How to be Ex-Prime Minister (Michael Cockerell documentary)
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- čas přidán 18. 02. 2021
- Another excellent documentary by Michael Cockerell about the opportunities a prime minister has after leaving office. It was released after Tony Blair resigned circa 2007.
I had extreme difficulty finding this documentary so thought I'd put it here for the benefit of others.
Hopefully one day Michael will find himself an elixir of youth and return to cracking out banger after banger of politically-flavoured golden knowledge nuggets once again. We can all dream. At least new stuff would be easier to find than this ancient papyrus-tier content.
There's a copyright claim at 19:30-20:00 due to a song playing; the audio has been cut off for that 30 seconds. There is very little dialogue lost, the clip is a cinematic mega-cut montage type thing with no commentary until the final few seconds. The lost Callaghan line is "...especially when you're in politics you're dealing with a lot of intangible things, and in politics you don't always see the end of what you're doing. You rarely see the end of what you start out to do." Cockerell then begins around 30s later with "Every modern prime minister once they've left office have written their memoirs. Some have taken a long time to decide do it, others have done it almost immediately..." - Sport
Rishi Sunak is probably watching this documentary as we speak....
John Major: “There are some things I would never do. I would never lobby. I would never use my address book or past contacts.” What a shame that David Cameron never had the same scruples.
Neither Cameron or Blair had many scruples when it came to that.
I'm a Labour through and through. But Major handled being utterly battered in an election. With dignity and even a little humour. Fair to say he gained a lot of respect that day he resigned.
I'm a Socialist through and through but always liked and still like John Major.
He is not driven by greed like all the others then
US; here I hope you enjoy this three month transition period
UK; that's it, out the door, we haven't got all day
USA used to take even longer, they'd inaugurate presidents in March after a November election. The reason was to give people time to pack up their lives and travel to Washington from across the huge country.
@@spewter the certification process also took much longer pre-modern travel. Today they can simply get a plane, train or car to get together and do it but back in the old days it would take months of travelling to individual states.
@@spewter That's very true. Let's not forget the incoming American president has a bigger team to put into place and cabinet members to confirm than a UK PM. The roles although often compared are totally different
Yeah to leave the next day is a bit brutal. In Canada the transition is anywhere between 10 days and three weeks. A short transition time is doable in a westminster system because of the permanent professional civl service, whereas the election of a new U.S. President represents not only a different occupant of the oval office, but also tens of thousands of high and mid level positions change hands.
@@Cambrandreth in parliament it's simply a case of swapping seats. The former prime minister automatically becomes leader of the opposition though these days the former prime minister generally resigns as party leader as soon as they lose the election. I mean it would be pretty humiliating to face the guy who defeated you and took your job every single day plus your party members would want you gone as you've failed them and someone else should get a try.
John Major come out as the man with much integrity out of them all.
You forget the affair
he was an extraordinary incompetent politician. ie ERM
@@terrysmith9362 He was generally a decent person who tried hard, but he certainly wasn't the most effective, he was just trying to ride the wave of thatcherism.
I'd say that he and Callaghan came across as being the two who came out with their heads held highest in this show (and Macmillan didn't seem to do too badly, either).
Can I just say how impressed I am at how eloquently John Major shut down questions about Thatcher etc. He had every right to slag off all the bitter politicians who caused such trouble, but he didn’t and I’m very impressed by that.
I did, however, laugh out loud and snort when Edward Heath was asked the Rejoice question! Petty, yes, but he didn’t deny it and claimed it - respect!
Aged 18 I helped vote him out of power, and I don't regret doing so, however in the years since I've come to have a great deal of respect for him. He has conducted himself with remarkable dignity.
John Major was a decent and elegant bloke.
@@abrahamdecruz5128And the most recent PM to have actually come from the working class.
18:48 If Callaghan retired tomorrow Amazon would give him shedloads for a documentary about his new life - Callaghan’s Farm
John Major said he would not use his address book to lobby. It's a pity David Cameron did not follow that advice
John Major just hasn’t been caught
That's garbage
Major always seemed like a nice guy. Does bewilder me what a boy from Brixton would find in the Tories, but I respect his integrity
Legend has it that he is the only known example of a boy who ran away from the circus to become an accountant.
