List of Alternate Presidents and PMs II
- Thread starter Asami
- Start date
- Status
The Galton-Ivanov Complex
1916-1922: David Lloyd George (National Liberal)
1917 (National Government with Conservatives and National Democratic and Labour Party) def. Andrew Bonar Law (Conservative), William Adamson (Labour), Eamon de Valera (Sinn Fein), Richard Cooper (National), H.H. Asquith (Liberal)
1922-1923: Andrew Bonar Law (Constitutional Union)
1922 (Coalition with Nationals) def. J.R. Clynes (Labour), Richard Cooper (National), H.H. Asquith (Liberal)
1923-1927: Austen Chamberlain (Constitutional Union-National Coalition)
1927-1929: Ramsay MacDonald (Labour)
1927 (Minority with Liberal confidence and supply) def. Austen Chamberlain (Constitutional Union), Henry Page Croft (National), William Beveridge (Liberal)
1929-1935: Sidney Webb (National Labour)
1929 (National Government with Constitutional Unionists, Nationals and Liberals) def. Austen Chamberlain (Constitutional Union), Ramsay MacDonald (Labour), Henry Page Croft (National), William Beveridge (Liberal)
1933 (National Government with Constitutional Unionists, Liberals and National Nationals) def. Austen Chamberlain (Constitutional Union), George Lansbury (Labour), William Beveridge (Liberal), Oswald Mosley (National National), Henry Page Croft (Independent National)
1935-1937: Neville Chamberlain (Pacifist Constitutional Union leading Peace Government with Labour, Pacifist Liberals and Pacifist Nationals)
1937-1938: Winston Churchill (Martian Constitutional Union)
1937 (National Preparation Government with Labour, Martian Liberals and Independent War) def. Ernest Bevin (Labour), Neville Chamberlain (Pacifist Constitutional Union), William Beveridge (Martian Liberal), Oswald Mosley (Pacifist National), Bertrand Russell (Pacifist Liberal)
1938-1942: Winston Churchill (Constitutional Union leading War Government with Labour, Martian Liberals and Independent War)
1942-1947: Winston Churchill (Constitutional Union)
1942 (Coalition with Patriotic Union) def. Ernest Bevin (Labour), William Beveridge (Liberal), Henry Page Croft (Patriotic Union)
This is basically me working out a way to get eugenics to become an accepted policy in British government, as in my vignette of the same name.
The Entente loses WW1, and while Britain is politically destabilised, France, Italy and Russia are thrown into turmoil and civil war, allowing Germany to consolidate her grip in Europe. Lloyd George narrowly achieves victory over an ascending Labour Party and manages to get his 'Centre' party to fly, albeit not under his leadership. Chamberlain's Coalition with the hard-right National Party (now vaguely similar philosophically with the clerical fascist parties which are emerging in France, Italy and Spain) loses it's majority in 1927 and MacDonald manages to form a coalition with the friendly liberals.
However, his government falls apart in 1929 over a sterilisation bill, and the pro-eugenic Labourites come together with the Constitutional Unionists, Nationals and Liberals, to ensure National Hygiene. They renew their majority in 1933, despite the split in the National Party between advocates of Webb's 'pragmatic' alliance with the Soviet Union against either Germany's Mitteleuropa Pact or the Franco-Italian New Entente, and the hardline anti-communists.
The National Government falls apart in 1935 as the Chamberlains court the New Entente to form an anti-German alliance that can recreate the Balance of Power. Churchill leads an anti-fascist and pro-rearmament group of MPs out of the National Government and Neville Chamberlain is forced to invite Lansbury's Labour Party into an explicitly pacifist government. The Austrian Civil War breaks out in 1936 and soon becomes a mess as Germany seeks to absorb Austria and puppetise the non-German parts, the Soviets want to encourage radical socialism and the New Entente seeks to bring the Catholic Hapsburgs into the alliance and weaken Germany. Labour undergoes a philosophical shift and Lansbury resigns allowing pro-rearmament Bevin to take the leadership. Labour leaves the National Government and a tenuous National Preparation Government is established, in readiness for what is seen as an inevitable war.
