Thought I'd se how far this thread could go...
Basically, with a POD set in stone at exactly six months before an election in which one party suffered a heavy defeat, what's the best case scenario for that party, and why do you think so?
For example: what do you think is the best case realistic scenario for the UK Conservatives in 2001, with a POD in the autumn of 2000? I'd propose the fuel strikes of 2000 are somehow dragged out for longer, and a "Burying Bad News" type event hits the Labour Government. It's still nowhere near enough to bring anything approaching a Conservative victory- but I'd suggest a combination of factors could see the Tories do substantially better than their OTL one seat increase, perhaps instead taking twenty or thirty seats from Labour.
So, any other thoughts on how to improve the fortunes of the defeated?