizabeth and I and the families are very upbeat about it and believe I will beat it. [61], Major met Norma Johnson at a Conservative party event in Brixton in April 1970, and the two became engaged shortly thereafter, marrying at St Matthew's Church in Brixton on 3 October 1970. 'I was diagnosed about two months ago, but have actually been ill since the New Year when I started suffering bad headaches.'. [178][179] An interest rate cut of 1% (from 15%) was also announced on the same day. They met on polling day for the Greater London Council elections in London, and became engaged after only ten days. JOHN MAJORS son-in-law, Luke Salter, died in hospital yesterday, three months after disclosing that he had an inoperable form of brain cancer. [250] Major was a Patron of the sight loss and learning disability charity SeeAbility from 2006 to 2012 and has been a vice-president since 2013. DETAILS Restrictions: [1] In 1995, Major resigned as party leader, amid internal divisions over UK membership of the European Union, parliamentary scandals (widely known as "sleaze") and questions over his economic credibility. [160] He publicised it as a 'budget for savers', with the creations of the Tax-exempt special savings account (TESSA), arguing that measures were required to address the marked fall in the household savings ratio that had been apparent during the previous financial year. [345][62][63] She was a teacher and a member of the Young Conservatives. ", "It's time to give John Major the credit we so cruelly denied him", "John Major at 25: the best ex-Prime Minister we've ever had? Sir John Major KG CH (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from November 1990 to May 1997 and Leader of the Conservative Party from November 1990 to June 1997. Neglecting your gums? [311] Seldon concludes that "Major was neither non-entity nor failure. [213] Additionally, inflation was in double digits and interest rates reached 15%. [248][254] He was a member of the Carlyle Group's European Advisory Board from 1998 and was appointed Chairman of Carlyle Europe in May 2001. He died peacefully in hospital with Elizabeth and his closest family beside him. [319] After leaving office, Major stated that "Perhaps up to a point I was too sensitive about some of the things in the press, Im happy to concede that. [110][111] Major began to gain a bigger profile, giving his first speech at the Conservative Party Conference in October 1986. Major's term ended with his resignation on 2 May 1997. "Skill in context: A comparison of politicians. [27] In 1956 Major met local MP Marcus Lipton at a local church fair and was invited to watch his first debate in the House of Commons, where Harold Macmillan presented his only Budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer. and so am I", "Major and Thatcher: they're both related to me, says Mr Crust", "Sir John Major becomes British Gymnastics Patron", "John Major 'touched' to receive freedom of Cork", "Sir John Major's Speech at Joint Award for Outstanding Contribution to Ireland", "Sir John Major accepts Outstanding Contribution to Ireland Award at the 2014 Business & Finance Awards", "Embassy of Japan in the UKJapanese Government honours The Rt. Norma Christina Elizabeth Wagstaff is the daughter of Norman Reuel Wagstaff, a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery, and Edith Georgina Wagstaff (ne Johnson), [1] a former umbrella saleswoman. [142][143] Upon his return to the UK he and Thatcher met with French president Franois Mitterrand, in which the future direction of the European Community was discussed. Major John D. MacGillis 96 episodes, 1989-1993 Shanna Reed . London - The daughter of the former British prime minister, Mr John Major, yesterday announced her engagement, after her fiance, Mr Luke Salter, proposed to her on Christmas morning. After Blair succeeded Major as prime minister, Major served as Leader of the Opposition for seven weeks while the leadership election to replace him took place. Captions are provided by our contributors. [164][160], The European Community's push for full Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) was another important factor in Major's time as Chancellor; in June 1990 he proposed that instead of a single European currency there could instead be a 'hard ECU',[nb 9] which different national currencies could compete against and, if the ECU was successful, could lead to a single currency. Oct 21 1650 - Messingham, Lincolnshire, England Death: 1721 - Lincolnshire, England Parents: Robert Little, Martha Helen Little (born Hood) Husband: George Major Daughter: Ellen Chaffer (born Major) View the Record Mary Major (born Little)in MyHeritage family trees (Royall Web Site) John Major's son-in-law is fighting an inoperable form of brain cancer which is so rare it went undiagnosed for at least six months. [158][159], As Chancellor, Major presented only one Budget, the first to be televised live, on 20 March 1990. His task became even more difficult after the election of the modernist and highly media-savvy Tony Blair as Labour leader in July 1994, who mercilessly exploited Conservative divisions whilst shifting Labour to the centre, thus making it much more electable. reining in the power of trade unions and privatising failing industries) had already been completed under Thatcher, the swift nature of his rise to power left him little time to formulate policy positions and upon becoming prime minister he was immediately thrust into having to deal with the Gulf War and a major recession. [36][34] In the meantime he studied for a qualification in banking via correspondence course. Search for stock images, vectors and videos. The veterinary nurse wed medical student Luke Salter, 28, at All Saints' Church at Somerby in Rutland. [299], Major defended his government in his memoirs, focusing particularly on how under him the British economy had recovered from the recession of 19901993. [224] Following a string of by-election defeats, the Conservatives' majority of 21 had been eroded by 13 December 1996.