Pelosi on the Hot Seat: Three Times a Party Booted Its Unpopular Leader

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Thatcher and Cameron
Few parties get out the long knives when leaders show weakness, but British Conservatives have.

In 1990, after more than a decade of the strong reign of fellow conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the Conservatives grew anxious and wanted change in the face of the Labour Party’s growth in popularity.

Thatcher resigned, and Conservative John Major took over. In a surprise turn, Major was able to beat back Labour in the 1992 elections, extending the Conservative Party’s rule.

Labour stayed out of power until 1997, when Major lost to Tony Blair.

Conservatives were not able to win again until 2010, when Conservative David Cameron won the right to be U.K. prime minister.

But after calling for a 2016 public referendum on a British exit from the European Union, aka “Brexit,” Cameron decided to resign when Brexit won approval. Cameron had opposed Brexit.

Cameron was replaced by Theresa May, whose party was barely able to hang on in June’s British elections. But now May likely fears, like Pelosi, she may be the next party leader booted.[lz_pagination]