Heath Holds On

Act I- Strange Bedfellows.
3rd March 1974, 10 Downing Street

Edward Heath and Jeremy Thorpe sat facing each other across the Cabinet Table. There was no-one else in there and the atmosphere was one of some tension which was understandable given the situation, a situation which given normal circumstances would have been unthinkable.

However for Heath events had become unthinkable. He had called the election on the 7th of February adamant that he would return as Prime Minister with a fresh mandate to deal with as he saw it the issues affecting the country.

He sat there bemused and angry. He had made history as the Prime Minister who had achieved his lifelong dream and took the country into Europe. He had formed what he thought was a reasonable control with the trade unions by overseeing the Industrial Relations Act.

He had done these things and he was expectant of the thanks of a jubilant nation.

And yet...he was in the cabinet room facing a man who up until a few days ago he had thought as an irritant. Now this was the man on whom his political future depended.

“Jeremy” smiled Heath stiffly. “I have asked you here because I feel you and I can come to an arrangement over the future government of this country”

Thorpe listened intently while thinking deeply. This was a moment that he had wanted for a long time. He had always believed that a moderate centrist movement was the answer to the country’s woe. But this wasn’t the man he wanted to do business with. Given the choice he would have dealt with Wilson. But it wasn’t Wilson across from him.

Heath went on:

“Now I have discussed with my colleagues what I believe to be the best way forward and this document details our proposals.”

Heath passed a piece of paper across the table to Thorpe. Thorpe picked it up and read it. He looked up at Heath and said:

“Prime Minister, I feel I have been invited here under some misapprehension”

“Oh, why is that then?” replied Heath somewhat taken back by Thorpe’s initial reaction.

“You said you and I can come to some kind of arrangement. It seems that your notion of ‘arrangement’ is very different to mine. I came here to discuss the possibility of something more concrete”

“What do you mean?” queried Heath.

Thorpe took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Heath.

“My proposals”

Heath scanned the sheet and his face stiffened.

“ A full blown coalition?”

Thorpe nodded.

Heath read on

“2 seats on the cabinet and electoral reform...Mr Thorpe, are you joking?”

“Prime Minister, I don’t find anything funny about my proposals. Although I have to say your proposals are somewhat humourous. A cross party consultation group on mutual matters and no Liberal representation in cabinet. It seems to me that you are asking my party to be voting fodder for a Conservative minority government”

“Mr Thorpe. I know that this country is in a dire state and it needs strong government to deal with our various crisis…”

Thorpe interrupted

“Crisis that your government have created and crisis that have led to this and now you’re asking us to betray our voters and our principals just to keep your damaged government alive.

Heath look askance at Thorpe but he went on.

“Prime Minister. You are in a delicate position. There is just one thing standing between your continued premiership and Wilson coming back and that is the Liberal party. You need us...we don’t need you”
 
Good stuff so far. Always interesting to read a 70s political timeline.

Are the seat totals the same as OTL? If so coalition still puts them short of a majority.

Very interesting to see where this goes.
 
Many thanks for the compliments:

Act II-Common Interests

4th March 1974-Downing Street

Their eyes burnt into Heath’s soul as he sat down at the cabinet table. Their rage and resentment eviscerating him from the inside out. Their inbuilt feeling of superiority rubbed out by the man before them.

They hated him. They despised him. They loathed him. This bastard had ruined their dominance, he had shattered their sense of purity and totality all for a bunch of scum. Now he wanted their help? Well they would make him pay.

William Craig, the leader of Vanguard, the DUP’s leader Ian Paisley and the UUP’s leader Harry West, the leaders of the anti-Northern Ireland Assembly group sat before the prime minister.

“Gentlemen” began Heath

“Mr Prime Minister. We protest most strongly about this ludicrous situation. We have been waiting for 2 days to speak to you and you have constantly delayed and denied us our chance to instill some common sense into this appalling predicament that you have placed the country in” bellowed Paisley.

Heath breathed deeply and started again.

