Portrait of John Major
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John Major on Keir Starmer

Standards critic (strong)

TL;DR

John Major urged Keir Starmer to strengthen public life standards by enforcing sanctions rather than waiting for a new commission.

Key Points

  • He made his comments while marking the 30th anniversary of the Nolan principles on standards in public life in June 2025.

  • Major explicitly advised the current Prime Minister to strengthen the Nolan system rather than relying on the promised new ethics commission.

  • Public polling indicated that 39% of Britons saw John Major as a better Prime Minister than Keir Starmer, compared to 16% who favoured Starmer over him.

Summary

Sir John Major has publicly focused his remarks on Keir Starmer regarding the need to restore and enforce high standards in public life. He stated that the Labour Prime Minister needs to introduce proper sanctions before trust in the UK system is irreparably damaged. The former Conservative prime minister suggested that while the proposal for a new ethics commission appeared delayed, the existing Nolan principles, which his own government introduced, should be strengthened and made more enforceable to ensure punishment for misconduct.

He expressed regret over the erosion of Britain's reputation for low corruption and explicitly advised the current Prime Minister to stiffen up the existing Nolan system rather than pursuing the promised ethics commission, which he felt might just reinvent a flawed structure. Furthermore, public opinion polling from YouGov suggested that Britons, on average, viewed the tenure of the former prime minister more favourably than that of the current Labour leader.

Frequently Asked Questions

John Major's position is that Keir Starmer must act decisively to reinforce ethical standards in politics. He urged the Prime Minister to strengthen the existing Nolan principles by introducing actual punishments for misconduct, according to a June 2025 statement.

Yes, the former prime minister has strongly criticized the current administration's perceived slowness on standards reform, specifically noting that proposals for an ethics commission appeared to be 'in the long grass' as of June 2025.

In a speech, John Major suggested that the promise for a new independent ethics and integrity commission seemed delayed. His very friendly advice to Keir Starmer was to stiffen up the existing Nolan framework instead of trying to reinvent the system, as reported in June 2025.