tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post8318019653274812448..comments2024-03-29T00:37:19.769+00:00Comments on SCOT goes POP!: Major what-if questions...James Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-2807055607484633132010-01-04T00:12:41.140+00:002010-01-04T00:12:41.140+00:00Hi, Subrosa - I was actually referring to Harold W...Hi, Subrosa - I was actually referring to Harold Wilson when I was talking about the plots, but you're right, Major had an extraordinary knack of seeing off plots as well! It was striking how much he raised his game during the 1995 leadership contest - he had only one really good performance at PMQs in the whole six-and-a-half years of his premiership and it was during that campaign.<br /><br />Tris, it was interesting to hear Michael Portillo say a few months ago that the reason Mrs Thatcher never considered privatising the postal service was simply that it was called "Royal" Mail. So it seems previous Labour governments missed a trick by not creating nationalised industries called 'Royal Steel', 'Royal Telecom', etc. Perhaps they should even have created a 'Royal Health Service' just to be on the safe side!James Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-47812984450350527032010-01-03T18:25:52.818+00:002010-01-03T18:25:52.818+00:00I think that the best Prime Minister since 1958, w...I think that the best Prime Minister since 1958, would ahve to be a choice of two whom we never had. ken Clarke and Shirley Williams.<br /><br />As SR says, Major was less than interested in Scotland except financially. He wasn't like most previous Tory Prime Ministers, he didn't even come here to shoot deer.<br /><br />I'l remember him best for the catastrophic, dangerous and incredibly expensive privatisiation of the railways. Even Thatcher wouldn't have been that stupid adn good ness knows that's saying something..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-73206654324388554462010-01-03T13:19:29.824+00:002010-01-03T13:19:29.824+00:00John Major was never interested in Scotland or its...John Major was never interested in Scotland or its constitutional issues. His main objective was to ensure Scotland stayed within the broken Union because he needed the oil revenue.<br /><br />He was well aware the tories were a lost cause in Scotland after Maggie's destruction of our industries.<br /><br />Plus you're right about his ability to see off his opponents. A shrewd, clever man who certainly offered the public a face they could trust. That hasn't happened since and I can't see it happening in the foreseeable future.subrosahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00151702590329788260noreply@blogger.com