1997 UK GE with Michael Heseltine as Tory Leader

About the same. Slightly better in more moderate regions of the country, where races could've been more competitive, and slightly worse in more conservative/eruosceptic regions where many would have stayed home rather than support the man who knifed Thatcher.

In my honest opinion, I think he'd do worse than Major, despite my preference for him.
 

GI Jim

Banned
Any tory leader, and I do mean any, would have lost by significant margins in 1997. The scale of that loss could have probably been improved with Major gone, but without some incredible political event, the tories were going to lose in 1997.

John Major wasn't a terrible campaigner or even politician, as evidenced by a respectable 1992 showing, but the mood of the country combined with 18 Tory years meant that a Labour win was inevitable. Maybe Portillo could have led the tories to a small win in 2001? But to be honest I am even unsure of that.
 
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