How far the Tories have moved and changed with the times but even more shocking how much further Labour have shifted to the left and how far out of touch they now are with the working class.
Not sure if they’re laughing at the idea of leaving - a lot were Eurosceptics even if Major was an EU superman - so much as laughing at the idea of Blair being so hypocritical about it.
I mean. It’s only slightly better. The evolution of technology has changed so much in the last 200 years, but the state of Parliament has not - apart from the average IQ, which has decreased by a landslide.
It’s not much better tbh. The only real difference is Blair used political insults, whereas Kier uses silly schoolyard jokes and street rap battle dissing. Corbyn was much closer to Blair in that sense, actually pointing out problems with respect and insulting his opposition directly through comments about their poor responses to the issues at hand, and his fellow parliamentarians didn’t seem to like it one bit.
Tony Blair is there, that war criminal who orphaned many children and killed thousands with his American masters claiming of fake WMD in Iraq isn't worthy of intelligence.
@@TechnoLadz Slightly? It as changed ALOT, and its not technology. The problem is people have become weaker at least back then, they had some identity and values, but today? Nothing of this exists or matters any longer.
"I count my blessings for the fact I don't have to go into that pit that John Major stands in, nose-to-nose with the opposition, and yelling at each other." - U.S. President George H.W. Bush.
The United States could use something like "Prime Minister's Questions", it would certainly foster greater accountability in our system- especially at the federal level!
Major was literally one of the most uneducated PM we ever had since WW2, the man was in charge during black Wednesday... his government crashed the economy a magnitude worse than Liz, which they did fix it, they also lost the next election due to it, in a landslide and a generation of voter said, never tory, until we voted them in again in 2010... the electorate the memory of a goldfish, as well see in 10-15 years time. Brown was the most educated PM we have had in over 100 years with a PHD, yes he sold the gold (maybe he should have made bitcoin and bought it then, hell maybe invest in PPE), but he was according to economics academics, one of our best chancellors, PM is another story. Atlee and Wilson were also both academics and lecturers.
@@RR-cl2vf Major might have been uneducated (comparatively speaking) but none the less conducted himself in a manner that belied his background. The same can’t be said about the likes of Boris, Truss, May and so on. Obviously things went tits up under Major but I’d argue that Thatcher did worse things that should have given a generation and so on, more than enough reason to never vote Tory again.
@@RR-cl2vf Your “educated Blair” followed Bush into an illegal war, something Major wouldn’t have done. Blair got elected by pretending to be a Tory with his “new labour” bullshit. I see Starmer is trying to follow in his footsteps posing with a Union Jack, like he can convince someone he is patriotic lol.
@@Lukex29 Lol overall the tory party supported the war more than labour, with ~90% voting for it. The general public also supported the war, at 53% and 6 crossbench inquiries have cleared brown and Blair. Think of a new talking point. The tories for the most part supported every war/military action since WW2, including recent ones since Iraq, i.e: Syria. The Tories lost us our superpower title in the Suez crisis and even supported sending troops to Vietnam when Wilson refused to send any. The left and centre for the most part were against the war(s) and marched against them. Don't try and pretend the tories were ever against wars in general let alone the Iraq war ( Polls from that time and Facts say otherwise and facts don't care about your fe-fe's). Blair never pretended to be a tory, he said he was a social democrat and not a socialist like previous labour leaders. He wanted regulations rather than nationalisation( a lot of his regulations were easily reversed when the tories and LibDems took office). He said he would not renationalise Thatcher privatizations and he would not regulate the financial markets. This all showed to be bad ideas when we had a global crisis when we found out the financial sector was scamming people due to low regulation worldwide and we now have worse services for higher prices, which we see to this day with energy, rail and water. So Blair tried his 'thrid way' to keep both sides happy and the right-wing ideas have left us in a horrible situation, especially after 12 years of tory rule. if you think the UK is better than it was pre-2007 or even 2010, then I need some of whatever you're smoking. The average brit in real terms is 11-15 % worse of and public sector workers like nurses are now 20% worse of just in 12 years of tory rules.
