The UK economy entered a recession during 1990 , which deepened in 1991 , with unemployment rising rapidly . The Conservatives had been consistently behind Labour in the opinion polls since 1989 , and the gap had widened significantly during 1990 . Within two months of Major becoming Prime Minister , Major was required to lead Britain through the first Gulf War , playing a key role in persuading US President George H. W. Bush to support no-fly zones . During this period , Major and his Cabinet survived an IRA assassination attempt by mortar attack . The Conservatives managed to regain a lead in the opinion polls after this period , with polls also showing Major as the most popular Prime Minister since Harold Macmillan in the early 1960s
mortar attack
Downing Street mortar attack
John Major