War breaks out in 1938, as German victory in the Battle of Vienna leads to a French declaration of War on Germany. Britain declares war on the New Entente, in defence of German democracy (flimsy as it is, it's better than the dictatorships on the New Entente) but over the course of the war, this becomes an Anglo-Soviet War against Fascism, as the Kaiserreich collapses and Churchill tolerates Soviet expansionism if it helps destroy the fascists in Western and Southern Europe. Victory is achieved after a costly four years, with Europe split in two between a Soviet aligned East and a British aligned West.
The first post-war election saw the political landscape reshaped, with the pacifist splitters destroyed. Churchill has formed a coalition with Croft's anti-communist Patriotic Union, heir to the National Party. There is a sense in the air that the peace that has come with the end of the New Entente is only temporary, that a war against the Comintern is just around the corner.
1916-1922: David Lloyd George (National Liberal)
1917 (National Government with Conservatives and National Democratic and Labour Party) def. Andrew Bonar Law (Conservative), William Adamson (Labour), Eamon de Valera (Sinn Fein), Richard Cooper (National), H.H. Asquith (Liberal)
1922-1923: Andrew Bonar Law (Constitutional Union)
1922 (Coalition with Nationals) def. J.R. Clynes (Labour), Richard Cooper (National), H.H. Asquith (Liberal)
1923-1927: Austen Chamberlain (Constitutional Union-National Coalition)
1927-1929: Ramsay MacDonald (Labour)
1927 (Minority with Liberal confidence and supply) def. Austen Chamberlain (Constitutional Union), Henry Page Croft (National), William Beveridge (Liberal)
1929-1935: Sidney Webb (National Labour)
1929 (National Government with Constitutional Unionists, Nationals and Liberals) def. Austen Chamberlain (Constitutional Union), Ramsay MacDonald (Labour), Henry Page Croft (National), William Beveridge (Liberal)
1933 (National Government with Constitutional Unionists, Liberals and National Nationals) def. Austen Chamberlain (Constitutional Union), George Lansbury (Labour), William Beveridge (Liberal), Oswald Mosley (National National), Henry Page Croft (Independent National)
1935-1937: Neville Chamberlain (Pacifist Constitutional Union leading Peace Government with Labour, Pacifist Liberals and Pacifist Nationals)
1937-1938: Winston Churchill (Martian Constitutional Union)
1937 (National Preparation Government with Labour, Martian Liberals and Independent War) def. Ernest Bevin (Labour), Neville Chamberlain (Pacifist Constitutional Union), William Beveridge (Martian Liberal), Oswald Mosley (Pacifist National), Bertrand Russell (Pacifist Liberal)
1938-1942: Winston Churchill (Constitutional Union leading War Government with Labour, Martian Liberals and Independent War)
1942-1947: Winston Churchill (Constitutional Union)
1942 (Coalition with Patriotic Union) def. Ernest Bevin (Labour), William Beveridge (Liberal), Henry Page Croft (Patriotic Union)
This is basically me working out a way to get eugenics to become an accepted policy in British government, as in my vignette of the same name.
The Entente loses WW1, and while Britain is politically destabilised, France, Italy and Russia are thrown into turmoil and civil war, allowing Germany to consolidate her grip in Europe. Lloyd George narrowly achieves victory over an ascending Labour Party and manages to get his 'Centre' party to fly, albeit not under his leadership. Chamberlain's Coalition with the hard-right National Party (now vaguely similar philosophically with the clerical fascist parties which are emerging in France, Italy and Spain) loses it's majority in 1927 and MacDonald manages to form a coalition with the friendly liberals.
