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106-629: The creation of the Entente Cordiale scholarships was announced on 30 October 1995 by British Prime Minister John Major and French President Jacques Chirac at an Anglo-French summit in London. They said: “Young people in our two countries represent our shared future. The more they learn about their near neighbour as they advance in their education, the more they can contribute to the enlightened partnership and growing opportunities, which we are now developing in an enlarged Europe.” The programme

212-648: A leadership bid by Anthony Meyer ; though she won easily, 60 MPs had not voted for her, and it was rumoured that many more had had to be strong-armed into supporting her. By early 1990, it was clear that bills for many under the new poll tax regime would be higher than anticipated, and opposition to the Tax grew, with a non-payment campaign gaining much support and an anti-poll tax demonstration in Trafalgar Square in March ending in rioting . The Conservatives lost

318-453: A 'budget for savers', with the creations of the tax-exempt special savings account (TESSA), arguing that measures were required to address the marked fall in the household savings ratio that had been apparent during the previous financial year . Major also abolished the composite rate tax and stamp duty on share trades, whilst increasing taxes on alcohol, cigarettes and petrol. Tax cuts were also made which benefited football associations,

424-585: A 'favourite' of Thatcher's and he was widely tipped for further promotion. Nevertheless, Major's appointment to Foreign Secretary in July 1989 came as a surprise due to his relative lack of experience in the Cabinet and unfamiliarity with international affairs. Major found the prospect daunting, and unsuccessfully attempted to convince Thatcher to allow him to stay on at the Treasury. There were also fears within

530-621: A Conservative party event in Brixton in April 1970, and the two became engaged shortly thereafter, marrying at St Matthew's Church in Brixton on 3 October 1970. John's mother died shortly before in September at the age of 65. John and Norma moved into a flat at Primrose Court, Streatham , which John had bought in 1969, and had their first child, Elizabeth, in November 1971. In 1974

636-582: A Foreign Office minister on a trip to South America, visiting Colombia , Peru and Venezuela . In September 1985, Major was made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS), before being promoted to become Minister of State in the same department in September 1986. The large size of the DHSS granted Ministers a greater degree of responsibility than in other departments, with Major assisting with work on

742-567: A Labour stronghold, the Conservatives received a huge boost following Enoch Powell 's anti-immigration ' Rivers of Blood speech ' in April 1968 and Major won, despite strongly disapproving of Powell's views. Major took a major interest in housing matters, with Lambeth notorious for overcrowding and poor-quality rented accommodation. In February 1970 Major became Chairman of the Housing Committee, being responsible for overseeing

848-433: A candidate for a more promising seat, and despite numerous attempts was unsuccessful until December 1976. Growing increasingly frustrated, Major resolved to make one last attempt, applying for selection to the safe Conservative seat of Huntingdonshire and finally he succeeded. Major was in some ways an odd choice, being a born-and-bred Londoner in a largely rural constituency still home to many landed families; however, he

954-481: A competitive marketplace. EDF also found that earnings for its UK business had tumbled by 16.5% to £691   million in the year to 31 December. On 4 November 2019 EDF announced the acquisition British start up Pivot Power, who specialise in battery storage and infrastructure for electric vehicle charging. EDF acquired a majority stake in Pod Point , one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) charging companies in

1060-611: A consequence, there will be among British and French decision-makers more and more people with deep knowledge of the other country. Knowledge overcomes prejudice, and should lead to more temperate opinions at high levels of responsibility on either side of the Channel.” This scheme is Franco-British, and funds postgraduate students for one academic year in France for British scholars and in the United Kingdom for French scholars. On

1166-432: A difficult one, with his mother suffering from pleurisy and pneumonia and John requiring several blood transfusions due to an infection, causing permanent scarring to his ankles. The Major family—including John, his parents, and his two older siblings Terry and Pat) —lived at 260 Longfellow Road, Worcester Park , Surrey, a middle-class area where Major's father ran a garden ornaments business and his mother worked in

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1272-409: A divorcée 13 years his elder with two children who lived opposite the family on Burton Road, who became his mentor and lover. Seldon writes "She ... made Major smarten his appearance, groomed him politically, and made him more ambitious and worldly." Major later moved in with Kierans when his family left Burton Road in 1965; their relationship lasted from 1963 to sometime after 1968. Major left

1378-760: A fact-finding trip to the Middle East in April 1982. The group met with King Hussein of Jordan and Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation in Lebanon; in Israel they were briefly caught in the middle of a shooting incident between Israeli troops and a Palestinian rock-thrower. Major later became an assistant whip in January 1983, responsible for East Anglian MPs. During this period Major became also involved in

1484-577: A fiercely critical broadside against Thatcher in the House of Commons on 13 November. The day after Howe's speech Michael Heseltine , Thatcher's former Secretary of State for Defence who had acrimoniously resigned in 1986 over the Westland affair , challenged Thatcher for the leadership of the Conservative Party. Both John Major and Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd supported Thatcher in

