Why defence spending should come before tax cuts - John Major in conversation with Andrew Neil

[@xprs1257]

I’m a railwayman and Sir John Major I have the utmost respect for you. I’m 58 and I’ve had a wonderful life. I left school with no qualifications but have been fortunate to be in employment all my life. I’m just very grateful. I have a lovely family. Thank you Sir.

[@soviet9366]

John has aged really well. A very thoughtful man, glad to see such serious interviews

[@misssamjh]

Yes he gave a lot of thought to having an affair with Edwina Currie, esp when he was telling us to get back to basics!!

[@mariea82]

@@misssamjh😂

[@Balt21Raven]

@@misssamjh lol aren't you some kind of funny

[@harrykalman]

Amazingly sharp at age 80 what a legend.

[@bhg0001]

He is younger than Biden

[@jeffsmith3392]

He was a waste of 7 years.

[@graemeyetts3465]

Major is a grey parasite. He has the cheek to show his face after his useless premiership and will say anything for a buck. He is a political midget and a liar. He lied to his own wife, did he not.

[@graemeyetts3465]

​@@jeffsmith33927 days would have been too much !

[@yusuffulat6954]

how much better well spoken he is compared to the absolute losers on the frontbenches now...

[@simondymond8479]

I agee. He speaks well. Unfortunately his naivety and bad economic decisions do rather undermine his credibility. He had the reigns in better times too. I would have liked to hear more about how he would have handled covid

[@monsieurgrigny]

Major is very impressive in his grasp and eloquence.

[@simondymond8479]

He really hasn't changed his views much. This is the same man that tried to tie us into what we now know for sure would have been a catastrophic monetary union. Then burned down our goal reserves in an afternoon in a futile attempt to prop up the pound. He makes myriad spurious assertions and should have been challenged more. Since the UK left the EU, the EU share of world gdp has gone from 29.x% of world gdp, to below 14.85%. The speed of that decline has outpaced even the worst predictions put forward in 2016 on its way to what has been called the critical point of collapse. 10%. Yet, despite that, UK trade with the EU is up!. Inward investment is up. European countries which are our peers are in full blown recession with the most unstable banking situation in the developed world and the currency itself is systemically unsustainable. I could go on and on. All this despite 14 years of utterly incompetent government. If the argument is yes but we could have done more. I would heartily agree. Perhaps he could discuss that with the present generation of incompetents. I would be all for access to the common market itself. But not if it comes with political ties. As for rejoining the EU in a generation. It is questionable if it will exist in anything like it's present form. There was much I agree with and it is nice to hear a politician that sounds a bit more serious. But as likable as he is, I am so glad he will not also be coming back. Cameron is already more than I could bear.

[@JamalBrown-k1x]

He wasn't in favour of monetary union, It was him that got the opt out of the Euro.

[@columbus7950]

Rare to hear a serious Conservative politician. Good to see.

[@dudududuFthetories]

neil looks like he's gonna pop any moment.

[@Joe-ds2ct]

I have great respect for John Major.

[@mariaguia3717]

What an intelligent man , is him that should be primer minister , what a brain! I like very much to hear him talk , because he is so, rigth , he knows what he is talking about , with all accuracy.

[@cosimocub]

he gave a speech at my school. Major is the only PM of my lifetime I half respected

[@keewng]

My apology to Major he was right all along about Brexit and as Brexiter I am utterly gutted by half baked Brexit!

[@talesofcanterbury42]

It’s funny how these things work. I did not like John Major or Neil Kinnock. Now I think they are brilliant elders statesmen who I respect.

[@neilrobson3064]

They seem like giants now - maybe they were……

[@catesby4788]

Oh my, does this man not realise that many of us remember his part in opening British borders. Perhaps the money that has cost could have been spent on social care, education, and the armed forces. If we are doing anything well it is in spite of people like you not because of your time in government.

[@kyers9817]

Exactly. He let the Finsbury Mosque lot in after they'd been booted from France. Traitor

[@DaboooogA]

I can only wish to be this sharp and cogent at 80 years old.

[@JamalBrown-k1x]

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I think John Major was a remainer.

[@TimWrightMe]

Unchallenged remoanerism and Trump derangement syndrome - really had hoped for more insight and thoughtful discussion

[@simondymond8479]

Yes indeed, is the man that took us to a few minutes to midnight and nearly joined the European Monetary Union. Which we now know would have destroyed the economy. He then burned our gold reserves in an ill fated attempt to prop up the pound in one afternoon. As much as I am sure he is a relatively nice person he was profoundly naive and still seems to be so.

[@TimComley]

Were you watching

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

I am amazed this happened - as Andrew Neil has been very critical of John Major's premiership during the 1990s. It should also be noted that Major is one of the reasons that Brexit happened - what with his policy of the UK being in the ERM. It says a lot about our current political situation when we have two failures(Neil and Major) doing this venture.

