Always on about Europe: British Political TL

[Shads]

“Not a Fourth Party!”
​

The news buzz from the Social Democratic Party caused more than a few groans. Britain had just began to adjust to a three party system. Now with opinion polls showing Labour on 31%, the Conservatives on 32%, the Democratic Party on 31% and the Social Democrats taking 2% Britain could be seeing the rise of it’s fourth party. Spitting Image was happy to bring back it’s David Owen puppet and relentlessly mock him a la “14th times the charm”. Vince Cable was portrayed as a senile old man who kept breaking into Downing Street claiming to be Prime Minister of a Majority SDP Government. Reality however couldn’t be further from the truth.

Cable, although greatful for the warm welcoming to the SDP, was unsure of whether he would stand again in a general election. The SDP was very keen to use his incumbency to their advantage in Twickenham, after all he was a popular MP. They also hoped to utilise his economic expertise in, perhaps with a great degree of wishful thinking common in any minor party, any future government. The SDP, with funding from Vince and David Owen, decided to field 50 Candidates in Seats where they had done well previously as well as in leaders seats for publicity. The party was geared up for an electoral breakthrough, but would they succeed?

Extract from a Phone Conversation between Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson, Early 2007:

GB: The polls?
PM: Yeah, we’re starting to fade. People are getting tired of Labour, Gordon.
GB: We still have another year. We can recover.
PM: Another year? Another year of a possible crisis or scandal?
GB: I hardly see how that would occur.
PM: Look Gordon, all I’m saying is it should be sooner rather than later.
GB: Yeah yeah, I see your point. I’ll call it for late May.
PM: What about the debates? I heard ITV were considering them.
GB: Bloody hell, that’s just a chance for Hague or that Democrat guy to look all flashy.
PM: I reckon they’ll threaten to empty chair you if you refuse.
GB: I bloody hope not.

 

[sarahz]

If anyone would like to suggest a candidate for the next Democratic Party leader I’d love to hear it. Generally I’m looking for an orange book liberal that isn’t Clegg because obviously I want to differ from OTL. I am tempted to make an OTL member of the continuation Liberals (Who merged back into the Lib Dems in 2002) leader to really provide some contrast. Thanks to everyone who continues to read this timeline and I hope I am providing an interesting narrative.

If you really want an Orange book Liberal it would have to be David Laws or Jeremy Browne (Taunton OTL), there really aren't any others. It was OTL a very small group and to be honest no one would ever have got a majority vote running as an orange book liberal in OTL. The party membership is so not that way inclined. It is notable Clegg said nothing much about that in his OTL campaign and even afterwards never much used the label. it is really unpopular.
As for Cable teaming up with David Owen well its your tl but really that is borderline ASB, they have nothing in common politically or ideologically.

 

[Shads]

If you really want an Orange book Liberal it would have to be David Laws or Jeremy Browne (Taunton OTL), there really aren't any others. It was OTL a very small group and to be honest no one would ever have got a majority vote running as an orange book liberal in OTL. The party membership is so not that way inclined. It is notable Clegg said nothing much about that in his OTL campaign and even afterwards never much used the label. it is really unpopular.
As for Cable teaming up with David Owen well its your tl but really that is borderline ASB, they have nothing in common politically or ideologically.

I wouldn’t claim that Owen and Cable are “teaming up” per say. Owen is being his opportunistic self and jumping on the “oh the SDP showing up on polling” bandwagon. The two aren’t going to be anything close to friends. As for the Democratic leader Rob Wheway is able to appeal to most of the base of the party as he supports the social liberal ideas of scrapping tuition fees, free public transport and combatting climate change where possible. He also can appeal to the libertarian base through supporting a bill of rights, opposing identity cards and still broadly favouring market solutions a la Orange Book.

 

[Shads]

Another Campaign
​

Gordon Brown, after persuasion amongst his party, decided to call a general election for the 24th of May 2007. After conference season and the excitement amongst the other parties died down Labour had crawled back up and was leading in the polls. Many in the Labour Party were unsure how long this poll lead would last and therefore persuade Brown an early election was best for Labour. Brown, never the best with people, campaigned alongside Blair in English constituencies. Brown did however find that Scottish voters were if anything more enthusiastic than last time to prevent a Tory government and Brown was still well liked amongst his native Scotland. Blair meanwhile had started to undergo a revival in popularity and as such proved crucial in improving Labour’s image. There were even some whispers that Blair, once again standing in Sedgefield, would be given a new position of Minister for European Affairs in a new Labour government.

The Conservatives, being caught off guard in 2003, this time were ready for a snap poll. Hague toured over 100 marginal constituencies in hopes of flipping many of them to the Tories. Most importantly to winning voters, he remained steadfast in the promise he had made 8 years ago to a referendum on membership of the European Union before the end of his first year as Prime Minister. He also, in collaboration with his Shadow Chancellor David Davis, focused on a policy of slashing taxes for all wealth brackets by emphasising how his figures estimated it would stimulate growth in the economy. Following up on his pact with the Ulster Unionists, Hague toured much of Northern Ireland promoting the idea of a greater link between Ulster and Britain.

Wheway continued the Democratic tradition of a loud media driven campaign. He did however have an intriguing election strategy of attempting to force a hung parliament by targeting Tory and Labour seats that would be crucial for either party to gain a majority. The idea behind this strategy was a hung parliament scenario would give the Democrats Kingmaker status and allow them to implement their policies. Wheway also hoped to rack up more seats in the West Country. In the last election the party was effectively tied with the Tories in seat numbers and had edged them out in the popular vote. This new heartland was ripe for more seats notably in Wiltshire, Devon and Somerset.

Amongst the minor parties too there was cause for excitement. The SDP hoped to make major inroads into south England and Wales by targeting MPs campaigning under the Labour-Respect label and positioning themselves as the true centre left candidate in the constituency. The regional parties hoped too to benefit from a less popular Labour and expand their influence in Wales and Scotland. The big discussion point however was the agreement for the BBC to host 2 election debates between the leaders of the Labour, the Conservatives and the Democratic parties. They would be held 2 weeks and 1 week before polling day respectively. Brown has originally refused any debates however with a combination of threats of representing Labour with an empty chair as well as the second debate being primarily on the economy enticed him to agree to take part. The SNP, Plaid Cymru and the SDP all argued they should be represented but the BBC simply stated they weren’t fielding the threshold of 75 candidates. Plaid and the SNP were allowed to partake in a Welsh and Scottish debate respectively howver. The debates would be the first of their kind in British history, who would be able to win over voters to their side and help them in this exciting election?

 

[Shads]

Election Debates 2007
​

“They really were the first of their kind in British history. We received support and criticism for the debates. People liked how engaging and exciting it was but some stated it was “too American “ and undermined the democratic process. But then again, that’s what happens when you have a debate watched by almost half the U.K. Population.”
- Contribution by David Dimbleby from “Making History: The Great Debate”, published in 2008.

10th May 2007: First Debate
Length: 90 Minutes
Location: Birmingham
Topics: Immigration, Social Issues, Europe, Crime, Devolution

The first debate of the 2007 General Election was perhaps the most exciting spectacle of the election campaign. Notable moments were evident in certain topics. With immigration as the first topic, William Hague was practically itching to leap onto the subject. He stated his support for a cap on immigration to under 50,000 a year and how this would stabilise growth. While Brown stated his belief that implementing a simple number wouldn’t magically fix things, Wheway would fire back at Hague and deliver a witty reference to Hague’s controversial “foreign land” speech. Hague would attempt to fire at Wheway by mentioning how the Democratic Party supposedly favoured a federalised Europe, an idea very unpopular with the electorate. This backfired for both as Brown was able to position himself as the voice of reason in contrast to the “extremist views of my opponents on Europe”. Wheway would later also score a point amongst English voters for his support of both a devolved English Parliament and Cornish Assembly as “the most rational response to the West Lothian Question”. Overall polls following the debate would show the two newcomers winning over Brown.

