Opinion of John Major

[Del Tachi]

FF.

[Leftbehind]

Tory and therefore HP.

[RogueBeaver]

Lean HP. Somewhat sleazy in his personal life and a bad PM, even if he did check some policy boxes.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

It was revealed, courtesy of Edwina Currie, that he wasn't even particularly good at being straitlaced and boring.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It was revealed, courtesy of Edwina Currie, that he wasn't even particularly good at being straitlaced and boring.

I love this answer very, very much.

[Del Tachi]

It was revealed, courtesy of Edwina Currie, that he wasn't even particularly good at being straitlaced and boring.

I love this answer very, very much.

[Talleyrand]

It was revealed, courtesy of Edwina Currie, that he wasn't even particularly good at being straitlaced and boring.

I love this answer very, very much.

I still voted FF. His policy initiatives were sparse as far as I know, but he had a booming economy in the later years of his premiership and seems to genuinely care for the British working-class.

[DC Al Fine]

It was revealed, courtesy of Edwina Currie, that he wasn't even particularly good at being straitlaced and boring.

I love this answer very, very much.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It was revealed, courtesy of Edwina Currie, that he wasn't even particularly good at being straitlaced and boring.

I love this answer very, very much.

I still voted FF. His policy initiatives were sparse as far as I know, but he had a booming economy in the later years of his premiership and seems to genuinely care for the British working-class.

no

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I mean, I don't actually want to start ranting about pit closures or anything at this hour, but...

[k-onmmunist]

another fevered ego tainting our collective unconscious.

[afleitch]

Retrospectively better than the man who replaced him.

[Franzl]

Retrospectively better than the man who replaced him.

What's wrong with Blair, from a center-right perspective? I understand old school Labourites problem with him...

[LastVoter]

Retrospectively better than the man who replaced him.

What's wrong with Blair, from a center-right perspective? I understand old school Labourites problem with him...

I'm guessing it would be the war from a liberal perspective?

[Phony Moderate]

Rather useless.

[k-onmmunist]

Retrospectively better than the man who replaced him.

What's wrong with Blair, from a center-right perspective? I understand old school Labourites problem with him...

he spent like it was going out of fashion and oversaw a vast expansion in bureaucracy.

[Del Tachi]

Retrospectively better than the man who replaced him.

Or the woman who preceded him.

In retrospect, its amazing that Major was able to keep the Conservatives united all the way to 1997.  He was able to keep his party (and thus the government) very stable despite its viciously warring factions, maybe the current government should take  a hint

[Filuwaúrdjan]

What's wrong with Blair, from a center-right perspective? I understand old school Labourites problem with him...

He was a Labour Prime Minister and his government mostly enacted social democratic policies, even if the man himself has subsequently decided he wishes that this had not been so. Of course Conservatives of a distinctly less... er... liberal mindset have additional reasons...

[minionofmidas]

The best of a bad lot.

[Supersonic]

FF. My kind of Conservative. Plus he's a patron of the Tory Reform Group, so I have to approve.

[freefair]

Main gripes with the Blair from the right were
-Too pro EU and ECHR (though only in a One Nation Tory way)
-Not tough on crime enough (or at all, really)
-Banned Grammar Schools
-Pro a sort of brutalist multiculturalism and open borders
-Pro freedom of speech restricting legislation
-Allowed Brown to run up defecits (against even Keynes advice, in a boom) from 2002-2007.
As for Major, retrospectively very good on the economy (post ERM), good on the EU (exemptions, ect), good on Crime and Northern Ireland . Not good on much else, but quite competent from a post 2007 perspective. It must be remembered the Tory performance in 1992 had never come close to being beaten, in 23 years so the guy was very popular.
I also have much respect for the man's life journey. A "British Dream", from poverty stricken Brixton family, leaving school at 15, getting a low level job, working his way up professionally, joining the Tories, becoming an MP, minister, and reaching the pinnacle as Prime Minster.
FF, great bloke. Not perfect, but who is?

[Silent Hunter]

At least he's not Thatcher.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Should have been replaced by Francis Urquhart.

[Simfan34]

Should have been replaced by Francis Urquhart.

Should have BEEN Francis Urquhart.