"I think of myself as fairly left wing but John Major was the best prime minister of my lifetime (1977-). His biggest achievement was probably his contribution to the Irish peace process, for which he’s rarely given enough credit (on the GB side, the glitzier Tony Blair gets all the kudos), but he also delivered, after a shaky start, a booming economy through fiscal policies which were deemed benign enough for Gordon Brown to continue and his government also saw the introduction, albeit at a cautious pace, of a socially liberal approach to censorship and gay righrts. His foreign policy interventions were generally sensible, rarely ethically dubious and never resulted in the kind of strategic blunder that resulted from Blair’s incursion into Iraq. Perhaps most strikingly, he was able to preside over, and win an election with, a woefully divided Conservative Party and protect the country from the sort of calamitous approach to Europe taken by his ostensibly more statesmenlike succeasor, David Cameron. And all of this without introducing student tuition fees. On the minus side, you have rail privatisation (either too far, or not far enough depending on your perspective), PFI (for which he largely eacapes the blame; this doesn’t really compensate for the fact his role in NI is often overlooked) and a seeming level of callousness towards the poorest in society (his ‘eyesore’ remarks about beggars inspired my one and only letter to a prime minister). None of which amount to an Iraq or a Brexit. On the whole, a decent chap who did a good job and who continues to contribute to the political process with a quiet dignity." Answer from Quora. What do you think?
What to think. Major son of an 80 year old circus hand born in the middle of the nineteenth century, looks like a minor share broker, he was and and as a debater on fact and radio wins every point. But. Blair with Mo Moham and John Prescott presents with a front line as deceptive and hollow as David Lange's in 1984. For a moment in the commons , Blair looks good, with no serious opposition, fifth form debating technique and 6ft 2 height are enough. But actually he is just Luke from Gas and Garters a divine fool in a corrupt church. I mean look at some of the Australian liberal party sites on RU-vid. Its actually the Australian conservative party descended from the Australian United Party. Have a look at Robert Menzies Aus PM 1938-41 and 49-66.a former constitutional lawyer ' pig iron Bob' who defended BHP right to sell steel to Japan in 1939 for six months in defiance of league of nations sanctions and industrial violence. The United Party was seen as as a front for big business, national interest or less politely the 'old guard' led by Roger Goldfinch a Israeli financier and CEO of CSR colonial sugar and Menzies wartime Minister of Munitions. Or reflect on the masterpiece John Gorton I lead the Liberal Party not the conservative party. Oxford educated Hurricane pilot of indeterminate Australian kiwi ancestry.Who won an impossible victory in the 1969 election against Whitlam.
@MrAeronuk1 oh, I'm sorry. Normally, I'm the type of person who criticises bad grammer. But, I think I was writing the comment, went to do somthing else, and forgot a word. :/
You should look at the age of Parliament in the late 18th Century. Half of them were children, not literally. It is how William Pitt the Younger became Prime-Minister at 24 years old. Edit: Here is William Jefferson Hague, Baron Hague of Richmond on William Pitt the Younger's life: ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-O0tHmYEaqok.html ) Edit2: .
ash104 fr. I’m not a Brit but seeing Boris and Corbyn vs these two gentlemen, no comparison. They were around them yes? But Major and Blair were political giants. They’d have charbroiled the UK’s current cabinet.
This was a destruction of Major. This matter was the weakest point of the conservative leadership and Blair grabbed a night and twisted it. The vision of Major, incapable of even discussing publicly policy or rifts in back bench/cabinet support and cohesion became a real issue for Major. People forget how incredible Blair was at PMQs. It was of a different generation of politicians. The bar was raised very high by orators like Margaret Thatcher. You had to really know the detail, there was a real art to it. Blair was a child of that quality and his abilities show it
@@nikkisinclaire4185 but not effectively in result. Blair couldn't match Hague's intellectual viewpoint, but never had to - however witty Hague developed his commentary, Blair knew he was the smarter hunter. And only when Cameron smelt fatigue in the now elder PM did Blair gladly resign before the Tories inevitably tasted blood.
i think the 21st century brought increasing doubt about the EU direction of travel,too many remainers were happy for the EU to effectively take over 27 parliament democracies and impart large amounts of EU law and dictates into their countries
@@Heartdrive How's that turned out, given the bar for success is "has anyone starved to death", and even that hasn't been met, as someone unfortunately has.
True, I'm no Tory, but I respected John Major. He was a good speaker and a woefully underrated prime minister. As for Cameron, the least said the better.
Which actually shows how bad things are now. They weren’t giants. We have always deserved so much better. Still agree with you though, I’d be in my late 20s!
mrExcellent101 Hardly he talks out of place he fooled people he was "one of us" he took too much and helped the rich just as much as Blair did 1997 was a paradox I wish I didn't vote New Labour but I didn't after 1999
Major is a good guy and pretty centerist. He was helf to ransom by the right wingers in his party. The Tory party has always been a nest of vipers and the moderates have always been shouted down. As for Blair always thought him odious.
mattbod Except if you look at the legacy of his government, it's pretty Thatcherite. Welfare cutting, lack of money for the NHS, and rail nationalization (which Major hadn't got the balls to mention in his memoirs). His 'nice guy' images belies a pretty rightwing government, and that's not just because of the right wingers in his cabinet.