Who won the first election debate?

Gordon Brown: 26%
William Hague: 36%
Rob Wheway: 38%

The polls in between the first and second debate were a bitter pill to swallow for Labour. Both parties, with their more telegenic leaders, were hoovering up Labour voters and things weren’t looking good for Labour.

What are your current voting intentions on the 24th of May?

Labour: 29%
Conservative: 32%
Democratic: 35%
Don’t Know/Other: 4%

17th May 2007: Second Debate
Length: 90 Minutes
Location: London
Primary Topic: The Economy
Other Topics: Electoral Reform, Foreign Relations, Possibility of Hung Parliament/Government Formation

For Gordon Brown and Labour, the first debate had been one big missed punch. Although his performance was perfectly sound the viewers were more captivated with the slugging match between Hague and Wheway. This led Gordon Brown to be far more confrontational in the second debate. Luckily his area of expertise was the primary discussion point. He stated that Labour had presided over ten years of economic growth and that Labour was the most trusted party with the economy. However the most defining point of the debate was in a section where each leader was given the chance to ask a 2 question, one for each of their opponents.

“My question is for Mr Hague. Let’s be honest here, most opinion polls currently show us 3 neck and neck. The Tories have 154 Seats and would need to gain more than Blair did in ‘97 for a majority. How can my opponent provide the so called “strong and stable government” he eluded to earlier when it is nigh impossible for him to make up that ground?”

The usually relaxed and comfortable Hague seen throughout the first and second debate evaporated in an instant. Hague had been told to prepare for a question on the economic policy of the Conservatives from Brown. Here he was, on live television, looking stunned for several seconds. His lacking response was effectively the election night special of “Let’s wait until the actual results come in.”. The fact that this gaffe happened in the final 5 minutes didn’t help matters at all. Pictures of Hague’s stunned bizarre looking facial expression would circulate over social media within seconds of the event and indeed throughout the final week of campaigning. This of course showed in the polls.

Who won the second election debate?

Gordon Brown: 42%
William Hague: 24%
Rob Wheway: 34%

What are your current voting intentions on the 24th of May?

Labour: 35%
Conservative: 30%
Democratic: 32%

 

[mymatedave10]

This continues to very interesting, keep up the good work.

 

[Shads]

Election Night 2007
​

9:59pm: David Dimbleby: Four years later, here we are. Welcome to the BBC Coverage Election Night 2007. It is now just moments until I can reveal the Exit Poll. Hopefully this time it will be more accurate than ever before thanks to new methods of collecting the results. Who will be able to triumph and be the defining voice of Britain? Just like any exit poll it has its margin of error one way or the other. But it’s an absolutely fascinating clue to the night ahead. Big Ben strikes ten and I can now reveal the exit poll.

2007 General Election Exit Poll

Labour Party: 317 -69
Conservative Party: 213 +59
Democratic Party: 97 +15
Others: 25 -5

DD: We are saying that there is going to be a hung parliament with Labour as the largest party. Gordon Brown has lost his majority but is still decisively ahead of the Conservatives by just over a 100 Seats. Due to our margin of error we are saying that a majority for Labour of up to 4 is possible but our most likely scenario is no overall majority.

We are also saying that the popular vote is VERY close amongst the main three parties. Any one of them could be 1st and we simply cannot tell at this time.

Amongst the regional divides we believe that Labour and the Conservatives have scored roughly equal the seats in England. In Scotland it’s possible that Gordon Brown may have unbelievably outperformed his 2003 result and that David Mundell, the Shadow Scottish Secretary, is facing a strong challenge from Labour. Wales remains dominated by Labour and in Northern Ireland the Conservative Unionist Pact has won the most Seats.

11:03pm: DD: As the first few declarations start to come in we have a chance to go to Peter Snow with our coalition builder.

PS: Thank you David. There has been much talk of a hung parliament in the past two weeks and it looks like we will be getting one. This means that there will likely be some sort of agreement between parties to get to the magic number of 326 in which to obtain a majority. Using the data from our exit poll let’s fill up the virtual House of Commons. Let’s start with Labour as they have the easiest job. So if we subtract the 2 Sinn Féin Seats and the speaker, Mr Malcolm Rifkind, then we need 323 for an effective majority. So we take Labour’s 317 and now, who can Gordon Brown talk to? Well the most likely candidate is the SDLP in Northern Ireland who often work with Labour. They are predicted to get 3 or 4 Seats so adding that gives us 321, still just falling short. However Labour could make an agreement with either Plaid Cymru or the Scottish National Party and either of them would give Labour a small majority.

But what about the Tories? Can they get a majority? Well let’s take the 213 they are predicted to get and add the Democrats 97 and we get 310. If we then add the 10 for the UCU-NF and the Alliances 1, both in Northern Ireland, then we overtake Labour but are still 2 short. Of course this means that the slightest change in Seats can mean it more or less likely for these coalitions to be possible! We shall see what will progress...

2007 General Election Results

Labour Party - Gordon Brown: 299 -83 33.1% -6.0%
Conservative Party - William Hague: 223 +69 31.8% +3.6%
Democratic Party - Rob Wheway: 101 +19 32.3% +3.9%
Ulster Conservative Unionist: National Front - Reg Empey: 9 +6 0.4% +0.2%
Social Democratic Labour Party - Margaret Ritchie: 5 +2 0.3% +0.1%
Scottish National Party - Alex Salmond: 4 -2 0.2% -0.7%
Plaid Cymru - Ieaun Wyn Jones: 2 -1 0.1% -0.2%
Sinn Féin - Gerry Adams: 2 -3 0.2% -0.5%
Health Concern - Richard Taylor: 1 +1 >0.1% (New Party)
Democratic Unionist Party - Ian Paisley: 1 -5 0.2% -1.2%
Alliance Party - David Ford: 1 +1 0.3% +0.2%
Social Democratic Party - John Bates: 1 +1 1.0% +0.9%
Speaker - Sir Malcolm Rifkind: 1 +0 >0.1%

Labour MP with Affiliated Group Composition:
Labour: 217
Labour-Respect: 43
Labour Co-op: 39

​

 

[Time Enough]

Ooh, c'mon hodge podge leftie coalition, also I bet the Social Democratic Party is feeling pretty good for themselves (okay they got one seat but given how it seemed to have been a non entity until recently).

 

[Shads]

Ooh, c'mon hodge podge leftie coalition, also I bet the Social Democratic Party is feeling pretty good for themselves (okay they got one seat but given how it seemed to have been a non entity until recently).

Yep, Vince keeps his seat by a decent majority. 1% of the popular vote isn’t too shabby for them either (forgot to add vote share first time around)

 

[Shads]

(This isn’t an update really but it’s a list of the MPs elected for each constituency)

2007 Election Results by constituency

England:


Aldershot: Adrian Collett (Democratic)

Aldridge-Brownhills: Richard Shepherd (Conservative)

Altrincham and Sale West: Sir Graham Brady (Conservative)

Amber Valley: Judy Mallaber (Labour)

Arundel and South Downs: Nick Herbert (Conservative)

Ashfield: Jason Zadrozny (Democratic)

Ashford: Damian Green (Conservative)

Ashton-under-Lyne: David Heyes (Labour)

Aylesbury: David Lidington (Conservative)

Banbury: Tony Baldry (Conservative)

Barking: Margaret Hodge (Labour)

Barnsley Central: Eric Illsey (Labour)

Barnsley East: Michael Dugher (Labour)

Barrow and Furness: John Woodcock (Labour Co-op)

Basildon and Billericay: John Baron (Conservative)

Basingstoke: Maria Miller (Conservative)

Bassetlaw: John Mann (Labour)

Bath: Don Foster (Democratic)

Batley and Spen: Mike Wood (Labour-Respect)