[225]. [238] In 1999 he published his autobiography, covering his early life and time in office, which was generally well received. Lt. Eugene 'Gene' Holowachuk 96 episodes, . Major never succeeded in reconciling the "Euro-rebels" among his MPs to his European policy, who although relatively few in number, wielded great influence because of his small majority and their wider following among Conservative activists and voters. Dame Norma Christina Elizabeth, Lady Major, DBE [1] (ne Wagstaff, formerly Johnson; born 12 February 1942) is an English philanthropist who is the wife of Sir John Major. [293] In July 2022, immediately following Johnson's announcement he intended to resign as prime minister but would stay until a successor was chosen, Major called for Johnson's immediate replacement and removal "for the overall wellbeing of the country. [297] Episodes such as the Maastricht Rebellion, led by Bill Cash and Margaret Thatcher, inflicted serious political damage on him and his government. [33][34] Major's father died on 27 March 1962. Having left school a day before turning sixteen, Major joined the Young Conservatives in 1959, and soon became a highly active member. [131] Nevertheless, Major's appointment to Foreign Secretary in July 1989 came as a surprise due to his relative lack of experience in the Cabinet and unfamiliarity with international affairs. [145][146] Major also met US president George H. W. Bush in Washington, D.C.[147] and Domingo Cavallo, the Argentine foreign minister, the first such meeting since the end of the Falklands War seven years earlier. [174][175] With the 'Lawson Boom' showing signs of running out of steam, exacerbated by rising oil prices following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, there were fears of a potential recession and pressure to cut interest rates. [187] The Conservatives lost the 1990 Mid Staffordshire by-election to Labour and the 1990 Eastbourne by-election to the Liberal Democrats, both Conservative seats, causing many Conservative MPs to worry about their prospects at the upcoming general election, due in 1991 or 1992. [325][326] Bell also used the humorous possibilities of the Cones Hotline, a means for the public to inform the authorities of potentially unnecessary traffic cones, which was part of the Citizen's Charter project established by John Major. [300] Major's Chancellor Ken Clarke stated in 2016 that Major's reputation looked better as time went by, in contrast to that of Tony Blair's which appeared to be in decline. [231][232], Major's Resignation Honours were announced on 1 August 1997. [106] Also in this period, Major stood in for a Foreign Office minister on a trip to South America, visiting Colombia, Peru and Venezuela. [259][260], Following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, Major was appointed a special guardian to Princes William and Harry, with responsibility for legal and administrative matters. [35][34] John left the ornaments business the following year to care for his ill mother, though when she got better he was unable to find a new job and was unemployed for much of the latter half of 1962, a situation he says was "degrading". [180][177], The rest of Major's Chancellorship prior to the leadership contest was largely uneventful; he considered granting the Bank of England operational independence over monetary policy, with the ability to set interest rates, but decided against it. Elizabeth Major, daughter of former prime minister John Major, has been married. [209] By the time of Major's appointment, Labour's lead had shrunk to 14%. [96][97], Major comfortably won re-election to the now slightly enlarged seat of Huntingdon at the 1983 general election. While prime minister, Major had pursued energetic campaigns aimed at boosting bilateral trade: "Priority Japan" (19911994) and "Action Japan" (19941997). Major's second ministry was also defined by conflicts within the Conservative Party regarding Europe after the government's defeat on the Maastricht Treaty. As prime minister, Major created the Citizen's Charter, removed the Poll Tax and replaced it with the Council Tax, committed British troops to the Gulf War, took charge of the UK's negotiations over the Maastricht Treaty, led the country during the early 1990s economic crisis, withdrew the pound from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (on Black Wednesday), promoted the socially conservative back to basics campaign, privatised the railways and coal industry, and played a pivotal role in creating peace in Northern Ireland. [42][38] He also assisted local