The POD for this TL is the British general election of 6 December 1923. That was called by Conservative Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin in order to win a majority for imposing tariffs on imported goods. The Liberal and Labour Parties fought on a policy of maintaining free trade. In OTL the result was Conservative 258 seats (38.1% of the vote), Labour 191 seats (30.5%), Liberal 159 seats (29.6%), others 7 seats (1.8%).* Baldwin didn't resign but when Parliament met in January 1924, his government was defeated in the House of Commons in a vote of no confidence and Ramsay McDonald, the leader of the Labour Party, became Prime Minister of a minority Labour government on 22 January 1924.
It is likely that if the Liberals rather than Labour had come second to the Tories in 1923, the Liberal leader Herbert Asquith would have become Prime Minister. In this TL the Liberal vote is up by 3%, the Labour vote is down by 2% and the Conservative is down by 1%.
The book British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, lists the results in all constituencies. For the December 1923 general election I made the following changes compared to the actual results in each constituency contested by at least two of the three major parties: Three party contests Liberal + 3%, Conservative -1%, Labour -2%; Liberal/Conservative straight fights Liberal + 2%, Conservative -2%; Liberal/Labour straight fights Liberal + 2.5%, Labour -2.5%; Conservative/Labour straight fights Conservative +0.5%, Labour -0.5%.
This produces the following result:
Conservative 229 seats 37.1% of the total vote 5,397,501 votes
Liberal 207 seats 32.6% of the total vote 4,742, 818 votes
Labour 172 seats 28.5% of the total vote 4,146,328 votes
Others 7 seats 1.8% of the total vote 261,874 votes.
The Liberals did well against the Conservatives in agricultural seats in England. A major reason for this was the large decline in agricultural prices from 1920. The price of wheat per hundred weight in 1923 was down by 59%, while that of barley was 58% less.
To the relief of many Liberals, Winston Churchill standing as a Liberal was defeated in the Labour held seat of Leicester West.
Because the Conservatives were the largest party in the House of Commons Baldwin did not resign, but decided to wait until the new session of Parliament met in January 1924 to see if the Liberal and Labour Parties would unite to defeat him in a vote of no confidence. He hoped that rivalry between those two parties would mean that one of them would abstain on such a vote.
However before the vote on 16 January the two parties had agreed that if Baldwin's government were to be defeated, Asquith would become Prime Minister of a Liberal only government, but that a Liberal-Labour Parliamentary Liason Committee ( usually called the Liason Committee) of five leading Liberal parliamentarians and four prominent Labour members, with a Liberal chairman would be established. It would be consulted on all matters of major legislation and policy.
The government was defeated on the vote of no confidence on 16 January 1924 and Baldwin and his government resigned. The next day Herbert Asquith became Prime Minister of a Liberal government. Here is a partial list of his cabinet.
Prime Minister and Leader of the House of Commons: Herbert Asquith
Chancellor of the Exchequer: David Lloyd George
Foreign Secretary: Sir Francis Acland
Home Secretary: Sir John Simon
President of the Board of Trade: Thomas MacNamara
Colonial and Dominions Secretary: Charles Frederick George Masterman
War Secretary: James Ian MacPherson
India Secretary: Lord Sinha
Minister of Agriculture: George Lambert
Minister of Health: Sir Alfred Mond
President of the Board of Education: William Wedgwood Benn.
Lloyd George was unofficially Deputy Prime Minister, though he did not have that actual title. Lord Sinha was Indian and the first non-white person to be a member of a British cabinet.
The only woman in the government was Margaret Wintringham as Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture.
* Some sources give the result as Liberal 158 seats and others 8 seats. That is because they count the Independent Liberal elected for Cardiganshire as an Independent. I have counted him as a Liberal.
It is likely that if the Liberals rather than Labour had come second to the Tories in 1923, the Liberal leader Herbert Asquith would have become Prime Minister. In this TL the Liberal vote is up by 3%, the Labour vote is down by 2% and the Conservative is down by 1%.
The book British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, lists the results in all constituencies. For the December 1923 general election I made the following changes compared to the actual results in each constituency contested by at least two of the three major parties: Three party contests Liberal + 3%, Conservative -1%, Labour -2%; Liberal/Conservative straight fights Liberal + 2%, Conservative -2%; Liberal/Labour straight fights Liberal + 2.5%, Labour -2.5%; Conservative/Labour straight fights Conservative +0.5%, Labour -0.5%.
This produces the following result:
Conservative 229 seats 37.1% of the total vote 5,397,501 votes
Liberal 207 seats 32.6% of the total vote 4,742, 818 votes
Labour 172 seats 28.5% of the total vote 4,146,328 votes
Others 7 seats 1.8% of the total vote 261,874 votes.
The Liberals did well against the Conservatives in agricultural seats in England. A major reason for this was the large decline in agricultural prices from 1920. The price of wheat per hundred weight in 1923 was down by 59%, while that of barley was 58% less.
To the relief of many Liberals, Winston Churchill standing as a Liberal was defeated in the Labour held seat of Leicester West.
Because the Conservatives were the largest party in the House of Commons Baldwin did not resign, but decided to wait until the new session of Parliament met in January 1924 to see if the Liberal and Labour Parties would unite to defeat him in a vote of no confidence. He hoped that rivalry between those two parties would mean that one of them would abstain on such a vote.
However before the vote on 16 January the two parties had agreed that if Baldwin's government were to be defeated, Asquith would become Prime Minister of a Liberal only government, but that a Liberal-Labour Parliamentary Liason Committee ( usually called the Liason Committee) of five leading Liberal parliamentarians and four prominent Labour members, with a Liberal chairman would be established. It would be consulted on all matters of major legislation and policy.
The government was defeated on the vote of no confidence on 16 January 1924 and Baldwin and his government resigned. The next day Herbert Asquith became Prime Minister of a Liberal government. Here is a partial list of his cabinet.
Prime Minister and Leader of the House of Commons: Herbert Asquith
Chancellor of the Exchequer: David Lloyd George
Foreign Secretary: Sir Francis Acland
Home Secretary: Sir John Simon
President of the Board of Trade: Thomas MacNamara
Colonial and Dominions Secretary: Charles Frederick George Masterman
War Secretary: James Ian MacPherson
India Secretary: Lord Sinha
Minister of Agriculture: George Lambert
Minister of Health: Sir Alfred Mond
President of the Board of Education: William Wedgwood Benn.
Lloyd George was unofficially Deputy Prime Minister, though he did not have that actual title. Lord Sinha was Indian and the first non-white person to be a member of a British cabinet.
The only woman in the government was Margaret Wintringham as Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture.
* Some sources give the result as Liberal 158 seats and others 8 seats. That is because they count the Independent Liberal elected for Cardiganshire as an Independent. I have counted him as a Liberal.
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