John Major moment=?

[thedaffodils]

Gordon Brown was today facing his own "John Major moment" after a hammering in the local elections produced Labour's worst results since the early sixties.

Hi! Could anyone tell me what John Major moment refers to? I found this phrase serves in the parts of the titles of two news reports. Well, I knew John Major was British Prime Minister and he was Conservative Party leader only. Thanks!

[beascarpetta]

Hi! Could anyone tell me what John Major moment refers to? I found this phrase serves in the parts of the titles of two news reports. Well, I knew John Major was British Prime Minister and he was Conservative Party leader only. Thanks!

Gordon Brown took a hammering in the local elections that produced Labour's worst results comparable to those witnessed by the Tories under John Major in 1995.

[thedaffodils]

Hi Beascarpetta, thank you for your help. I got it.

[beascarpetta]

Hi Beascarpetta, thank you for your help. I got it.

a pleasure to be sure
and I quite like that phase

[bhaisahab]

Hi! Could anyone tell me what John Major moment refers to? I found this phrase serves in the parts of the titles of two news reports. Well, I knew John Major was British Prime Minister and he was Conservative Party leader only. Thanks!

Ther have just been local council elections in Britain and Gordon Brown's party lost a huge number of seats, in 1995, when John Major was prime minister, his party lost a similar number of seats in the council elections, he went on to lose the next general election to Tony Blair in 1997, two years later. The next general election is due in 2010, in two years time.

[thedaffodils]

Hi Bhaisahab, thanks for your detailed info.

[jamiep]

I think it's alsp referring to the fact the both Major and Brown took over as leaders of their respective parties ( from Thatcher and Blair) and thus became PM during a term of parliament and didn't win the elections as leader.

[BobK]

And there are other parallels. They were both Chancellors of the Exchequer, both known for a lack of charisma ... and various other similarities (but listing them could get a bit controversial, so I won't go on )

b

[bhaisahab]

I think it's alsp referring to the fact the both Major and Brown took over as leaders of their respective parties ( from Thatcher and Blair) and thus became PM during a term of parliament and didn't win the elections as leader.

In fact, John Major did win an election, against Niel Kinnock, the then leader of the labour party, in 1992. It is true that both he and Gordon Brown were chancellors of the exchequer.

[Tdol]

I think that Jamiep meant that he became PM mid-term and, therefore, didn't the office through an election.