Keeping the British Liberal Party flag flying high

[pipisme]

Looking back in this thread, I discovered that 1964 was a contingent election which went to Congress. The House of Representatives voted for Nelson Rockefeller for president. The Semate voted for John Burroughs (Social Democrat) for vice-president. (1) At the Social Democrat National Convention in August 1968, Burroughs was nominated as the party's candidate for vice-president.

(1) See post # 2870, page 144.

 

[pipisme]

John Burroughs resigned as vice-president of the United States in April 1965, in opposition to the administration's Vietnam policy. Congress approved Rockefeller's choice of Margaret Chase Smith as vice-president.

The composition of the House of Represntatives after the 1968 elections was as follows (after 1966 elections):
Social Democrats : 192 (165)
Republicans : 134 (122)
Democrats: 109 (148)
-‐-------------------
Total: 435 (435
-‐-------------------
Phillip Burton (California - Social Democrat) was re-elected Speaker. In March 1967 the House voted to remove Adam Clayton Powell Jr as Speaker because of misconduct. (1)

The composition of the Senate after the 1968 elections was as follows:
Democrats: 42 (54)
Social Democrats : 36 (24)
Republicans: 22 (22)
----------------------
Total : 100 (100)
----------------------
Norma Jean Baker was elected as Social Democrat Senator from California.

(1) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Clayton_Powell_Jr. See section headed ' Senate House Committee to investigate Representative Adam Clayton Powell.

 

[Cylon_Number_14]

Democrat plurality Senate, Social D plurality House, Republican Presidential administration. It’s a pragmatic centrist’s dream come true. Or an obstructionist nightmare.

Also, though it is tempting to see Scoop Jackson as TTL Nixon due to getting the nomination a second but non-consecutive time, he’s more like TTL Adlai Stevenson II.

EDIT: My bad, I was still thinking about the last half of the Rockefeller administration.

 

[pipisme]

Actually it is a Social Democrat administration.

Here is the representation of the states in the Senate by party after the 1968 elections (D=Democrat, R=Republican, SD= Social Democrat):
Alabama: 2 D
Alaska: 1 D 1SD
Arizona: 1R 1SD
Arkansas: 2 D
California: 1D 1SD
Colorado: 1D 1R
Connecticut: 1D 1SD
Delaware: 1D 1SD
Florida: 2D
Georgia: 2D
Hawaii: 1D 1SD
Idaho: 1R 1SD
Illinois: 1D 1SD
Indiana: 1D 1R
Iowa: 1R 1SD
Kansas: 2R
Kentucky: 2D
Louisiana: 2D
Maine: 2SD
Maryland: 1D 1SD
Massachusetts: 1D 1SD
Michigan: 1R 1SD
Minnesota: 2SD
Mississippi: 2D
Missouri: 1D 1SD
Montana: 1R 1SD
Nebraska: 2R
Nevada: 1D 1SD
New Hampshire: 1R 1SD
New Jersey: 1D 1SD
New Mexico: 1D 1SD
New York: 1R 1 SD
North Carolina: 2D
North Dakota: 1R 1SD
Ohio: 1R 1SD
Oklahoma: 1D 1SD
Oregon: 1R 1SD
Pennsylvania: 1D SD
Rhode Island: 1D 1SD
South Carolina: 2D
South Dakota: 1R 1SD
Tennessee: 1D 1SD
Texas: 2D
Utah: 2R
Vermont: 1R 1SD
Virginia: 2D
Washington: 1D 1SD
West Virginia: 1D 1SD
Wisconsin: 2SD
Wyoming: 2R
Total: D=42 R=22 SD=36.

 

[idumea]

So, America has necessarily adopted the British "three party" system of local duopolys. Despite some trouble last time around, it looks like as people have warmed up to a strong 3rd option that more people are voting how they feel by 1968. If the Liberals can stick around in the UK then the Democrats can create their own "big L" liberal identity seperate from a labor-oriented "small l" Social Democrat party.

 

[sarahz]

So, America has necessarily adopted the British "three party" system of local duopolys. Despite some trouble last time around, it looks like as people have warmed up to a strong 3rd option that more people are voting how they feel by 1968. If the Liberals can stick around in the UK then the Democrats can create their own "big L" liberal identity seperate from a labor-oriented "small l" Social Democrat party.

