John Major

At the 1993 Conservative Party Conference, Major began the "Back to Basics" campaign, which he intended to be about the economy, education, policing, and other such issues, but it was interpreted by many (including Conservative cabinet ministers) as an attempt to revert to the moral and family values that the Conservative Party were often associated with. "Back to Basics", however, became synonymous with scandal, often exposed by tabloid newspapers such as The Sun. David Mellor, a cabinet minister, was exposed as having an extramarital affair, and for accepting hospitality from the daughter of a leading member of the PLO. The wife of the Earl of Caithness committed suicide amongst rumours of the Earl committing adultery. David Ashby was 'outed' by his wife after sleeping with men. A string of other Conservative MPs, including Alan Amos, Tim Yeo and Michael Brown, were involved in sexual scandals.

Other debilitating scandals included "Cash for Questions", in which first Graham Riddick, and David Tredinnick accepted money to ask questions in the House of Commons in a newspaper "sting", and later Tim Smith and Neil Hamilton were found to have received money from Mohamed Al Fayed, also to ask questions in the House. Later, David Willetts resigned asPaymaster General after he was accused of rigging evidence to do with Cash for Questions.

Defence Minister Jonathan Aitken was accused by the ITV investigative journalism series World In Action and The Guardian newspaper of secretly doing deals with leading Saudi princes. He denied all accusations and promised to wield the "sword of truth" in libel proceedings which he brought against The Guardian and the producers of World In Action Granada Television. At an early stage in the trial however, it became apparent that he had lied under oath, and he was subsequently convicted of perjury and sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

Back to Basics was an ill-fated attempt to relaunch the government of British Prime Minister John Major in 1993.^[1] Announced at the Party Conference of that year, the initiative was intended to focus on issues of law and order, education and public probity (especially single mothers) after the debacle ofBlack Wednesday had damaged the UK Conservative Party perceived ability to safeguard public finance. Back to Basics was widely interpreted as a moral campaign, and hence was ridiculed by political opponents, who coined the term "Back to bed-sits" as several instances of "Tory sleaze" came to light.

[edit]Scandals

• David Mellor's extra-marital affair with bit-part actress Antonia de Sancha (ca. 1992)^[2]
• Tim Yeo's extramarital affair resulting in him fathering a "love-child" in 1993^[3]
• Michael Mates's resignation as a Minister of State following allegations he had accepted cash and gifts from the fugitive businessman Asil Nadir(1993) ^[4]
• The Earl of Caithness resigned after his wife committed suicide due to his extra marital affair.^[5]
• Patrick Nicholls resigned shortly after refering to German's as "warmongers"
• Stephen Milligan's accidental death by auto-erotic asphyxiation on February 7, 1994^[6]
• Michael Brown's involvement with a then-underage man in 1994,^[7] and his subsequent implication in the 'cash for questions' affair.^[8]
• Neil Hamilton's alleged acceptance of 'cash for questions' from Mohammed Al-Fayed in 1994^[9]
• Tim Smith's admitting that he took cash for questions from Mohammed Al-Fayed.^[10]
• David Ashby discovered to have shared a bed with a man on a trip paid by expenses. Ashby was married at the time.^[11]
• Jonathan Aitken's alleged procurement of prostitutes for Arab businessmen, their payment of his Ritz hotel bill, and his subsequent conviction and prison sentence for perjury after the resulting libel trial in which he unsuccessfully attempted to sue The Guardian over the story.^[12]
• Graham Riddick's entrapment for, and acceptance of, 'cash for questions' in 1994.^[13]
• Allan Stewart resigned after waving an axe at an anti-motorway protester.^[14]
• Hartley Booth's amorous, unreciprocated pursuit of his secretary in 1995.^[15]
• David Willetts's disciplining by the parliamentary ombudsman over his intervention in a parliamentary enquiry in 1996^[16]
• Piers Merchant's affairs with a night club hostess, and his researcher in 1997^[17]

Ironically, several years after his term of office ended, it emerged that John Major himself had engaged in an extramarital affair with fellow Conservative Party MP Edwina Currie.

By this time, however, the "Back to Basics" campaign was all but forgotten.

The phrase has since become used by UK political commentators to describe any failed attempt by a political party leader to relaunch themselves following a scandal or controversy.

The phrase was satirized in the Viz strip Baxter Basics.