1590-746: A floating offshore wind development at Blyth and a 22 turbine onshore wind farm Garn Fach in Wales. EDF develop, operate and maintain solar projects. Sutton Bridge is the company's first solar farm of grid-scale and will be approximately 139 hectares. In 2019 EDF signed an agreement to install solar panels on the roofs of a number of Tesco's largest stores in England. EDF owned and operated one 2,000   MW coal fired power station, West Burton A Power Station , located near Retford in Nottinghamshire . Generation at West Burton A power station ended on

1696-608: A high turnout, the Conservatives earned over 14 million votes which remains a record in any UK general election. This was the Conservatives' fourth consecutive election victory. Neil Kinnock was replaced by John Smith as Labour leader and Leader of the Opposition in 1992. On 16 September 1992, the pound sterling crashed out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism after the Chancellor of

1802-512: A landslide in the 1997 general election , ending 18 years of Conservative government. After Blair became prime minister, Major served as Leader of the Opposition for seven weeks while the leadership election to replace him took place. He formed a temporary shadow cabinet , and Major himself was shadow foreign secretary and shadow secretary of state for defence . His resignation as Conservative leader formally took effect in June 1997 following

1908-621: A local church fair and was invited to watch his first debate in the House of Commons , where Harold Macmillan presented his only Budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer . Major has attributed his political ambitions to this event. Major's first job was as a clerk in the London-based insurance brokerage firm Price Forbes in 1959, though finding the job dull and offering no prospects he quit. Major began working with his brother Terry at

2014-486: A local library and as a part-time dance teacher. John Major later described the family's circumstances at this time as being "comfortable but not well off". Following a German V-1 flying bomb attack in the area in 1944 which killed several people, the Majors moved to the village of Saham Toney , Norfolk, for the remainder of the war . John began attending primary school at Cheam Common School from 1948. His childhood

2120-568: A new greener eco friendly image. In 2009, with Euro RSCG London , EDF created the Team Green Britain campaign, in which Olympic athletes encouraged Britons to be more environmentally aware. On 2 April 2012, EDF launched an advert, including their new mascot, Zingy. In 2020 EDF launched their new brand purpose focused on tackling climate change and aired a TV advertising campaign promoting their new company ambition and purpose "Helping Britain achieve Net Zero". EDF Energy Networks

2226-411: A new leader had been elected. Major subsequently announced on 22 November that he would stand in the second ballot, with Thatcher's backing. Major's platform was one of moderation on Europe, a review of the poll tax, and the desire to build a "classless society". Unlike in the first ballot, a candidate only required a simple majority of Conservative MPs to win, in this case 187 of 372 MPs. The ballot

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2332-575: A number of candidates fighting for the crown. It would merely prolong the agony." Major served as Leader of the Opposition for seven weeks while the leadership election to replace him was underway. He formed a temporary Shadow Cabinet , but with seven of his Cabinet ministers having lost their seats at the election, and with few senior MPs left to replace them, several MPs had to hold multiple briefs. Major himself served as shadow foreign secretary (having served as foreign secretary for three months in 1989) and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence , and

2438-453: A priority, stating that tough measures were needed to bring it down and that "if it isn't hurting, it isn't working." He delivered his first Autumn Statement on 15 November, announcing a boost in spending (mainly for the NHS) and with interest rates to be kept as they were. As Chancellor, Major presented only one Budget , the first to be televised live, on 20 March 1990. He publicised it as

2544-465: A restructuring and write-off of some Third World debt at a Commonwealth Finance Ministers meeting in Trinidad and Tobago in September 1990. Opposition within the Conservative Party to Margaret Thatcher had been brewing for some time, focusing on what was seen as her brusque, imperious style and the poll tax , which was facing serious opposition across the country. In December 1989, she had survived

2650-478: A scholarship was funded entirely by donations from alumni. The Entente Cordiale Herbert Smith Freehills Scholarship, first awarded in June 2012, funds a French law student to study for an LL.M. in a British university. Apart from the field of study, the criteria of selection remain similar. When back in France, the scholar is offered a placement with the law firm Herbert Smith Freehills. John Major [REDACTED] Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943)

2756-564: A serious car crash in which he broke a leg and had to be flown home. Leaving hospital, he split his time between Jean Kierans' house and a small rented flat in Mayfair , working at Standard Bank's London office and resuming his banking diploma and activities with the Young Conservatives in his spare time. Major stood again as Councillor in the 1968 Lambeth London Borough Council election , this time for Ferndale ward . Though

2862-470: A single European currency there could instead be a 'hard ECU ', which different national currencies could compete against and, if the ECU was successful, could lead to a single currency. The move was seen as a wrecking tactic by France and Germany, especially when the increasingly Euro-sceptic Thatcher announced her outright opposition to EMU, and the idea was abandoned. More successfully, Major managed to get

2968-559: Is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. He previously held Cabinet positions under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , his last as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1989 to 1990. Major was Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon , formerly Huntingdonshire , from 1979 to 2001. Since stepping down as an MP in 2001, Major has focused on writing and his business, sporting, and charity work, and has occasionally commented on political developments in