Battersea: Jane Ellison (Conservative)

Beaconsfield: Dominic Grieve (Conservative)

Beckenham: Bob Stewart (Conservative)

Bedford: Patrick Hall (Labour)

Bermondsey and Old Southwark: Simon Hughes (Democratic)

Berwick-upon-Tweed: Alan Beith (Democratic)

Bethnal Green and Bow: Oona King (Labour-Respect)

Beverley and Holderness: Graham Stuart (Conservative)

Bexhill and Battle: Gregory Barker (Conservative)

Bexleyheath and Crayford: David Evennett (Conservative)

Birkenhead: Frank Field (Labour)

Birmingham Edgbaston: Gisela Stuart (Labour)

Birmingham Erdington: Siôn Simon (Labour)

Birmingham Hall Green: Roger Godsiff (Labour-Respect)

Birmingham Hodge Hill: Liam Byrne (Labour)

Birmingham Ladywood: Clare Short (Labour-Respect)

Birmingham Northfield: Richard Burden (Labour)

Birmingham Perry Barr: Khalid Mahmood (Labour)

Birmingham Selly Oak: Steve McCabe (Labour)

Birmingham Yardley: Rob Wheway (Democratic)

Bishop Auckland: Helen Goodman (Labour)

Blackburn: Jack Straw (Labour)

Blackpool North and Cleveleys: Penny Martin (Labour)

Blackpool South: Gordon Marsden (Labour-Respect)

Blackley and Broughton: Graham Stringer (Labour)

Blaydon: David Anderson (Labour-Respect)

Blyth Valley: Ronnie Campbell (Labour-Respect)

Bognor Regis and Littlehampton: Nick Gibb (Conservative)

Bolsover: Dennis Skinner (Labour-Respect)

Bolton North East: Sir David Crausby (Labour)

Bolton South East: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour)

Bolton West: Julie Hilling (Labour)

Bootle: Joe Benton (Labour)

Boston and Skegness: Mark Simmonds (Conservative)

Bosworth: Michael Mullaney (Democratic)

Bournemouth East: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative)

Bournemouth West: Alasdair Murray (Democratic)

Bracknell: Phillip Lee (Conservative)

Bradford East: David Ward (Democratic)

Bradford South: Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour)

Bradford West: Marsha Singh (Labour)

Braintree: Brooks Newmark (Conservative)

Brent Central: Sarah Teather (Democratic)

Brent North: Barry Gardiner (Labour)

Brentford and Isleworth: Ann Keen (Labour)

Brentwood and Ongar: Eric Pickles (Conservative)

Bridgwater and West Somerset: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative)

Brigg and Goole: Andrew Percy (Conservative)

Brighton Kemptown: Simon Burgess (Labour Co-op)

Brighton Pavilion: David Lepper (Labour Co-op)

Bristol East: Kerry McCarthy (Labour)

Bristol North West: Paul Harrod (Democratic)

Bristol South: Dawn Primarolo (Labour)

Bristol West: Stephen Williams (Democratic)

Broadland: Keith Simpson (Conservative)

Bromley and Chislehurst: Bob Neill (Conservative)

Bromsgrove: Julie Kirkbride (Conservative)

Broxbourne: Charles Walker (Conservative)

Broxtowe: Nick Palmer (Labour)

Buckingham: John Bercow (Conservative)

Burnley: Gordon Birtwistle (Democratic)

Burton: Andrew Griffiths (Conservative)

Bury North: David Chaytor (Labour)

Bury South: Ivan Lewis (Labour)

Bury St Edmunds: David Ruffley (Conservative)

Calder Valley: Craig Whittaker (Conservative)

Camberwell and Peckham: Harriet Harman (Labour)

Camborne and Redruth: Julia Goldsworthy (Democratic)

Cambridge: Julian Huppert (Democratic)

Cannock Chase: Susan Woodward (Labour)

Canterbury: Julian Brazer (Conservative)

Carlisle: Michael Boaden (Labour)

Carshalton and Wallington: Tom Brake (Democratic)

Castle Point: Rebecca Harris (Conservative)

Central Devon: Mel Stride (Conservative)

Central Suffolk and North Ipswich: Dan Poulter (Conservative)

Charnwood: Stephen Dorrell (Conservative)

Chatham and Aylesford: Tracey Crouch (Conservative)

Cheadle: Mark Hunter (Democratic)

Chelmsford: Stephen Robinson (Democratic)

Chelsea and Fulham: Greg Hands (Conservative)

Cheltenham: Martin Horwood (Democratic)

Chesham and Amersham: Cheryl Gillan (Conservative)

Chesterfield: Tony Benn (Labour-Respect)

Chichester: Andrew Tyrie (Conservative)

Chingford and Woodford Green: Iain Duncan-Smith (Conservative)

Chippenham: Duncan Hames (Democratic)

Chipping Barnet: Theresa Villiers (Conservative)

Chorley: Lindsay Hoyle (Labour)

Christchurch: Christopher Chope (Conservative)

Cities of London and Westminster: Mark Field (Conservative)

City of Chester: Christine Russell (Labour)

City of Durham: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour)

Clacton: Douglas Carswell (Conservative)

Cleethorpes: Martin Vickers (Conservative)

Colchester: Bob Russell (Democratic)

Colne Valley: Nicola Turner (Democratic)

Congleton: Fiona Bruce (Conservative)

Copeland: Jamie Reed (Labour)

Corby: Phil Hope (Labour Co-op)

Coventry North East: Bob Ainsworth (Labour)

Coventry North West: Geoffrey Robinson (Labour)

Coventry South: Jim Cunningham (Labour)

Crawley: Henry Smith (Conservative)

Crewe and Nantwich: Edward Timpson (Conservative)

Croydon Central: Getty Ryan (Labour Co-op)

Croydon North: Malcolm Wicks (Labour)

Croydon South: Zac Goldsmith (Democratic)

Dagenham and Rainham: Jon Cruddas (Labour-Respect)

Darlington: Jenny Chapman (Labour)

Dartford: Gareth Johnson (Conservative)

Daventry: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative)

Denton and Reddish: Andrew Gwynne (Labour Co-op)

Derby North: Lucy Care (Democratic)

Derby South: Margret Beckett (Labour)

Derbyshire Dales: Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative)

Devizes: Claire Perry (Conservative)

Dewsbury: Shahid Malik (Labour)

Don Valley: Caroline Flint (Labour)

Doncaster Central: Rosie Winterton (Labour)

Doncaster North: Dan Jarvis (Labour)

Dover: Charlie Elphicke (Conservative)

Dudley North: Ian Austin (Labour)

Dudley South: Chris Kelly (Conservative)

Dulwich and West Norwood: Tessa Jowell (Labour)

Ealing Central and Acton: Jon Ball (Democratic)

Ealing North: Stephen Pound (Labour)

Ealing Southall: Virenandra Sharma (Labour)

Easington: Grahame Morris (Labour)

East Devon: Hugo Swire (Conservative)

East Ham: Stephen Timms (Labour)

East Hampshire: Damian Hinds (Conservative)

East Surrey: Sam Gyimah (Conservative)

East Worthing and Shoreham: Tim Loughton (Conservative)

East Yorkshire: Greg Knight (Conservative)

Eastbourne: Stephen Lloyd (Democratic)

Eastleigh: Mike Thornton (Democratic)

Eddisbury: Stephen O’Brien (Conservative)

Edmonton: Andy Love (Labour Co-op)

Ellesmere Port and Neston: Andrew Miller (Labour)

Elmett and Rothwell: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative)

Eltham: Clive Efford (Labour-Respect)

Enfield North: Joan Ryan (Labour Co-op)

Enfield Southgate: Sir Malcom Rifkind (Speaker)

Epping Forest: Eleanor Laing (Conservative)

Epsom and Ewell: Chris Grayling (Conservative)