“Mr Paisley. I spoke to Mr Thorpe firstly because he was closer in geographical terms to Downing Street then you or your colleagues and I have to say he was far more amenable than you are appearing to me”

Silence reigned for a few seconds. Heath began again.

“ The Conservatives and the Unionists have had mutual interest for many years and have always co-operated when it comes to the integrity of the nation…”

“The integrity that You have damaged with this appalling power-sharing deal in our homeland” interjected Craig.

“And now you are asking us for help to keep your government in power?” said West

“Do you take us for fools?” questioned Paisley

Heath’s face stiffened:

“The only fools in this room are facing me right now. You are here because you are patriots as am I and you are not willing to listen to my proposals. That is foolish behaviour”

After a few moments silence West said

“I think a brief break might be in order Gentlemen”
 
Act III-"Weighing up all the options"

5th March 1974-Downing Street.

Heath needed a friendly face or two to look at. Luck was on his side this time. Across from him was his trusted advisers Lord Carrington, Alec Douglas-Home and William Whitelaw.

Heath opened the meeting looking exasperated and ill. He hadn't slept well over the last 2 days and had just taken a phonecall from Martin Charteris, the Queen's private secretary enquiring if the negotiations had led to anything.

"Gentlemen I have looked at the proposals from both the Liberals and the various unionist parties and I have to say that they are nothing more than blackmail"

This stunned the three who wasn't used to their prime minister using such language.

"The Liberals want the following:
1. Two seats on the cabinet
2. Comprehensive electoral reform including PR and elected assemblies for Scotland and Wales.

The unionists want the following:
1. The abolition of the Stormont executive and the restoration of direct rule
2. Withdrawal from the EEC"

Whitelaw said:

" I will not accept the collapse of the executive. We've put far too much work into it"

Hume stated:

"Withdrawal from the EEC is also out of the question.

"I think we can safely assume that the unionists proposals are out of the question..."

"If I may Prime Minister"

"Yes Peter"

While I agree with Alec and William that the unionists initial ideas are out we may be able to modify them.

"Go on"

"The truth is, we may need the unionists. A few Conservative-Liberal coalition will not have the necessary majority to push our legislation through. We will need unionist support on confidence motions"

"What do you propose"

"Advising Faulkner to postpone the decision on the Council of Ireland..."

"Out of the question" said Whitelaw. "That is one of the key elements of the agreement."

"Was. The situation has changed"

Silence reigned for a few moments

"What about the Liberal proposals?" said Heath

Hume interjected

"I believe that the liberals may be more amenable. They are more rational then the unionists and are pro-Europe. We need that backup. Whoever replaces Wilson will be as anti europe as him. More than likely Callaghan and Labour will whip up ferment both inside and outside Parliament"

Heath flinched. He hated Wilson and the mere mention of his name made him physically react.

Whitelaw spoke:

"Ted, we don't want Labour to get back nearly as much as you do. But if that is to happen we need to mollify both the Liberals and the unionists. I am against the abolition of the executive or the stopping the Council of Ireland vote. However I believe it is possible to incorporate some of their ideas into our proposals for the Queen's speech"

"Such as what?" said Heath

"The executive will focus on creating long term internal stability for the province. Now that can be read in different ways. I interpret that as saying if Ulster starts approaching normality in the next few years then attitudes will change and the Council of Ireland will become more acceptable"

"Few years? I would say 50" said Hume.

"What about the Liberals?" said Carrington

"Offer them what they want, power

"Thorpe will want a major position" said Whitelaw

"Home Secretary?" said Carrington

"Out of the question" said Heath "And that also goes for Foreign affairs and the Exchequer"

"Northern Ireland" said Whitelaw half seriously.

Heath smiled....
 
Act IV-Sealing the deal

6th March 1974-Downing Street

“Northern Ireland” exploded Thorpe. “ You are asking me to go to Northern Ireland. Why?”

Heath said:

“ I believe a new man in Ulster with more ‘liberal’ ideas and a willingness to talk to people with vastly opposing views would be beneficial...as this is now”

Thorpe sat silent for a few moments. He knew what Heath was trying to do. Make him in charge of Ulster and he would have to talk to West et al away from Westminster while Heath would be free to use the liberals as voting fodder.