3074-496: Is their ability to invest themselves and develop links between the United Kingdom and France in their field of activity. The scholarships are awarded in a broad range of academic subjects, ensuring a diversity of profiles and backgrounds among scholars. Companies currently funding the Entente Cordiale Scholarships scheme are the following: Rolls-Royce, Rothschild, Areva, Schlumberger , Herbert Smith. In

3180-498: The 1990 Mid Staffordshire by-election to Labour and the 1990 Eastbourne by-election to the Liberal Democrats , both Conservative seats, causing many Conservative MPs to worry about their prospects at the upcoming general election, due in 1991 or 1992. Thatcher's staunch anti-European stance also alienated pro-Europe Conservatives. On 1 November, the pro-European deputy prime minister Geoffrey Howe resigned, issuing

3286-619: The 2007 Rugby World Cup (shared with Peugeot ) EDF was the main sponsor of the Anglo-Welsh Cup – the Rugby Union domestic cup for the twelve clubs in the English Premiership and the four Welsh regions – between 2006 and 2009. In July 2007, EDF was confirmed as another Level One sponsor for London 2012 with exclusive branding rights and Olympic team sponsorship for the 2008, 2010 and 2012 games as well as being

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3392-844: The Citizen's Charter , removed the Poll Tax and replaced it with the Council Tax , committed British troops to the Gulf War , took charge of the UK's negotiations over the Maastricht Treaty , led the country during the early 1990s economic crisis , withdrew the pound from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (on Black Wednesday ), promoted the socially conservative back to basics campaign , privatised

3498-518: The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) that Major would be Thatcher's 'hatchet-man', as her relations with the department under Geoffrey Howe had been poor and characterised by mutual distrust. Major accepted the job and began to settle into the department, living in an upstairs room at the FCO and devolving decision making where necessary, though he found the increased security burdensome and disliked

3604-404: The Maastricht Treaty . On 12 May 1994, John Smith died from a heart attack and was replaced by Tony Blair who continued Labour's modernisation under the slogan of " New Labour ". Some polling at the end of 1994 and the start of 1995 had Labour with a vote share of over 60%. The Tories remained divided over this era and in an attempt to silence his critics, Major resigned as Party leader. In

3710-683: The No Dash for Gas campaign, who occupied the EDF owned West Burton CCGT power station in October 2012, and pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated trespass. It is unusual in the United Kingdom for companies to seek damages from protesters. Environmentalist George Monbiot , writing in The Guardian , said EDF was conducting a strategic lawsuit against public participation , "part of a global strategy by corporations to stifle democracy", and predicted

3816-597: The Young Conservatives in Brixton. He soon became a highly active member; this helped increase his confidence following the failure of his school days. Encouraged by fellow Conservative Derek Stone, he started giving speeches on a soap-box in Brixton Market . According to his biographer Anthony Seldon , Major brought "youthful exuberance" to the Tories in Brixton, but was sometimes in trouble with

3922-403: The leadership election , Major comfortably beat John Redwood in June 1995. Following a string of by-election defeats, the Conservatives' majority of 21 had been eroded by 13 December 1996. In the 1997 election on 1 May 1997, Labour won a 179-seat majority, ending their eighteen years in opposition. This was the worst general election result of the 20th century for the Conservatives, seeing

4028-516: The "disastrous unintended consequences of an attempt at censorship" could result in the Streisand effect and be comparable to the McLibel case . The activists received support in the days since the case became public, with over 6,000 signatures on a supportive petition at Change.org within the first day, and over 64,000 by the time EDF dropped their lawsuit on 13 March 2013, saying that this

4134-781: The 1971 Lambeth Council election, Major continued to nurse political ambitions, and with help from friends in the Conservative Party managed to get onto the Conservative Central Office's list of potential MP candidates. Major was selected as the Conservative candidate for the Labour-dominated St Pancras North constituency, fighting both the February and October 1974 general elections, losing heavily both times to Labour's Albert Stallard . Major then attempted to get selected as

4240-428: The 31 March 2023. In the period from April 2020 to March 2021, the percentage of electricity generated by EDF from each source was as follows: nuclear – 62.1%, renewable – 29%, gas – 7.5%, coal – 1.3% with average CO 2 intensity of 42 gCO 2 eq/kWh. In 2020, EDF nuclear power plants provided 16.1% of UK total electricity generation, down from 17.3% in 2019. As of 2020 EDF supplied 32.4% of low-carbon energy in

4346-686: The Argentine foreign minister , the first such meeting since the end of the Falklands War seven years earlier. Major's last major summit as Foreign Secretary was the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malaysia . The meeting was dominated by the issue of sanctions on South Africa, with Britain being the only country to oppose them, on the grounds that they would end up hurting poorer South Africans far more than

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4452-760: The British side, the scholarships are managed by the French embassy in London. On the French side, the scholarships are managed by the British Council France and the British embassy in Paris. Funding is provided by the private sector, while administrative costs are borne by the British and French governments. The selection of the scholars is based not only on their academic success, but also on their professional ambitions and their desire to become influential in their domains of expertise. Also taken into account

