AHC: Tony Benn as Labour Leader

[eliphas8]

As it says in the title, construct a situation where Tony Benn with a politics much like OTL becomes the leader of the Labour Party.
Bonus points if you can make him PM.

 

[AlfieJ]

Have the 1980 Leadership election successfully postponed to after the 81 special conference (where the vastly pro-Benn constituencies got the vote) and you're onto a winner. Alternatively have Healey win in 80 and have Benn challenge him in 81.

 

[Blackadder mk 2]

It'd be difficult. By the time he had enough of a base to actually come close to winning, there was enough of a polarisation of the party that his opponents would stop at nothing to stop him from reaching the top, and the Centre feared the divisive nature of his leadership. For him to win, you'd need an equally divisive candidate of the Right to prevent something similar to the 1981 Deputy Leadership challenge, where even Kinnock's Tribune turned against Benn, and vindication of the idea that the Right couldn't beat Thatcher. Maybe if he was facing Healey post-1983, where the man who looked to have been taking down Thatcher lost badly, and there's the sense that at least the Left are committed to Labour.

By that time, making him PM would require winning an election within Labour while they're in government. His policies and nature would make having a unified party look credible against Thatcher very difficult to say the least, especially as it'd likely either be after Falklands/SDP splinter or the Big Bang, compared to having him succeed whoever is in charge without needing to compromise with the electorate.