Julian Glover, chief leader writer on The Guardian, has written an article on Comment is Free suggesting that John Major should run for London Mayor. At first sight this sounds completely barking. Why on earth would Major want to do it? But having read the piece I began to wonder.here's his conclusion...
The idea might seem far-fetched. Major put up with years of press abuse and has no wish to attract any more. But the job is a powerful one - the biggest directly elected job in Europe after the French presidency, it is sometimes said. His candidacy would make the election sensational, and show the Tories can live up to their claims to take devolution seriously. Major could energise the party in the inner city and persuade the suburbs too. He might not win. But no other Tory stands a chance. He should go for it.
Julian Glover is a good friend of Major and spent a long time working with Major on his memoirs. If anyone know's Major's mind he does. And if you were John Major and wanted to float the idea is a harmless sort of way, what better way of doing it than to encourage someone like Julian to write such an article? Now it's me that's sounding barking, I know. I've even thought of a campaign slogan for him - MAJOR FOR MAYOR, OH YES.
66 comments:
I think I prefer the Clarkson story!
He'd be better than the joke candidates which seem to be heading the list at the moment.
Major for Mayor? Oh NO!
It would be sensational, but I doubt the Major would want the press intrusion and NuLab raking over his politcal record and subsequent business career. The strongest point against him standing is that the Tories are unlikely to win which is why there is a lack of serious candidates to stand against Livingstone
All I can say is thank God I don't live in London.
Must be difficult down there, what with the paucity of talent willing to face down the adenoidal newt-fancier.
I don't doubt that JM is a thoroughly nice chap, but really! Get a grip, will you?
Er...actually, I'd vote for him.
Nick Boles is more the face of modern Conservativism, but Major's a heavy hitter and certainly a great speaker (in the flesh)...
Why doesn't it seem like such a silly idea when I stop and think about it?
If he was game for giving speeches from a soap-box in Brixton market then he may be more up for a political fight than he's given credit for. Also he's been a local councillor, and so knows the ropes, and the public still like him.
If I lived in London I'd vote for him.
A not uninteresting notion.
More peas, Norma dear?
What an intriguing idea. I can't really see him putting himself (and Norma) at the mercy of the press again, but if they had the stomach for it, I think he would certainly give his old Council colleague Ken a run for his money. And what an election THAT would be!
I would vote for him. Can't see him making concentration camp jibes like our current encumbrance...
I think it's an awesome idea. I would much rather an experienced heavyweight like John Mayor than a celeb with dubious connections to the Conservative Party. I doubt very much he'd do it though.
That's a not inconsideralbly good idea. Put my X in the box....
Taking on mayor's mouth redmond o'neill and the viciously 'anti-zionist' john ross, with their stalinist Socialist Action organisation is no task for any light weight no matter how locally competent and well-thought of. John Major has the stature, experience, connection and sheer guts to break open Ken's minders' stranglehold on London; then would come the cleaning of the stables, for all SA cadres have been given permanent posts in the GLA.
Fabulous idea - he's so impressive on TV these days. I just wish that there was the tiniest chance of him doing it - but there's not!
Major for Mayor!
It would be a winner without any doubt. Livingstone will remind everyone about black wednesday, the rise in the bank rate and record bankruptcies. Poll Tax and all the other perceived evils real or imagined. The fact that he tucks his shirt inside his Y fronts and that unforgettable tryst with Edwina Currie. No doubt she will be brought back into the studio's to tell us that he can do for London what he did for her!The more you think about it it is a winner ......for every other party but the Tory party....doesn't evErybody remember it was he that brought upon us B L A I R!
No London wil still elect rEd kEN, unless George Galloway decides to stand.
Anyway doesn't Major live in Cambridgeshire?
Not keen. If there is one thing the Conservatives do not need at the moment it is the ghosts of Christmas past rattling around. The monstering Major would get in the press would undo much of what his successors have achived, and the lines of attack from Labour are so obvious as not to be worth listing.
And does anyone trust a Guardian leader writer to have the best interests of the Conservatives at heart? Major's friend / ghostwriter or not, come off it.
I live in London, and you should feel sorry for us. I cant drive my car anywhere round here during the day time, as the roads around the congestion area are tottaly buggered. Even riding a motor-cycle is increasingly problematic. Having a terrorist running the place, does nothing for my sense of security. A Marxist revolutionary socialist representing the founding city of capitalism is a deap and distructive irony.