Erewash: Liz Blackman (Labour)

Erith and Thamesmead: John Austin (Labour-Respect)

Esher and Walton: Ian Taylor (Conservative)

Exeter: Ben Bradshaw (Labour Co-op)

Fareham: Mark Hoban (Conservative)

Faversham and Mid Kent: Hugh Robertson (Conservative)

Feltham and Heston: Alan Keen (Labour Co-op)

Filton and Bradley Stoke: Jack Lopresti (Conservative)

Finchley and Golders Green: Mike Freer (Conservative)

Folkestone and Hythe: Michael Howard (Conservative)

Forest of Dean: Mark Harper (Conservative)

Fylde: Mark Menzies (Conservative)

Gainsborough: Edward Leigh (Conservative)

Garston and Halewood: Maria Eagle (Labour)

Gateshead: Ian Mearns (Labour-Respect)

Gedling: Vernon Coaker (Labour)

Gillingham and Rainham: Rehman Chishti (Conservative)

Gloucester: Parmjit Dhanda (Labour)

Gosport: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative)

Grantham and Stamford: Nick Boles (Conservative)

Gravesham: Adam Holloway (Conservative)

Great Grimsby: Austin Mitchell (Labour-Respect)

Great Yarmouth: Brandon Lewis (Conservative)

Greenwich and Woolwich: Nick Raynsford (Labour)

Guildford: Anne Milton (Conservative)

Hackney North and Stoke Newington: Diane Abbot (Labour-Respect)

Hackney South and Shoreditch: Meg Hillier (Labour Co-op)

Halesowen and Rowley Regis: Sue Hayman (Labour)

Halifax: Linda Riordan (Labour Co-op)

Haltemprice and Howden: David Davis (Conservative)

Halton: Derek Twigg (Labour)

Hammersmith: Andy Slaughter (Labour)

Hampstead and Kilburn: Edward Fordham (Democratic)

Harborough: Edward Garnier (Conservative)

Harlow: Robert Halfon (Conservative)

Harrogate and Knaresborough: Phil Willis (Democratic)

Harrow East: Bob Blackman (Conservative)

Harrow West: Gareth Thomas (Labour Co-op)

Hartlepool: Iain Wright (Labour)

Harwich and North Essex: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative)

Hastings and Rye: Michael Foster (Labour-Respect)

Havant: David Willetts (Conservative)

Hayes and Harlington: John McDonnell (Labour-Respect)

Hazel Grove: Andrew Stunell (Democratic)

Hemel Hempstead: Mike Penning (Conservative)

Hemsworth: Jon Trickett (Labour-Respect)

Hendon: Andrew Dismore (Labour Co-op)

Henley: Boris Johnson (Conservative)

Hereford and South Herefordshire: Sarah Carr (Democratic)

Hertford and Stortford (Conservative)

Hertsmere: James Clappison (Conservative)

Hexham: Andrew Duffield (Democratic)

Heywood and Middleton: Jim Dobbin (Labour Co-op)

High Peak: Andrew Bingham (Conservative)

Hitched and Harpenden: Peter Lilley (Conservative)

Holborn and St Pancras: Frank Dobson (Labour)

Hornchurch and Upminster: Angela Watkinson (Conservative)

Hornsey and Wood Green: Lynne Featherstone (Democratic)

Horsham: Francis Maude (Conservative)

Houghton and Sunderland South: Bridget Phillipson (Labour)

Hove: Celia Barlow (Labour)

Huddersfield: Barry Sheerman (Labour Co-op)

Huntingdon: Jonathon Djanogly (Conservative)

Hyndburn: Graham Jones (Labour)

Illford North: Lee Scott (Conservative)

Illford South: Mike Gapes (Labour Co-op)

Ipswich: Chris Mole (Labour)

Isle of Wight: Jill Wareham (Democratic)

Islington North: Jeremy Corbyn (Labour-Respect)

Islington South: Emily Thornberry (Labour)

Jarrow: Stephen Hepburn (Labour)

Keighley: Jane Thomas (Labour)

Kenilworth and Southam: Jeremy Wright (Conservative)

Kensington: Michael Portillo (Conservative)

Kettering: Phillip Hollobone (Conservative)

Kingston and Surbiton: Ed Davey (Democratic)

Kingston upon Hull East: Karl Turner (Labour)

Kingston upon Hull North: Denis Healy (Democratic)

Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle: Alan Johnson (Labour)

Kingswood: Roger Berry (Labour)

Knowsley: George Howarth (Labour)

Lancaster and Fleetwood: Clive Grunshaw (Labour)

Leeds Central: Hilary Benn (Labour)

Leeds East: George Mudie (Labour)

Leeds North East: Fabian Hamilton (Labour)

Leeds North West: Greg Mulholland (Democratic)

Leeds West: Rachael Reeves (Labour)

Leicester East: Keith Vaz (Labour)

Leicester South: Peter Soulsby (Labour)

Leicester West: Liz Kendall (Labour)

Leigh: Andy Burnham (Labour)

Lewes: Norman Baker (Democratic)

Lewisham Deptford: Joan Ruddock (Labour)

Lewisham East: Heidi Alexander (Labour)

Lewisham West and Penge: Jim Dowd (Labour)

Leyton and Wanstead: John Cryer (Labour-Respect)

Lichfield: Michael Fabricant (Conservative)

Lincoln: Gillian Merron (Labour)

Liverpool Riverside: Louise Ellman (Labour Co-op)

Liverpool Walton: Steve Rotherham (Labour-Respect)

Liverpool Wavertree: Luciana Berger (Labour Co-op)

Liverpool West Derby: Stephen Twigg (Labour Co-op)

Loughborough: Nicky Morgan (Conservative)

Louth and Horncastle: Peter Tapsell (Conservative)

Ludlow: Phillip Dunne (Conservative)

Luton North: Kelvin Hopkins (Labour-Respect)

Luton South: Gavin Shuker (Labour Co-op)

Macclesfield: David Rutley (Conservative)

Maidenhead: Kathryn Newbound (Democratic)

Maidstone and the Weld: Steve Radford (Democratic)

Makerfield: Yvonne Fovargue (Labour Co-op)

Maldon: John Wittingdale (Conservative)

Manchester Central: Tony Lloyd (Labour Co-op)

Manchester Gorton: Gerald Kaufman (Labour)

Manchester Withington: John Leech (Democratic)

Mansfield: Alan Meale (Labour)

Meon Valley: George Hollingbery (Conservative)

Meriden: Caroline Spelman (Conservative)

Mid Bedfordshire: Nadine Dorries (Conservative)

Mid Derbyshire: Pauline Latham (Conservative)

Mid Dorset and North Poole: Annette Brooke (Democratic)

Mid Norfolk: George Freeman (Conservative)

Mid Sussex: Nicholas Soames (Conservative)

Mid Worcestershire: Peter Luff (Conservative)

Middlesbrough: Stuart Bell (Labour)

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland: Tom Blekinsop (Labour)

Milton Keynes North: Mark Lancaster (Conservative)

Milton Keynes South: Iain Stewart (Conservative)

Mitcham and Morden: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour)

Mole Valley: Paul Beresford (Conservative)

Morecambe and Lunesdale: Geraldine Smith (Labour)

Morley and Outwood: Ed Balls (Labour Co-op)

New Forest East: Julian Lewis (Conservative)

New Forest West: Desmond Swayne (Conservative)

Newark: Patrick Mercer (Conservative)

Newbury: Richard Benyon (Conservative)

Newcastle-under-Lyme: Paul Farrelly (Labour)

Newcastle upon Tyne Central: Chi Onwurah (Labour)

Newcastle upon Tyne East: Ed Miliband (Labour)

Newcastle upon Tyne North: Catherine McKinnell (Labour)

Newton Abbot: Richard Younger-Ross (Democratic)