4558-572: The Channel “at an age when impressions and friendships are forged for life.” Another strong support of the scheme was French writer and politician Maurice Druon , who was appointed an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his work in wartime London and for his broadcasts to occupied France from the BBC. Of the Entente Cordiale, he said in 2004 during the celebrations held for

4664-416: The Conservatives would suffer a landslide defeat in the upcoming general election. During this period, Michael Portillo had frequently been touted as the favourite to replace Major, but lost his seat in the election, thus eliminating him from the running. Although many Conservative MPs wanted Major to resign as leader immediately because of the 1997 election loss, there was a movement among the grassroots of

4770-562: The ERM at a rate of DM 2.95 to £1.00 (with an agreed 6% floating 'band' either side) was announced the following day. An interest rate cut of 1% (from 15%) was also announced on the same day. The rest of Major's Chancellorship prior to the leadership contest was largely uneventful; he considered granting the Bank of England operational independence over monetary policy, with the ability to set interest rates, but decided against it. He also agreed

4876-519: The Entente Cordiale Scholarship scheme is to “promote contacts and increase exchanges between tomorrow’s decision-makers in the United Kingdom and France,” and “to build an influential and widespread network of alumni and sponsors.” Sir Christophe Mallaby, founder of the scheme, hoped it would increase understanding between the two countries. “Some of the scholars will go on to become influential men and women. (…) I hope that as

4982-803: The Environment Committee and also assisted with work on the Housing Act 1980 , which allowed council house tenants the Right to Buy their homes. At this time Major lived in De Vere Close, Hemingford Grey. Major's first promotion came when he was appointed as a Parliamentary Private Secretary in January 1981 to Patrick Mayhew and Timothy Raison , both Ministers of State at the Home Office . Seeking to gain more exposure to foreign affairs, he joined several Labour Party MPs on

5088-556: The European Union , parliamentary scandals (widely known as "sleaze") and questions over his economic credibility. Despite being reelected as Conservative leader in the 1995 leadership election , his government remained unpopular, and soon lost its parliamentary majority. The Labour Party pulled ahead of the Conservatives in every local election during Major's premiership, which increased after Tony Blair became Labour leader in 1994 . The Conservatives were defeated by Labour in

5194-481: The Exchequer Norman Lamont delivered his budget speech to the House of Commons, which included tax cuts widely perceived to achieve votes at the forthcoming general election. The next day, as universally expected, Major called an election for 9 April. To the surprise of many pollsters, the Conservatives won a majority on the 9 April election, with 336 seats, and earning 41.9% of the vote. With

5300-411: The Exchequer Norman Lamont had invested heavily in trying to keep it there, adjusting interest rates four times in one day. This event would later be called Black Wednesday . Despite the recession finally ending in 1993, the Conservatives' popularity didn't improve. Major's second ministry was also defined by conflicts within the Conservative Party regarding Europe following the government's defeat on

5406-437: The House of Commons at the 2001 general election , having announced his retirement from Parliament on 10 March 2000. Jonathan Djanogly took over as MP for Huntingdon, retaining the seat for the Conservatives at the 2001 election. EDF Energy EDF Energy is a British integrated energy company, wholly owned by the French state-owned EDF (Électricité de France), with operations spanning electricity generation and

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5512-517: The Huntingdon seat by a large margin in the 1979 general election , which brought the Conservatives led by Margaret Thatcher to power. He made his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 13 June 1979, voicing his support for the government's budget. Major assiduously courted contacts at all levels of the party in this period, joining the informal 'Guy Fawkes club' of Conservative MPs and attending various Committees . He became Secretary of

5618-610: The LEB and took up a post at District Bank in May 1965, though he soon left this to join Standard Bank the following year, largely because the latter offered the chance to work abroad. In December 1966 he was sent for a long secondment in Jos, Nigeria , which he enjoyed immensely, though he was put off by the casual racism of some of the ex-pat workers there. In May 1967 he was involved in

5724-525: The Queen 's invitation to form a government, succeeding Margaret Thatcher . He inherited a majority government from Margaret Thatcher who had been the prime minister for the previous eleven years. The Conservatives' popularity was low, with some polling showing Labour 's Neil Kinnock with a 23% lead over the Tories in April 1990 following the introduction of the Community Charge (poll tax). By

5830-405: The Social Security Act 1986 and improving provision for disabled people. Major began to gain a bigger profile, giving his first speech at the Conservative Party Conference in October 1986. He first attracted major national media attention in January 1987 over cold weather payments to the elderly, when Britain was in the depths of a severe winter. Amidst intense media criticism, Major discussed

5936-423: The South Eastern Electricity Board), London Electricity plc (formerly the London Electricity Board or LEB), SWEB Energy plc (formerly the South Western Electricity Board) and two coal fired power stations and a combined cycle gas turbine power station. In 2009, EDF took control of the nuclear generator in the United Kingdom, British Energy , buying share capital from the government. This made EDF one of

