Harold, Iain and Jo

SteveW

From The Guardian, Saturday 20th November 1964:

Ulster's New Hope?
New Party Aims to Shake Up Politics in Province

A new party was formed yesterday aimed at capitalising on the recent strides made by Ulster's Catholics in seizing their civil rights and the challenges being made to Unionist dominance.

The Northern Ireland Social Democrats (NISD) came into life yesterday, bringing together the Republican Labour Party, Irish Labour Party, Northern Ireland Labour Party, independent social democrats and community figures. The new, unusually-structured leadership team of Gerry Fitt (formerly Republican Labour leader) and Austin Currie (a commuity leader) have called on all left-of-centre voters to join them in "bringing equality and social justice to Northern Ireland".

However, a substantial number of the Northern Ireland Labour Party's members are unimpressed, and some are talking of refusing the merger and allying with the Ulster Liberals.
 

SteveW

On Monday 22nd November 1964, the Steel (Nationalisation) Bill went before Parliament. As expected, it failed- the Liberals, Tories, Ulster Unionists and one Labour MP (Woodrow Wyatt) voted against it. Wilson was livid: having failed to get through PR to solidify his government with a deal with the Liberals, he now risked the impatience of the Party's Left.

And indeed this was the case. The Left, already somewhat surreally irritated by the fact that Wilson had failed to truly break through at the election, were muttering. Now was the time, some said, for real socialism: the Tories had had a setback, and had also lost the Ulster Unionists; the Liberals were seen by the public as petulant. Some suggested that if things did not improve in the New Year, then a leadership challenge was needed. But who would be the stalking horse?
 

SteveW

Thursday 26th November 1964 was the nadir of Wilson's brief reign thus far. The Leyton and Carmarthen by-elections were a nightmare for the Prime Minister.

At Leyton, the Tory Ronald Buxton defeated Patrick Gordon Walker, prospective Foreign Secretary.

But the real shock came at Carmarthen. Disillusioned with Labour, Tories and Liberals alike, the good voters of "Caerfyddin" stunned the body politic with a sweeping vote which returned Gwynfor Evans of Plaid Cymru to Parliament.
 

Major Major

SteveW said:
On Thursday 22nd October 1964, McLeod did indeed name his Shadow Cabinet. Pointedly, he named fewer people to his Shadow Cabinet that did Wilson to the actual Cabinet.

Leader of the Opposition: Iain McLeod
...
Defence: James Allason
Click to expand...

I thought I recognized that name:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Allason

I know better his son, "Nigel West":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Allason

There's always the peculiar circumstances of Peter Wright, Anatoli Golitsyn, and whatnot to consider . . .
 

SteveW

"We, the undersigned, declare that we have lost faith in Harold Wilson. We no longer feel that he is fit to be the Party leader, and we similarly doubt his ability or commitment to achieving real socialism in this country".

Thus was the letter of Monday 30th November 1964 to The Guardian. The 27 "undersigned" were almost entirely of the Left.

Wilson was enraged. Turkeys voting for Christmas, said Jim Callaghan. The "undersigned" included Jennie Lee, Bevan's widow. The next day, he convened the Parliamentary Labour Party. After hours of rancour and bitter argument, he called a leadership contest. It was the ultimate tool in calling the Left's bluff.
 

vorkosigan

Great story so far....

Hope you don't mind, I've posted something that will come up tonight on Lib Dem Blogs - you may get a few more readers....
 

SteveW

MacLeod was chomping at the bit, but wiser heads prevailed. He wanted to force a no-confidence vote in Wilson and bring an election about.

"It would be suicide at this time", counselled Heath. "The people spoke only a month ago- if there's going to be a snap election, let Wilson call it".

It was lookingly increasingly like his advice was going to be taken. Wednesday 2nd December 1964 saw Barbara Castle, a convinced opponent of Wilson, resign her Cabinet position at Education, citing "a clear inability to take things forward on the Prime Minister's part". She wasn't wrong- Wilson was utterly hamstrung.

That evening, Wilson went on national television and announced that, following discussions with the Cabinet, he would call a general election for the 14th January 1965:

"It is now clearly apparent that we can achieve nothing in the face of such hostile opposition from Mr. MacLeod and Mr. Grimond. I was voted in on the promise to you, dear voter, that my government would strive to deliver a prosperous and fair Britain by harnessing our creativity and resourcefulness to the marvels of technological progress. I implore you to give Labour a strong mandate to do so".
 

SteveW

As December's freezing weather drew in, activists on all sides were braving the cold and pounding the pavements. Questions were asked of all sides by pundits:

- Could Labour gain a mandate, or would its internal divisions prove too strong?

-Could MacLeod's new-look Conservatives thrust their way into contention, despite being shorn of the Ulster Unionists?

-Would the Liberals suffer?

-Could Plaid Cymru keep their new seat?

-Would the Northern Ireland Social Democrats break through?
 

SteveW

From the Sydney Morning Herald, 14th December 1964:
Fury and Shame
Indonesian Saboteurs Suspected in Central Station Attack

The bombing of Sydney Central Station yesterday, widely attributed to Indonesian saboteurs, has raised tensions between the nations to their highest-ever level.

7 people were killed and at least 40 more wounded when a bomb exploded in a waste bin on the central concourse at 11:07am. Intelligence reports suggest that Indonesian agents were responsible for the attack, possibly an escalation of a campaign of sabotage aimed at those countries supporting Malaysia against Indonesia in its "Konfrontasi" (confrontation).