Conservative candidates Kenneth Payne in the 1964 general election and Piers Dixon in the 1966 general election. Pay less and get more with our Packs. [333] The incident prompted Cabinet Secretary Robin Butler to warn Channel 4 head Michael Grade against any further calls for fear that state secrets could be inadvertently leaked. [85][86][87] Major assiduously courted contacts at all levels of the party in this period, joining the informal 'Guy Fawkes club' of Conservative MPs and attending various Committees. [196][197] Following discussions with her cabinet, in which many stated that though supporting her they doubted she could win, Thatcher withdrew from the contest and announced that she would resign as prime minister once a new leader had been elected. [346] They have two children: a daughter, Elizabeth (born November 1971)[68][69] and a son, James (b. January 1975). [310] He also notes that Major faced a deeply unfavourable set of circumstances: most of the obvious and pressing Conservative reforms (e.g. [288] Major feared Brexit would make the UK poorer and could endanger the peace settlement in Northern Ireland. "[338], Major has been depicted on screen by Keith Drinkel in Thatcher: The Final Days (1991),[339] Michael Maloney in Margaret (2009),[340] Robin Kermode in The Iron Lady (2011),[340] Marc Ozall in the TV series The Crown, Gordon Griffin in Westminster on Trial and Roger Sansom in On the Record. She was born in Shropshire while her father was stationed there during World War II. John and Norma Major, who have already endured a string of health scares with their son James, were away on holiday and unavailable to comment. [343], Major was portrayed by Jonny Lee Miller in the fifth season of The Crown in 2022. [201][202], Unlike in the first ballot, a candidate only required a simple majority of Conservative MPs to win, in this case 187 of 372 MPs. [88][89] He became Secretary of the Environment Committee and also assisted with work on the Housing Act 1980, which allowed council house tenants the Right to Buy their homes. [235] Jonathan Djanogly took over as MP for Huntingdon, retaining the seat for the Conservatives at the 2001 election. [68][69] In 1974 the couple moved to a larger residence at West Oak, Beckenham, and had a second child, James, in January 1975. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. [163][160] Extra funding was also made available to Scotland in order to limit the impact of the Community Charge (widely dubbed the 'Poll Tax'), which had been introduced there that year. Wife of Richard Jackman. Get in touch for commercial uses. [228][229] Major himself served as shadow foreign secretary (having served as foreign secretary for three months in 1989) and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, and the office of Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland was left vacant until after the 2001 general election as the party no longer had any Scottish MPs. The wedding was featured in Hello! One day both yet may come to recognise and appreciate it. He has an inch-long scar on his scalp where tissue was taken for a biopsy. [237], Since leaving office, Major has tended to maintain a low profile in the media, occasionally commentating on political developments in the role of an elder statesman. [6] [205][206][207] At 47, he was the youngest prime minister since Lord Rosebery some 95 years earlier. [152][153][154][nb 8] The appointment meant that, despite only being in the Cabinet for a little over two years, Major had gone from the most junior position in the Cabinet to holding two of the Great Offices of State. [104][105] Major narrowly avoided the IRA's Brighton hotel bombing in October 1984, having left the hotel only a few hours before the bomb went off. Despite his party's involvement in some major scandals, John was . [62][63] John's mother died shortly before in September at the age of 65. But I'm receiving treatment for it with a curative intent. Biography She is the daughter of Norman Wagstaff and Edith Johnson, and was born Norma Christina Elizabeth Wagstaff. [41][34] According to his biographer Anthony Seldon, Major brought "youthful exuberance" to the Tories in Brixton, but was sometimes in trouble with the professional agent Marion Standing. Editorial media includes use as a visual reference to support your article, story, critique or educational text. [272] Major is also actively involved in various think tanks: he is the Chair of the Panel of Senior Advisers at Chatham House (having previously served as a president of Chatham House),[248] a member of the International Advisory Boards of the Peres Center for Peace in Israel,[248] the InterAction Council,[248] the Baker Institute in Houston,[273] and a Patron of the Atlantic Partnership. "[294], In February 2023, Major made a speech at the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Britain, where he said that Brexit was "a colossal mistake" and that Johnson agreed the Brexit protocol knowing it was "a mess".