Ken Livingstone is as unpopular with ordinary working class people as it is possible to be. If fact I have hardly meet a person that likes him, or voted for him. But then its not working class people that enabled him to get elected.
John Major is known and liked if not compleatly respected. Ken livingstone is possitively hated.
I think JM would not only win, but win big. Why anyone sane would want to do the job however, defeats me.
He would be a very attractive candidate and a better one than anyone else currently on offer. A contest between him and Ken would certainly catch the public's imagination and I don't doubt that Sir John would give Ken a serious run for his money. His combination of gravitas together with the ability to get back on that famous soap box and fight an old-fashioned political campaign would leave Ken in some not inconsiderable difficulty.
Major for mayor? He would only sucseed in my opinion if he had Edwina Currie working under him again.
Major for Mayor? Nice.
Major is the only (and last) Conservative to have done any good for the Country.
Other names aren't Tories. So John is a reasonable idea and a powerful force.
Red Ken is a socialist marxist that even Blair had second thoughts about.
The only problem I have with John Major is that the people of London hate him and will not vote for him.
A slight hinderence if you have political ambition.
Doom.
The Tories would be spectacularly foolish to even consider this. Cameron is doing a great job of reinventing them; reminding the public of the Major years would be a massive own goal. Bring it on!
I think if Doom says that Londoners hate John Magor and will not vote for him. The Tories must have the right man.
I think if Doom says that Londoners hate John Magor and will not vote for him. The Tories must have the right man.
Good idea. Major is a deeply underated man.
I'd prefer us to be pushing to abolish the GLA and the Mayor's position altogether. It's an expensive and pointless layer of government.
Let's not bother putting a candidate up from (any era of) our Party. Let the socialists fight amongst themselves and just say that after the next election we'll throw all these 3rd rate losers out on the street.
Sell their shiny new building as office space. Abolition is the way forward!
I wasn't a great fan of Major as Prime Minister. But Mayor for London.....What a brilliant idea.
He would bring much need experience to the post and I think he would be a marvellous ambassador for London.
Oh. Dear. God.
I can't believe anyone is actually mooting bringing back one of the worst Prime Ministers of the modern age and making him Mayor of London!
There's hope yet, I suppose- the chances of him making his mind up in time and actually putting the decision into action are slim.
Long live equivocation!
Put up the man who sent the Conservatives to their worst defeat since 1832? Too many of my friends lost their companies and homes under Major's incompetence to make this a runner!
Major for Mayor? Sign me up!
Count me in. This is a brilliant idea. John Major has what it takes. Maggie did away with the LCC. Major will do away with Ken Livingston. Synchrocity.
Major's got guts and he can hold his temper. Major (pronounced mejor, as in mayor) in Spanish means the "best".
To all the infantile, sniggering men above who referred to Edwina Currie, I'm sure none of you ever had an illicit moment, eh? At least, to his credit, he was attracted to an achieving woman with a strong sense of self. And it was years and years ago. Get over it.
This would be almost as electrifying as if Guiliani were standing.
Major, John Major, not yer acshsall
John Major wot direckly led us into avin this shower of unutterable bastards running our country.
Wake up for Gawd's sake! At this rate in eight years time you'll be praising St. Tony for being 'whiter than white'!
Major, John Major, not yer acshsall
John Major wot direckly led us into avin this shower of unutterable bastards running our country. Don't you remember, we couldn't wait to get rid of him!
Wake up for Gawd's sake! At this rate in eight years time you'll be praising St. Tony for being 'whiter than white'!
strapworld 12.56
Is of course correct. Major epitomises the word 'failure'. The best thing he can do for all is disappear into a corner and face the wall.
It always was Major for Major!
Dear God, I agree with Verity.
Time for one of us to take our tablets
If he can pronounce the word 'want' like a normal person, I'm all for him.
But what would the wider public think? It's a risky strategy. If it fails, it will be manna from heaven for Labour, portraying the party as London-centric, linking Cameron to Major etc. etc.
If it works, it will rehabilitate Major, dent Labour's ability to campaign on the Major years, and show that Cameron can attract people with real clout.
It would be a huge risk, with huge potential rewards. Still can't quite see it happening though. I fear a third term of Red Ken is now almost assured.
I'm with the majority on here. If he wanted it, he could get it.
