Sir John Major, the former British prime minister, has offered a retrospective assessment of his time in office, emphasizing his efforts to keep the United Kingdom closely connected to Europe. Serving from 1990 to 1997, Major navigated a deeply divided Conservative Party at a time when European integration was rapidly progressing under the Maastricht Treaty. Despite intense opposition from Eurosceptic factions within his party, he secured important opt-outs for the UK and succeeded in pushing the treaty through Parliament.
Major notably crafted a compromise on the emerging European single currency, which preserved both party unity and Britain's future flexibility. During his tenure, the UK experienced robust economic growth with relatively low inflation, benefiting from its engagement with the European Union’s evolving structures. Major’s work, he noted, built upon earlier Conservative leaders such as Ted Heath who led Britain into the European Economic Community in 1973, and Margaret Thatcher, a key figure in establishing the European single market in 1986.
Reflecting on developments since his premiership, Major expressed regret about the nation’s decision to leave the EU almost a decade ago. He described the quality of terms he had painstakingly negotiated before Maastricht as “game, set and match,” lamenting that those gains were effectively lost after Brexit. Major faulted prominent Brexit advocates—including Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Dominic Cummings, and Daniel Hannan—for failing to deliver on their promises, highlighting the economic fallout in terms of lost trade estimated at £100 billion annually and a £40 billion decline in tax revenues.
He argued that these financial losses have had wider repercussions on social cohesion and public services. According to Major, many difficult policy decisions and cuts could have been avoided had the UK remained more closely engaged with Europe, allowing for greater investment in defense, social welfare, infrastructure, and industry.
Major also criticized what he termed the “little Britain” mentality that fueled sovereignty-driven Euroscepticism within his own Conservative Party. He underscored the importance of pooled sovereignty for achieving collective benefits, drawing parallels with longstanding British commitments to institutions such as NATO and the United Nations. Looking ahead, he urged current Conservative figures like Kemi Badenoch to moderate their firm opposition to European cooperation.
Although Major acknowledged that rejoining the EU itself is unlikely in the near term, he proposed a pragmatic alternative: re-entering the EU single market within the next five years. He sees this as a realistic goal that might not be achieved during the current parliamentary term but could become a subject of debate during the next general election. He noted that some progress has already been made under Labour leader Keir Starmer’s leadership and pointed out that Brexit remains unpopular among younger voters, while older Leave supporters are passing away.
Major framed his stance as a call for a stronger Britain that embraces its place in Europe once more, suggesting that shifting public opinion could bring his vision closer to reality than many expect.