9 The oratory of John Major
-
Timothy Heppell
Abstract
The Conservative administrations that John Major led were so convulsed by governing incompetence and party infighting that he was an easy target for putdowns. He himself was never to deliver the type of classic parliamentary sound-bites that were used against him by his principal opponents, such as John Smith (‘a devalued Prime Minister of a devalued government’) or Tony Blair (‘I lead my party...he follows his’). He was not a stirring orator who could fire of the emotions of Conservative members, but nor did he claim that he could. His central political appeal, which had propelled him to the party leadership after the leadership cult that was Thatcher, was his status as a team player. Nonetheless, Major was to deliver some notable oratorical moments in his Prime Ministerial tenure, whether at conference; in the heat of parliamentary combat, or through the wider media.
Abstract
The Conservative administrations that John Major led were so convulsed by governing incompetence and party infighting that he was an easy target for putdowns. He himself was never to deliver the type of classic parliamentary sound-bites that were used against him by his principal opponents, such as John Smith (‘a devalued Prime Minister of a devalued government’) or Tony Blair (‘I lead my party...he follows his’). He was not a stirring orator who could fire of the emotions of Conservative members, but nor did he claim that he could. His central political appeal, which had propelled him to the party leadership after the leadership cult that was Thatcher, was his status as a team player. Nonetheless, Major was to deliver some notable oratorical moments in his Prime Ministerial tenure, whether at conference; in the heat of parliamentary combat, or through the wider media.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Notes on contributors vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- List of abbreviations x
- Introduction 1
- 1 The oratory of Stanley Baldwin 14
- 2 The oratory of Winston Churchill 30
- 3 The oratory of Harold Macmillan 47
- 4 The oratory of Iain Macleod 62
- 5 The oratory of Enoch Powell 74
- 6 The oratory of Keith Joseph 87
- 7 The oratory of Margaret Thatcher 103
- 8 The oratory of Michael Heseltine 121
- 9 The oratory of John Major 137
- 10 The oratory of William Hague 150
- 11 The oratory of Boris Johnson 166
- 12 The oratory of David Cameron 182
- Conclusion 198
- Appendix 205
- Bibliography 208
- Index 226
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Notes on contributors vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- List of abbreviations x
- Introduction 1
- 1 The oratory of Stanley Baldwin 14
- 2 The oratory of Winston Churchill 30
- 3 The oratory of Harold Macmillan 47
- 4 The oratory of Iain Macleod 62
- 5 The oratory of Enoch Powell 74
- 6 The oratory of Keith Joseph 87
- 7 The oratory of Margaret Thatcher 103
- 8 The oratory of Michael Heseltine 121
- 9 The oratory of John Major 137
- 10 The oratory of William Hague 150
- 11 The oratory of Boris Johnson 166
- 12 The oratory of David Cameron 182
- Conclusion 198
- Appendix 205
- Bibliography 208
- Index 226
