BIOGRAPHY

Local politics and Parliament

Sir John was elected as a councillor on Lambeth Borough Council in 1968, later becoming Chairman of the Housing Committee. He stood as the Conservative parliamentary candidate for the safe Labour seat of St Pancras North at both general elections held in 1974.

In 1976, Sir John became the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Huntingdonshire. He won the constituency at the 1979 general election and entered the House of Commons. Following boundary changes, the constituency was renamed Huntingdon, which he represented until retiring from Parliament in 2001.

He made his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 13 June 1979.

Ministerial career

In 1981, Sir John was appointed a Parliamentary Private Secretary, becoming a junior whip in 1983. He was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Health and Social Security in 1985 and became a Minister of State in the same department the following year.

Following the 1987 general election, Sir John was promoted to the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and appointed to the Privy Council.

He became Foreign Secretary on 24 July 1989. He held the position until 26 October 1989, when he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer following the resignation of Nigel Lawson.

He set out his economic priorities in the 1989 Autumn Statement, focusing on the need to keep inflation low. He repeated that priority in the 1990 Autumn Statement, delivered shortly before he became Prime Minister.

Prime Minister

Following Margaret Thatcher’s resignation during the November 1990 Conservative leadership contest, Sir John became Prime Minister on 28 November 1990. In his first Cabinet, Norman Lamont became Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kenneth Baker became Home Secretary and Douglas Hurd remained Foreign Secretary.

The Gulf War

Sir John became Prime Minister shortly after Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. He worked closely with United States President George Bush during the international effort to liberate Kuwait as part of Operation Desert Storm.

After the war, and amid the persecution of the Kurds by Saddam Hussein, Sir John launched the Safe Havens policy. In a joint doorstep interview with President Bush on 22 December 1990, he set out the British Government’s position on Iraq. Military action began in January 1991, with Sir John broadcasting to the nation on 17 January.

Domestic policy and public services

Sir John pledged to keep inflation low and developed the Citizen’s Charter, which aimed to give individuals greater power when using public services. He discussed the policy in detail at an Economist conference in January 1992.

During 1991, plans were developed to replace the controversial Community Charge, commonly known as the Poll Tax, with Council Tax.

Sir John spoke widely on education and his ambition to extend educational opportunities. At his first Conservative Party conference as leader in October 1991, he underlined his commitment to the National Health Service.

“It is unthinkable that I, of all people, would try to take that security away.”

Europe

In December 1991, Sir John negotiated the Maastricht Treaty, securing an opt-out from the proposed single European currency and from the Social Chapter.

In April 1993, during a speech to the Conservative Group for Europe, Sir John spoke of Britain remaining unique and distinctive.

“Fifty years from now Britain will still be the country of long shadows on county grounds, warm beer, invincible green suburbs, dog lovers and pools fillers.”

In June 1994, Sir John vetoed the appointment of Jean-Luc Dehaene as President of the European Commission, favouring the less federalist Jacques Santer. In September that year, he delivered the William and Mary lecture in Leiden, setting out his vision for the future of the European Union.

Northern Ireland

Sir John pledged to seek a solution to the Troubles in Northern Ireland and helped launch the peace process, working successively with Irish Taoisigh Albert Reynolds and John Bruton.

On 15 December 1993, Sir John and Albert Reynolds issued the Downing Street Declaration.

The Framework Document on peace in Northern Ireland was published in February 1995, following the IRA ceasefire announced in August 1994.

An IRA bomb ended the ceasefire in February 1996. All-party talks resumed in June 1996 despite the Manchester bombing that month.

The 1992 general election

Despite adverse opinion polls, Sir John led the Conservatives to victory at the general election on 9 April 1992. The party received more than 14 million votes, although this translated into only a small parliamentary majority. The 1992 Conservative Party manifesto set out the Government’s programme for the new Parliament.

The National Lottery

The National Lottery Act was passed in 1993, with the aim of raising additional funding for the arts, sport, millennium projects and other good causes.

Sir John saw the Lottery as an opportunity to support areas that often lost out when public expenditure was allocated. He spoke about this at the English Heritage Conference in September 1994 and launched the National Lottery in London in November that year.

International affairs

In September 1994, Sir John visited South Africa to mark the country’s progress following apartheid. He addressed the South African Parliament and set out his hopes for its future.

Party leadership and the economy

In June 1995, Sir John resigned as leader of the Conservative Party, triggering a leadership contest which he won in the first round.

During Sir John’s premiership, interest rates fell from 14 per cent to 6 per cent, unemployment fell to 1.6 million and inflation remained low. He handed over an economy that had been growing for five years.

Later public life