@@JasonJason210 Comic Strip!
One of the highlights of my university years was getting to see John Major give a talk (despite being an American and much to his left, politically, I've always had a soft spot for him). That said, I'm shocked and heartbroken that he *didn't* come to campus just for the sheer joy and intellectual stimulation of visiting rural Ohio.
Im not saying anything about John Major as a politician but damn it, he sure took it like a man when he was totally humiliated in the 1997 GE.
Same. He is a class act as a person tbh
Can you refresh my memory how he was humiliated please
@@Shane-zx4ps His party, the conservatives, lost the election to Tony Blair and the Labour Party, who won in a landslide
Bless him
@@redkingnate6995 Dont forget the Edwina revelations.
Macmillan, Callaghan, Wilson, Thatcher - regardless of your political beliefs these people really were beasts in the political jungle even John Major comes across as a bit of a statesman - especially compared to lightweights such as May, Brown & Cameron !
Gordon Brown is by no means a lightweight politically, including him in a list with May and Cameron is disrespectful.
@@olayinkaamara385 (a) signed the Lisbon treaty without consulting the electorate - keep the masses away from such an important matter eh? (b) car-crash 2015 election in which he called a member of the public "just a bigoted old woman" when she DARED to question east European migration in her part of the north of England.He gave an interview to the Guardian a month before when he said he would be fine if he lost his Prime Ministerial role - not that committed eh? (c) spectacularly underfunded the British army in Iraq - no doubt due to his own view of the war in the first place (d) a deeply flawed individual - computer keyboards were regularly replaced due to his anger directed upon them, formidable outbursts of anger directed at anyone including his subordinates when Chancellor (e) a committed socialist - an author indeed of at least two books regarding the militant Clyde-side dockers - yet he felt no shame whatsoever in being a part of "New" (non-socialist) Labour (f) no mandate of him being Prime minister (always important although not of course required in UK politics) - he just took over from Blair - there should at least have been some sort of leadership contest in order to give him some respectability in the highest office in the land.In summary - just as underwhelming as May & Cameron.
@@revol148 James Callaghan who you mentioned wasn't a particularly great prime minister but was still a massive political figure. Brown's rise up the Labour Party alongside his mate Tony Blair was rapid, he entered the Shadow cabinet in 1987 after only becoming an MP four years earlier. He got to the top of the Labour party when there were still a lot of big figures both there and in politics in general throughout parliament during the late 80s and early 90s unlike now I.e. Robin Cook, John Smith, Ken Clarke, Ann Taylor, Michael Heseltine, Paddy Ashdown , George Robertson, Donald Dewar etc. Brown was chancellor for 10 years (the longest served in modern history) and accomplished many things in his time there (Minumum wage, Bank of England independence etc). I certainly would not call him a lightweight.
@@olayinkaamara385 James Callaghan: complete British patriot - very much the last of the "God, Queen & Country" politician who understood that the country needed to be governed as a whole rather than for the divisiveness which came afterwards - very much like Wilson who steered the UK through the oil shock after 1973, the rampant trade unionism & the reposition of UK industry throughout that decade - closing down coal mines, massive bailouts towards failing companies like Rolls Royce & investing in the recently opened oilfields of the North Atlantic.All this of course has been completely forgotten in the rewriting of history - after, and during Ted Heath it was all chaos until Thatcher came along and we all lived happily ever after !? Gordon Brown sold off the UK gold reserves at rock bottom price at the end of the 1990's as well remember ! Big figures: Hesseltine came to prominence in the late 1970's -1980's, Robin Cook (remembered for what exactly?), John Smith - he would have been another Kinnock (the Brits are not left wing remember!), Ann Taylor (her legacy is what exactly?), George Robertson - his NATO links with the bombing of Serbia - our natural allies is shameful, Donald Dewar - set about the destruction of the union - good work....if you care less about the UK.
@@revol148 None of that changes the fact that Callaghan was not a particularly great prime minister despite his many achievements and qualities (and there were many). Each to there own I guess.
