John Major was ticked off by his principal private secretary for having a repetitive, cliche-ridden speaking style, a top-secret file covering Major’s arrival in Downing Street reveals.
Andrew Turnbull risked having a cushion thrown at him when he tackled the new prime minister over the effectiveness of his rhetoric, documents released to the National Archives in Kew show.
In a handwritten memo to Major two months after he had taken charge of the government, Turnbull, one of Major’s most senior advisers, wrote: “May I, at the risk of having a cushion thrown at me as was Judith’s fate, offer some comments on your speaking style.
“For the most part it is admirably clear. The grammar is excellent, sentences having subject, verb, object etc. Your transcripts read as almost perfect prose. Most other people have a speaking style which comes out horribly in print.
“But, as Matthew Parris observed, there is a tendency to add words and phrases which are redundant or, worse, cliches. To illustrate this I have compared the text of your first Gulf speech with the version as delivered.
“I was struck by the following: (i) Use of “self-evident’. This is very common but if something is self-evident it can be simply stated; (ii) Use of ‘clear’ with another adverb which simply expresses degrees of clearness, eg “crystal clear’, ‘entirely’, ‘absolutely’; (iii) duplicating adjectives ‘complete and full’, ‘crudely and brutally’, ‘doubt and hesitation’.”
He concluded: “I hope you do not object to my making these observations.”
The mention of Judith in the memo is thought to refer to Judith Chaplin, a political secretary at No 10. It is not clear who is alleged to have hurled a cushion at her.
In reply, Major ticked all three points of Turnbull’s verbal analysis and added a handwritten note addressed to Turnbull. “Many thanks. I don’t have a cushion to hand! You are right – I am too verbose sometimes with unnecessary additions. I’ll try to desist. But Matthew [Parris], I thought, was an old friend and went over the top. But I’ll watch it – and thanks. John.”
The file, marked top secret, is titled: “Briefing for a new prime minister and spouse”. It contains introductory assessments of key policies, organisations and personnel for the incoming premier.
It was evidently assembled during the contest to succeed Thatcher in November 1990 and contains alternative material for Major’s unsuccessful political rivals. Initially, Michael Heseltine was thought to be the frontrunner.
A note to Turnbull from Sir Robin Butler, the cabinet secretary, said: “Here is my Heseltine folder in its current state (note on the efficiency unit to follow) plus two loose notes on security of a) ministerial b) special adviser appointments. I will be considering over the weekend how the folder for Hurd and Major should differ.”
One duplicate version of briefings – on audiences at Buckingham Palace – that was prepared for Heseltine carries the poignant phrase “not needed” in a later, overwritten note.
There is reference to future possible briefings for the ousted Thatcher. A memo to Major on the day of her departure says: “The prime minister [referring to Thatcher] told you she wanted to be able in her speeches and statements to be well informed on current developments. She hoped that her successor would authorise arrangements for her to be briefed regularly.”
• Publication of Juliette, an 18th-century pornographic novel by the Marquis de Sade, presented difficulties for No 10. The Conservative MP Ann Winterton wrote to Major in June 1992 calling for changes to the obscenity laws.
The prime minister’s advisers suggested he need not meet her on the grounds that the book had been around for 200 years. Major, however, agreed to see Winterton.
William Chapman, a Downing Street official, doubted whether the book would provide an opportunity to alter the law. Juliette, he observed, “is turgid and terribly untitillating (a personal view). However, I appreciate that you may want to do what you can to keep this section of the party sweet.”
An early day motion in the Commons condemned the publication of the novel and noted “with deep concern that this book glorifies and positively advocates torture, rape and murder of babies”. There were calls for the publisher, Arrow Books, to be prosecuted.
Winterton eventually met Major in November. He told her the Home Office would carry out an urgent review of the obscenity laws. A note in the file on criminal law issues, from Mark Adams in the PM’s office, reported on progress.
“I attach a paper from the Home Office which is very definitely only holiday reading and even then only if you are extremely bored,” the note said. “You will remember that you have been pressing the Home Office for some time to review the legislation. The attached long and, by the end, rambling note is a response.”
On it, Major scribbled: “Disappointing.”
