Several threads such as https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=86523 look at building a better British fleet but the most serious danger facing Britain in the thirties was, in hindsight, the collapse of France. What if Britain had rearmed as France desired i.e. fighter aircraft and equipment for the BEF, especially tanks, being priorities, and with both bombers and ships being produced much more slowly. It would not have been too difficult to have five to six divisions with 300-400 tanks each with an expanded BEF (15 to 20 divisions) in 1940.
The most obvious POD is the formation in about 1935 of an alliance of Conservative politicians who were anti-German (or at least anti-Hitler), pro-French and who wanted to limit our list of potential enemies to Germany, which would have reduced the need for battleships and aircraft carriers. Chamberlain fits the last criteria, which why I chose him as the group's leader. He had no confidence in the USA and thus opposed any confrontation with Japan (unfortunately for my POD, none of Chamberlain, Simon or Hore-Belisha would actually have favoured cutting tariffs). However, I am simply asserting that the group had enough influence to offer Japan recognition of Manchukuo and low tariff access to India etc. Similarly, the group opposed any serious criticism of Italy over Abyssinia.
One problem is that such policies make everything too easy as Britain, France and Belgium crush Hitler in 1936. However, assuming that didn't happen, what would?
The most obvious POD is the formation in about 1935 of an alliance of Conservative politicians who were anti-German (or at least anti-Hitler), pro-French and who wanted to limit our list of potential enemies to Germany, which would have reduced the need for battleships and aircraft carriers. Chamberlain fits the last criteria, which why I chose him as the group's leader. He had no confidence in the USA and thus opposed any confrontation with Japan (unfortunately for my POD, none of Chamberlain, Simon or Hore-Belisha would actually have favoured cutting tariffs). However, I am simply asserting that the group had enough influence to offer Japan recognition of Manchukuo and low tariff access to India etc. Similarly, the group opposed any serious criticism of Italy over Abyssinia.
One problem is that such policies make everything too easy as Britain, France and Belgium crush Hitler in 1936. However, assuming that didn't happen, what would?