Within hours of becoming Prime Minister, John Major is presented with Conservative Party private polling showing a lead of around fifteen points for his party in a hypothetical snap general election, which would likely either equal or exceed Mrs. Thatcher's 1987 majority of 102 seats. This convinced him that it would be worthwhile to go for broke, and he soon contacted Her Majesty with a request to dissolve Parliament.
Then it all goes to shit. Major unwisely agrees to the first-ever televised debate, a one-on-one with Neil Kinnock. Kinnock comes across as statesmen-like and Major seems inexperienced and ill-at-ease. Furthermore, a subtle dissatisfaction emerges amongst the electorate over the course of the (very short) campaign at having to vote so soon before Christmas Day, and Major makes several gaffes to boot, such as tripping over his infamous 'soap box' at a public meeting. By election day, the Tories' own private polling suggests a majority of only 20-30 seats, with one or two public polls pointing towards a majority of no more than ten seats. As it turned out, it would be even worse than that for the 'natural party of government':