John is the coolest nerd ever lol.
He is indeed
You've never met Keir Starmer....
“Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one
present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?”― Tennessee Williams.
As a New Zealander and really not understanding the history of British politics over the last half century,I do find John Major to be the most impressive.He talks with are very meaningful and insightful not to mention wise demeanour.
I suppose it depends whether or not you think hes a little fxxxxxt - - ERM - Europe - committing adultery while chastising the country over family values - small things like that
oh yeah i remember you, i saw you talking nonsense along with jason in the norm richards video weren't you?
@@craw.54 Well agitating to get your own way and entering the ERM at the wrong rate, insisting that if the economic solution isn't hurting it isn't working, refusing to heed sensible advice on the issue and then after wasting billions of pounds worth of national gold reserves and dramatically raising the costs of peoples mortgages before having to back pedal in a moment of national disgrace and then shoving your chancellor who didn't agree with the ERM policy out to face the music is a sign of competence in your book then yes I suppose it would appear to be nonsense. Almost as ludicrous as having one of your advisers crawling around under the table whispering advice and directions on what to say while you are at an international conference supposedly negotiating a high level treaty - nonsense if it didn't happen but unfortunately in John Majors case it did. Tell me - given that you said yourself that you don't really understand British politics what was it that convinced you that it was a good idea to then presume to tell others that they are talking nonsense about the same subject ?
what are you talking about joining the ERM? that was thatcher, not major. major was merely chancellor of the exchequer at the time if you checked that. don't talk to me like some university teacher at oxford as well sounding egotistical saying "given that you said yourself you don't really understand british politics", to which I didn't. that was then, you were talking nonsense then, not now. if you'd ask me about what you were talking about that time in the video made by norm richards in the series leadership reflections, then you would know what i have meant to say because you checked it. major wasn't great overall, he was good in some ways but not overall. if anything though i would prefer him over blair who ruined this country for a very wide variety of reasons, such as letting the far left run education, et cetera. just at least acknowledge that if anything, major may have had achievements but people ignore and refuse to acknowledge any of these achievements under the basis of focusing on blair too much when it comes to past prime ministers in the last 30/25 years.
He was certainly a change of pace after Maggie, that's for sure.
Like all PM 's he made mistakes but I always thought him a decent man. Though whether his Mrs agrees fully with that.......
You were right, this was an excellent documentary. Look forward to digging into some more of Michael Cockerell's stuff. Thank you for uploading.
He’s done loads 1) Whitehall 2) Margaret Thatcher 3) Office of state 4) Ted Heath
Also, I'm not a Conservative but John Major seems quite genuine.
@Blue haha I actually forgot about that! Still more moral than most PMs!
Not a Conservative? That's ok, neither was John Major.
He was a useless knob, betrayed his own PM then betrayed the country with Maastricht.
@@drifty_grifty I agree they were harsh but she had to go. 11.5 years is like dictator proportions anyway.
God bless JOHN!!
Lovely documentary. I liked them all for their personal strengths.
As a young MP I saw Major grow into the job on a hard wicket and the one or two private chats I had - 1995 Leadership, near the end in '97. Major has behaved impeccably.
Say what you will about Churchill, but it's pretty despicable that he didn't have something in line for his retirement. Although, I am sure he squandered much of any wealth he accumulated over his life and may have done the same with any retirement fund, but still a house-in-waiting could have at least been offered. Likewise for Heath.
I hope that there are more like this? Thoroughly enjoyable and insightful into some magnificent people and our politics. Thank you for uploading.
John Major, as elegant as a glorious cover drive: the highlight of the documentary.
Here in Australia, ex PMs are given a very generous pension, gold flight card, car and driver, security and perks. Most people here believe we are way way too generous to these ex PMs.
This is brilliant. Thank you!
Not a Tory but John Major was by far the most decent man we had as PM compared to his predecessor and successors.
@Firm Buttocks fucking hell! Political crime of the century! So much so I can’t even remember it.
@Firm Buttocks who gives a toss? Hardly on the scale of Blair dragging us into the Iraq war that had nothing to do with us.