I note that a lot of the negative comment re Major seems to be from people who can't help but betray their anti-Tory allegiance. They must be worried! I think that Labour would to try to attack him but I expect that their efforts would be hamstrung.
Verity - Might this mean you are an achieving woman with a strong sense of self ? If so, I'm sure you have far more entertaining stories to regale us with than commenting on the outcome of the London Mayoral elections. Do tell..
Major for Mayor! Why not Currie some favour with London?
Major for Mayor! Well he couldn't be any worse than Ken could he?
Verity I am sure you are an expert on infantile sniggering men,(how many can you clasp to your breast at once?) and 'right on' with metrosexual Dave's new speechwriter: faithfulness in marriage is SO 1980s dontyathink?
I always thought 'straying' was something dogs do.
A real dark horse is Simon Milton, Leader of Westminster Council. Extremely impressive figure and featured on my podcast www.thebigissue.net in a discussion about the London elections.
Was recently installed as the bookies favourite.
I'm trying to think of a better (or is it worse?) example of a politician dropping the biggest bollock of all time in British history.
For me it has to be 'black wednesday' and the build up of it.
John Major killed Britain stone dead in an instant and cost every man, woman, child and dog a fortune in the process.
I believe John Major to be a decent man of decent sorts who had a hell of a job managing the Tories,whom are still in office wrecking the party even after its death.
Gary Powell should be given water torture until he informs us of ken's success in a city that hates him.
Doom.
Will we all get free peas?
Major would make an excellent Mayor. Forget his so called baggage. Different time, diffrent job. Unhappily I cannot see Norma agreeing to this.
Major deserves a better legacy than he has so far received. He tried to bring compassion to the Conservative Govt, but was knocked off course by the recession, Black Wednesday and the party's fatal obsession with Europe. But he should not stand for Mayor - it would be a step down, and he would AGAIN be stepping into a role as pent up financial problems hit the fan. Ken may not even re-stand next time.
Doom
Try going to London and asking people. You might learn something. Remember he is the official Labour candidate now, and Labour are down the pan in London. There is always a movement away from the people in power as witnessed in the local government elections. Where dispite of the Labour party getting thrashed generaly still won in Lambath, because the Lib/dems were in power. I live in Lambath and am active in Local government politics. On the doorstep, is where I get my imfomation, what is yours based on?
Which doorstep, GP, is that you are sleeping on?
O/T Iain - is it my imagination or are you changing your front page "banner" more often than you change your underwear?
Peter, I can assure you I change my underwear every day! Too much info?
Major was utterly utterly hopeless. No leadership attributes at all.
Teriffic fellow to sit next to at the Oval but as much use a chocolate fireguard when it comes to bossing a department, a city, a country.
A really good leader of the party might still have lost in 1997, but a really good leader would not have created the hostages to fortune that Major managed between 92 and 97.
Let the poor chap get less poor with his directorships, and leave those magic underpants at the back of his smalls drawer. Of course he would be better than Mad King Ken, but only in the way that a banana would be more useful than a lead pipe to a drowning man.
The Beeb is reporting that Nick Ferrari has stated that he will not be offering himself as a Tory candidate to become London mayor and goes on to critisize the party for making its selection 18 months ahead of the event. Even more disappointingly, he states that he'll decide next year whether or not to stand as an independent.
John Major is quick-witted on the hustings and he doesn't indulge himself in responding to abuse, unlike the loathesome Red Ken. I think he would be a fascinating candidate. That he would attract worldwide publicity might persuade conservative Londoners to think it was actually worthwhile going out to vote.
But could he take time away from his business interests, and would it be worth his while are the questions.
Having a cynical streak, the thought occurs that this is could be a ploy to get Dave out of a hole - and it works on more than one level.
This bloody brilliant idea of opening the preliminary voting to all (wonderful opportunity for tactical voting by other parties - who comprise about 60% of the electorate, remember - whoever thought that one up needs castrating) means that no credible, sane person would stand as Tory candidate. So start rumours that a retired heavyweight will ride to the rescue. He won't of course, he's not that daft.
Blame eventual loss of London on the fact that other candidates, possible winners, stood aside to give this dear old war-horse a clear run. So unfortunate that he kicked up in the saddling enclosure and didn't actually get to the starting gate.
Sympathy for Dave, some sympathy for John and a God-awful idea that was bound to go tits-up can be conveniently forgotten. And guess what? It doesn't really matter, because we'll take control of the vast majority of council seats at the next local elections. We'll win in the long run, but through the back-door.