[@syedadeelhussain2691]

I have great respect for this veteran politician Mr John Major. He speaks common sense, which many of the Oxbridge-trained students who enter into mainstream politics with PPE Tripos, can learn from, in the real world.

[@simondymond8479]

A very likable fellow. But he was an awful PM. Though saying that against the present backdrop of westminster is difficult. But at the time, he nearly destroyed our economy.

[@dicem8977]

It's a shame they didn't include the speech Major gave before he sat down with Andrew Neil at the QEII centre because the interview references it.

[@AbAb-th5qe]

When hope fades, routine persists

[@amcluesent]

The only man to run away from the circus to join an accountants

[@outismondo425]

This must surely have been the nicest time any politician has ever had being interviewed by Andrew Neil.

[@thejigantics2641]

Unusually Andrew Neil gave Mr Major a very easy ride.

[@simondymond8479]

Yes. I noticed that.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

Yeah - which is weird, as Neil is not a Major fan. In the 1990s, back when he was working for Murdoch - he was very anti Major and was instrumental in backing Blair(even before John Smith had died).

[@JamalBrown-k1x]

He's no longer a politiion.

[@MAA1591]

Sad to hear the myth that the aircraft carriers don't nt have planes repeated. One of them is literally operating them as we speak.

[@JamalBrown-k1x]

They do and have got planes on them very few are British. Even if it was possible to have every single British F35 available, they wouldn't even full 1 carrier.

[@MAA1591]

@@JamalBrown-k1x that's simply untrue.

[@JamalBrown-k1x]

@@MAA1591 No it's100 correct, the UK has 31 f35s, meaning it can only have 24-26 planes in operation. The new carriers has the capacity to carry 36 planes. So we do not have enough planes even if all were in operation to fill them.

[@driftmetal1075]

A great man, hugely underestimated.

[@nikoforu]

I'm not British and I was not really politically aware during the Thatcher years, but it was different during the Major years. He seemed like a decent man even though I didn't identify with the Tories back then. Out of power and years later, my opinion of Major has not changed. The Tories have gotten much, much worse though.

[@MagicNash89]

Easy to talk about cross-party cooperation, while Major himself back in the day was very much anti-Labour😅Yes, that's what's needed, but there's a reason its so seemingly hard to do

[@commonwunder]

The British are front and centre in this current proxy war with Russia. This whole thing would've ended two years ago... if the UK hadn't of pushed for it to continue. Everyone else is in catch-up mode, to the UK's unequivocal military support of the Ukrainian nationalists. Their military have 'fallen in love' with the thousands of Ukrainian nationalists troops they're training in the UK. The UK has a professional army, to them it's a job and now they've mixing with soldiers with pure hate in their hearts. This really turns them on. They can't get enough of it. Since at least the 2018 Salisbury poisonings, the UK has been 'unofficially' in a state of ( cold ) war with Russia. They believe Russia is a paper tiger that the Russian president enjoys his riches too much to ever retaliate. They can push him as far as they want, there is no boundary.... and the entire planet prays they're right.

[@robertclive491]

Russia shouldn't have made enemies of the west. The Ukrainians are merely defending their country. Go peddle lies elsewhere

[@SunriatiGraceFebriasih]

Diingat selalu ya Islam.

[@MagicNash89]

What exactly is Major going to re-negotiate differently than before when it comes to re-entering the Single Market? Not the 4 pillars, especially freedom of movement. What else is it there, agriculture policy? Like Norway, etc. It's all POLITICALLY fairly minor...it could work if the majority supports this, but let's not pretend its not going to be anything major at the present time.

[@Beach_comber]

The stuff about Brexit was nonsense. Britain was rarely the leader of the EU or its "premier spokesman". France and Germany have always had privileged access to those roles. The ultimate direction of ever closer union in the EU would have left Britain with no distinctive voice of its own at all. What voice has Yorkshire in the world? If Yorkshire became independent of the UK, it would at least have a small voice (God help us), equivalent to the Irish Republic, say. Maybe we're poorer because of Brexit, but there's little evidence of it and Covid has been far, far more important in damaging our economy, so why bother mentioning Brexit?

[@neilrobson3064]

We were told “we’d hold all the cards” - not “maybe we’ll be poorer”. Ever been had?

[@Beach_comber]

@@neilrobson3064 Both sides talked a lot of nonsense. Now, because they lost, we just have the Remain side talking nonsense.

[@MrDavidht]

The failing economy is down to a total absence of a coherent energy policy following the privatisation of electricity by Thatcher and climate change alarmists. The cost of energy affects the cost of everything and we are being made to pay double for our electricity from wind farms and EV panels, which don't work when the wind isn't blowing and it's dark. Something politicians cannot grasp. Not to mention the traditional industries we have let go.

