Thread by @latikambourke

John Major's speech to @ifgevents already off to a cracking start.

'Democrats were so confident that their way of government was the way of the future that they stopped arguing for it.'

#IFGEvents

Major: 'Trust in politics is at a low ebb, eroded by foolish behaviour...too often ministers have been evasive and the truth has seemed optional.'

Major: Misleading replies to question invite disillusion, outright lies breeds contempt.

Politicians are not all the same and lies are just not acceptable. To imply otherwise is to cheapen public life.

Major: some do mislead and their behaviour is corrosive. It is a dangerous trend.

What and who then can we believe? The risk is nothing and no-one. And where are we then?

Major: Political lies to parliament must always be fatal to political careers.

'At No 10. The PM and officials broke lockdown laws. Brazen excuses were dreamed up.'

Major: 'this is has made the government look distinctly shifty which has consequences that go far beyond political popularity.

No govt can be function properly if its word is treated with suspicion.'

Major: Our politics is in no man's land, in disarray, broken - if trust in our politics is broken at home.

If trust is lost overseas we may no longer be able to work with partners on security.

Major: The charge that there is one law for politicians and another for everyone else is 'political deadly' and has struck home.

Major points out how the Justice Sec at the time did not defend the judiciary against the 'enemies of the people' headline while Cab ministers attacked 'leftie lawyers'.

Says this gives the impression govt wants to usher in a 'compliant judiciary.' Says govt should 'back off.'

Major making a really good point about the 'style' of the govt in picking fights but then picking them with the wrong people - Civil service and the BBC.

'Both these institutions are more trusted than the govt itself.'

Major says the political donations system in UK leaves people with the impression that honours are given to wealthy donors. Calls for restrictions to the max limit a single donor can give so no pressure group, union or wealthy person can expect and outcome for their ££.

Questions now.

He says he doesn't think democracy is going to collapse in the UK but it is being weakened.

Likens it to bricks in a wall - as you see bricks being taken out you speak before the wall collapses.

"There seems little doubt that they have been broken" - Major clarifying on his statements saying that Boris broke lockdown laws but says that if he 'deliberately lied' to parliament then he should go.

Major does not say whether he thinks Boris lied to parliament.

'His reporting was often widely mistaken and short of fact.' Major on Boris Johnson's reporting when the PM was in Brussels.

Major on Boris' visit to Nato today - The French President had a five-hour meeting across the desk (with Putin). That used to be us.

Major 'I'm not sure the West has a leader' BUT he says this opens the door for countries to take the lead on different issues which he would like to see UK doing.

(I mean that is actually 'Global Britain's foreign policy)

Major asked on China and whether people naturally crave democracy: 'It's beginning to look questionable... for a very logical reason ... the autocracies have been able to grow their economies faster...and that is attractive to many countries.'

Major on China and democracy: 'For people at the absolute bottom of the heap, it is not their immediate concern.'