So this is a thought process on What if Michael Heseltine had gone up against Tony Blair in 199(7), with Heseltine as PM and Blair as Labour leader.
I've seen a few (very few) Heseltine wins in 1990 and takes over from Thatcher, but this is different.
Let's say, OTL to 1995. Major challenged by Redwood and Major, though he wins, falls short of his personal target 215 which he had privately set as his target. OTL he got 218, so not hard to put him on 214 or lower. He still 'wins' but resigns.
Enter Heseltine and (probably Portillo - and there is another POD in itself, with PM Portillo in 1995) after dispatching both Redwood and Portillo, becomes PM.
He's an option to go for a 1995 election, perhaps taking advantage of a bounce in the polls but I doubt he'll take it because he'll still lose against Blair and Heseltine is not one for being a footnote in the list of PMs.
So 1997 rolls around and the Conservatives lose to Blair...?... but by how much and presumably it is better than the 165 seat rump they were left with?
How do the next few years play out with a slightly better Conservative party, and who might their leaders be assuming Heseltine goes down to defeat in 1997?
I've seen a few (very few) Heseltine wins in 1990 and takes over from Thatcher, but this is different.
Let's say, OTL to 1995. Major challenged by Redwood and Major, though he wins, falls short of his personal target 215 which he had privately set as his target. OTL he got 218, so not hard to put him on 214 or lower. He still 'wins' but resigns.
Enter Heseltine and (probably Portillo - and there is another POD in itself, with PM Portillo in 1995) after dispatching both Redwood and Portillo, becomes PM.
He's an option to go for a 1995 election, perhaps taking advantage of a bounce in the polls but I doubt he'll take it because he'll still lose against Blair and Heseltine is not one for being a footnote in the list of PMs.
So 1997 rolls around and the Conservatives lose to Blair...?... but by how much and presumably it is better than the 165 seat rump they were left with?
How do the next few years play out with a slightly better Conservative party, and who might their leaders be assuming Heseltine goes down to defeat in 1997?