[@JaySmurkzTV]

I think it suits Britain being a soft superpower.. can influence in many ways and with less hassle. Smartest number 1 empire dwindle ever. I think the Americans and Chinese could learn from Britain... the Romans and other leading empire etc had a very bad decline. Yes there are some Brits who long for days Britain was number 1 but they lack foresight, it was also very costly.

[@lomotil3370]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:24 *🌍 John Major, in 2013, highlighted the shift towards soft power, but recent global events like Ukraine, Middle East, and Taiwan challenge that narrative.* 01:33 *💔 Reduction in hard power post-Berlin Wall collapse was a mistake; the assumption that liberal democracy had triumphed was unwise.* 03:23 *🌐 More people live under autocracies than democracies; Western nations must proactively advocate for democracy to prevent further decline.* 05:14 *🛡️ John Major emphasizes the importance of increasing defense spending for global influence, especially considering outdated military equipment and manpower shortages.* 09:11 *😟 A sense of malaise in the UK due to stagnant living standards for the past 15 years, financial collapse aftermath, and questionable policy decisions.* 13:46 *🇬🇧 Despite being second in soft power rankings, the UK faces challenges like the impact of Brexit on trade, weak investment, and rising tax burdens.* 15:47 *🔄 Need for a long-term plan, beyond short political cycles, to address challenges like artificial intelligence, trade, and national health service reform.* 19:32 *📰 Major expresses concern about foreign autocracies owning prominent UK media brands, stating that beyond a certain level, it could be detrimental to British interests.* 21:32 *🌐 UK's soft power is linked to its close relationship with the United States. Concerns about potential isolationist policies by the U.S. could impact UK's soft power.* 22:57 *🛡️ A shift in U.S. isolationism might require the UK to increase military expenditure and engage diplomatically to prevent such a scenario.* 27:13 *💔 Brexit has reduced the UK's relevance and influence, particularly in trade negotiations, impacting its soft power globally.* 31:41 *🌍 Full rejoining of the EU seems unlikely, but rejoining the single market is considered a potential avenue to mitigate economic damage caused by Brexit.* 33:33 *🌏 Rejoining the single market might mean being a rule-taker, but negotiation possibilities exist based on the UK's economic significance.* 36:59 *🌐 Limited but subsidiary influence in the Middle East. Maintaining relationships is crucial, especially considering potential shifts in U.S. influence.* 38:37 *🇮🇷 While cautious optimism remains, continuing efforts to influence Iran, especially among its younger generation, are seen as important for the liberal West.* 40:58 *🗳️ John Major sees differences between the current political landscape and the situations in the 1992 and 1997 elections, emphasizing unique factors in each period.* 42:19 *📊 John Major highlights economic achievements during his term, including reducing interest rates, curbing inflation, achieving 3.5% growth, and halving unemployment.* 43:28 *💼 Major underscores the historical challenge of controlling inflation and how his government successfully managed to break the inflationary spiral, leaving a more stable economy.* 43:42 *📉 Despite economic successes, Major acknowledges the significant electoral loss in 1997, emphasizing the differences in circumstances compared to the present political landscape.* Made with HARPA AI

[@lakedistrict9450]

A welcome relief to listen to an intelligent thoughtful conservative.

[@jeffsmith3392]

Extra spending on defence! No! Basically we are nearing 2.5% NATO contributions but the pro Europeans want to fund a European army by means of reintegrating UK in European institutions. If Russia was a threat we would face them in Ukraine before they stepped closer. Cameron has already ruled out boots on the ground. So where’s the need for increased defence spending.

[@GreenMorningDragonProductions]

I've always thought that any sane country's defence and foreign policy should be armed to the teeth yet always willing to build bridges.

[@peterknight7880]

I think it was Eisenhower who said 'speak softly and carry a big stick'.

[@robertclive491]

It was Theodore Roosevelt

[@Ozgipsy]

He’s one of the last epic political figures left. They go out like a tide every decade or so.

[@simondymond8479]

He was epic only in the sense 'epic failure'. He came within a whisker of totally bringing down the British economy.

[@christiansmith-of7dt]

Its alot different here than it is in los angeles

[@drizmcmillan4645]

I was enjoying it until he started bad mouthing Brexit. The British People voted for it, who is he to ridicule them?

[@simondymond8479]

He nearly destroyed the country with his europhilia while in office. The decision to reverse joining the European Monetary Union was his obsession. It all came apart at literally the 11th hour as we were looking into the abyss. We now know how close we came to economic collapse. The fact he seems to have learned nothing from that is quite staggering.

