Majors problems politically

• Biggest issue is getting conflicted things through parliament with a majority of 18
• Maastricht difficulties

  • signed before pm
  • parliamentary sovereignty
  • EU is more political than EEC as aims for closer union
  • Full European integration + common defence policy and euro opt out
  • ERM makes harder
• Maastricht vote

  • organised resistance in 1993 by Euro rebels defeated a key bill for treaty To come into effect November
  • Oppositon alongside internal party rebelled- became a tie and speaker votes = government lose
  • Major turns into vote of confidence - cons dont rebel as risk losing seat next election
  • Proposal forced though
  • Called critics like Portillo bastards
• How was authority undermined

  • Portillo - treasury secretary and deputy chancellor
  • Peter Lilly - social security
  • Michael Howard - Home Secretary
• leadership challenge

  - defeated redwood but highlighted 100 members didn’t have faith in him