6042-452: The Treasury from 1987 to 1989, Foreign Secretary in 1989, and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1989 to 1990. Following Thatcher's resignation in 1990, after a challenge was launched to her leadership, Major stood in the 1990 Conservative leadership election to replace her and emerged victorious, becoming prime minister. Major's mild-mannered style and moderate political stance contrasted with that of Thatcher. As prime minister, Major created

6148-479: The UK he and Thatcher met with French president François Mitterrand , in which the future direction of the European Community was discussed. In September 1989, Major delivered a speech at the United Nations General Assembly , in which he pledged to support Colombia's effort to tackle the drugs trade and reiterated Britain's opposition to the apartheid regime in South Africa. Major also met US president George H. W. Bush in Washington, D.C. and Domingo Cavallo ,

6254-573: The UK to remain in the European Union , and has often criticised Brexit since the outcome of the 2016 referendum . Major was appointed a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter (KG) in 2005 for services to politics and charity, and became a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in 1999 for his work on the Northern Ireland peace process. Although public favourability of Major has improved since he left office, his premiership has generally been viewed as average in historical rankings and public opinion of British prime ministers. John Major

6360-433: The UK's sectors. Falling house prices stalled construction in the housing sector. Economic growth wasn't re-established until early 1993. By December 1991, unemployment was at 2.5 million (compared to 1.6 million 18 months earlier). Additionally, inflation was in double digits and interest rates reached 15%. However, opinion polling for Major's government remained stable during this period. On 10 March 1992, Chancellor of

6466-479: The UK, in February 2020. On 31 August 2021, EDF announced the sales of its 1332 MW combined cycle gas turbine power station and 49   MW battery at West Burton B to EIG. The UK's nuclear stations, run by EDF, reached a milestone in November 2021, clocking up 2000 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity – enough to power all the UK's homes for more than 18 years. In February 2013, EDF sought an estimated £5   million in damages from environmental activists from

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6572-595: The United Kingdom. Heysham 1 and Hartlepool will have their life extended by five years until 2024, while Heysham 2 and Torness will see their closure dates pushed back by seven years to 2030. In November 2020 EDF announced Hinkley Point B power station in Somerset will move into the defuelling phase no later than 15 July 2022. As of 2021, EDF owns and operates 37 wind farms including the 59 turbine onshore wind farm at Dorenell in Scotland, and are developing two offshore wind projects at Codling Wind Park in Ireland and Neart na Gaoithe in Scotland. The company have plans for

6678-446: The acquisition of 11 Scottish wind farm sites from asset manager Partnerships for Renewables, with a potential capacity of 600   MW. In May 2018, EDF Energies Nouvelles bought the Neart na Gaoithe wind farm in Scotland from Irish company Mainstream Renewable Power, following a competitive process. It will produce 450   MW. The farm is planned to go online in 2023. EDF Renewables opened its wind farm in Blyth in July 2018, where

6784-486: The aim being to increase funding on safety measures following the Bradford City stadium fire and Hillsborough disaster . Extra funding was also made available to Scotland in order to limit the impact of the Community Charge (widely dubbed the 'Poll Tax'), which had been introduced there that year. The European Community's push for full Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) was another important factor in Major's time as Chancellor; in June 1990 he proposed that instead of

6890-441: The apartheid regime at which they were aimed. The summit ended acrimoniously, with Thatcher controversially and against established precedent issuing a second final communiqué stating Britain's opposition to sanctions, with the press seizing on the apparent disagreement on the matter between Major and Thatcher. After just three months as Foreign Secretary Major was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer on 26 October 1989 following

6996-427: The building of several large council estates . He also promoted more openness at the council, initiating a series of public meetings with local residents. Major also undertook fact-finding trips to the Netherlands, Finland and the Soviet Union . Despite the Lambeth housing team being well-regarded nationally, Major lost his seat in the 1971 Lambeth London Borough Council election . Major met Norma Johnson at

7102-448: The business in severe financial difficulties. A recalled business loan which the family were unable to repay forced Tom Major to sell the house in Worcester Park in May 1955, with the family moving to a cramped, rented top-floor flat at 144 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton . With his parents distracted by their reduced circumstances, John's difficulties at Rutlish went unnoticed. Acutely conscious of his straitened circumstances in relation to

7208-483: The centenary of the alliance: “Cordial understanding! What a classic piece of British understatement. It is not a cordial understanding - it is an alliance. And it is one that saved Europe twice!” The first Entente Cordiale scholars studied during the academic year 1995-1996. The Entente Cordiale Scholarships scheme is administered by two trusts, one in the United Kingdom, the other in France. These trusts are independent, but work in close cooperation. The stated goal of

7314-415: The couple moved to a larger residence at West Oak, Beckenham , and had a second child, James, in January 1975. Meanwhile, Major continued to work at Standard Bank (renamed Standard Chartered from 1975), having completed his banking diploma in 1972. Major was promoted to head of the PR department in August 1976, and his duties necessitated the occasional foreign trip to East Asia. Despite his setback at

7420-442: The election of William Hague . Major remained in the House of Commons as a backbencher, regularly attending and contributing in debates, until he stood down at the 2001 election to focus on writing and his business, sporting and charity work. Since leaving office, Major has tended to maintain a low profile in the media, occasionally making political interventions. He supported the unsuccessful Britain Stronger in Europe campaign for