Best thing that could happen is that the Cons enter a 'fun' candidate - a non-politician. How about Peter Stringfellow - with Guido as his agent?
I'd love to see John Major in the job, but I think it's exceptionally unlikely.
I'm not in the least surprised at Nick Ferarri's announcement, and I don't reckon he was ever really intending to put his name forward. He's just been milking the subject for all it's worth across the media, and using it as a big personal publicity stunt.
Yes that wonderful amn who gave us the ERM disaster and handed Labour their biggest ever victory. Still what does it matter when Stanley Kalms pulls the plug on the Tory party, they won't be able to afford to runa anyone. William Hague for the chop 'eh Iain
It's all coming back to me. This guy really was Prime Minister.
Oh god. What were we drinking...er, I mean thinking?
Kate
I would love to see John in power again especialy in London. I have never met JM but I do know some of his family. They are the most down to earth or should I say "common" lot you could possibly meet. In fact it amases me that, in this class ridden country, he got elected leader of any political party in the first place.
All his family to my knowledge, know him as a kind, commited and hard working man, with weaknesses and strenths equal to ordinary people.
He is a man of the people however much it greives socialist to be told this. He has a high profile, so people perceive he will have influence and knowledge over national government dispotionate to his real power.
However unpopular his government was seen to be, John Magors personal integrity honesty and "likeability" were never in question.
Anonymous
Please get of my case and grow-up.
I will from now try my best to take Iains and others advice and not respond to anonymous posters. If you cant take my past subtle advice and get yourself a regular ID, you deserve your place in coventry, and the abuse that others I am sure will give you.
Sadly, Inamicus and Croydonian have got this one right.
Verity
I often enjoy your libertarian viewpoint, but on this issue you political acuity deserts you - an excess of Mexican sun, perhaps? In any case it is obvious that you have not had to endure for a long time the purgatory of being a London communter, a situation largely brought about by Major and his govt's. policy re the railways
I'm with ol' timer and og on this one
toodle pip!
Gary Powell intrigues me. He has no fear of water torture and talks freely upon this subject.This saddens me, for I would have enjoyed torturing him.Can I interest you in electrocution?
As I observed, John Major was and is a decent man. he managed a dying party with less majority that Makes Blair's a landslide by comparison. His position as centre candidate for PM was resonable.His attempt to sustain British financial greatness was admirable.
His failure at both was his epitaph. This does not make him less decent, just the right man, wrong time, wrong circumstances.
In itself, this would allow consideration of John for the position of Mayor and if a reasonable guarantee of winning was opined, could re-write the epitaph.
The trouble is, the 'bastards' who sealed his fate are still on the run in CCO and why should he risk his fragile respectibility for those that continue to kill his beloved party and intend to do so further.
Only when the party reverts back to John's preferred view, will the party stand a chance of winning the Mayor and Country.
Until you accept this, please find someone else's doorstep to sleep on.
Doom.
Anonymous 9:07 - You are correct. I did not have much exposure to London Transport under Major. I think ascribing my lack of saturation exposure to Major's transport policy before I left Britain to the Mexican sun is rather fanciful, though.
Doom, thanks for your thoughtful post. Very interesting.
How can you be so blind?
Dr. Doooom needs to remember that the fool Major was the main reason why Tory voters deserted en masse to NULab in '97. When he was ousted he couldn't even get a job with his old employers. Says it all! Or perhaps we should do a Bliar and 'draw a line under it, and start again'. The man's a waste of space, a sophisticated Prescott (imagine that!), if his brain was on fire no sensible person would P*** in his ear to put him out.
End of rant.
I thang you
Dr. Doom, or should I say, "Hello Norma"?
The analysis you have of John Major appears not to fit the facts. I'm sure this is deliberate on your behalf.
In frustration of continual criticism of those that knew best for the Conservative party, John stood down as leader and forced a contest. He won.
His critics did not listen to that vote of support and continued in their destructive ways.
John battled on with a majority of six.If this was a war, then John deserved a VC.
The Tories owe their position today, not to John, but to those that knew best.
Today, they still know best but do so from a position where no harm will come to them or this Country.
The story goes, that if they keep saying it, Britain will listen.
HHmmmm.
It remains a challenge to believe that John Major owes more to today's conservative party than he did when he ruled the roost.
What have modern Tories learned now that they did not then?
Doom.
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