AHC: Make Labour Natural Party of Government
- Thread starter AlfieJ
- Start date
Well since Labour was in power from 1997 to 2010 and had control of most council seats throughout that period I am guessing Labour has been the natural party of government since John Smith became leader.
They also have a big lead in the polls now and could be back in power if things don't start going better for the coalition.
It is the Conservative who have had the biggest problem since 1992. In 1997 they got their lowest share of the vote since 1832. In 2001 they won back one seat and even in 2010 they could only get to 36% of the vote and failed to get a majority.
Alex Richards
Donor
I'm not sure if this is really possible. Destroy the Tories to the extent that this requires and you probably just end up replacing them with the Alliance/Lib Dems.
I mean, you'd probably have to do something with Major discrediting the Tories massively, and even then the party (or a successor) is likely to recover.
Also, most of your examples of dominant party systems stem from very specific circumstances. Fianna Fail is the traditional anti-Treaty Irish party, while South Africa swung from the party of the white minority enforcing apartheid, to the party of Mandela which swept in after Apartheid.
I mean, you'd probably have to do something with Major discrediting the Tories massively, and even then the party (or a successor) is likely to recover.
Also, most of your examples of dominant party systems stem from very specific circumstances. Fianna Fail is the traditional anti-Treaty Irish party, while South Africa swung from the party of the white minority enforcing apartheid, to the party of Mandela which swept in after Apartheid.
If Labour win the next election against a perceived incompetent Tory Party (not impossible right now) and then govern effectively to the point that, thanks to them or not, the economy improves, it's difficult to see how the Tories can claim to be the natural party of government again for a long time, having gone from 18 years in power to losing 4 elections out of 5 (5 out of 6 if Labour are re-elected) and not having won a majority since 1992.
Now, does this make Labour the natural party of government? That depends on how well they govern come 2015. But if it is effectively and in a manner that communicates Labour ideas more effectively than the Tories are communicating at the moment (again, not difficult), then I can see it. Not that the term has a fixed, objective definition anyway.
Hmmm...
In the 1992 election Neil Kinnock avoids the disaster of the Sheffield Rally, and overall Labour do a wee bit better, taking 20 extra seats from the Conservative party. The Conservative lack a majority, but the Liberal Democrats won't deal with them, and even with the Ulster Unionists they're short. Meanwhile Labour and the Liberals are at least willing to try to work together, but they combined also lack a majority. Neither the Conservatives nor Labour wish to carry on minority governments which will strangle their ability to govern. New elections are set for the first Thursday in October...
The campaigning begins again the mid-September, John Smith has become Labour leader in an emergency conference after a tired Kinnock packs it in, the Conservative campaign is visceral on attacking Labour for continued economic incompetence, the slogan is "if it ain't broke, don't change it". Black Wednesday happens. Interest rates skyrocket, the Conservative poll ratings, previously neck and neck with Labour, collapse. With the Conservatives economic credibility vanished, the last two weeks of their campaign becomes a catastrophic farce as John Major begins to talk of a 'back to basics' society instead, the comparisons with Ramsay MacDonald are frequent. The Sun, always one for a bandwagon, publish their election day special implying serious mental health issues with Major. The October 1992 election delivers Prime Minister John Smith and a 3 figure Labour majority.
John Smith dies in May 1994, the nation goes into mourning over its immensely popular PM, who had granted devolution, record education and health spending and a return to, albeit modest, economic growth. The UK has it's second female Prime Minister, the heir to the Margaret dynasty, as caretaker whilst the Labour party searches for a successor to Smith. Robin Cook, the foreign secretary, dismisses himself as too ethical in private. The Chancellor and Home Secretary, Gordon and Tony, are pictured having a chippy in South Queensferry, soon after Gordon declares that his 'good friend' has his endorsement. Beckett hands over to Blair, and ever the opportunist Tony goes to the country again in October 1994. The Conservative Party under Michael Heseltine, a man they were never truly comfortable with, has still not rebuilt itself, nor is it ready for an early election. The Labour party becomes the first government to gain seats since 1983.