Dbdbe1 correct, the privatisation of railways was also EUs First Railway Directive which means a single network,the Eurostar programme under Thatcher was to connect Europe together with trade but weirdly we still use lorries to deliver goods..
The difference is that "right honourable" is used to denote those who are members of the privy council and "honourable" is used for those who aren't. Also, the person speaking will denote those of their own party by saying something like "my honourable friend the member for Broadland" and denote the opposition by saying something like "the honourable lady from Corby".
@@nudisco300 John Major consistently led a Remain platform throughout his premiership, why would it surprise you that that's his belief? And why would it sicken you that he stood on principle in the referendum? Isn't it more sickening when politicians behave like Boris Johnson did, giving support to a Leave cause he didn't believe in just to become Prime Minister?
Tony Blair, in his first six weeks in office implemented the minimum wage, compensation for gulf war veterans, cut VAT, reformed the lottery so that proceeds went to healthcare and education, banned tobacco advertising, returned Trade Union rights to GCHQ staff, held referendums on Scottish and Welsh devolution, banned the export of landmines,brought in new legislation on owning handguns and signed the European Social Chapter.I'm a Conservative and I respect Blair over the likes of Major.
You must be joking. He is diverting a direct question because he knew his weakness on those questions. Tonny exactly got that and hammer Jhon one on top of another.
Can we go back to this? As much as it's entertaining, Boris slinging insults and his jeer fodder cackling like entitled cows in parliament has gotten old for me. It's a place of civilised debate. Not playground gossip and a place to show off a lexicon of insults.
@@paulharrison2325 'vaccine rollout' 'Came out of lockdown' It's a broken record and the only reason they've knifed him is because it looked like he wasn't the winner they thought. It just sickens me to no end. Glad he's going but whoever replaces him won't be better and we're in a hell of a state now
The charisma and intelligence of these two leaders is so refreshing compared with what we have as I write in 2022. We've gone from this to 25 years later, bumbling BoJo and boring as cardboard Starmer. Really quite depressing.
I doubt Blair would have been voted in if everyone knew where we'd be in the mid noughties. Bedlam in the Middle East which is now coming home to roost.
@@sexybeast4320 it seems clear to me that the point is that things really weren’t very shiny back then, regardless of how refreshing this snapshot in time may appear. Could also be summed up with approaching finding out whether Bojo will be censored for breaking ministerial code with parties. Blair’s trial was war crimes.
@@spellywelly I disagree - I believe the gentleman was merely commenting on the quality of the oration of the speakers and not the consequences of their desicions in office or the apparent rosiness of the time - the two are not mutually exclusive I dare say
All this talk about joining the single currency is really weird listening now. I wonder how close we actually came to signing up to it, scary when you look at how it's gone now!
To be fair, having an imaginary "special relationship" to manage is having to negotiate foreign policy with both feet nailed to the floor and one arm behind your back. I think people have forgotten that our roll as a nation is as one of those massive aircraft carriers, on steroids. My takeaway was Betty Bothroyd.... you wouldn't mess. Apropo of nothing, Blair did send a small but scary part of the army into an African country, I can't remember which, and it was the right thing to do, and we did the job well. That rarely happens.
It would be... except that New Labour won the 1997 general election by a landslide. And the 2001 general election and the 2005 general election. They must have been doing something right.
By winning he meant that Blair was failing with his rhetoric so he had to switch to ad hominem school yard politics and in turn the British ate it up and we all got a mass murderer well done again mugs 👏👏👏
@@veggie42 Be careful what you wish for what happens when the EU Collapses with the rise of the far right rising in France, Italy, Germany etc Europe is going back to the bad old days of the 1930s with Russia behind the far right and there dream of a Eurasian Union from Vladivostok to Lisbon we are heading for fascism and another World war if the EU COLLAPSES
This is the only way politicians should debate. Now, our Presidents get questions before hand, studies answers, and calls them "impromptu". You should be able to answer on your feet to direct questions and people keeping you honest. Love it to death. Best form of government debating hands down.
That is why Blair won a landslide, and kept such a high regard. He was pointing in this debate, but even his “thist” or “Clinton thumb” bridges the gap of authority and eloquence…
The sad thing is that John Major actually turned out to be correct. Blair saying one thing, and believing another, ie lying. I may not be the best person to say this without political partiality in the Tories favour but Major did stand firm, "put up or shut up" for example.
