In a wide-ranging and unsparing speech followed by a fireside chat with broadcaster Angela Rippon, former UK Prime Minister, Sir John Major delivered a damning indictment of Brexit, America’s retreat from the world stage, and the current state of British politics – while calling for renewed honesty, humility, and leadership.
There was a striking clarity – and candour – to Major’s address. Speaking not as a party man, nor a figure of nostalgia, but as a seasoned observer of international affairs and national politics, the former Prime Minister offered a searing critique of Britain’s current direction of travel.
The speech, delivered with quiet force and a measured tone, was as much a lament as it was a call to action. In it, Major painted a sobering picture of a country diminished – by choice, by complacency, and by a political culture allergic to truth.
Though delivered in memory of a public servant of similar conviction, Sir Edward Heath, the bulk of the address focused squarely on the present: A changing global order, a fractured Europe, an uncertain Britain, and a set of choices that will define not just this decade, but a generation.
The World Has Shifted – and So Has America
Much of Sir John Major’s speech was devoted to the international landscape, which he described as being in disarray. He likened it to a jigsaw puzzle that is “falling apart, piece by piece, of its own volition.” It was a sobering metaphor for the collapse of the post-war rules-based order.
Most notably, Sir John Major turned his gaze across the Atlantic, where he sees a profound shift in America’s posture. “Modern America no longer sees Europe as its primary focus,” he warned, calling it not a temporary phase, but “a settled judgement in Washington.” In other words, Europe – and Britain within it – can no longer rely on the United States as a dependable ally.
“President Trump’s unpredictability may win short-term compliance. But that is not leadership. If someone has their foot on your neck, you may comply – but you will never forget it.” Sir John Major
It was under President Trump, Major asserted, that this shift became impossible to ignore. The former US leader negotiated directly with Russia over Ukraine, sidelined key allies, and failed to deter invasion. “He cast doubt. He introduced confusion. He undermined the very values the West is meant to uphold,” said Major. Perhaps most damningly, he added: “It was as though – for a time – America folded its arms and looked away.”
The consequences, he suggested, are global: Allies questioning their own security assumptions, adversaries emboldened, and a West increasingly unsure of its footing.
Brexit: Promises Made, Promises Broken
If his critique of American leadership was sharp, Sir John Major’s assessment of Britain’s post-Brexit condition was scathing. Without rancour, but with unmistakable clarity, he dismantled the central claims of the Leave campaign. Control of borders? Diminished. Economic growth? Weakened. Sovereignty? “Still heavily influenced by what [Europe] do,” he said.
The economic cost, he noted, is not just theory – it is already being borne. Citing the Office for Budget Responsibility, Major reminded his audience that Brexit is expected to cost the UK over £100 billion in lost output. That amounts to roughly £40 billion in lost tax revenue – money that could have transformed schools, hospitals, and infrastructure.
“We walked away from the richest free trade area the world has ever known.” Sir John Major
He added that the trade deals since struck “come nowhere near to compensating for what we’ve given up.”
Yet perhaps the most piercing observation was cultural and political. “We have lost more than money,” he warned. “We have lost influence. We have lost goodwill. We have lost strategic alignment.”
Not a Rejoiner – but a Realist
To be clear, Sir John Major did not call for the UK to rejoin the European Union – not now, at least. He acknowledged that re-entry is not politically realistic today. But he urged that the door be left open for a future generation. In the meantime, he proposed re-entering the Customs Union, calling it a “practical and achievable” step that would ease trade frictions and rebuild confidence.
For Major, this is not about relitigating old arguments but about confronting the present with honesty. “We seek higher living standards,” he said, “but have enacted policies that undermine the very foundations of growth.” That contradiction, he argued, cannot be sustained.
The Home Front: Services, Standards, and Stagnation
Turning his attention to domestic issues, Sir John Major warned of deepening inequality, strained public services, and a younger generation facing worse prospects than their parents. The scars of austerity and the pandemic are still raw, he said, and trust in institutions has frayed.
His solution is not ideological but rooted in partnership: Public and private sectors working together. “We cannot sustain high-quality healthcare, education, and social care without wealth creation,” he argued. “And we cannot create wealth without rewarding risk and ambition.”
Here too, Major’s frustration was palpable. He decried a political culture that punishes enterprise and stifles initiative. “We need a culture that celebrates effort, rewards contribution, and supports aspiration,” he urged. It was a plea for pragmatism over populism, substance over spectacle.
A Damaged Image – and the Work Ahead
Throughout the speech, there was a quiet sorrow at what has been lost – an image of Britain as admired, trusted, and dependable. “That image has been damaged,” Major admitted. But he insisted that it can be repaired.
Britain, he said, must now rebuild – not in the image of the past, but for the demands of the future. And that work, he was clear, begins with honesty. Governments, he said, must “convey reality, not fantasy.”
Final Thought: Leading, Not Drifting
Sir John Major’s address was a powerful example of what political leadership can look like when unburdened by short-term calculation. He spoke not to win applause, but to prompt reflection – and perhaps course correction.
He offered no easy answers. But he made one thing abundantly clear: Pretending that all is well is not only dishonest – it is dangerous. His message was not to one party or ideology, but to the country as a whole: Face facts, fix what you can, and never forget that decline is a choice, not a destiny.
In a political age often marked by bluster and avoidance, this was a rare and necessary dose of clarity. Whether or not we act on his counsel remains to be seen. But if Britain is to regain its footing – at home, in Europe, and on the world stage – it will be by heeding the sort of realism that Sir John put forward so plainly.