The Prime Minister has decried the bombing as "an outrageous and cowardly act against the people of Australia" and has promised a swift response. There are unconfirmed reports of Indonesian sailors being assaulted in Darwin last night.
 

vorkosigan

SteveW said:
From the Sydney Morning Herald, 14th December 1964:
Fury and Shame
Indonesian Saboteurs Suspected in Central Station Attack

The bombing of Sydney Central Station yesterday, widely attributed to Indonesian saboteurs, has raised tensions between the nations to their highest-ever level.

7 people were killed and at least 40 more wounded when a bomb exploded in a waste bin on the central concourse at 11:07am. Intelligence reports suggest that Indonesian agents were responsible for the attack, possibly an escalation of a campaign of sabotage aimed at those countries supporting Malaysia against Indonesia in its "Konfrontasi" (confrontation).

The Prime Minister has decried the bombing as "an outrageous and cowardly act against the people of Australia" and has promised a swift response. There are unconfirmed reports of Indonesian sailors being assaulted in Darwin last night.
Click to expand...

Did that happen OTL as well?
 

SteveW

vorkosigan said:
Did that happen OTL as well?
Click to expand...

Well, in OTL, Indonesia and Australia's relations were extremely strained. And in early 1965 IOTL, Indonesian saboteurs bombed targets in Singapore. This TL sees an escalation essentially: neither the target nor the act are unlikely.
 

SteveW

The Indonesian Crisis was coming into full view. Menzies ordered Australian naval vessels into the Timor Straits and onto full alert. Airbases around Darwin also went onto full alert. Sukarno refused to apologise for the Sydney Bombing, claiming that "Australia has reaped the whirlwind for the the neo-colonial plotting that she has sowed".

Demonstrations across Australia sprang up. In the few days after the bombing, despite the proximity to Christmas, 18,657 men signed up as volunteers for the army and navy in scenes not seen since the outbreak of the Great War.

Menzies meanwhile had telephoned Lyndon B. Johnson, who had promised to turn a blind eye to Australian endeavours- but the cost was Australian involvement in South Vietnam at a later date.

But it was his call to Harold Wilson which was more significant. Facing an election and with the Left breathing down his neck, Wilson refused to commit British forces to help outside Malaysia. When the press got wind of this, there was an almighty scandal. On the day before Christmas Eve, Iain MacLeod publicly branded Wilson's stance " a betrayal of our kith and kin, who have stood by us for generations. In their our of need, we owe them the same unwavering support".
 

SteveW

"A little more state spending, I grant you. And the promotion of a language other than English. But it is a tongue of these isles, and an ancient one. And if it wins us back some votes, then I am all in favour".

Thus were the surprising words of polyglot Enoch Powell to Iain MacLeod after a suggestion by Welsh Tory MPs. Concerned by the possible rise of Plaid, and trying to find a distinctive way of outflanking Labour and the Liberals, they proposed that MacLeod embraced the idea of a BBC Radio Cymru,a Welsh-language radio station. Three days before Christmas, with the rest of the UK focused on the Indonesian Crisis, MacLeod took time out of the main campaign to announce the new policy from a soapbox in-of all places- Carmarthen.
 

SteveW

Unrest was growing in Australia at Menzies's slow response. The Indonesian diplomatic corps had already fled; Indonesian restaurants were boarded up.

On Christmas Eve, the response came. RAAF bombers attacked Kupang on West Timor, sinking KRI Pati Unus. The Indonesian reply came on Christmas Day itself, when hundreds of troops crossed into Papua from West Papua. However, they had not counted on meeting more than token native resistance, which led to the alleged death toll of at least 60 Indonesian troops in the first three days.

Over in Britain, the public's Christmas break was being shook up by these events. Wilson was under increasing pressure to intervene, but was afraid of a long, drawn-out war causing him even more damage.

On Boxing Day, Menzies addressed Australia:

"Ladies and gentlemen, these grave provocations by Indonesia have continued unabated. They struck us in our own land. They have now crossed in Papua and New Guinea. It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that as of 6p.m. this evening, Australia is at war with Indonesia".

The same evening, in an emergency session, the New Zealand Parliament voted to declare war on Indonesia too.
 

Conveyancer

Donor
Didn't see that one coming! In OTL I'm sure I read in Tony Geraghty's "Who Dares Wins" that the RAF were all for using the bases in Singapore to drop Napalm all over Indonesian Borneo at the time but that the SAS went for a more "selective" approach. In the ATL are there SAS troops in Borneo to stoke the fires?
 

SteveW

Conveyancer said:
Didn't see that one coming! In OTL I'm sure I read in Tony Geraghty's "Who Dares Wins" that the RAF were all for using the bases in Singapore to drop Napalm all over Indonesian Borneo at the time but that the SAS went for a more "selective" approach. In the ATL are there SAS troops in Borneo to stoke the fires?
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I didn't know that. I reckon there will be none for now, as Wilson is terrified of escalation. But things can, and will, change....
 

SteveW

"We are the New Conservatives. We have a new team, with new ideas. I propose to you, dear voter, a refreshed and sensible programme to take Britain forward".

"We are the Party of the people of this country, the ordinary workers, the middle classes and anyone else who wants to see a fair and prosperous country. Vote Labour on the 14th January".

"Say no to the tired Labour-Conservative axis. Vote Liberal".

For such a contested election, there was a remarkable degree of utter banality going on.

That changed on New Years Day 1965. A bomb went off outside a British base at Singapore.
 

SteveW

From The Straits Times, 2nd January 1965:

8 Dead in Terror Outrage

8 died and 47 were wounded yesterday as Indonesia's campaign against Australia and Britain took a new turn.

A bomb was left outside a military installation in the suburb of Dover. The authorities have declared a state of high alert.
 
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