Major, John
Major, John (1943– ) British statesman, prime minister (1990–97). Major entered Parliament in 1979. In 1989, Margaret Thatcher unexpectedly made him foreign secretary, then chancellor of the exchequer. Following Mrs Thatcher's resignation, Major emerged as her compromise successor. He moderated the excesses of Thatcherism; such as scrapping the unpopular poll tax. Major lent full military support to the US in the Gulf War (1991) and led the Conservative Party to a surprise victory in the 1992 general election. The catastrophic events of ‘Black Wednesday’ (September 16, 1992) forced Britain to withdraw from the European Monetary System (EMS) and devalue its currency. The issue of Europe dogged the rest of his term and divided the party. Political scandals and sleaze contributed to Tony Blair's landslide victory at the 1997 general election. Major resigned as party leader and was succeeded by William Hague.
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Major, John
