alternatehistory.com

Inspired by current coalition anxiety in the UK:

During the Second World War, all of the main parties in the UK went into a Wartime Coalition and promised not to stand against each other in by-elections until the war was over. Since that particular parliament lasted from 1935 to 1945, and because several MPs were on active service, there were more than a few of these by-elections.

In 1942 an organisation called 'Common Wealth' was set up as a merger of radical Leftists, ex-Liberals and neo-Christian pacifists. Now, in several by-elections this was the only Party standing against the Government candidate, so in addition to the ex-Liberal Richard Acland and the 'Independent Progressive' Vernon Bartlett, they also gained three seats in by-elections in the period 1943-5. It looked like they were heading for a break-through, and they even managed to agree on a basic political programme - Guild Socialism and Libertarianism, with high-minded talk of Morality and 'Vital Democracy'. They also had support from current staples of GCSE English Lit, JB Priestley and Olaf Stapledon.

However, in the general election after the war ended, Acland, John Eric Loverseed and Hugh Lawson were all unseated (Lawson stood for a different constituency, keeping a promise he'd made to the Skipton Labour Party) while Bartlett kept his seat but became an Independent. Only Ernest Millington remained, and he crossed the floor to join Labour in 1946, causing the Party to completely implode. When Richard Acland returned to Parliament in 1948, he sat as a Labour MP.

So the challenge is simple but potentially difficult. Keep Common Wealth politically semi-relevant for at least two decades. Bonus points if CW is represented in Parliament consistently from 1942 to 1962, and extra points for keeping the Party alive and kicking to the present day.
Top