This book seeks to re-examine John Major's leadership using techniques developed through Presidential Studies: namely using Fred Greenstein's seminal study of Presidential Leadership, The Presidential Difference, and its six criteria for leadership (public communicator, organisational capacity, political skill, public policy vision, cognitive style, and, finally, emotional intelligence). It is through Greenstein's model that a fresh look can be taken at not only Major's time in office, but equally the man himself, which proves to be just as revealing. Major's tenure has often been characterised as being weak and incompetent, as he presided over a sleaze-ridden and divided party on the issue of Europe. With almost a quarter of a century having passed since Major left office, it looks to be an appropriate moment to re-assess his premiership and important role in the recent seismic events surrounding the 2016 Brexit referendum and its outcome.

Focuses on political skill and personality rather than policy and context to assess John Major's leadership Combines the Greenstein approach and elite interviews Contributes to research on prime ministers, the Conservative party and British politics more broadly

Autorentext

Thomas McMeeking is a researcher and teaching assistant at University of Leeds, UK. His interests include: Political Parties, Prime Ministerial and Presidential Leadership studies, and UK and International Politics.

Inhalt
Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: The Greenstein Model in Context.- Chapter 3: Public Communicator.- Chapter 4: Organisational Capacity.- Chapter 5: Political Skill.- Chapter 6: Vision.- Chapter 7: Cognitive Style and Emotional Intelligence.- Chapter 8: Conclusion