[295][296]. [214][215] However, opinion polling for Major's government remained stable during this period. Available for editorial and personal use only. A spokesperson for Major said "his political career is behind him". In the 1997 election on 1 May 1997, Labour won a 179-seat majority, ending their eighteen years in opposition. [149][150] The summit ended acrimoniously, with Thatcher controversially and against established precedent issuing a second final communiqu stating Britain's opposition to sanctions, with the press seizing on the apparent disagreement on the matter between Major and Thatcher. [244] In March 2001 he gave the tribute to cricketer Colin Cowdrey at his memorial service in Westminster Abbey. Economic growth wasn't re-established until early 1993. [28][29] Major has attributed his political ambitions to this event. He describes the illness as 'a form of cancer of the meninges, the layer of tissue that overlays the brain and spinal cord'. However, an affair with a different woman, Edwina Currie, came out a decade later, and both of these publications considered legal action to recover their costs when that happened. When Was John Major Born? 'I have been receiving chemotherapy for the last couple of months and I'm about to start a course of radiotherapy. But we are very hopeful and the treatment is being undertaken with the aim to cure. [362][363][364][365][366], Major has been keen on sports since his youth, most notably cricket;[367] he is also a supporter of Chelsea F.C. Since leaving office, Major has tended to maintain a low profile in the media, occasionally making political interventions. [79][80] Major was in some ways an odd choice, being a born-and-bred Londoner in a largely rural constituency still home to many landed families; however, he was seen as being the most likely to win-over the increasingly large numbers of upwardly mobile London over-spill families living in the area, and he was helped to familiarise himself with the area by local MP David Renton. [330][326] The magazine still runs one-off specials of this diary (with the age updated) on occasions when Major is in the news, such as on the breaking of the Edwina Currie story or the publication of his autobiography. [11][12] His childhood was generally happy, and he enjoyed reading, sports (especially cricket and football) and keeping pets, such as his rabbits. [6] His birth had been a difficult one, with his mother suffering from pleurisy and pneumonia and John Major requiring several blood transfusions due to an infection, causing permanent scarring to his ankles. Luke Salter, 29, a newly qualified doctor, married the former Prime Minister's daughter Elizabeth, 30, two years ago. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. He served in Thatcher's third ministry as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 1987 to 1989, Foreign Secretary in 1989, and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1989 to 1990. [268][269] Commentators were quick to refer to Major's previous 'Back to Basics' platform to throw charges of hypocrisy at him. Two years into his premiership, Major went on to lead the Conservative Party to a fourth consecutive electoral victory, winning more than 14 million votes, which remains the highest number ever won by a political party in Britain. [302], Writing shortly after he left office, the historian and journalist Paul Johnson wrote that Major was "a hopeless leader" who "should never have been Prime Minister". Thanks to a genealogist, and a merchant seaman from Boston, Lincs, we can reveal that Mr Major and Baroness Thatcher are fifth cousins (once removed). [6][30], Major's first job was as a clerk in the London-based insurance brokerage firm Price Forbes in 1959, though finding the job dull and offering no prospects he quit. [44] In December 1966 he was sent for a long secondment in Jos, Nigeria, which he enjoyed immensely, though he was put off by the casual racism of some of the ex-pat workers there. [92][93], Major later became an assistant whip in January 1983, responsible for East Anglian MPs. [218] This was the Conservatives' fourth consecutive election victory. [352] James Major, a former retail manager and nightclub promoter, married gameshow hostess Emma Noble on 29 March 1999 in the Chapel Crypt at Westminster Abbey. [290] In the 2019 general election Major urged voters to vote tactically against candidates supporting Boris Johnson when those candidates wanted a hard Brexit. He was born in Surrey, South East England, and grew up there, before his family moved to Brixton. [251], Major has also pursued a variety of business interests, taking up appointments as Senior Adviser to Credit Suisse,[252][253] chairman of the board of Senior Advisers at Global Infrastructure Partners,[248][253] Global Adviser to AECOM,[253] Chairman of the International Advisory Board of the National Bank of Kuwait,[248] and Chairman of the European Advisory Council of the Emerson Electric Company. For example, in Spitting Image, Major's puppet was changed from a circus performer to that of a literally grey man who ate dinner with his wife in silence, occasionally saying "nice peas, dear", while at the same time nursing an unrequited crush on his colleague Virginia Bottomley an invention, but an ironic one in view of his affair with Edwina Currie, which was not then a matter of public knowledge. Major was later to learn that the flat was in fact owned by his half-brother Tom Moss. [148][138], Major's last major summit as Foreign Secretary was the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malaysia.
elizabeth major, daughter of john major