Labour Wins 1983 UK Election

What if the Labour Party won the 1983 UK election. Many people will say that this is ASB, but in many ways it may be more likely than an Alliance win, due to the FPTP British electoral system.

I assume that for this to occur the UK would have to lose the Falklands War. If people became so disillusioned with the Tories would it have been possible that they would not have risked a 'wasted vote' on the Alliance and would instead have voted Labour.

Also if the Falklands War had been lost would the pacifistic tone of UK Labour in the early 1980's have appealed more (one of Foot Labour's main policies were nuclear disarmanent and the removal of many US bases from the UK).

Basically, under Michael Foot Labour's policies were a total rebuttal of all of the previous four years Thatcherite reforms and then some. It would have been the most socialist left-wing administration in UK history.

How would its policies have worked out. Would of its policies been implemented for a year or two and then there have been a 'liberal turn' like France under Mitterand, with a sudden conversion of the leadership to neo-liberal policies?
 
Arguably the best "Labour win in '83" timeline is the original comic version of "V for Vendetta", which sees the Foot government unliaterally disarm, with the result of Britain staying out of the nuclear conflict that occurs several years later.

That doesn't really answer your question, but "V" is an excellent story set in such in such a TL, fifteen years after the POD.
 
I don't really see any way in which a Labour win is particularly credible. Because of where Labour was ideologically in 1983, the middle ground vote is basically confined to the Alliance and the Tories. If the Tories bugger-up, then it's much more credible to see their support shift the Alliance. Even if Labour do very well along with the Alliance, then you'd in all liklihood just get a Tory-SDP/Alliance coalition.

In any case, Foot basically supported the government (however reluctantly) during the Falklands. Outright opposition was largely confined to Tony Benn.
 
Arguably the best "Labour win in '83" timeline is the original comic version of "V for Vendetta", which sees the Foot government unliaterally disarm, with the result of Britain staying out of the nuclear conflict that occurs several years later.

That doesn't really answer your question, but "V" is an excellent story set in such in such a TL, fifteen years after the POD.

"V" is ASB. Heck, that even rhymes...
 
Arguably the best "Labour win in '83" timeline is the original comic version of "V for Vendetta", which sees the Foot government unliaterally disarm, with the result of Britain staying out of the nuclear conflict that occurs several years later.

That doesn't really answer your question, but "V" is an excellent story set in such in such a TL, fifteen years after the POD.


Another interesting book about this is 'A Very British Coup'. Basically after the Labour Govt takes power, a coup occurs to depose them. Admittedly I've never read the book, but I've seen reviews of it.

I wonder if Labour had won govt and set about its radical measures, whether something like this could have occurred?
 
I don't really see any way in which a Labour win is particularly credible. Because of where Labour was ideologically in 1983, the middle ground vote is basically confined to the Alliance and the Tories. If the Tories bugger-up, then it's much more credible to see their support shift the Alliance. Even if Labour do very well along with the Alliance, then you'd in all liklihood just get a Tory-SDP/Alliance coalition.

In any case, Foot basically supported the government (however reluctantly) during the Falklands. Outright opposition was largely confined to Tony Benn.
Foot supported the Government because during the 190's Foot had spoken out against appeasement, and did not want to see Dicators getting away with what they wanted. He advocated the UN but supported Thatcher privaelty and publically.
As for Labour winning, then maybe the Falklands doesn't happen and their is a hung Parliament in 1983/1984 and the SDP alliance holding the balance of power. An outright Labour win is very hard to believe.
 
Yes, but even in the event of a hung parliament, the Alliance would not be inclined to go into coalition with Labour. The SDP would have been dead against that for obvious reasons - probably Labour too, come to think of it - and I'm sure that even for Steelite Liberals, Labour were far too left-wing in '83.
 
I agree, it depends on what sort of deal the Alliance does with the Conservatives.
In 1987, if their had been a hung parliament, Owen was prepared to support the Conservatives and Steel Labour.
 
I think it might not be quite ASB. Firstly you would need the Liberal SDP Alliance not to work- Owen leading the SDP and managing to so offend Liberals as to prevent it.

Plus you have to assume that the Falklands war does not happen.

Thirdly someone persuades Thatcher to propose the Poll tax earlier than in OTL.

Fourthly Reagan does something to scare people a bit more.


Query were a government elected committed to removing US missiles would there be any Unconstitutional attempt to remove it?

How hard would we find it leaving the European Communities....
 
I think it might not be quite ASB. Firstly you would need the Liberal SDP Alliance not to work- Owen leading the SDP and managing to so offend Liberals as to prevent it.

Plus you have to assume that the Falklands war does not happen.

Thirdly someone persuades Thatcher to propose the Poll tax earlier than in OTL.

Fourthly Reagan does something to scare people a bit more.


Query were a government elected committed to removing US missiles would there be any Unconstitutional attempt to remove it?

How hard would we find it leaving the European Communities....

I think there might be unconsitutional attempts to remove a govt committed to removing US missiles from the UK. I have heard it said that much of the Establishment would be better able to come to terms to Labour's nationalisation plans than to its defence plans.

Thatcher proposing the Poll Tax earlier would definitely be a plausible POD.
 
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