Normanton Pontefract and Castleford: Yvette Cooper (Labour)

North Cornwall: Dan Rogerson (Democratic)

North Devon: Nick Harvey (Democratic)

North Dorset: Robert Walter (Conservative)

North Durham: Kevan Jones (Labour)

North East Bedfordshire: Alistair Burt (Conservative)

North East Cambridgeshire: Stephen Barclay (Conservative)

North East Derbyshire: Natascha Engel (Labour)

North East Hampshire: James Arbuthnot (Conservative)

North East Hertfordshire: Oliver Heald (Conservative)

North East Somerset: Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative)

North Herefordshire: Bill Wiggin (Conservative)

North Norfolk: Norman Lamb (Democratic)

North Shropshire: Owen Paterson (Conservative)

North Somerset: Dr Liam Fox (Conservative)

North Swindon: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative)

North Thanet: Roger Gale (Conservative)

North Tyneside: Mary Glindon (Labour)

North Warwickshire: Mike O’Brien (Labour)

North West Cambridgeshire: Shailesh Vara (Conservative)

North West Durham: Pat Glass (Labour)

North West Hampshire: George Young (Conservative)

North West Leicestershire: Andrew Bridgen (Conservative)

North West Norfolk: Henry Bellingham (Conservative)

North Wiltshire: Michael Evemy (Democratic)

Northampton North: Andrew Simpson (Democratic)

Northampton South: Brian Bromley (Conservative)

Norwich North: Chloe Smith (Conservative)

Norwich South: Simon Wright (Democratic)

Nottingham East: Chris Leslie (Labour Co-op)

Nottingham North: Graham Allen (Labour)

Nottingham South: Lillian Greenwood (Labour)

Nuneaton: Jayne Innes (Labour)

Old Bexley and Sidcup: James Brokenshire (Conservative)

Oldham East and Saddleworth: Elwyn Watkins (Democratic)

Oldham West and Royton: Jim McMahon (Labour-Respect)

Orpington: Jo Johnson (Conservative)

Oxford East: Andrew Smith (Labour)

Oxford West and Abingdon: Evan Harris (Democratic)

Pendle: Gordon Prentice (Labour-Respect)

Penistone and Stockbridge: Angela Smith (Labour)

Penrith and the Border: Rory Stewart (Conservative)

Peterborough: Stewart Jackson (Conservative)

Plymouth Moor View: Alison Seabeck (Labour)

Plymouth Sutton and Devonport: Linda Gilroy (Labour)

Poole: Robert Syms (Conservative)

Poplar and Limehouse: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour)

Portsmouth North: Penny Mordaunt (Conservative)

Portsmouth South: John Stevens (Democratic)

Preston: Mark Hendrick (Labour Co-op)

Pudsey: Jamie Hanley (Labour)

Putney: Justine Greening (Conservative)

Rayleigh and Wickford: Mark Francois (Conservative)

Reading East: Rob Wilson (Conservative)

Reading West: Alok Sharma (Conservative)

Redcar: Ian Swales (Democratic)

Redditch: Karen Lumley (Conservative)

Reigate: Crispin Blunt (Conservative)

Ribble Valley: Nigel Evans (Conservative)

Richmond (Yorks): William Hague (Conservative)

Richmond Park: Susan Kramer (Democratic)

Rochdale: Paul Rowen (Democratic)

Rochester and Strood: Mark Reckless (Conservative)

Rochford and Southend East: James Duddridge (Conservative)

Romford: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative)

Romsey and Southampton North: Sandra Gidley (Democratic)

Rossendale and Darwen: Jake Berry (Conservative)

Rother Valley: Kevin Barron (Labour)

Rotherham: Denis MacShane (Labour)

Rugby: Mark Pawsey (Conservative)

Ruislip Northwood and Pinner: Nick Hurd (Conservative)

Runnymede and Weybridge: Phillip Hammond (Conservative)

Rushcliffe: Kenneth Clarke (Democratic)

Rutland and Melton: Alan Duncan (Conservative)

Saffron Walden: Alan Haselhurst (Conservative)

Salisbury: Nick Radford (Democratic)

Salford and Eccles: Hazel Blears (Labour)

Scarborough and Whitby: Robert Goodwill (Conservative)

Scunthorpe: Nic Dakin (Labour)

Sedgefield: Tony Blair (Labour)

Sefton Central: Bill Esterson (Labour)

Selsby and Ainsty: Nigel Adams (Conservative)

Sevenoaks: Michael Fallon (Conservative)

Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough: David Blunkett (Labour)

Sheffield Central: Paul Scriven (Democratic)

Sheffield Hallam: Nick Clegg (Democratic)

Sheffield Heeley: Meg Munn (Labour)

Sheffield South East: Clive Betts (Labour)

Sherwood: Paddy Tipping (Labour)

Shipley: Phillip Davies (Conservative)

Shrewsbury and Atcham: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative)

Sittingbourne and Sheppey: Gordon Henderson (Conservative)

Skipton and Ripon: Julian Smith (Conservative)

Sleaford and North Hykeham: Stephen Phillips (Conservative)

Slough: Fiona Mactaggart (Labour)

Soilhull: Lorely Burt (Democratic)

Somerton and Frome: David Heath (Democratic)

South Basildon and East Thurrock: Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative)

South Cambridgeshire: Andrew Lansley (Conservative)

South Derbyshire: Heather Wheeler (Conservative)

South Dorset: Richard Drax (Conservative)

South East Cambridgeshire: Jonathon Chatfield (Democratic)

South East Cornwall: Karen Gillard (Democratic)

South Holland and the Deepings: John Hayes (Conservative)

South Leicestershire: Andrew Robathan (Conservative)

South Norfolk: Richard Bacon (Conservative)

South Northamptonshire: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative)

South Ribble: Lorraine Fullbrook (Conservative)

South Shields: David Miliband (Labour)

South Staffordshire: Gavin Williamson (Conservative)

South Suffolk: Tim Yeo (Conservative)

South Swindon: Anne Snelgrove (Labour)

South Thanet: Nigel Farage (Conservative)

South West Bedfordshire: Andrew Selous (Conservative)

South West Devon: Gary Streeter (Conservative)

South West Hertfordshire: David Gauke (Conservative)

South West Norfolk: Elizabeth Truss (Conservative)

South West Surrey: Jeremy Hunt (Conservative)

South West Wiltshire: Andrew Murrison (Conservative)

Southampton Itchen: John Denham (Labour)

Southampton Test: Alan Whitehead (Labour)

Southend West: David Amess (Conservative)

Southport: John Pugh (Democratic)

Spelthorne: Kwasi Kwarteng (Conservative)

St Albans: Sandy Walkington (Democratic)

St Austell and Newquay: Steve Gilbert (Democratic)

St Helens North: David Watts (Labour)

St Helens South and Whiston: Shaun Woodward (Labour)

St Ives: Andrew George (Democratic)

Stafford: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative)

Staffordshire Moorlands: Karen Bradley (Conservative)

Stalybridge and Hyde: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour Co-op)

Stevenage: Stephen McPartland (Conservative)

Stockport: Ann Coffey (Labour)

Stockton North: Alex Cunningham (Labour)

Stockton South: Dari Taylor (Labour)

Stoke-on-Trent Central: Gareth Snell (Labour Co-op)

Stoke-on-Trent North: Joan Walley (Labour)

Stoke-on-Trent South: Robert Flello (Labour)

Stone: Bill Cash (Conservative)

Stourbridge: Margot James (Conservative)

Stratford-on-Avon: Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative)

Streatham: Chuka Umunna (Labour)

Stretford and Urmston: Kate Green (Labour)

Stroud: David Drew (Labour Co-op)

Suffolk Coastal: Therese Coffey (Conservative)

Sunderland Central: Julie Elliot (Labour)

Surrey Heath: Michael Gove (Conservative)