7526-494: The extensive ceremonial aspects of the role. Amongst Major's first acts as Foreign Secretary was to cancel the sale of Hawk aircraft to Iraq , over concerns they would be used for internal repression. He represented Britain at the Paris Peace Conference to determine the future of Cambodia . Major also met with US secretary of state James Baker , with whom he primarily discussed the issue of Vietnamese boat people , and with Qian Qichen , Foreign Minister of China, becoming

7632-434: The first round. Major was at home in Huntingdon recovering from a pre-arranged wisdom tooth operation during the first leadership ballot, which Thatcher won but not by the required threshold, necessitating a second round. Following discussions with her cabinet, in which many stated that though supporting her they doubted she could win, Thatcher withdrew from the contest and announced that she would resign as prime minister once

7738-573: The first senior Western politician to meet with a Chinese official since the violent crackdown of pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square the previous month. Discussions focused primarily on the future of Hong Kong , which Britain was scheduled to hand over to China in 1997. Major spent most of a summer holiday that year in Spain conducting extensive background reading on foreign affairs and British foreign policy. Upon his return to

7844-702: The future funding of the NHS , against the background of an NHS strike in February 1988 over pay, resulting in the 'Working for Patients' white paper and subsequent National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 . Major also insisted in discussions with Thatcher that government assistance should be provided to support the sale of Short Brothers to Bombardier , an aerospace company and major employer in Northern Ireland which might otherwise have collapsed. In 1987–1988, it became clear that Major had become

7950-452: The garden ornaments business; this had been sold in 1959, enabling the family to move to a larger residence at 80 Burton Road, Brixton. Major's father died on 27 March 1962. John left the ornaments business the following year to care for his ill mother, though when she got better he was unable to find a new job and was unemployed for much of the latter half of 1962, a situation he says was "degrading". After Major became prime minister, it

8056-635: The individual turbines are connected via 66-kilometre (41 mi) offshore cables to bring the electricity produced onshore. EDF is the "in Association" sponsor of Cheltenham Science Festival and have been supporters of the Big Bang Fair since 2015. EDF has sponsored several shows on ITV , including Soapstar Superstar and City Lights . It also sponsored coverage of the 2006 World Cup in Germany (shared with Budweiser ) and coverage of

8162-490: The issue with Margaret Thatcher and an increase in the payments was approved. Following the 1987 general election , in which Major retained his seat with an increased majority, he was promoted to the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury , making him the first MP of the 1979 intake to reach the Cabinet. The then-Chancellor Nigel Lawson generally made significant decisions with little input from others, and Major

8268-672: The largest generators in the United Kingdom. The development branch of EDF was formed in April 2004, bringing together the separate infrastructure interests of what were LE Group, Seeboard and SWEB. The focus for the branch is development activity through the participation in major new infrastructure projects, largely in the public sector through public-private partnership (PPP) and private finance initiative (PFI) type schemes. The electricity distribution (or downstream) networks formerly known as EDF Energy Networks were sold in November, 2010 to Hong Kong–based Cheung Kong Group (CKG), owned by billionaire Li Ka Shing . Later, EDF Energy Networks

8374-581: The loss of all the party's seats in Wales and Scotland. On the morning of 2 May 1997, on his final departure from Downing Street to offer his resignation to the Queen , Major announced his intention to step down as leader of the Conservative Party, stating in his exit speech that "when the curtain falls, it's time to get off the stage". He was succeeded as prime minister by Tony Blair . Speculation over Major's leadership had continued since his re-election in 1995, and intensified as it became increasingly likely that

8480-434: The new European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) located in London. By early 1990, Major had become convinced that the best way to combat inflation and restore macroeconomic stability would be if the British pound were to join the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM), and he and Douglas Hurd (Major's successor as Foreign Secretary) set about trying to convince a reluctant Thatcher to join it. The move

8586-532: The new plants through its subsidiary NNB Generation Company (NNB GenCo). In August 2014, the company announced it had shut down four of its 15 reactors for a period of eight weeks to investigate potential cracking in the boiler spine. In 2015, EDF announced a 10-year life extension for Dungeness B, initially pushing back the closure date until 2028, although it subsequently ceased production and commenced defuelling in June 2021. In February 2016, EDF announced that it would keep four of its nuclear plants open in

8692-562: The now slightly enlarged seat of Huntingdon at the 1983 general election . Shortly thereafter he and Norma moved to a larger house (Finings) in Great Stukeley ; Major generally spent his weekends there, and weekdays at a rented flat in Durand Gardens, Stockwell . Major was invited to join the prestigious 'Blue Chip' group of rising stars in the Conservative Party, and he was promoted to Treasury Whip in October 1984. It

8798-507: The office of Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland was left vacant until after the 2001 general election as the party no longer had any Scottish MPs. Major's resignation as Conservative leader formally took effect on 19 June 1997 after the election of William Hague . Major's Resignation Honours were announced on 1 August 1997. He remained active in Parliament, regularly attending and contributing in debates. He stood down from

