AHC: Labour-Lib Dem UK Govt in 1992?

[Bolt451]

Yes, it is time for Bolt going on about voting reform.

Two parter:
1) Get a Labour-Lib Dem coalition or Labour W/ Lib Dem S&C Govt as the outcome of the 1992 election (or at least the next election after the 1987 one)
2) What would this government do, how would it go?

PoD no earlier than the previous GE. Preferably the GE happens at same time but not essential


If this has been done before I'd be grateful for links on the subject

 

[Politibrit]

The Sheffield rally going better is an often used PoD for a Labour government after 1992. If you dont buy that, then Thatcher clinging on till the election would probably be enough.

 

[Mynock]

I'd say have Labour self-destruct in Sheffield similar to OTL but combine that with Major's affair with Edwina Currie being leaked to the press. This could cause the Tories to lose votes or cause their base to be disenchanted with Major as a PM. OTL the polling was all over the place, there's no reason the result couldn't have been something like Con-39, Lab-37, Lib Dem-21. Putting this into electoral calculus give the Tories 288 seats, Labour 305 and the Lib Dems 33. This seems about as fertile a ground for a coalition government as you could possibly find, but it depends how the negotiations go.

 

[Jonathan]

What about in 1988, instead of Tony Benn, John Smith, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer to challenges Neil Kinnock’s leadership and wins.

John Smiths Labour 300 seats and Paddy Ashdown’s Lib Dem’s having 26 seats are able to cut the Conservative down to 301 seats. With no majority the Lib Dem’s form a coalition with labour, making these demands:
- Voting reform (PR over alternate voting)
- One of the top four offices of state.
- The office of Deputy Prime Minister.

 

[Politibrit]

What about in 1988, instead of Tony Benn, John Smith, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer to challenges Neil Kinnock’s leadership and wins.

Its doubtful Smith would ever do that. He never moved against Kinnock IOTL because he fully realised he would be badly tarred by charges of disloyalty if he had done. The widespread attitude to Benn's challenge of OTL was that it was a waste of time when the party needed unity above all else. I imagine most would take a similar attitude had Smith put himself forward. Even if he had won, the fallout of such a divisive ascension to the leadership would probably cancel out any gains from having a more competent leader.

 

[Jonathan]

Its doubtful Smith would ever do that. He never moved against Kinnock IOTL because he fully realised he would be badly tarred by charges of disloyalty if he had done. The widespread attitude to Benn's challenge of OTL was that it was a waste of time when the party needed unity above all else. I imagine most would take a similar attitude had Smith put himself forward. Even if he had won, the fallout of such a divisive ascension to the leadership would probably cancel out any gains from having a more competent leader.

What if Kinnock stepped down instead? Having lost the last election.