DBWI: Rab Butler Never Becomes Prime Minister?

Rab Butler was one of the most significant Prime Ministers of the post-war United Kingdom, winning three general elections and remaining in office for twelve years; to this day, he's remembered as one of the most important figures in the history of the Conservative Party, and the 'Butlerites' are still an important faction within the party. My questioning is twofold: how could you avoid him becoming Prime Minister (with bonus points if you can stop him from being Conservative leader at any point), and what would a Butler-less Britain look like?
 
Butler was distrusted within the party, so you really just need Churchill not to die right when Eden was in the middle of one of his illnesses (though leaving government was probably the best thing that could have happened to Eden in terms of preserving his health). If Churchill and Eden could have hung on for a few years, the Tories would have come up with someone else, the question is who?
 
Butler was distrusted within the party, so you really just need Churchill not to die right when Eden was in the middle of one of his illnesses (though leaving government was probably the best thing that could have happened to Eden in terms of preserving his health). If Churchill and Eden could have hung on for a few years, the Tories would have come up with someone else, the question is who?

Well there was that madman Powell, but under what circumstances could have taken power? A grammar school boy leading the conservatives, I think it would have needed interesting times.
 
Butler was distrusted within the party, so you really just need Churchill not to die right when Eden was in the middle of one of his illnesses (though leaving government was probably the best thing that could have happened to Eden in terms of preserving his health). If Churchill and Eden could have hung on for a few years, the Tories would have come up with someone else, the question is who?

Quintin Hogg, maybe? Then again, he was a bit young (for the Tories) at the time, and he was massively discredited after 1958 by his attempted coup against Butler. Other than him and Heathcote-Amory, I can't think of many other significant party members at the time; on the other hand, Eden could have been leader for quite a long time if his health permitted it.

Well there was that madman Powell, but under what circumstances could have taken power? A grammar school boy leading the conservatives, I think it would have needed interesting times.

The only way Powell - or anyone of his background - could have ever become Conservative leader for any real duration would have been in the case of the party being out of power for long enough that they felt the need to completely reinvent themselves. He could perhaps have been an influential behind-the-scenes sort of character, but the rank and file of the parliamentary party wouldn't have elected him leader unless they thought they had no other choice.
 
Quintin Hogg, maybe? Then again, he was a bit young (for the Tories) at the time, and he was massively discredited after 1958 by his attempted coup against Butler. Other than him and Heathcote-Amory, I can't think of many other significant party members at the time; on the other hand, Eden could have been leader for quite a long time if his health permitted it.



The only way Powell - or anyone of his background - could have ever become Conservative leader for any real duration would have been in the case of the party being out of power for long enough that they felt the need to completely reinvent themselves. He could perhaps have been an influential behind-the-scenes sort of character, but the rank and file of the parliamentary party wouldn't have elected him leader unless they thought they had no other choice.
Maybe they get someone like Edward Heath incharge instead, the guy seemed like a total ass and not cut out as leader. Probably would cost them a bunch of elections. Then again who in Labour could've lead them? I hear good things about George Brown being on the right of the party. Maybe he could appeal to people? Or if they were thinking dangerously maybe Roy Jenkins if they wanted to take an almost Ordoliberal approach.
 
Maybe they get someone like Edward Heath incharge instead, the guy seemed like a total ass and not cut out as leader. Probably would cost them a bunch of elections. Then again who in Labour could've lead them? I hear good things about George Brown being on the right of the party. Maybe he could appeal to people? Or if they were thinking dangerously maybe Roy Jenkins if they wanted to take an almost Ordoliberal approach.

George Brown could potentially be very popular with the electorate, but he did have his alcohol problem to contend with as well. Roy Jenkins would be another good choice, although he was possibly slightly too socially progressive for the 1950s and 1960s, so he'd have to be careful with that. For a bit later, Denis Healey would be another good choice as leader.
 
Butler was distrusted within the party, so you really just need Churchill not to die right when Eden was in the middle of one of his illnesses (though leaving government was probably the best thing that could have happened to Eden in terms of preserving his health). If Churchill and Eden could have hung on for a few years, the Tories would have come up with someone else, the question is who?

If that's the PoD then Eden would be the obvious choice as Churchill's successor, although he wasn't in the best of health. Butler would probably have been the best candidate as Eden's successor in due course.
To prevent Butler from ever being PM, I think he would either have to be discredited in some scandal, or someone else rise to prominence during the "Eden Years". Question is, Who?
At the very least Eden would probably need to exploit the distrust against Butler within the party.
 
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One change that immediately occurs is that the Tory Party don't adopt a formal process
for choosing a leader for another decade at least, if at all.
 

shiftygiant

Gone Fishin'
Well there was that madman Powell, but under what circumstances could have taken power? A grammar school boy leading the conservatives, I think it would have needed interesting times.
Bit strong. I know Powell was perhaps a degree too barbed towards Rab, and went a little too right-wing with all that stuff about the Irish Republicans late in his career, but he was still an accomplished Secretary of State for Health and Defence with an oratory reputation in the house. And after Kenya, there is a reason he's often referred to in Conservative Circles as the 'best Foreign Secretary we never had'.

I suppose that had someone like Macmillan - you know, the one that always gets tipped as the 'best Prime Minister we never had' - got the job instead of Butler, Powell would be among the obvious contenders to succeed him, as the two worked very closely during the 1945-1948 period on restructuring the party after the devastating results of the election and were reportedly on a personal and philosophical level close.
 
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