Sutton and Cheam: Paul Burstow (Democratic)

Sutton Coldfield: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative)

Tamworth: Christopher Pincher (Conservative)

Tatton: George Osborne (Conservative)

Taunton Deane: Jeremy Browne (Democratic)

Telford: David Wright (Labour)

Tewkesbury: Alistair Cameron (Democratic)

The Cotswolds: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative)

The Wrekin: Mark Pritchard (Conservative)

Thirsk and Malton: Anne McIntosh (Conservative)

Thornbury and Yate: Steve Webb (Democratic)

Thurrock: Carl Morris (Labour)

Tiverton and Honiton: Neil Parish (Conservative)

Tonbridge and Malling: John Stanley (Conservative)

Tooting: Sadiq Khan (Labour)

Torbay: Adrian Sanders (Democratic)

Torridge and West Devon: Adam Symons (Democratic)

Totnes: Julian Brazil (Democratic)

Tottenham: David Lammy (Labour)

Truro and Falmouth: Terrye Teverson (Democratic)

Tunbridge Wells: Greg Clark (Conservative)

Twickenham: Vince Cable (Social Democratic Party)

Tynemouth: Alan Campbell (Labour)

Uxbridge and South Ruislip: John Randall (Conservative)

Vauxhall: Kate Hoey (Labour)

Wakefield: Mary Creagh (Labour)

Wallasey: Angela Eagle (Labour)

Walsall North: David Winnick (Labour-Respect)

Walsall South: Valerie Vaz (Labour)

Walthamstow: Stella Creasy (Labour Co-op)

Wansbeck: Ian Lavery (Labour-Respect)

Wantage: Ed Vaizey (Conservative)

Warley: John Spellar (Labour)

Warrington North: Helen Jones (Labour)

Warrington South: Nick Bent (Labour)

Warwick and Leamington: James Plaskitt (Labour)

Washington and Sunderland West: Sharon Hodgson (Labour)

Watford: Sal Brinton (Democratic)

Waveney: Bob Blizzard (Labour)

Wealden: Charles Hendry (Conservative)

Weaver Vale: John Stockton (Labour)

Wellingborough: Peter Bone (Conservative)

Wells: Tessa Munt (Democratic)

Welwyn Hatfield: Grant Shapps (Conservative)

Wentworth and Dearne: John Healey (Labour)

West Bromwich East: Tom Watson (Labour)

West Bromwich West: Adrian Bailey (Labour Co-op)

West Dorset: Sue Farrant (Democratic)

West Ham: Lyn Brown (Labour)

West Lancashire: Rosie Cooper (Labour)

West Suffolk: Matt Hancock (Conservative)

West Worcestershire: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative)

Westminster North: Karen Buck (Labour)

Westmorland and Lonsdale (Democratic)

Weston-super-Mare: Mike Bell (Democratic)

Wigan: Lisa Nandy (Labour-Respect)

Wimbledon: Stephen Hammond (Conservative)

Winchester: Martin Tod (Democratic)

Windsor: Adam Afriyie (Conservative)

Wirral South: Alison McGovern (Labour Co-op)

Wirral West: Stephen Hesford (Labour)

Witham: Priti Patel (Conservative)

Witney: David Cameron (Conservative)

Woking: Rosie Sharpley (Democratic)

Wokingham: John Redwood (Conservative)

Wolverhampton North East: Emma Reynolds (Labour)

Wolverhampton South East: Pat McFadden (Labour)

Wolverhampton South West: Rob Marris (Labour-Respect)

Worcester: Michael Foster: (Labour)

Workington: Tony Cunningham (Labour)

Worsley and Eccles South: Barbara Keeley (Labour)

Worthing West: Peter Bottomley (Conservative)

Wycombe: Steve Baker (Conservative)

Wyre and Preston North: Ben Wallace (Conservative)

Wyre Forest: Richard Taylor (Health Concern)

Wythenshawe and Sale East: Paul Goggins (Labour)

Yeovil: David Laws (Democratic)

York Central: Hugh Bayley (Labour)

York Outer: Madeleine Kirk (Democratic)


Scotland:


Aberdeen North: Frank Doran (Labour)

Aberdeen South: Anne Begg (Labour)

Airdrie and Shotts: Pamela Nash (Labour)

Angus: Mike Weir (SNP)

Argyll and Bute: Alan Reid (Democratic)

Ayr Carrick and Cumnock: Sandra Osborne (Labour)

Banff and Buchan: Alex Salmond (SNP)

Berwickshire Roxburgh and Selkirk: Michael Moore (Democratic)

Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross: John Thurso (Democratic)

Central Ayrshire: Brian Donohoe (Labour)

Coatbridge Chryston and Bellshill: Tom Clarke (Labour)

Cumbernauld Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East: Gregg McClymont (Labour-Respect)

Dumfries and Galloway: Russell Brown (Labour-Respect)

Dumfriesshire Clydesdale and Tweeddale: Richard Leonard (Labour-Respect)

Dundee East: Katrina Murray (Labour)

Dundee West: Jim McGovern (Labour)

Dunfermline and West Fife: Thomas Docherty (Labour)

East Dunbartonshire: Jo Swinson (Democratic)

East Kilbride Strathaven and Lesmahagow: Michael McCann (Labour-Respect)

East Lothian: Fiona O’Donnell (Labour)

East Renfrewshire: Jim Murphy (Labour)

Edinburgh East: Tommy Sheppard (Labour-Respect)

Edinburgh North and Leith: Mark Lazarowicz (Labour Co-op)

Edinburgh South: Ian Murray (Labour)

Edinburgh South West: Alistair Darling (Labour)

Edinburgh West: Mike Crockart (Democratic)

Falkirk: Danny Quinlan (Labour-Respect)

Glasgow Central: George Galloway (Labour-Respect)

Glasgow East: Margaret Curran (Labour)

Glasgow North: Anne McKechin (Labour)

Glasgow North East: Michael Martin (Labour)

Glasgow North West: John Robertson (Labour)

Glasgow South: Tom Harris (Labour)

Glasgow South West: Ian Davidson (Labour-Respect)

Glenrothes: Lindsay Roy (Labour)

Gordon: Malcolm Bruce (Democratic)

Inverclyde: David Cairns (Labour)

Inverness Nairn Badenoch and Strathspey: Danny Alexander (Democratic)

Kilmarnock and Loudoun: Cathy Jamieson (Labour Co-op)

Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath: Gordon Brown (Labour)

Lanark and Hamilton East: Jimmy Hood (Labour-Respect)

Linlithgow and East Falkirk: Michael Connarty (Labour-Respect)

Livingston: Graeme Morrice (Labour)

Midlothian: David Hamilton (Labour-Respect)

Moray: Angus Robertson (SNP)

Motherwell and Wishaw: Frank Roy (Labour)

Na h-Eileanan an Iar: Donald MacSween (Labour)

North Ayrshire and Arran: Katy Clark (Labour-Respect)

North East Fife: Menzies Campbell (Democratic)

Ochil and South Perthshire: Gordon Banks (Labour)

Orkney and Shetland: Alistair Carmichael (Democratic)

Paisley and Renfrewshire North: Jim Sheridan (Labour-Respect)

Paisley and Renfrewshire South: Douglas Alexander (Labour)

Perth and North Perthshire: Pete Wishart (SNP)

Ross Skye and Lochaber: Charles Kennedy (Labour)

Rutherglen and Hamilton West: Tom Greaterex (Labour Co-op)

Stirling: Anne McGuire (Labour)

West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine: Robert Smith (Democratic)

West Dunbartonshire: Gemma Doyle (Labour Co-op)


Wales:


Aberavon: Stephen Kinnock (Labour)

Aberconwy: Guto Bebb (Conservative)

Alyn and Deeside: Mark Tami (Labour)

Arfon: Alun Pugh (Labour)

