AHC: PM Charles Kennedy

As the title suggests, your challenge is to make Charles Kennedy Prime Minister of the UK. The PoD must be after he was elected Lib Dem leader in 1999.

Bonus points if he is elected under FPTP.
 

shiftygiant

Gone Fishin'
Difficult if not impossible with a starting point of 1999. Barring a Labour-LibDem Coalition deal and a major reform concerning the line of succession (a la Thande's The Curse of Maggie), a LibDem surge where they get enough seats to be the majority party is going to be difficult.

But how about this: Push the PoD back to 1997. Robin Cook is killed in some accident whilst coming to London to take his post as Foreign Secretary. With this opening, Blair invites Menzies Campbell and other Liberal Democrats to join the Labour Government (this was an actual plan IoTL). Even if it's just Campbell and the LibDems don't enter a full coalition, this give them a new legitamacy in the public eye. Campbell presides over foreign policy from 1997-2001, and after the election graciously steps down and is replaced by someone like Jack Straw.

Kennedy still becomes leader and the Iraq War still rolls in. The LibDems make a principled stand against non-UN approved intervention, and because of their legitimacy by holding Government office, are able to create a bigger momentum behind them. In rolls 2005. Labour takes a big hit in the polls, outright loosing their majority, however there are enough LibDems in Parliament to prop them up. A formal Coalition is sought, and Kennedy is made the First Secretary of State. Blair announces he will be stepping down as Leader of the Labour Party but will stay on until a successor is found in what turns out to be a prolonged leadership battle. At some point the stress of it becomes too much and Blair suffers a fatal heart attack. As the FSS, Kennedy is sent to kiss hands, and leads the Government for ~2 months. He is officially the Prime Minister during this period, and steps down once a new PM is selected.

OR

Some edgy Channel 4 producer decides that if they can't get a proper leaders debate, they'll have an 'odds and sods' one, inviting Blair and Howard alongside Kennedy and Roger Knapman of UKIP. Neither Blair nor Howard show up, and at the last minute Nick Griffen and Caroline Lucas, both of whom 'happened' to just be outside the studio, are brought in and mic'd up. The ensuring debate receives a large audience due to the spectacle, and with the British public seeing that there is a tangible alternative, the polling numbers for the four parties surges.

Unlikely to get any into a position of forming Government, but idk
 
- The Tories never reform under Cameron, and keep squabbling amongst themselves, electing leaders like IDS and Howard for factional gain.
- Meanwhile, Kennedy gets over his alcoholism, and is revitalised.
- The 2005 election is another disaster for the Tories, whilst the Lib Dems grow in seats quite significantly, with Kennedy being given the credit.
- In a 2007 election under Brown, the still-weak Tories start getting their seats taken away by Lib Dems and Labour alike. The Lib Dems are now on around 70 or 75.
- The continued success of Labour is attributed to Blairism, and the party shifts economically to the right in the wake of the 2008 crash (probably with a new leader - David Miliband?).
- With the Tories unable to seem like a credible opposition (their economic policy is the same as Labour, and their social policy seems like a throwback to the 1980s), the Lib Dems start gradually emerging as a socially and economically left-wing party (the Orange Bookers haven't increased in influence as much, since Kennedy is still very popular with the party).
- The 2012 election results in a hung parliament with Labour as the largest party, partially discredited by the crash, although their economic policy allows them to take a bunch of Tory seats. The Conservatives descend even further into factional infighting, whilst the Lib Dems are increasingly seen as the main opposition to Miliband, and reach around a hundred seats. Labour go into coalition with the SNP and Plaid, giving them a majority, but at the cost of promising a referendum on Scottish independence (being fairly confident of victory).
- The Scottish referendum results in Scotland remaining in the UK, but as in OTL, the SNP are very aggrieved at this - Labour and the Scottish Tories both campaigned together, although the Lib Dems weren't massively committed to one side or the other. They leave the coalition; Miliband tries to govern as a minority, but this doesn't last long.
- Meanwhile, the rightward move of Miliband's Labour causes a bunch of the left-wingers like Corbyn to break away, reforming the ILP or something.
- A general election in 2014 or 2015, after the minority government finally breaks down, results in an even more hung parliament. Labour are reduced to around 200, with the ILP helping to split the vote in some key marginals and winning in several strongholds; the SNP take over all of Scotland; the Conservatives are below 100; and the Lib Dems achieve a breakthrough due to electoral pacts with the ILP, taking around 200 seats. Many of these seats are traditional Labour strongholds, with many feeling betrayed by the response to the crash (a sort of slightly more restrained austerity). A new minority government is formed, consisting of Lib Dems with ILP, SNP, and Plaid support.
- Now old and ailing, but still very popular among the party, Charles Kennedy becomes Prime Minister, and holds the position for around a year before stepping down for health reasons.

Not very likely, I know, but...
 
He manages to take and keep the pledge (on alcohol)

Ian Duncan Smith diggs in.

Lib dems could have advanced further than happened in otl, and tories done worse.

One other thought. In 2000 tories make 2 big mistakes, thinking that the Romsey by election will be a boost and in fact lose badly just before local and London elections, Archer stays as Mayoral candidate and is exposed after nomination day

Huge shock Susan Kramer first Mayor of Greater London
 
No alcoholism, or at least he gets over it.

IDS stays as leader. There are debates which charles smashes.

2005 sees Lib Dems +100 if not largest party. Charliemania in 2010. Waheyy
 
No alcoholism, or at least he gets over it.

IDS stays as leader. There are debates which charles smashes.

2005 sees Lib Dems +100 if not largest party. Charliemania in 2010. Waheyy
Debates are the most obvious way to increase his support, but the problem with them in 2005 is that Blair has no incentive to turn up when he has a polling lead, which is only going to be larger with IDS. 2010 is a more plausible time for there being debates and Charlie smashing them, but I think a boost similar to 'Cleggmania' in OTL is only viable once because that was partly built off of his own prior obscurity, which wouldnt be a thing at successive elections for obvious reasons.
 
IDS stays as Leader of the Conservaitves and Labour rebels against Blair.

IMG_2459.jpg


Jack Straw, Alistair Darling, and Margaret Beckett lose their seats in "Portillo Moments".

The Conservatives also loose several heavyweights with the defeat of David Davis, Theresa May, Liam Fox and John Redwood.

Kennedy forms a minority government with the support of the Conservatives.

Kennedy Premiership will be a turbulent one indeed.
 
Last edited:
Top