John Major

Sir John Major entered Parliament in 1979, and Government in 1983. He joined the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 1987; was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in July 1989; and Chancellor of the Exchequer in October 1989.

Sir John served as Prime Minister from November 1990 to May 1997. Following the General Election of 1997, Sir John handed the incoming Labour Government the strongest economy inherited by any incoming UK Government. He retired from the House of Commons at the UK General Election in May 2001. On New Year’s Day 1999, HM The Queen appointed Sir John a Companion of Honour in recognition of his initiation of the Northern Ireland Peace Process; and on St George’s Day 2005, a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. In 2012, he was awarded The Grand Cordon of The Rising Sun by The Emperor of Japan.

Ian Birrell is contributing editor of The Mail on Sunday as foreign reporter and commentator. He writes a weekly column in the i paper as well as writing for the Daily Mail, the Observer, the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian and the Spectator. Ian Birrell was adviser and speechwriter for David Cameron in the run-up to the 2010 general election.