8904-718: The official energy provider. In August 2008, EDF formed a partnership with The British Red Cross to help vulnerable people to get support during power failures. In January 2011, EDF took over sponsorship from British Airways of the London Eye , on a three-year deal renaming the London Eye as the EDF Energy London Eye. On 4 January 2008, EDF began advertising on the television through ITV, Channel 4 , Channel 5 and various satellite channels. EDF are using "It's not easy being green" as their slogan to target

9010-621: The other pupils, Major was something of a loner and consistently under-performed except in sports, especially cricket , coming to see the school as "a penance to be endured". Major left school just before his 16th birthday in 1959 with just three O-level passes in History, English Language and English Literature, to his parents' disappointment. Major's interest in politics stems from this period, and he avidly kept up with current affairs by reading newspapers on his commutes from Brixton to Wimbledon. In 1956 Major met local MP Marcus Lipton at

9116-476: The party, encouraged by his political allies, to have him stay on as leader until the autumn. Lord Cranborne , his chief of staff during the election, and the chief whip, Alastair Goodlad , both pleaded with him to stay on: they argued that remaining as leader for a few months would give the party time to come to terms with the scale of defeat before electing a successor. Major refused, saying: "It would be terrible, because I would be presiding with no authority over

9222-1198: The past, the following companies have supported the programme: Académie Française , Alstom, Arjo Wiggins, Banque Paribas , British Airways, Cap Gemini , Charles Schiaffino, European Investment Bank, GlaxoWellcome SA, Groupe Axa, Groupe Saint Louis, Institute of Applied Languages, JCB, Lagardère, Matra BAe Dynamics, Louis Dreyfus & Cie SA, L'Oréal, Le Progrès, Messier Dowty International Ltd, Pernod Ricard, Redlands Granulates, Rothschild & Cie, Rover France, Saint Gobain, Société des Bourses Françaises, H.H. Prince Karim Aga Khan, CCF, Fondation Singer-Polignac, Groupe RMC, Groupe Darty , Institut de France, Linklaters and Alliance, Turbomeca , Blue Circle (Lafarge), Corus, Financial Times, Madame Alice Goldet, Roy Jenkins Memorial Trust, Unilever, Arcadian International, Axa UK, BP Amoco Foundation, British Midland, BT, CGNU, The Dulverton Trust, EDF Energy , Hillsdown Holdings plc, Kingfisher, NatWest Bank, Mr Paul Minet, The Reuters Foundation, The Rhodes Trust , The Savoy Educational Trust, Securicor plc, Sir Patrick Sheehy, Steelite International plc, UBS, Xerox UK Ltd, EDF , Vodafone Foundation UK, Dassault Systèmes, Boucheron . Additionally, in 2011

9328-402: The professional agent Marion Standing. Major stood as a Councillor in the 1964 Lambeth London Borough Council election for Larkhall ward at the age of 21 in 1964, losing to Labour. He also assisted local Conservative candidates Kenneth Payne in the 1964 general election and Piers Dixon in the 1966 general election . Another formative influence on Major in this period was Jean Kierans,

9434-476: The railways and coal industry, and played a pivotal role in creating peace in Northern Ireland . Two years into his premiership , Major went on to lead the Conservatives to a fourth consecutive electoral victory , winning more than 14 million votes, which remains the highest number ever won by a political party in Britain. In 1995, Major resigned as party leader, amid internal divisions over UK membership of

9540-474: The response to protests at RAF Molesworth , which lay in his constituency; various peace groups were opposed to the siting of cruise missiles at the base and had established a permanent 'peace camp' there. Major addressed public meetings opposed to the protesters, organised by parish councillors, and also met Bill Westwood and separately Michael Heseltine to discuss the issue. The protesters were evicted in February 1984. Major comfortably won re-election to

9646-725: The role of an elder statesman. Having left school just before his sixteenth birthday, Major worked as an insurance clerk and joined the Young Conservatives in 1959, and soon became a highly active member. He was elected to Lambeth London Borough Council in 1968 and a decade later to parliament, being elected as the Conservative MP for Huntingdonshire at the 1979 general election . Major held several junior government positions under Thatcher from 1984 to 1987, including parliamentary private secretary and assistant whip . He served in Thatcher's third ministry as Chief Secretary to

9752-473: The sale of natural gas and electricity to homes and businesses throughout the United Kingdom . It employs 11,717 people, and handles 5.22 million business and residential customer accounts. EDF Energy Customers (trading as EDF) is wholly owned by the French state owned EDF ( Électricité de France ) and was formed in January 2002, following the acquisition and mergers of Seeboard plc (formerly

9858-466: The sudden resignation of Nigel Lawson , who had fallen out with Thatcher over what he saw as her excessive reliance on the advice of her Economic Adviser Alan Walters . The appointment meant that, despite only being in the Cabinet for a little over two years, Major had gone from the most junior position in the Cabinet to holding two of the Great Offices of State . Major made tackling inflation

