Sir John Major says Prince Philip’s beliefs about the number of politicians in parliament was right – particularly when it comes to the House of Lords.
Comments made by the Duke of Edinburgh on a trip to Ghana have been making the rounds on social media following his sad passing on Friday, aged 99.
On learning that the country had just 200 members of parliament, he said:
“That’s about the right number. We have 650 and most of them are a complete bloody waste of time”
Prince Philip’s reputation for plain speaking often proceeded him on trips away, but Sir John said that was his way of making people feel comfortable.
“If you are meeting the Queen or Prince Philip for the first time you are nervous, and his determination was to put people at ease.
“And by saying something from left field that does create a different perception in the eyes and minds of people who meet him, it relaxes them”.
Related: Papers in the UK and around the world react to the death of Prince Philip