Beg to differ. He has appeared increasingly peevish and petty.
Not a Tory? He was (and is)! And indeed a decent, well balanced bloke.
@@jnmdrake I think Mr 'Storm Hawk', when he writes 'Not a Tory' is referring to the fact that he (SH) is not a Tory, rather than Major.
Tony Blair said that appearing in Terminator 4 was the only offer he'd had, sadly he was just a few years too early for the DC cinematic universe.
If Blair had existed in the Marvel cinematic universe, I'm almost certain that he would've been Thanos' number one target in the UK based on his love of the EU & increased immigration into the UK. 😂
@@god-fearingenglishman5254 It never ceases to amaze me how many secondary school students and self professed "superfans" seem to think they are the last refuge of British conservatism. Since when did you last see Robert Peel or Sailsbury in the 4chan forum bitching about how Star Wars was ruined by feminists.
@@hamishwhitehenderson5197 They are edgy little teenagers think nothing of it.
A war criminal!should have been prosecuted!
what an interesting documentation. Thank you for posting.
John Major the last honest PM
Most enjoyable. It gave a real insight into these people’s lives which I had no knowledge of.
A fascinating insight. Thanks for posting it!
Hahaha.
Superb documentary.
Thank you! Very interesting
Fascinating thanks so much
THANK YOU FOR THIS!!
Always interesting to see Wilson smoking a pipe. It was just to be one of his 'man of the people ' props. In reality he was a cigar smoker.
No one ever watches "the crown"
Best to let idiots continue to think they are wise , rather than face the truth
@@twotubefamily9323 It's a drama you fool not the truth.
@@harrysmith1070 what does "bemused " mean ... ? How do you spell confused" lol
@@twotubefamily9323 Come again ?
I actually loathe the Tory Party but fair play to John Major, always comes across as a decent human being and conducted himself with some dignity as an ex-PM. Unlike Heath (the Incredible Sulk, forever angry at Thatcher for ousting him), Thatcher (always sulking and fuming at those who ousted her), and Blair (sniping at Brown, Miliband and Corbyn whilst jetting round the world earning millions advising dictators)
Cheers for this gem
I know who is watching this video just about now.
Thank you so much for this! Do you have anymore uploads?
when the curtain comes down its time to get off the stage...john Major...
Brilliant documentary. Thanks for sharing this!
Very elegant report.
This is the old BBC
I am a conservative but was really shocked at how aggressively the BBC treated Harold Wilson.
I think the feeling was mutual, especially after the controversy of the "Yesterday's Men" documentary in 1971. Which was never shown on British TV until after Wilson died.
Fantastic journalist, one of the few who gets it. Shame most people do not, get IT.
John major. An excellent man.
Man who makes money selling memoirs: "I think he should sell his memoires immediately"
There's something to be said for being honest about where your bread is buttered, especially when the PMs in the program respond to the question with answers like
Cockerell: And what about your memoirs?
PM 1: I found writing to be an enjoyable process.
Cockerell: What about your memoirs?
PM2: Getting my memories out there was very rewarding.
Cockerell: What can you tell us about your memoirs?
PM 3: "Memoirs," otherwise known as "autobiographies," are books containing the memories of notable people, written from a first-person perspective.
"Macmillan had his Trollope... book!"
I'm 99% certain that was just a matter of him realizing how the phrasing would sound (and not realizing that he had just accidentally revealed something), but I kind of wish I weren't so sure.
I was quite stunned when I heard those four words. Firstly that man a man like him would have had a... umm... "mistress" in old age and secondly that anyone would use such blunt and judgemental language. Then he said the fifth word and I realised he was talking about novels.
As I've started getting up there in years I watch these videos very differently. I tend to obsess about the aging of these once powerful people rather than the story behind it. I wonder to myself am I going to look as old and helpless as these people do and I know that that's inevitable. Does anything you do really matter when you're going to die one day? I'm not sure that it does.😊
Another masterpiece by Michael Cockerell.