Neil Pickles But Major wasn't changing the taxes to make sure they hit the rich not poor and also many things were wrong like his party's ban on teaching about LGBT in sex ed called Section 28,same sex unions,the DLA which was dreadful paid to people who faked it,the CSA and deadbeat dad's getting away with murder,drugs and youth crime under both was appalling.Teen pregnancy rose the highest and both failed on UK skills.Deficit on trade grew and the Environmental issues weren't dealt with.The Environment Agency should also be responsible for collecting rubbish and stopping flytipping where lazy councils can't afford to do anything due to cuts
I'm a Labour member and I thought Major did rather well, though I don't think either looked great. Given we're watching one of the most electorally successful politicians Britain has produced, I was expecting more from Blair. Though either would be a marked improvement on what we have now, or soon will.
Blair was the best Labour PM we have had if only he hadn't got to involved with Bush and US foreign policy and dragged us into the Iraq War then I think he would have had a fourth term. I did like John Major though he is the only Tory leader I have liked.
Well obviously you do not know your Prime Ministers as Harold Wilson and Clement Attlee are regarded as the best Labour Prime Ministers and actually have statues and busts after them. And Sir Alec Douglas-Home was a very good Conservative Prime Minister he only narrowly lost the election in 1964 because he came across a bit posh and outdated yet he actually had modern policies.
@@camerondalton8555 Clement Attlee lead Britain as it recovered from the exaustion and sacrifice of winning the Second World War, set the colonies free, created the National Health Service and the welfare state and guided the country into its new place in the post-WWII world. Harold Wilson abolished the death penalty, outlawed racial and sex discrimination, abolished theatre censorship, decriminalized homosexuality, kept Britain out of the Vietnam war and expanded the welfare state that Clement Atlee had begun. Tony Blair scrapped Section 28, introduced Civil Partnerships for gay couples, completed the Northern Ireland peace process, increased funding for the NHS and saved thousands of Kosovans from ethnic cleansing in 1999. Today there are hundreds of young Kosovan men named after Tony Blair, in gratitude for the NATO intervention, for which he pushed.
@MrAeronuk1 I never said it was close to winning an election. I just said its slowly recovering from the damage the Blairites did and still are doing to the labour party. Stop misquoting what I said.
UpstairsSignificance Blair was the greatest thing that happened to the Labour party. His cocksuckers, on the other hand, need to realise his ideology is over.
Nah, it was actually that long before, when Maggie Thatcher and the majority of the country hailed as a success with an "I'm alright jack" attitude, a government that caused 1 million families to loose their homes " they had been given "the right to buy" under the exact same government (Thatcher's) not to mention the further 350,000-plus that lost theirs on Major's watch!
Steve W Correct.Thatcher killed Britain,she wore that European flag jumper only to say NO NO NO when the EU isn't a State! it's shared competence on things that cross borders and I thought she would like that
Collette Post She killed Britain did she? So before her the union controlled the country with the gas on strike, the electric on strike, the ambulance on strike, the dustmen on strike, every major industry striking, EVEN grave diggers on strike so the dead could not buried. Add to this Britain so broke it had to beg for money from the International Monetary Fund just to keep going in the same way Greece has has to nowadays. You talk utter shite. Thatcher allowed people who wanted to work hard get on and make themselves more wealthy. What was wrong with that?
nudisco300 the dead not being buried is a myth spread by right wing media, the only graves not dug was due to winter in the north where the ground was frozen.
What made Blair amazing is the way he responded to Major’s jibes. Miliband, Corbyn and Starmer would sit there and take it from the PM, never defend themselves or their party and simply move on to the next scripted question.
Blair remains the greatest PM ever. Did many things I disagreed with, but did so much good too. Much more good than all three of the last tory PM's combined!
+Steve W Totally agree! I absolutely despair at the current Labour leadership and their so called purists that just don't get it! Blair was brilliant- the Tories were scared to death of him.
Well I loved the live talk both Tony Blair and Sir John Major really hit the spot ! I laughed at the weak ,weak ,weak part but my favourite moments was when they featured Ted Heath !
Love the looks of 'I've got you now' between Blair and Major hahaha, classic. It's more like a duel in the wild west then a political debate in the houses of parliament :P.
I wasn't a huge fan of John back in the day, but, to be honest, I had no major issues with him.........major issues?......MAJOR!.....get it?!.....I'm here all week lads
There is a remake of this now .. they decided the Tory defeat of 1997 was so good and that being able to afford to live was actually so fun that we are going to have another crack at it after the next general election
Not really. Because the final years of the John Major government. THEY NEVER REGAINED IN THE POLLS. Rishi Sunak's Tories are actually slowly regaining ground. And the fact Keir Starmer is no Tony Blair. He's too obviously conniving and boring.
People go on at Blair a lot, I would argue unfairly. I hate labour, I vote UKIP. I do know that Blair was very tough on terrorists during his time, and he took difficult decisions head on. Now though the labor party is still looking for an alternative to Blairism.