9964-407: The time of Major's appointment, Labour's lead had shrunk to 14%. However, by 1991, the Conservatives had narrowly retaken Labour in the polls. Major's first ministry was dominated by the early 1990s recession which was believed to be caused by high interest rates, falling house prices and an overvalued exchange rate. The high interest rates led to more saving, less spending and less investment in

10070-469: The whole UK energy mix. EDF Renewables in the UK is a joint venture between EDF Renewables Group and EDF.   In April 2017, EDF Renewable Energy, in a joint venture with EDF, announced the commissioning of the Corriemoillie (47.5   MW), Beck Burn (31   MW) and Pearie Law (19.2   MW) wind farms. Beck Burn was opened in July that year. Also in July 2017, EDF Renewables announced

10176-785: Was "a fair and reasonable solution" after the protesters had "agreed in principle to accept a permanent injunction which prevents them from entering multiple sites operated by EDF Energy". Following the acquisition of British Energy in 2009, the EDF portfolio includes eight nuclear power stations . They are seven AGR power stations ( Dungeness B ; Hinkley Point B ; Hunterston B ; Hartlepool ; Heysham 1 ; Heysham 2 and Torness ) and one PWR power station ( Sizewell B ), totalling nearly 9,000   MW of installed capacity. In 2007, EDF announced its intention to construct up to four new EPR design reactors; two at Hinkley Point C (currently scheduled to start operation in 2025 ), two at Sizewell C and Bradwell B . EDF plans to build and operate

10282-482: Was born on 29 March 1943 at St Helier Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children in St Helier , Surrey, to Gwen Major ( née Coates, 1905–1970) and former music hall performer Tom Major-Ball (1879–1962), who was 63 years old when Major was born. He was christened "John Roy Major" but only "John Major" was recorded on his birth certificate ; he used his middle name until the early 1980s. His birth had been

10388-483: Was generally happy, and he enjoyed reading, sports (especially cricket and football ) and keeping pets, such as his rabbits. In 1954 John passed the 11+ exam, enabling him to go to Rutlish School , a grammar school in Merton Park , though to John's chagrin his father insisted that he register as 'John Major-Ball'. The family's fortunes took a turn for the worse, with his father's health deteriorating, and

10494-527: Was held on the afternoon of 27 November; although Major obtained 185 votes, 2 votes short of an overall majority, he polled far enough ahead of both Hurd and Heseltine to secure their immediate withdrawal. With no remaining challengers, Major was formally named Leader of the Conservative Party that evening and was duly appointed prime minister the following day. At 47, he was the youngest prime minister since Lord Rosebery some 95 years earlier. Major became prime minister on 28 November 1990 when he accepted

10600-492: Was initiated by Sir Christopher Mallaby , British ambassador to France between 1993 and 1996. During his first months as ambassador in France, he decided he had to move quickly if he was to do anything “to try to reduce the ingrained suspicion that can arise between the British and the French.” The problem, he explained, “arises from past rivalry and current ignorance.” He therefore encouraged the Entente Cordiale scholarship scheme, which funds studies for postgraduate students across

10706-472: Was later revealed (in 2002) that during this period Major had conducted an affair with Edwina Currie , a Conservative backbencher and later Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Health and Social Security ; the affair ended in 1988. Major narrowly avoided the IRA 's Brighton hotel bombing in October 1984, having left the hotel only a few hours before the bomb went off. Also in this period, Major stood in for

10812-632: Was misreported that his failure to get a job as a bus conductor resulted from his failing to pass a maths test; he had in fact passed all of the necessary tests but had been passed over owing to his height. In the meantime he studied for a qualification in banking via correspondence course . Eventually in December 1962 he found a job working at the London Electricity Board (LEB) in Elephant and Castle . In 1959, Major had joined

10918-461: Was put in charge of agreeing departmental budgets with the Secretaries of State . These discussions went well, and for the first time in several years budgets were agreed without recourse to the external adjudication of the so-called ' Star Chamber '. Major successfully concluded a second round of such spending reviews in July 1988. Whilst Chief Secretary Major took part in discussions over

11024-542: Was renamed to UK Power Networks . In December 2014, EDF sold three small UK based wind farms with a combined capacity of 73 megawatts to the China General Nuclear Power Group for an estimated £100   million. In November 2017, EDF sold its majority stake in five wind farms across Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire for £98   million. A release from EDF confirmed that in 2018 the firm lost 200,000 consumers due to them shopping around

11130-552: Was seen as being the most likely to win-over the increasingly large numbers of upwardly mobile London over-spill families living in the area, and he was helped to familiarise himself with the area by local MP David Renton . In 1977 the Major family purchased a house at De Vere Close in the village of Hemingford Grey . Major took on a less demanding job at Standard Chartered, and started working part-time in 1978 so that he could devote more time to his constituency duties. Major won

11236-611: Was supported by the Bank of England , the Treasury, most of the Cabinet, the Labour Party, several major business associations and much of the press. With the ' Lawson Boom ' showing signs of running out of steam, exacerbated by rising oil prices following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, there were fears of a potential recession and pressure to cut interest rates. Thatcher finally agreed on 4 October, and Britain's entry into

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