John Major was a figure of fun to many while he was prime minister, but compared to any leader the Conservative Party has come up with since, he is a titan.
Here he is talking about J.D. Vance's speech on the World at One earlier today:
That is not what we expect from the foremost nation in the free world. It’s certainly not statesmanship, and it potentially gives off very dangerous signals.
It’s extremely odd to lecture Europe on the subject of free speech and democracy at the same time as they’re cuddling Mr. Putin.
In Mr. Putin’s Russia, people who disagree with him disappear or die or flee the country, or, on the statistically unlikely level, fall out of high windows somewhere in Moscow.
You can listen to the whole thing on BBC Sounds - Major's interview begins at 12:20.
One interesting point Major makes is that his own father was brought up in the United States.
Oh dear! Surely you know that all Conservative Party leaders are *always* viewed more favourably in the rear view mirror? Look at the way Cameron and even May are now regarded as having displayed rudimentary competence, and Thatcher has transmogrified into an international statesman. No, they were awful then and they are awful now.
ReplyDeleteDuncan Smith? Howard? Cameron? Truss? Sunak? I don't buy your theory.
DeleteObviously, I will give you Truss - I expect she's beyond redemption. But Johnson still has his enthusiasts, some of whom think he will return to lead the Tories back to glory. People are starting to feel sorry for Sunak, which is the first step towards him being regarded as a Good Thing. Cameron is already there - a great statesman, just a pity about his Referendum idea. Teresa May is spoken of by the Sunday Newspaper commentators as a fine Prime Minister who would have done even greater things if only the Party had accepted her European settlement. Compare and contrast with all previous Labour Prime Ministers - every one of them is now regarded less favourably than when they were in office, regardless of their achievements.
ReplyDeleteI think my theory still holds good - all Tory PMs are somehow made to look better in hindsight. Somehow or another, in a manner reminiscent of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, they always end up being "Rehabilitated in the eyes of the Masses".
John Major left school before his 16th birthday with just three 'O' levels. Whilst technically he had a middle-class upbringing, his family was impoverished and he understood the needs of the working-class better than any Conservative Prime Minister since. That when he left Downing Street, his first act was to go to the Oval so he could watch Surrey play cricket (a sport he had always loved) tells you more about the man than any speech could.
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