1936-1945: Malcolm MacDonald (Labour)
1937: (Majority) Winston Churchill (Conservative), Geoffrey Mander (Liberal), John Simon (National Liberal), Fenner Brockway (Independent Labour)
1940: (Majority) Winston Churchill ('League' Conservative), Frank Owen (Liberal), Herwald Ramsbotham ('Anti-League' Conservative), John Simon (National Liberal), Henry Austin ('Anti-League' Liberal), Annie Maxton (Independent Labour)
And so, with both major parties having new leaders but the Conservatives in a crisis, Malcolm MacDonald - the son of Ramsay MacDonald - took the premiership with a narrow majority. Many believed that Churchill was too belligerent, and it was the firm view among the majority of the political classes that whilst Britain must rearm it could not risk entanglements on the continent or with the League of Nations (which remained largely isolated to French interests). As a result, for the first time in many years the Independent Labour Party (led by Fenner Brockway) broke from affiliation with Labour to campaign for true disarmament. They performed relatively well, and became the dominant force on the left to oppose the new Labour government. In 1937 the Stahlhelm officially surrendered to League forces, and the government of Johannes Popitz was inaugurated with significant support. (Germany would continue to repay her reparations commitments, and whilst the Popitz administration was deeply conservative it was largely opposed by the democratic parties of the former Roter Frontkämpferbund). The main League members - France, Italy and Poland - were jubilant at the perceived prevention of a German threat, although in truth all three were now largely dictatorial in nature. In Britain, MacDonald remained hesitant to rejoin the League despite calls from the Opposition, and instead focused upon a quiet consolidation of the armed forces and domestic reform. To the rest of Europe, the Soviet Union now emerged as the dominant threat; the death of Stalin in 1937 had led to a power struggle in the Kremlin, with Nestor Lakoba emerging as the victor amid quiet assassinations and falsified stories (chiefly against his main rival, Lavrenti Beria). Russian militarization alarmed states on the periphery of Europe, but ultimately it would prove in the east where the clash of ideologies would come to a head. The Japanese Empire had been slowly consuming China during the League intervention in Germany, and whilst viewed with great suspicion by the United States and the British Empire had been largely unchallenged. Aware of the European suspicion of Communism the Japanese applied to re-join the League in 1939, hoping that their shared interest in a weak Russia would be understood in Paris. It was. While the return of Japan into the League prompted major backlash (including in Britain), it was seen by many anti-Communists as an alliance of convenience to prevent any further growth of Communism. Hoping to consolidate his rule in Moscow, however, Lakoba announced the 'Declaration of the Perpetual Peoples' Revolution' to the 18th Party Conference, outlining Russian plans for the international spread of Bolshevism. A poorly-received speech by Maxim Litvinov at a meeting of the League in early-1940 furthered heightened tensions, and by the time of the general election later that year many believed that a war between the two blocs would prove inevitable.
1945-1950: Archibald Clark Kerr (Conservative)
1945: (Majority) Malcolm MacDonald (Labour), Frederick Marquis (National Conservative), Charles Hill (National Liberal), Seebohm Rowntree ('Reform' Liberal/Progressive), Albert Roberts (Liberal), Emmanuel Shinwell (Independent Labour)
The 1945 election indicated the direction that British politics was taking; Labour took an absolute beating despite their strong domestic record, and were handily defeated by the co-operating forces of the conservatives. Nevertheless, the Kerr government was representative of the impact that Popular Front formed by Churchill had had on the right; while Kerr led the rump of the traditional party, Frederick Marquis led a smaller independent faction called the 'National Conservatives' that favoured an alliance with other non-socialist groups in Parliament. Similar in many ways to the early National Liberals, Marquis whipped with the government but developed a partly-independent manifesto. Furthermore, the further fracturing of the Liberal Party worsened matters for Labour; the elderly Rowntree served as a figurehead for those demanding a centrist alternate of British problems while the basic Liberals further lost direction. The result was an indication of the public fear for the future, faced with a largely hostile and aggressive Soviet Europe. Kerr (whilst personally a moderate) had a rightist agenda, rebuffed by some as apologist for the failures of the near-fascist regimes of conquered Europe. Inheriting negotiations from MacDonald, Kerr brought the former Danish possessions in the North Atlantic under British control and granted Iceland independence (under British protection) in 1946. A new India Act was passed, granting it Dominion status, and passed comfortably in the Commons despite far-right grumblings. Britain watched as the former states of Europe were reconstituted into Soviets, and the Russian government of Abakumov created swathes of new puppet regimes (that it milked to improve industrial and economic prestige far eastwards in the motherland). This placed further strain upon Labour as the party found itself torn, and the Henderson reforms finally gave way to the fracturing of the Communist parties from the PLP. Only the Independent Labourites continued to advocate friendship with the USSR, leading to rumours that Annie Maxton had been placed upon the new MI11 'watchlist'. Indeed, Britain was consumed by a 'Red Scare' through the late-1940s; the roles of the Secret Services became synonymous with the political repression of far-left organizations and media censorship. The BBC became especially tightly controlled, with a Ministry for Public Information formed in 1947. Acknowledging that the Soviet Union was the hegemon of Europe, the party remained divided as to how it should be diplomatically treated. As the Republican administration of President Orville Bullingdon formally acknowledged the new puppet governments in Europe in 1949, Stanley followed suit. However, it was clear that tensions in America were rising as to the continued growth of the Communist threat. Kerr was also keen to restore the Conservative role as the natural party of government; major efforts were made to modernize infrastructure, and whilst the government remained opposed to nationalization it endorsed strongly the rationalization of the railways into 1950. Major work began on a proper motorway system for the country, too, and the Council Housing System - enacted to cross-party support in 1948 - continued the work begun by Ramsay MacDonald in improving the public health via an increased standard of living. However, with his health failing and having had a long and distinguished career Kerr announced that he would retire prior to the 1950 election. Unable to be persuaded to stay on by the King, the Conservative set about on their usual backroom deals to appoint a new leader.