By 1998 it's clear that Britain is entering an economic boom, the public still like Tony, he's an honest sort of guy and his treatment of Diana's death brought tears to many. Michael Howard on the other hand, just looks slightly creepy, not helped when a junior member of his shadow cabinet refers to there being 'something of the night about him'. Brown has provided prosperity, Cook has taken successful action in Rwanda, Tony provides the charm. Re-election is referred to later on as 'machine-gunning a corpse', although it's only after September the Eleventh and Blair's powerful speech following it at Labour party conference is election seen as inevitable again in May 2002. William Hague is seen as affable by the general public but not exactly the sort of man in these challenging times. It's only after Blair resigns shortly after the 2005 election, where Ken Clarke's disunited Conservatives did well but never really came close to a real chance of victory, that people begin to wonder if Labour's monopoly on power might finally be breaking, Gordon Brown was seen as economically competent but few think he's nearly as well suited to being Prime Minister.
Despite his awful dress sense, and Labours comfortable majority, many think his finally might be Michael Portillo's opportunity to lead the once 'natural party of Government' back into office.
In the 1992 election Neil Kinnock avoids the disaster of the Sheffield Rally, and overall Labour do a wee bit better, taking 20 extra seats from the Conservative party. The Conservative lack a majority, but the Liberal Democrats won't deal with them, and even with the Ulster Unionists they're short. Meanwhile Labour and the Liberals are at least willing to try to work together, but they combined also lack a majority. Neither the Conservatives nor Labour wish to carry on minority governments which will strangle their ability to govern. New elections are set for the first Thursday in October...
The campaigning begins again the mid-September, John Smith has become Labour leader in an emergency conference after a tired Kinnock packs it in, the Conservative campaign is visceral on attacking Labour for continued economic incompetence, the slogan is "if it ain't broke, don't change it". Black Wednesday happens. Interest rates skyrocket, the Conservative poll ratings, previously neck and neck with Labour, collapse. With the Conservatives economic credibility vanished, the last two weeks of their campaign becomes a catastrophic farce as John Major begins to talk of a 'back to basics' society instead, the comparisons with Ramsay MacDonald are frequent. The Sun, always one for a bandwagon, publish their election day special implying serious mental health issues with Major. The October 1992 election delivers Prime Minister John Smith and a 3 figure Labour majority.
John Smith dies in May 1994, the nation goes into mourning over its immensely popular PM, who had granted devolution, record education and health spending and a return to, albeit modest, economic growth. The UK has it's second female Prime Minister, the heir to the Margaret dynasty, as caretaker whilst the Labour party searches for a successor to Smith. Robin Cook, the foreign secretary, dismisses himself as too ethical in private. The Chancellor and Home Secretary, Gordon and Tony, are pictured having a chippy in South Queensferry, soon after Gordon declares that his 'good friend' has his endorsement. Beckett hands over to Blair, and ever the opportunist Tony goes to the country again in October 1994. The Conservative Party under Michael Heseltine, a man they were never truly comfortable with, has still not rebuilt itself, nor is it ready for an early election. The Labour party becomes the first government to gain seats since 1983.
By 1998 it's clear that Britain is entering an economic boom, the public still like Tony, he's an honest sort of guy and his treatment of Diana's death brought tears to many. Michael Howard on the other hand, just looks slightly creepy, not helped when a junior member of his shadow cabinet refers to there being 'something of the night about him'. Brown has provided prosperity, Cook has taken successful action in Rwanda, Tony provides the charm. Re-election is referred to later on as 'machine-gunning a corpse', although it's only after September the Eleventh and Blair's powerful speech following it at Labour party conference is election seen as inevitable again in May 2002. William Hague is seen as affable by the general public but not exactly the sort of man in these challenging times. It's only after Blair resigns shortly after the 2005 election, where Ken Clarke's disunited Conservatives did well but never really came close to a real chance of victory, that people begin to wonder if Labour's monopoly on power might finally be breaking, Gordon Brown was seen as economically competent but few think he's nearly as well suited to being Prime Minister.
Despite his awful dress sense, and Labours comfortable majority, many think his finally might be Michael Portillo's opportunity to lead the once 'natural party of Government' back into office.
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Maybe one day, although there are quite a few people having a crack at the 1992 GE just now, and my to-do list is already pretty long. Glad you liked it though.
I would already call Labour the natural party of government.
Despite a big recession and an incredibly unpopular leader, they still managed to deny the Conservatives a majority in 2010.
Despite a big recession and an incredibly unpopular leader, they still managed to deny the Conservatives a majority in 2010.
Good, but I'd have put Ids in instead of Ken Clark-but that's just me. Talking of "the quiet man", him sticking around probably won't help the Tories all that much in 05, combine that with no Iraq war and you could see Labour still in power today, possibly even with Tony remaining at the helm as PM.
I think in some ways Clarke would be more harmful than IDS, depending on how he went about Europe although I agree it would be painful.