It's a mathematical certainty the volume of disdain and resentment inside that room are in equal part to the respect and admiration. 🇿🇦👍
Thank you very much 😊
I'm not a Tory, and never will be; but John Major is the only PM in my lifetime who ever thought to stand up fore the rights of the citizen in the face of the Civil Service. Remember the Citizen's Charter? It was quietly dropped when the elctorate dropped Major, and no one - NO ONE - has troubled themselves to resurrect it.
What’s that?
I didn’t think being an ex-prime minister could be so undignified. It’s almost sad in a way.
£55,000 in 1946 is worth £2,362,863.02 today
I couldn't imagine how much Churchill would earn for giving speeches if he were still living today.
would most likely sit in prison for his war crimes
@@rastislavstanik you get any previews of war criminal or are you just blowing smoke out your ass with that allegation?
Dresden calling. Quite a few schoolchildren went missing in the firestorms.
If Harold Wilson was paid £250,000 in the late 60s, hosted a chat show and made numerous TV appearances how on earth did he leave office penniless?
I am in California USA and I definitely remember when Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor and he met with Tony Blair. I think they signed some environmental agreement at the Port of Los Angeles.
Rishi Sunak has joined the club
Ground control to Major John
John Major, the only guy who can look uncool in shades.
Major’s relationship w Carlisle was likely facilitated by Pres. GHWB who really liked Major, viewed him as a ally and a pal.
Sir Bernard Ingham is such a caricature.
Thatcher to Heath : "We wanted you to be on my right. And I don't mean politically, not at all".
Heath to Thatcher : "That would be difficult !".
Hilarious comeback, made all the more funny by the fact Thatcher didn't find it funny at all !
I can't find this, could you help me?
@@nathansikner2560 41:56 sorry I should have time stamped it, my bad.
@@frankemerson8584 You're awesome, thanks a lot!
@Carl Yelland yeah sure
And you are somebody unconscious of facts
@Carl Yelland Heath also ran trains on little kids, might of even killed a few too.
We will look back upon the Major years and regret that we didnt appreciate him and his honesty and decency and integrity. The last decent PM we ever had and probably will ever have
What a very enjoyable video
To say nothing is saying something, to say something is saying nothing for them.
The importance of having interests outside of the day job. Major and Callaghan had those, thatcher and heath didn't, so looked lost when the music stopped.
Winston Churchil the younger.....but being a grandson of a post-war prime minister could cause confusions in terms of given names and dates of births.
This video should be titled "The man with the most gigantic eyebrows in the universe discusses Margaret Thatcher." I mean, his eyebrows are really something. (See 10:15)
Major made the most stylish, elegant exit - off to the Oval to watch cricket
Is it really that big of an adjustment though? I mean, most of them no more than a few years, some for six, then only Blair, Thatcher and Churchill who lasted a decade. Thatcher would have struggled going into a form of normality under any length of time. Her cruising the margarine aisle in Tesco in search of butter is a keeper for the archives.
39:25 'ello David
Maggie Thatcher was and always will be, for me, The Queen of PMs.
p.s Thank you so much for uploading - brilliant documentary, they don't make them like this any more.
John Major is a decent man. It’s funny how you don’t see it when one is young and brash. He fought off the Eurosceptics, and called his colleagues bastards. What’s not to love?
Excellent documentary. Am curious about the opening and closing theme music. Can anyone identify it? It sounds to me like a parody of Harold Wilson, recorded perhaps around the time of his resignation as PM in 1976.
It’s from The Goons, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe
Almost. It is Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore. I can see, or hear, what you mean about it sounding a little like Harold Wilson, though.
@@susanpettigrew7686 No, it's Peter Cook & Dudley Moore! This was the theme tune they used for all their TV and live stage work.
the capture at 40:31 cracks me to laugh, it's like 2 cats look and wonder at pointed light
Both of them were clueless
Yes, look at those blank expressions! 😆😆😆
How does one find a plumber???? John major is first class!
By and large the winning leader goes to the Palace and the Queen asks him or her to lead the next government fairly quickly after the results are known.Which is very brutal for an outgoing defeated PM. Parliament doesn't have a vote as such. A little different to Ireland 🇮🇪 where Parliament convenes and elects a Taoiseach/PM. After our last 2 general elections it took 3 or 4 months for the new prime minister to be elected/appointed. The outgoing governments remained on in a care taker capacity.
