He was foreign secretary 1989 and chancellor of the Exchequer 1989-90. His initial positive approach to European Community matters was hindered from 1991 by divisions within the Conservative Party. Despite continuing public dissatisfaction with the poll tax, the National Health Service, and the recession, Major was returned to power in the April 1992 general election. His subsequent handling of a series of domestic crises called into question his ability to govern the country effectively, but he won backing for his launch of a joint UK-Irish peace initiative on Northern Ireland 1993, which led to a general cease-fire 1994. On the domestic front, local and European election defeats and continuing divisions within the Conservative Party led to his dramatic and unexpected resignation of the party leadership June 1995 in a desperate bid for party unity. He was narrowly re-elected to the post the following month. Formerly a banker, he became MP for Huntingdonshire 1979 and become deputy to Chancellor Nigel Lawson 1987. In 1989 Major was appointed foreign secretary and, after Lawson's resignation, chancellor, within the space of six months. As chancellor he led Britain into the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) Oct 1990. The following month he became prime minister on winning the Conservative Party leadership election in a contest with Michael Heseltine and Douglas Hurd, after the resignation of Margaret Thatcher. Although victorious in the 1992 general election, he subsequently faced mounting public dissatisfaction over a range of issues, including the sudden withdrawal of the pound from the ERM, a drastic pit-closure programme, and past sales of arms to Iraq. In addition, Major had to deal with "Euro-sceptics" within his own party who fiercely opposed any moves which they saw as ceding national sovereignty to Brussels. His success in negotiating a Northern Ireland cease-fire 1994 did much to improve his standing.