“Devious bastard” thought Thorpe with a tinge of admiration. Then his own ego surged back. If he, Jeremy Thorpe could bring some stability to Ulster then he, Jeremy Thorpe would be credited as the man who brought peace to Ireland, thus eclipsing Gladstone and Lloyd George.

He knew that by doing this he risked splitting the Liberals down the middle. He’s already had a call from David Steel saying some of his constituents had voiced their opposition to a Lib-Con coalition.

Yet his mind was fixed on his place in history.

“And as regards the cabinet?”

“I thought Mr Steel would make a very good Leader of the House and maybe Mr Pardoe as Chief Secretary to the treasury. You of course Jeremy would be deputy Prime Minister”

“How can I be sure that my duties in Ulster would not denigrate my role as Liberal Leader?”

“Well you would be in Westminster for 3 days a week. More if the assembly works. Plenty of time”

“It still seems that you are trying to keep my away from Westminster”

Heath leaned forward and his eyes fixed on Thorpe

“Mr Thorpe. I have been exceedingly patient with you over the last few days. I asked you to attend these meeting because I believed you would be amenable. I still do but that is now uncertain.

If you are still having doubts the let me make this point abundantly clear. You and your party will not have another chance to return to government for a generation if these talks fail. And I doubt that...Wilson or whomever takes over will talk to you...Do you want the Liberal party to be called “The Westminster Whores”?


“Very well” said Thorpe “I’ll put the proposals to my colleagues”
 
Glad you like it so far. Just a few thoughts of my own.

I did think about making Thorpe Home Secretary but it had been done so many times in other threads. Besides which my story is going to make things more interesting.

As regards Heath's personality change. I thought it would be interesting to see how the loss of his majority plus his hatred of Wilson would combine to make him a nastier man.
 
Act V "Baptism Of Fire"
Broadcasting House, London

13th March 1974

"Good Evening this is BBC Radio 4. The time is 6 PM.

Parliament has reopened after the general election with the Queens Speech. This is the first coalition government since the war although the Conservatives and Liberals have no overall majority.

Her Majesty listed 6 central pieces of legislation based on the principle of mutual co-operation and non-partisanship.

The principal pieces of proposed legislation include

A comprehensive constitutional reform programme including devolved assemblies for Scotland and Wales.

An increased range of co-operative ventures between the government, management and unions

Progress in the Northern Ireland assembly


The debate tomorrow will be the first time that Mr James Callaghan will speak as acting leader of the Labour party following the resignation of Mr Harold Wilson..."
 
Act VI-Settling down

18th March 1974-Downing Street

Heath sat in the flat and mused. So far things appeared to be holding. The queens speech debate had been rocky as was expected. Callaghan attacked the Liberals for throwing their lot in with the Tories saying they had "condemned the country to more misery"

West and his compatriots were slightly less vitriolic probably no doubt because Thorpe had already told them that the Council of Ireland vote was "not on the immediate agenda".

Yet they still brayed and bellowed, accusing Faulkner and pro-Sunningdale unionists of "treason"

In the end West et al abstained allowing the government to win.

Heath sat at his treasured piano and played.
 
:D

Act VII-For the benefit of Mr Paisley

28th March 1974-North Antrim

Ian Paisley was in a foul mood. This wasn't unusual given the events of the past few week but today he was enraged. Even though he and his anti-Sunningdale colleagues had been given assurances by Thorpe and Heath that the Council of Ireland vote was to be delayed indefinitely he was still angry.

As far as he was concerned his precious homeland had been infested by "the popist trash" of the SDLP and the "traitors" of the Pro-sunningdale unionists backed up and given respectability by the "ignorant" Heath and the "fop" Thorpe.

"The people of Ulster will not forgive or forget this barbarity" he roared in the Commons "God will send justice for his people" to his church. "Mr Faulkner is a puppet of Mr Heath and Mr Cosgrove (*)" in the assembly.

Paisley got to his constituency office and was told that there was a parcel for him.

In his private office he open the parcel and an audio cassette fell out...
 
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