shiftygiant
Gone Fishin'
I had a slight thought last night. No write up, I've been trying for a fair few hours but nothing is really clicking in my head. EDIT: Write up now included.
Sir John Roy Major, OBE, (born 29 March 1943) is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, and Leader of the Conservative Party. He is the Member of Parliament for Huntington. Major became Prime Minister on 9 September 2016 after winning the Leadership election following the resignation of Tim Collins, becoming Prime Minister three days later.
Son of a Music Hall performer, Major grew up in a working class household in Brixton and worked first at the London Electricity Board and later as an executive at the Standard Chartered Bank. He would serve on the Lambeth London Borough Council from 1964-1972, and unsuccessfully ran for election in 1974 before finally entering Parliament as MP for Huntington in 1979. Under the Goverment of Margret Thatcher, Major served in a number of junior roles, eventually serving from 1986 to 1987 as Minster of State for Social Security, and then as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 1987-1989, before being promoted to Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in 1989. Major would remain in this position until 1990, when he promoted to Chancellor of the Exchequer, which he would hold until the Government's defeat in the 1996 general election. As Chancellor, Major was initially tasked with tackling inflation and recession, perusing a tight fiscal and new monetary policy, as well as promoting British entry into the ERM and later the EC, becoming a leading figure in the successful 1994 Referendum. However, accusations of mismanagement and ineptitude would haunt Major during the second half of his tenure as Chancellor.
Following the Conservative Parties defeat in the 1996 General election, Major served briefly as Shadow Chancellor for Michael Howard until he left the cabinet in early 1997. Major would leave Parliament in the 2002, rejoining Standard Chartered and becoming a Managing Director. Selected as the Conservative Candidate for the London mayoral election of 2004, Major defeated incumbent Independent Candidate Ken Livingstone.
During his first term as mayor, Major pursued reforming community policing, longer service periods on public transport, championed London's financial sector, reintroduction of the defunct Routemaster's, and increased funding in public programs such as youth outreach. Perhaps his biggest triumph would be the London 2008 Olympics, which took place during his second term in office. Despite these successes, Major would be criticized for privatizing non-essential sectors of public transport, a failure on workers rights during the construction of the Olympic venues, and transforming the Metropolitan Police into what then Home Secretary David Miliband described as "more suited for the streets of Belfast than the streets of Camden". Despite this, Major's personal approval rating remained high, although he would choose to step down in 2012, declining a run for a third term and deciding to reenter Parliament on his old seat in the General Election that same year, gaining the seat from the Liberal Democrats in the Conservative parties electoral victory.
In 2013, Major rejoined the Cabinet, serving as Minister without portfolio under Prime Minister Tim Collins whilst also acting as adviser to the Prime Minister. In 2016, Major became a prominent figure in the unsuccessful unionist campaign during the Scottish Independence Referendum. Following Tim Collins resignation, Major would succeed him as Prime Minister following a Leadership contest.
Sir John Roy Major, OBE, (born 29 March 1943) is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, and Leader of the Conservative Party. He is the Member of Parliament for Huntington. Major became Prime Minister on 9 September 2016 after winning the Leadership election following the resignation of Tim Collins, becoming Prime Minister three days later.
Son of a Music Hall performer, Major grew up in a working class household in Brixton and worked first at the London Electricity Board and later as an executive at the Standard Chartered Bank. He would serve on the Lambeth London Borough Council from 1964-1972, and unsuccessfully ran for election in 1974 before finally entering Parliament as MP for Huntington in 1979. Under the Goverment of Margret Thatcher, Major served in a number of junior roles, eventually serving from 1986 to 1987 as Minster of State for Social Security, and then as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 1987-1989, before being promoted to Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in 1989. Major would remain in this position until 1990, when he promoted to Chancellor of the Exchequer, which he would hold until the Government's defeat in the 1996 general election. As Chancellor, Major was initially tasked with tackling inflation and recession, perusing a tight fiscal and new monetary policy, as well as promoting British entry into the ERM and later the EC, becoming a leading figure in the successful 1994 Referendum. However, accusations of mismanagement and ineptitude would haunt Major during the second half of his tenure as Chancellor.
Following the Conservative Parties defeat in the 1996 General election, Major served briefly as Shadow Chancellor for Michael Howard until he left the cabinet in early 1997. Major would leave Parliament in the 2002, rejoining Standard Chartered and becoming a Managing Director. Selected as the Conservative Candidate for the London mayoral election of 2004, Major defeated incumbent Independent Candidate Ken Livingstone.
During his first term as mayor, Major pursued reforming community policing, longer service periods on public transport, championed London's financial sector, reintroduction of the defunct Routemaster's, and increased funding in public programs such as youth outreach. Perhaps his biggest triumph would be the London 2008 Olympics, which took place during his second term in office. Despite these successes, Major would be criticized for privatizing non-essential sectors of public transport, a failure on workers rights during the construction of the Olympic venues, and transforming the Metropolitan Police into what then Home Secretary David Miliband described as "more suited for the streets of Belfast than the streets of Camden". Despite this, Major's personal approval rating remained high, although he would choose to step down in 2012, declining a run for a third term and deciding to reenter Parliament on his old seat in the General Election that same year, gaining the seat from the Liberal Democrats in the Conservative parties electoral victory.
In 2013, Major rejoined the Cabinet, serving as Minister without portfolio under Prime Minister Tim Collins whilst also acting as adviser to the Prime Minister. In 2016, Major became a prominent figure in the unsuccessful unionist campaign during the Scottish Independence Referendum. Following Tim Collins resignation, Major would succeed him as Prime Minister following a Leadership contest.
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