[@neilrobson3064]

It’s called free speech……

[@TimComley]

He didn’t ridicule anyone

[@drizmcmillan4645]

@@neilrobson3064 as were my comments.

[@neilrobson3064]

“The British People voted for it”. 17.4m people did, and 16.5m didn’t, with 13m votes not being cast. That’s before you get to the 20m people who weren’t even eligible. I’d say your grasp of politics is about as good as your grasp of maths.

[@NGE0001]

Majors whole career since leaving office is working as a lobbist for the EU and making millions. Might have tainted his view..

[@ianbarnes8593]

It’s a shame Major didn’t display any wisdom when he was PM. He was less than an impressive figure. He obviously hasn’t got over Brexit, either. He wanted us to have the Euro of course, so that shouldn’t be a surprise.

[@MagicNash89]

No he didn't he campaigned against the Euro in 1997.

[@ianbarnes8593]

@@MagicNash89 You are right, I stand corrected.

[@Malky24]

27:36 Trump didn't give us a deal either and I'd wager, if he gets back in, he still won't. If we are going to get any kind of deal it will be strictly on The U.S' terms.

[@nudisco300]

John speaks sense in broad terms but does peddle myths about our trade with the EU which has been declining every year since 1999. It's a declining market and he needs to accept that.

[@drew1784]

He misses the point on Brexit (despite making valid points), but 100% right about how the UK needs to spend significantly more on defence

[@alistairdancepmm]

I see that John Major is stopping his right hand from shaking at about 2:50. I do hope he is not in early stage Parkinsons

[@TomSanderson100]

These two used to hate each other

[@anthonyhart1994]

His problem was, he became prime minister too early because my name is policies in this day and age would be more mainstream news more better than the previous prime minister under Conservative government now his time pm was shit if he was in now uk would been strong am soldier and his time looking at the figures, he didn’t cur the Armed Forces massively like l current gov

[@johnsimpson8893]

I didn't know John Major was still a thing.

[@TimComley]

Pretty stupid comment

[@chandi58]

Looks the same , voice is not that of an eighty year old - how does he do it?

[@hecter3008]

Yes you did. The Tories have trashed the British military.

[@ULEFOFANTULEFOFANT]

Utter bs

[@cthornback]

Good for his age, but still same old John Major. The first of a continually depressing PM's. Andrew Neil looks in terrible shape.

[@MrBillGarland]

😊👍🇬🇧

[@christopherbrookfield4785]

Dipping his wick in the curry pot. Dirty bounder. ❤

[@neilrobson3064]

Listen to yourself - creeping round the internet making snide comments. Risible….

[@pads-zr9ln]

2 crying mono party remainers, cant wait

[@nomore6939]

This guy was the worse PM this country has ever had ... He has no credibility, best ignored

[@liaminwales]

At 80 he sounds more on the ball than most people in politics, kind of sad. Over the sea both Biden (81) & Trump (77) are not as cogent, I wish we had less glitz in politics and more sensible talking.

[@mrtickleuk]

There's a word missing from the title, he's SIR John Major. Please correct it?

[@jeffsmith3392]

🧇🧇🧇waffle waffle waffle.

[@pads-zr9ln]

Yeah me being taxed at 40% to guve it away in foreign aid whilst importing yet more, great idea john

[@pads-zr9ln]

Oh no john, not English nationalism, how out of touch are you

[@slainegwalchmai]

An irrelevant voice.

[@neilrobson3064]

Whereas you on the other hand…..

[@tsensuke5259]

John Major is very posh. Posh people are the best people.

[@bengray4149]

I see John Major has been using his retirement years to hone his greyness into even more boring and bland shades of grey, to the extent that he is now almost both invisible and inaudible. Even his boring tie has more charisma than its wearer; indeed the only interesting thing about John Major is how he is able to be so lifeless and dull and not be an inanimate object.

[@lakedistrict9450]

Eh?

[@AC1131-i8d]

Fan boy ;-)

[@That_Random_Bloke]

And yet he’s achieved more in his life than you ever will. Also, has it ever occurred to you that he might think you’re a bit of a boring sod too?

[@bertharius9518]

Making insults that spring from a reaction to trivia (such as someone's appearance) ultimately means that YOU are recognised as trivial and of no significance.

[@bengray4149]

@@That_Random_Bloke What has Mr Major ever "achieved" apart from opening the door to Tony Blair and being exceptionally boring to look at or listen to?

[@turquoiseowl]

Major's fairly good at remembering his lines

[@groMMit1981]

Investing in military is investing in people and capability, a much better investment then how much % of Government expenditure that is waisted on rainbow roads, pink police vans, girl pop groups in Sudan etc etc not to mention all manner of NGOs and quangos and charities that don't do jot.