Sir John Major is not often considered the most influential prime minister of the 20th century.
His seven years in power, at the tail-end of the Thatcher era, were marked by Tory in-fighting over Europe.
But we shouldn’t forget one important achievement he did manage: the creation of the National Lottery.
Major certainly hasn’t forgotten.
Sir John Major, pictured at a Service of Thanksgiving for Lord Heywood at Wesminster Abbey in June, created the National Lottery. In 25 years it has generated £40 billion for good causes
At a lavish party thrown at London’s Somerset House last week to celebrate the Lottery’s 25th birthday, the ex-PM proudly hailed the £40 billion it has generated for good causes.
Speaking to a crowd that included Virginia Bottomley, who announced the first winning numbers on BBC TV as Culture Secretary in 1994, Major claimed that he thought of the Lottery when he was allocating funds to Whitehall departments as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
‘I wanted a pot of gold free of political or government interference,’ he said
But he admitted to the audience that when he bought the first ticket for the £5.87 million jackpot, he prayed his numbers didn’t come up.
‘At the time I had an overdraft, a mortgage, and no savings.
‘I wasn’t sure how handing the money back would go down with my wife and family.’
John Major may have been the only gambler in history desperate not to win.
Wanted: A Bond villain!
Labour MP Stella Creasy pines for 007’s enemies of old.
‘Frankly we haven’t had a good Bond villain since [The Man With The Golden Gun’s] Scaramanga,’ she complains. ‘They urgently need to get John Malkovich . . .’
Wouldn’t the cold, calculating Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell be a better choice?
May’s man bounces back
If Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister, many expect Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, a trusted adviser of Theresa May, to be quickly shown the door.
Not only is he distrusted by Team Boris for his loyalty to Mrs May, but it was Sedwill who pointed the finger at then-Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson for leaking information about Chinese technology firm Huawei — and cost him his Cabinet job.
As a leading figure in Johnson’s campaign, one would expect Williamson to seek vengeance against his accuser.
If Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister, many expect Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, pictured at Wesminster Abbey in June, to be quickly shown the door
But I hear that after two meetings, Johnson has developed quite a rapport with Sedwill, not least since the latter said the Govern-ment is in ‘pretty good shape’ to cope with a no-deal Brexit.
Do not be surprised, therefore, if Britain’s most senior civil servant is kept in his post.
And with Williamson tipped to be Johnson’s Northern Ireland or Transport Secretary, Thursday morning Cabinet meetings could be about to get a lot more fiery.
The BBC’s forensic interrogator Andrew Neil recently made light work of Chuka Ummuna — the smooth-talking MP who’s been a member of Labour, Change UK and now the Lib Dems in just four months.
Quizzing Umunna on Politics Live, Neil said: ‘We have been on air for almost half an hour. Are you still in the Lib Dems?’
Scottish Labour MP Hugh Gaffney savaged Theresa May during Prime Minister’s Questions, over the withdrawal of free TV licences for the over-75s. ‘Pensioners like my dad, who is turning 90 in a few weeks’ time, will pay the price,’ he cried.
It’s a sorry tale, but perhaps Gaffney could cover it himself. After all, he claimed the cost of his own TV licence on Parliamentary expenses.
Labour’s seizure of London’s wealthy Kensington by just 20 votes was one of the biggest shocks of the last General Election in 2017.
And following Mrs May’s inadequate response to the devastating Grenfell Tower blaze in the constituency, it will be an uphill task for the Tories to regain it.
So who is the favourite to be their candidate? A grassroots West London party member? A local councillor perhaps?
No — it’s Darren Henry, a carpetbagging councillor from Wiltshire with no local connection whatsoever.