In this tl it looks more like a dixiecrat party than a Liberal one depending on your definition of Liberal Ie economic VVD FDP or Social D66 Lib Dem Canada then either or even both the Republican and SDs are better bets

 

[idumea]

In this tl it looks more like a dixiecrat party than a Liberal one depending on your definition of Liberal Ie economic VVD FDP or Social D66 Lib Dem Canada then either or even both the Republican and SDs are better bets

Oh, I was thinking firmly of the Australian "Liberals" - with no southern strategy Republicans are VVD/FDP and the SDs D66/LibDems

 

[pipisme]

Among the persons President elect Hoff appointed to his cabinet were Eugene McCarthy as Secretary of State, and Bella Abzug as Attorney-General. McCarthy was a Social Democrat Senator from Minnesota and the ranking Social Democrat member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Abzug had been a New York lawyer since 1945. (1) She was the first female Attorney-General.

(1) For Abzug see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella_Abzug.

 

[pipisme]

The Hoff administration withdrew American forces from Vietnam in February 1969. Troops of the People' Republic of Vietnam invaded the Republic of Vietnam. Their capture of Saigon on 6 April 1969 marked the end of the war.

At the Geneva Conference in March 1969, a peace agreement was signed between Laos and the People's Republic of Laos. The former became North Laos and the latter South Laos. The boundary between the two nations is the Nam Kading (Kading River) to the border with Vietnam. (1) North Laos is a constitutional monarchy with a democratically elected parliament. South Laos is a Communist dictatorship.

(1) The Nam Kading is also called the Nam Theun. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nam_Theun. I have not found an online map of this river. I found the Kading River on the map for Laos in Reader's Digest Atlas of the World , published in 1987.

 

[pipisme]

With King Henry IX being disabled because of cerebral palsy, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Denis Healey, a wheelchair user, the issue of disabliity rights and discrimination against disabled people was high on the political agenda,

The Disability Discrimination Act 1968 (DDA) made it illegal to discriminate against disabled people to employment, the provision of goods and services, access to premises, education and transport. The Act obliged service providers to make "reasonable adjustments" in the provision of access to goods, facilities, services and premises. (1)

The Act established the Disability Rights Commission (DRC). This had rights of acceptance and enfocement of the DDA, and was responsible for advising employers about securing equal acceptance of disabled employees in the workplace. (2)

(1) The DDA was similar to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in OTL. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disability_Discrimination_Act_1995.

The DRC was like the Disability Rights Commission in OTL. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disability_Rights_Commission.

 

[pipisme]

Since 1 June 1945 when Israel became an independent with Tel Aviv as its capital, and Palestine became an independent nation with Nablus as its capital, the two countries have been at peace. Also on 1 June 1945, Jerusalem became the Free City of Jerusalem, administered by the League of Nations. (1) the Free City also includes Bethlehem. (2)

In 1961 the League of Nations relinquished its administration of Jerusalem and it became an independent Free City. It has an elected parliament and president. The mayor is elected for single term of five years, and alternates between Arab and Jew. The city receives much of its income from pilgrims and tourists.
.
(1) See post #1856 on page 93.

(2) The territories of Israel, Palestine, and Jerusalem are roughly as shown on the map in this article: http://www.britannica.com/event/Peel-Commission, except that Jerusalem comprises only that city and Bethlehem. The rest of the area shown in red on the map is divided between Israel and Palestine. Touch the map to see it in full.

 

[pipisme]

The Summer Olympic Games were held in Rome in August 1968. The top five countries in the medal table were USA, USSR, German Federation, China, and Japan in that order. Great Britain won eight gold medals and came seventh after Italy. The GB team won three more gold medals than at the 1964 Summer Olympics.

 

[idumea]

That peace has been maintained between all neighbours and with a relatively salient position of the Arab states around Israel seems nothing short of miraculous, given the unrest in the 30s, and is a testament to the hard work of peaceful transfer.

Glad to hear that the OTL 1947 Jerusalem statelet has survived to the 60s, although without an independent port, a corridor to the Jordanian border, or much in the way of natural resources other than olive groves and some limited manufacturing, it probably alternates as being a satellite of Israel or a satellite of Palestine. This may not be a bad thing for peace but is likely to have led to clientelism and corruption. The small land area will also be an issue for pilgrimages if peaceful access to the city booms with widespread air travel.

 

[pipisme]

The Liberal Party manifesto for the 1964 general election promised the establishment of elected regional authorities. However this pledge was dropped in 1967 because of opposition by Liberal Party county councillors. They believed that regional councils would take power from the county councils. Also many Liberals were opposed because they saw regional councils as an unnecessary layer of government and bureaucracy.

On Tuesday 27 May 1969, the Prime Minister, Roger Fulford, announced in the House of Commons that a general election would take place on Thursday 26 June. Parliament would be dissolved on 6 June, and the closing date for nominations would be 16 June. Parliament would assemble on 8 July, with the King's Speech on 15 July. The general election would be five years after the previous election on 25 June 1964.

