Conservative Divisions under Major

By Thatcher's last years in government, divisions had become even more apparent. While Thatcher was seen as an electoral asset these disagreements did not seem to matter but as her popularity waned they became more open. Thatcher's use of Professor Alan Walters as an economic adviser infuriated her Chancellor, Nigel Lawson, who resigned in 1989. 

Thatcher then alienated Geoffrey Howe by moving him from the Foreign Office to a lesser post and he resigned a year later. These resignations were partly about her style of leadership. In his resignation speech in Parliament, Howe complained that Thatcher's undermining of her ministers over Europe was 'rather like senidng your opening batsman to the crease, only for them to find the bats being broken by the team captain'. 

Despite Major's efforts to unify the party, and despite the electoral success of the 1992 general election, the divisions in the party worsened. 

Right-wingers pushed for more radical social policies. Politicians with leadership ambitions saw a chance to advance their claims. Eurosceptics saw an opening to push government to the edges of Europe, is not out of the EU altogther. Like the scandals and sleaze, these divisions had the effect of drowning out any achievements.

Press speculation continued about possible challenges for the leadership from disaffected cabinet ministers. The names of Michael Portfillo and John Redwood were frequently mentioned. Comment in the right wing press was relentlessly hostile, openly calling for a strong leader to replace Major and 'save the party'. By the summer of 1995, Major felt so insecure that he called for a leadership election so that he could be re-elected to his own job. It was a case of 'back me or sack me'. 

On the 22nd June 1995 John Major initiated a Conservative leadership election to try to silence his critics and to reestablish his authority. Michael Portillo decided not to run so the main challenger was John Redwood, who backed by Thatcherites and Eurosceptics.

Before the ballot Major met with Heseltine and agreed that Heseltine would become deputy prime minister. Heseltine made sure everyone in the party knew he had voted for Major. The result of the first ballot was decisive, with 218 for Major and 89 for Redwood. There was no need for a second ballot. 

Despite Major's win, he still faced problems. 89 Conservative MPs had voted against him, when his government only had a small minority, and the attitude of the press remained hostile as ever. At PM's Question TIme Major was mocked by Tony Blair, the Labour Party leader: 'I lead my party. You follow yours'.

Adding fuel to the criticism of Major was Thatcher. She encouraged the Eurosceptic rebels by demanding a referendum on Europe. Her memoirs, published just after the party conference in 1993, were lukewarm about Major. She gave her support to John Redwood in his challenge to Major in 1995. In the run up to the 1997 election, her comments seemed to show more approval of Tony Blair than of John Major.