Is there any living ex PM with more gravitas and authority now than Major? Nobody would have believed that in 1997 and he certainly has more authority than Starmer now too
It alarms and depresses me that the 'comedy PM' of 'Cones Hotline' fame is now our senior elder statesman. And yet here we are.
Looking back on it his premiership was overall relatively successful, he left low inflation, a balanced budget and low unemployment and a growing economy for New Labour and when he went to war with Saddam in 1990 it was with a UN mandate. Plus he started the NI peace process, got an opt out from the Euro and left the National Lottery which has made a big difference to our Olympians and boosted cultural causes too.
got an opt out from the Euro
How do you get an opt out from something which didn't exist ?
Not joining the Euro was the default situation, opting into the Euro would have been the change.
And had Heseltine been PM we would likely have done the latter, as most EU nations did
Presumably Trump has a Plan B now Congress hasn't given him what he wants.
From listening to David Pakman this evening I understand the FBI have redacted Trump's name and the names of all Republicans involved with Epstein prior to release. This was reported as long ago as 1st August this year by Bloomberg.
The reason? Respecting Trump's privacy as a private citizen in 2006.
Presumably Trump has a Plan B now Congress hasn't given him what he wants.
From listening to David Pakman this evening I understand the FBI have redacted Trump's name and the names of all Republicans involved with Epstein prior to release. This was reported as long ago as 1st August this year by Bloomberg.
The reason? Respecting Trump's privacy as a private citizen in 2006.
Is there any living ex PM with more gravitas and authority now than Major? Nobody would have believed that in 1997 and he certainly has more authority than Starmer now too
It alarms and depresses me that the 'comedy PM' of 'Cones Hotline' fame is now our senior elder statesman. And yet here we are.
Looking back on it his premiership was overall relatively successful, he left low inflation, a balanced budget and low unemployment and a growing economy for New Labour and when he went to war with Saddam in 1990 it was with a UN mandate. Plus he started the NI peace process, got an opt out from the Euro and left the National Lottery which has made a big difference to our Olympians and boosted cultural causes too.
Looking back is very different to how it felt at the time, though. It was almost a daily "Is the government about to collapse?" feeling.
Is there any living ex PM with more gravitas and authority now than Major? Nobody would have believed that in 1997 and he certainly has more authority than Starmer now too
Depends what part of the World one is speaking from. Remarkably Blair has gravitas in the Middle East and the US. Brown has some authority in US and European financial circles. Cameron has a certain cache on PB and Johnson is a legend in Conservative pensioner groups across the nation.
Is there any living ex PM with more gravitas and authority now than Major? Nobody would have believed that in 1997 and he certainly has more authority than Starmer now too
It alarms and depresses me that the 'comedy PM' of 'Cones Hotline' fame is now our senior elder statesman. And yet here we are.
Looking back on it his premiership was overall relatively successful, he left low inflation, a balanced budget and low unemployment and a growing economy for New Labour and when he went to war with Saddam in 1990 it was with a UN mandate. Plus he started the NI peace process, got an opt out from the Euro and left the National Lottery which has made a big difference to our Olympians and boosted cultural causes too.
Looking back is very different to how it felt at the time, though. It was almost a daily "Is the government about to collapse?" feeling.
Only because Blair looked relatively fresh and new and the Tories had been in too long and some of their MPs behaved badly.
Now Major probably has more respect from the voters than Blair
Is there any living ex PM with more gravitas and authority now than Major? Nobody would have believed that in 1997 and he certainly has more authority than Starmer now too
Depends what part of the World one is speaking from. Remarkably Blair has gravitas in the Middle East and the US. Brown has some authority in US and European financial circles. Cameron has a certain cache on PB and Johnson is a legend in Conservative pensioner groups across the nation.
Yes he does in the US, both Republicans and Democrats like Blair, less so in the Middle East though post Iraq apart from maybe the Gulf states and Israel. Brown left higher unemployment, higher inflation and a larger deficit in 2010 than Major did in 1997 but had a bit of clout from his banking stabliisation bailouts. Globally no PM has matched Thatcher or Churchill in clout, Blair got closest but Iraq hit his legacy certainly with Muslims (though ironically Iraq is now more free than Afghanistan).
Cameron will forever be associated with Brexit and his failed EU referendum gamble above all despite some positive public service reforms and deficit cuts. Boris got Brexit done and beat Corbyn but partygate and the Boriswave have tarnished his legacy as well. Truss has become the byword in awful premiers, Sunak led the Tories to a worse defeat in 2024 than Major did in 1997 with no Major 1992 win to balance it. Starmer is now loathed near universally in polls
"Politics - indeed world news - is going to be dominated as of today by the fall of Trump, the 25th Amendment, the rise of dead duck President J D Vance. The airbrushing from history of the Epstein associates. The anger of MAGA at how they've been used. The quiet clear-out of Republicans who supported Trump, either by not standing again or by the wrath of the voters.
"A bar in Greater Manchester has banned solo drinkers from entering.
Alibi in Altrincham has a sign outside the front door stating that the venue does not allow people to enter on their own.
“No single entry,” it reads. “After 9pm, Alibi does not permit single entry. If you are with guests already inside the venue, please contact them in advance of entry. This is for the safety of all guests.”
In a post on social media Carl Peters, who owns the cocktail and karaoke bar, called out a man who had described the policy as discriminatory.
Explaining the rationale behind the rule, he said: “If something happens to that person in a late-night, busy bar environment where people are drinking it’s an absolute nightmare for us to deal with.”"
Comments
Trump 1.0 had an almost daily turn over of aides, staff, officers etc.
The reason? Respecting Trump's privacy as a private citizen in 2006.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-01/fbi-redacted-president-donald-trump-s-name-in-the-epstein-files
Now Major probably has more respect from the voters than Blair
Cameron will forever be associated with Brexit and his failed EU referendum gamble above all despite some positive public service reforms and deficit cuts. Boris got Brexit done and beat Corbyn but partygate and the Boriswave have tarnished his legacy as well. Truss has become the byword in awful premiers, Sunak led the Tories to a worse defeat in 2024 than Major did in 1997 with no Major 1992 win to balance it. Starmer is now loathed near universally in polls
And I assume John Major will strongly support any laws passed by a future Farage-led government.
"Politics - indeed world news - is going to be dominated as of today by the fall of Trump, the 25th Amendment, the rise of dead duck President J D Vance. The airbrushing from history of the Epstein associates. The anger of MAGA at how they've been used. The quiet clear-out of Republicans who supported Trump, either by not standing again or by the wrath of the voters.
Strap up for a hell of a ride..."
https://www.thetimes.com/article/d103099b-7100-4ada-877d-c68e3738fb95?shareToken=366c984f7ed54181ba7ebf46bbaa0c31
"A bar in Greater Manchester has banned solo drinkers from entering.
Alibi in Altrincham has a sign outside the front door stating that the venue does not allow people to enter on their own.
“No single entry,” it reads. “After 9pm, Alibi does not permit single entry. If you are with guests already inside the venue, please contact them in advance of entry. This is for the safety of all guests.”
In a post on social media Carl Peters, who owns the cocktail and karaoke bar, called out a man who had described the policy as discriminatory.
Explaining the rationale behind the rule, he said: “If something happens to that person in a late-night, busy bar environment where people are drinking it’s an absolute nightmare for us to deal with.”"
“Yes, we will see to it that your phone is recycled at a state-of-the-art facility”
https://x.com/BrianRoemmele/status/1990959395669172584
Congratulations to Scotland 🏴