Blaenau Gwent: Owen Smith (Labour-Respect)

Brecon and Radnorshire: Roger Williams (Democratic)

Bridgend: Madeleine Moon (Labour)

Caerphilly: Wayne David (Labour)

Cardiff Central: Jenny Willott (Democratic)

Cardiff North: Julie Morgan (Labour-Respect)

Cardiff South and Penarth: Alun Michael (Labour Co-op)

Cardiff West: Kevin Brennan (Labour)

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr: Jonathan Edwards (Plaid Cymru)

Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire: Simon Hart (Conservative)

Ceredigion: Mark Williams (Democratic)

Clwyd South: Susan Elan Jones (Labour)

Clwyd West: David Jones (Conservative)

Cynon Valley: Ann Clwyd (Labour)

Delyn: David Hanson (Labour)

Dwyfor Meirionnydd: Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru)

Gower: Martin Caton (Labour-Respect)

Islwyn: Chris James Evans (Labour Co-op)

Llanelli: Nia Griffith (Labour)

Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney: Robert Griffiths (Labour-Respect)

Monmouth: David Davies (Conservative)

Montgomeryshire: Lembit Öpik (Democratic)

Neath: Peter Hain (Labour-Respect)

Newport East: Ed Townsend (Democratic)

Newport West: Paul Flynn (Labour-Respect)

Ogmore: Huw Irranca-Davies (Labour Co-op)

Pontypridd: Kim Howells (Labour)

Preseli Pembrokeshire: Stephen Crabb (Conservative)

Rhondda: Chris Bryant (Labour)

Swansea East: Siân James (Labour)

Swansea West: Peter May (Democratic)

Torfaen: Paul Murphy (Labour)

Vale of Clwyd: Chris Ruane (Labour)

Vale of Glamorgan: Alun Cairns (Conservative)

Wrexham: Ian Lucas (Labour)

Ynys Môn: Albert Owen (Labour-Respect)


Northern Ireland:


Belfast East: Naomi Long (Alliance)

Belfast North: Fred Cobain (UCU-NF)

Belfast South: Alasdair McDonnell (SDLP)

Belfast West: Gerry Adams (Sinn Féin)

East Antrim: Rodney McCune (UCU-NF)

East Londonderry: Lesley Macaulay (UCU-NF)

Fermanagh and South Tyrone: Rodney Connor (UCU-NF)

Foyle: Mark Durkan (SDLP)

Lagan Valley: Basil McCrea (UCU-NF)

Mid Ulster: Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin)

Newry and Armagh: Dominic Bradley (SDLP)

North Antrim: Ian Paisley (DUP)

North Down: Ian Parsley (UCU-NF)

South Antrim: David Burnside (UCU-NF)

South Down: Margaret Ritchie (SDLP)

Strangford: Mike Nesbitt (UCU-NF)

Upper Bann: David Trimble (UCU-NF)

West Tyrone: Joe Byrne (SDLP)

 

[sarahz]

Will happily take that!

actually I would think her main problem would be Heathrow. If the Democrats elected her the party would have to move to oppose expansion, or she would have to resign pretty quick.
Also noting the Ashfield result this presumably means the accusations of sexual offences made just before the 2015 election and then dropped within 3 minutes of the court case opening with no evidence being presented, were not made here thus the candidate was not deselected just before nominations closed.

 

[Time Enough]

Hey Paddy Tipping, I remember him. Something that you may find interesting was that in 2010 he had a particularly violent heart attack so maybe you could move it forward a bit and have a crisis in Sherwood.

 

[Shads]

Hey Paddy Tipping, I remember him. Something that you may find interesting was that in 2010 he had a particularly violent heart attack so maybe you could move it forward a bit and have a crisis in Sherwood.

I didn’t know that. Maybe butterflies mean that this will cause his death?

 

[Shads]

Coalition Season
​

All of the parties knew the fallout of the election would be tough. Indeed, with no likely government to step up, this led to the pound falling against the dollar due to instability. The likeliest government to outsiders seemed a Lab-Dem government of an impressive 400 seats but Wheway seemed hostile to the idea, referring to Brown as a “dead man walking”. Brown instead approached the SDLP who were more than happy to offer their 5 seats but were concerned that 304 seats wouldn’t convince voters of a stable government. The SNP and Plaid Cymru, both having lost seats to Labour, refused to work with Labour unless pretty steep concessions were given which Brown was reluctant to give.

All the while, formal talks were being made for a coalition between the Conservatives and the Democrats. Given that the Democrats would be making up nearly a third of this coalition they were offering pretty steep conditions including a two round referendum on changing the voting system in which voters would be asked if they wanted a change first then if yes would be asked what system they want out of STV, AV and a form of PR long proposed by the party since the 80s. William Hague knew how hostile his party was to any kind of shift from FPTP and would be hard to agree to. Hague did however agree to a devolved Cornish Assembly referendum for the voters of Cornwall. On other issues, the party had more common ground such as a relatively similar business policy. Europe was however another stumbling block and Hague refused to break his promise on an EU referendum.

The idea of a coalition between the two parties and their Northern Ireland equivalents did produce a stable majority of 18. After a few days the coalition agreement was finally being worked out but still proved unstable. It was then that many in Labour proposed to have a brief spell in opposition, the coalition would inevitably fall over one issue or the other and Labour with a new leader would be returned to power with a majority of 40 to 60. Oddly enough this idea was advocated by most Labour-Respect and Labour Co-op mps. Gordon Brown would announce his resignation as both PM and Labour Leader 6 days after negotiations had begun. Travelling to Buckingham Palace to recommend William Hague for the job, knowing full well the coalition agreements weren’t finished. This caused a frantic speeding up of negotiations and the referendum issue was settled with three referendums to take place on EU membership, a changed voting system and a Cornish Assembly respectively. Free public transport and scrapped tuition fees would be shelved in favour of working towards a friendlier climate policy. The Democrats were able to force the Tories to scrap the commitment to lower immigration to under 50,000 a year as well as move towards legislation of medicinal marijuana. Several Democrats would serve in the cabinet as well as one in the 4 great offices of state. Overall, due to the rushed nature of the agreements, they were very favourable to the Democrats. Wheway himself would be given the title of Deputy Prime Minister as well as another cabinet position. Democrats could confidentially go back to their constituencies and tell them they had moderated the Tory manifesto. A change in government had taken place.

And yet.... as William Hague approached Number 10 for the first time as Prime Minister with his wife Ffion something felt odd. He didn’t feel that sense of victory he had expected to feel. Then again, he hadn’t exactly got a Blair sized majority had he? But still, he didn’t feel like he had won. He briefly worded his concerns to Ffion who reassured him, “You’re a star to me.” Those words helped him push these feelings aside, he turned around to wave and smile to the cameras. Technicalities could wait, this was his day.

 

[Shads]

10 Years of Labour Over
​

If you’d asked someone in 2002 who was likely to be prime minister 5 years later they probably wouldn’t have said the man who had just cost the Tories more seats. Yet here Hague was, Prime Minister of the first non labour government since 1997. After ironing out the final details, the Prime Minister unveiled his cabinet to the country. Many positions were broken down to incorporate the incoming democratic cabinet positions.

Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Prime Minister: William Hague
Deputy Prime Minister: Rob Wheway
Chancellor of the Exchequer: Kenneth Clarke
Foreign Secretary: Boris Johnson
Home Secretary: Nigel Farage
Conservative Party Chairman: Michael Portillo
Democratic Party Chairman: Susan Kramer
Education Secretary: Alistair Carmichael
Employment Secretary: John Bercow
Defense Secretary: Iain Duncan-Smith
Health Secretary: Dr Liam Fox
Justice Secretary: Duncan Hames
Business Secretary: Phillip Hammond
Trade Secretary: David Laws
Industry Secretary: David Cameron
Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Ed Davey
Food and Fisheries Secretary: Francis Maude
Agriculture Secretary: Justine Greening
Environment Secretary: Zac Goldsmith
Communities and Local Government Secretary: Eric Pickles
Minister for Women and Equality Secretary: Jo Swinson
Transport Secretary: Rob Wheway
Europe Secretary: Nick Clegg
Culture, Olympics and Sport Secretary: Dominic Grieve
International Development Secretary: David Davis
Scottish Secretary: Danny Alexander
Welsh Secretary: Mark Williams
Northern Irish Secretary: Reg Empey

The cabinet positions were very generous to the Democrats, luckily for them they had Europe on lockdown under close Wheway ally Nick Clegg. Wheway had chose to also be transport Secretary in order to later raise his policy of free public transport. However some of the more radical proposals, such as devolving more control of the NHS hospitals to the local community and scrapping nuclear power, would have to be put away at least for the foreseeable future. The pound returned to previous levels after the government began to stabilise and in the first ever PMQs under PM Hague the coalition seemed to fair well against Labour, who currently had Harriet Harman as Interim Leader. Many Tories were actually quite relieved when Clarke had been demanded as Chancellor. After all, he was a former Conservative and got on surprisingly well with certain Tories such as David Cameron and Phillip Hammond.

Labour was of course ready to fight back. 299 Seats was a strong opposition under anyone’s leadership. Harman of course spun a narrative that the 2nd and 3rd place parties had teamed up to lock the 1st out of power that the friendly media lapped up like a starving dog. “Coalition Disgrace” “Labour blocked out of power” “Incoming triple referendum chaos” ran the headlines. Admittedly though most Labour MPs were sympathetic in one way or another to the proposed referendums, with Labour even announcing they were going to be backing the creation of a Cornish Assembly. After being easily passed in Parliament, the Cornish referendum was set to be held next month on the 1st of July and, if passed, its first elections to be held on the 21st. The Europe referendum was then planned to be held in autumn or winter with the FPTP two round referendum sometime in early 2008. Mostly well spaced out, some parts of the country would be going to the polls 3 times in the next year. Not to mention the Labour Leadership contest in September. This was set to be an exciting first year of the new government.

 

[Time Enough]

I didn’t know that. Maybe butterflies mean that this will cause his death?

From what I've heard he had a history of heart troubles but losing the election in 2010 is what set it off. He was also seemed quite popular with the people of Sherwood from what I remember. If he were to die whilst in office well things could get messy due to it's unexpected nature.

 

[jammci]

So it's the coalition that will be in power if the recession hits..... Fascinating. Great timeline btw

 

[Shads]

Celtic Treatment for Kernow
​

Cornwall has always never quite felt like part of England. With its separate culture and language, it is perhaps tied with only Yorkshire for the greatest amount of regionalism in England. When the Cornish Assembly referendum was announced there was much jubilation amongst Cornish nationalists, many of whom had been campaigning for greater devolved powers since the early 70s. Dan Rogerson, 4th place MP in the recent Democratic leadership election, was their most vocal supporter in Westminster. Upon being made mp for North Cornwall he had, as law had allowed, given his swearing of allegiance in Cornish.

It was no surprise when Rogerson launched “Ya Kernow!” which would be in support of a devolved Cornish Assembly. Songs and poems were written to support such a move. Ya Kernow would quickly be backed by the Democratic Party, Labour and the regional parties of Scotland and Wales. The noticably less exciting No campaign simply called “No to a Cornish Assembly” backed by the Conservative party, always opposed to devolution. Yes always had a steady lead of at least 8% in the polls. Nigel Farage came down to campaign for a No vote and was heckled by locals in major towns heavily. The most disastrous moment was in St Ives when an angry local, draped in all sorts of Cornish flag based clothing, managed to throw a tomato square in the face of the Home Secretary.

It was clear that yes had the energetic support of all age ranges and the exciting news that the Cornish Assembly building had permisson to be constructed in the centre of Truro by late October created even further cause for celebration. The result came as a surprise for almost no one.

1st of July 2007: Do you agree that there should be a Cornish Assembly?

Yes: 73.4% 154,624
No: 26.6% 56,035

Turnout: 62%

The voice of Cornwall had been a decisive yes. Dan Rogerson hailed the day as “the finest in Cornwall in a generation”. St Pirans flag flew from houses up and down the county. Cornwall was to have a devolved Assembly headquarted in Truro. An online poll from a selection of names led to the building being given the name “Penhaligon House” after the much loved Liberal MP for Truro who suffered an untimely death in 1986, many people fondly believed Penhaligon would have loved to see this day. The elections that followed on the 21st of July were a blowout for the Democratic Party, still riding high from their first major success of the coalition, who won a majority of the 50 seats. 40 seats were elected by constituencies in a normal FPTP manner but 10 were elected as list candidates through proportional representation.

2007 Cornish Assembly Election

Democratic: 27 Seats 46.7%
Labour: 13 Seats 24.6%
Mebyon Kernow: 5 Seats 14.1%
Conservative: 4 Seats 9.5%
Social Democratic: 1 Seat 2.7%
Others: 0 Seats 2.4% Total

Turnout: 51%

The election was a humiliation for the Conservative party, with a combination of Cornish voters clearly unhappy about the parties backing of the no campaign and no voters being turned off from participating. 3rd would have been a tough loss but coming behind Mebyon Kernow, a separatist party, was the cherry on a bad cake. The election represented the continuing loss of the South West to the Democrats. If the Tories ever wanted a majority again, they’d need to win back a lot of former voters.

 

[Shads]

Labour Leadership Contest
​

The Labour Conference of 2007 would be highlighted by the Labour Leadership contest. For the first time since 1994, there was no obvious successor. Th conference was held in Liverpool and there was much fanfare leading up to the contest over who would represent what is technically still the largest party in Parliament.

Harriet Harman, interim leader for the past few months, declared her candidacy to properly lead Labour with a mandate for leadership. She made an argument over needing a women candidate and also was seen as a safe pair of hands, roughly a continuation

Andy Burnham, Education Secretary from 2004-2007 and Shadow Home Secretary since the election, put his name forward and claimed to represent neither old or new Labour but “Labour that works for everyone”. He did however represent a more socialistic candidacy and, although not a member himself, received the endorsement of Labour-Respect.

Ben Bradshaw would be the final entry when David Miliband, seen by many as the standard bearer of the Blairite torch, refused to enter. He notably had got into a heated argument with George Galloway over middle eastern policy.

The 3 candidates would be selected through a method similar to the Democratic candidacy, with the rules being changed and adapted in 2004. Compared to Bradshaw and Harman, Burnham stood out significantly and with an endorsement from the left of the party seemed to represent a change.

2007 Labour Party Leadership Election First Round

Harriet Harman: 101,565 26.7%
Andy Burnham: 43.4% 165,092
Ben Bradshaw: 113,738 29.9%

Harman was eliminated narrowly by a few percentage points. Harman did not give an endorsement but the momentum built up by Burnham meant that he received the majority of second preference votes.

2007 Labour Party Leadership Election Final Round

Andy Burnham: 58.6% 222,912
Ben Bradshaw: 41.4% 157,484

Burnham was elected leader by almost 20%. In his victory speech he declare Labour would return to government and that the “unstable coalition” would soon fall. In the upcoming European Union referendum, with the EU more unpopular than ever, many more in the Labour Party than previously expected were questioning if Britain’s current status was acceptable. Burnham himself had become more of a Eurosceptic in some ways over the past few years. Britain would soon be voting on whether or not to remain a member. Leave had a surprisingly decisive lead and if seemed both Labour and the Conservatives would back a leave vote in some way or another. With only the Democrats backing membership, would the decision to remain in 1975 be reversed?

 

[Time Enough]

Ooh, things are beginning to heat up, especially with this new referendum. Quick question will Ed Balls be appearing in the Shadow Cabinet in any capacity?