 

[pipisme]

When the general election date was announced, opinion polls were showing an average Liberal lead over Conservative of 5%. In the June 1964 general election, the Liberal and Progressive parties majority over the Conservative and Ulster Unionist parties was 10.4%. During the election campaign the Liberal lead over Conservative went up and town, and a few polls showed Conservative leads of up to 4%.

On polling day the average of the opinion polls was a Liberal lead of 1.3% over Conservative. They showed an average vote for Socialist Labour of 28.1%, up from 25.3% in the 1960 general election. If this was the result in the general election, the Liberal Party would be the largest in the House of Commons, and the Tories would replace Socialist Labour as the second largest party. But all would depend on the actual results in the constituencies, particularly in marginal Liberal and Socialist Labour seats.

 

[pipisme]

Among the pledges in the Conservative manifesto were abolition of Land Value Tax, reductions in income tax and in corporation tax, cuts in government expenditure. strict control of the money supply, ending of 'welfare dependency', privatisation of British Railways, ending of rent control, ending of sanctions against Rhodesia and recognition of the Smith regime. Its economic promises were described by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as 'economic illiteracy'.

The tour of Britain by the all white South Africa rugby team (the Springboks), scheduled for November 1969 to January 1970, was an issue in the election. The Liberals said that if they were returned to government in the general election, they would not allow the tour to go ahead. The Conservatives said they would allow it. The National Party was in power in South Africa, with its policies of Apartheid, as in OTL.

The minimum voting age had been reduced from 21 to 18. On election day, 26 June 1969, polling stations were open from 7am to 10 pm. The first result was Exeter at 11.05 pm. It was held by the Liberals with their majority reduced from 14.0% to 9.6%. The Socialist Labour vote rose from 18.2% to 26.0%. The next result was Cheltenham where George Watson (Liberal) held the seat with his majority over Conservative up from 4.0% to 9.3%. Newcastle-on-Tyne Central was next. The Socialist Labour Chief Whip, Ted Short, was re-elected, but his majority fell from 34.7% to 31.2%, and the Tories fell from second to third place. Frank Allaun held Salford East for Socialist Labour. His majority over Liberal was up from 5.2% to 7.4%. There was a recount in the three way marginal of Salford West which the Liberals were defending, and was requested by them. The rumours from the count were that the Socialist Labour candidate was ahead by 40 to 50 votes.

The first Conservative gain from Liberal was Northampton. But the Liberals held the marginal seats of Guildford, Reading, and York against Conservative opposition. Fulham was the second Conservative gain from Liberal. The Tories held Cities of London and Westminster.

 

[pipisme]

The Liberals held the marginal seats of Richmond (Surrey). Southampton Test, and Torquay with the Tories in second place in all three constituencies. In Islington East the Liberal majority over Socialist Labour fell from 13.2% to 1.9%. The Liberals have held Oldham East and Oldham West. In Oldham East, the Liberal majority over Socialist Labour was down from 30.3% to 10.0%. Sir John Dodd, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury and MP for the constituency since 1946, retired at the general election. In Oldham West the Conservatives fell to third place. There is a recount in Clapham requested by the Liberals. In the 1960 general election the Tories had a majority of 0.7% over Liberal. The Tories have held Newcastle-on-Tyne North.

Socialist Labour have held Liverpool Exchange. But their majority over Liberal dropped from 38.4% to 23.1%.. Bessie Braddock, the popular MP for the constituency since 1946 retired at the general election. Robert Parry, the Socialist Labour candidate, was on the left wing of the party. Socialist Labour have taken Salford West from the Liberals by 56 votes after a recount, and also Southampton Itchen by 0.7%. The Liberal majority in 1960 was 6.8% over Socialist Labour.

 

[Lyndhurst]

I'm interested to see if Socialist Labour remains the main Opposition or if the Conservatives overtake them, you've nicely captured how election night broadcasts sound OTL, that drip drip of information.

Keep going pip!

 

[sarahz]

I'm interested to see if Socialist Labour remains the main Opposition or if the Conservatives overtake them, you've nicely captured how election night broadcasts sound OTL, that drip drip of information.

Keep going pip!

With the Manifesto they are running on it seems the Tories learnt nothing from their last government's failings and have some awkward electoral albatrores they deserve to be third

 

[idumea]

The world is changing fast and the reactionary Tory platform will have a lot of appeal in older voters. Typical for punished parties to bounce back under FPTP unless there is a permanent split or the party folds - thinking of the PCs in Canada in the 1990s OTL. For Slabour to maintain Official Opposition status, they need to be doing better against the Liberals as well now that the Profumo affair is old news, and while a 20% swing in some metro and town seats is really great, it may well not be enough.... at least, it wouldn't have been had the franchise not been lowered. The Tory platform will make no sense to younger voters, who are flocking to Liberal and Slabour in droves.