I could have sworn that was the voice of David Walliams at 4:35
Ken Clarke was the best economist and the stock market boomed and premiums were flowing into the mat
And since this documentary three more have bitten the dust
Hopefully, another one will very soon.
Interesting how Lord Stockton is almost a copy of his Grand father - visually and the way he sounds
There are periods of loss of sound, can you fix?.
Boris needs to watch this
Anthony Eden is a strange omission from this.
Eden is sadly never remembered.
I was struck by Attlee's omission as he was the first post-war PM.
He said Macmillan was the first to be videoed hence none of his predecessors
Alex Douglas Home's omission us even stranger, as he was the PM between Macmillian and Wilson.
@Anita Pavese The cow was presumably female and he presumably sent her off to be slaughtered, maybe not actually that respectful
John Major would have made a good James Bond..!!
- Only In The Warped Universe Where James Bond's Dad Is The Star, & Is A Boring Bell-end, With All The Charm Of A 300 Year-Old Turd, Who Resembles A Green Skinned, Thin-Lipped Buffoon.
Also we can do a follow up Mrs May
This is what makes difference between those countries and our countries of their world
John Major is highly respected in Ireland..quite an achievement for a Tory
Tony Blair: Known for his New Labour policies and controversial decision to support the Iraq War, Blair remains a divisive figure. He has since focused on philanthropy and international diplomacy.
Gordon Brown: Remembered for his role during the global financial crisis and efforts to stabilize the economy, Brown has been active in promoting global education and development issues.
David Cameron: Oversaw the Brexit referendum and resigned after the Leave vote. He remains influential in discussions about Brexit's impact and has written a memoir reflecting on his time in office.
Theresa May: Notably dealt with Brexit negotiations as PM and faced challenges in managing parliamentary divisions. She continues to serve as a Member of Parliament.
Boris Johnson: Led the UK through the latter stages of Brexit negotiations and the COVID-19 pandemic. His leadership style and policies have been closely scrutinized both domestically and internationally.
maggie didn't like brixton...hmmmmmmmmmm
I'm not political at all, but as for John Major, I still say was he Christopher Reeves Dad!
thankyou for the poll tax that destroyed me she lost her marbels in the end
go to 35:02 for the best 10 seconds of the whole thing LOL.
21:16 Churchill memoirs
He was the worst PM we ever had, that is, not counting May.
Tony Blair......keeping dignity ? Make me laugh
@Heather Stephens Funny how he was broke in 10 Downing St, now he's worth over $60 million, self serving tw@t
ex-PMs unless they're stupid or have really made enemies, hardly wouldn't suffer.
Being prime minister means you must focus on the job in hand running a country not sleeping around having kids every were. If I were prime minister I'd be like OCD everything would be done then checked it was done right then checked again to make sure everything I did do was legal
That OCD is going to be a problem for you because one thing that's not going to be in your control and that is changing of events
War criminal blair
@@TheMiketyson9 why he got to be a war criminal? Sounds like a butthurt word peace nut job
After being the Prime Minister, how do Major, Blair, Brown, Cameron, and May go about their business? I can't imagine seeing them driving a car or in the high street or supermarket acting like ordinary people. Are they still protected by bodyguards, well there is always some nutter who will want to attack them or and other celebrity for that matter.
May is still serving in the Commons
Cameron is in the South of France I think.
@@user-pv4hx8hs3f Ironic.
@@samjoshi1812 In many ways, but really not suprising😂
Blair works in Footlocker in Westfield. Cherie drops him off in the morning. At lunch, Tony has a Tesco meal deal sandwich on a bench that puts Victoria's Secret in his eye line. He is very good at remembering stock levels for the more popular SKUs. To date he has only stolen two shoelaces and a size 4 football.
I don't understand the thump down.what is wrong with this fantastic documentary??
No idea dear person. best you don't focus on that. it barely matters. take care.
I didn’t recognize Major without the underpants