However, his government falls apart in 1929 over a sterilisation bill, and the pro-eugenic Labourites come together with the Constitutional Unionists, Nationals and Liberals, to ensure National Hygiene. They renew their majority in 1933, despite the split in the National Party between advocates of Webb's 'pragmatic' alliance with the Soviet Union against either Germany's Mitteleuropa Pact or the Franco-Italian New Entente, and the hardline anti-communists.
The National Government falls apart in 1935 as the Chamberlains court the New Entente to form an anti-German alliance that can recreate the Balance of Power. Churchill leads an anti-fascist and pro-rearmament group of MPs out of the National Government and Neville Chamberlain is forced to invite Lansbury's Labour Party into an explicitly pacifist government. The Austrian Civil War breaks out in 1936 and soon becomes a mess as Germany seeks to absorb Austria and puppetise the non-German parts, the Soviets want to encourage radical socialism and the New Entente seeks to bring the Catholic Hapsburgs into the alliance and weaken Germany. Labour undergoes a philosophical shift and Lansbury resigns allowing pro-rearmament Bevin to take the leadership. Labour leaves the National Government and a tenuous National Preparation Government is established, in readiness for what is seen as an inevitable war.
War breaks out in 1938, as German victory in the Battle of Vienna leads to a French declaration of War on Germany. Britain declares war on the New Entente, in defence of German democracy (flimsy as it is, it's better than the dictatorships on the New Entente) but over the course of the war, this becomes an Anglo-Soviet War against Fascism, as the Kaiserreich collapses and Churchill tolerates Soviet expansionism if it helps destroy the fascists in Western and Southern Europe. Victory is achieved after a costly four years, with Europe split in two between a Soviet aligned East and a British aligned West.
The first post-war election saw the political landscape reshaped, with the pacifist splitters destroyed. Churchill has formed a coalition with Croft's anti-communist Patriotic Union, heir to the National Party. There is a sense in the air that the peace that has come with the end of the New Entente is only temporary, that a war against the Comintern is just around the corner.
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Labour split over the Liberal's demands for a Sterilisation Bill in 1929 and Webb led the pro-eugenic Labourites into a National Government with the more pro-eugenic parties, which held together through an alt-Great Depression until...
...Croft left the National Government in disgust over Webb's pro-Soviet leanings. A pro-National Government rump survived under Mosley. The National Government survived until Churchill led his pro-rearmament group out of the Constitutional Union, in protest against the Chamberlain's tolerance of Franco-Italian expansionism.
A little "interquel" to my Wold Newton Fascist America list (here: https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...dents-and-pms-ii.407398/page-56#post-14356323):
It Did Happen Here (British Edition):
Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom (Fascist, 1935-2006)
1935-1952: Hugh Drummond (Brotherhood of British Fascists)[1]
1935 def. Stephen Baldwin (Conservative), Clement Atlee (Labour), George Brown (Liberal National), Salome Otterbourne (Liberal)
Elections "postponed"
1952-1954: Roderick Spode, 7th Earl of Sidcup[2]
1954-1957: Robert Kim Cherry [3]
1957-1968: Adm. Sir Miles Messervy [4]
1968-1972: George Smiley[5]
1972-1980: John Steed[6]
1980-1996: Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart[7]
1996-2006: Terry Collier[8]
Prime Minister of the English Commonwealth
2006-: Emma Peel (English Republican)
Prime Minister of the Republic of Wales
2006-2010: Huw Edwards (Plaid Cymru)
2010-2015: Ianto Jones (Plaid Cymru)
President of the Scottish Republic:
2006-: Malcolm Tucker (Independence Coalition)
[1] Following the examples of fellow fascists Buzz Windrip and Adolf Hitler, the Brotherhood of British Fascists used aggressive scare tactics (through its paramilitary wing, the "Black Shorts") and conservative appeals to win enough of a majority. Leading the way was war veteran turned adventurer turned politician Hugh Drummond, who managed to agitate against Communists, trade unionists, Jews, Germans, etc. By 1940, he had enacted emergency rule, sent most political dissenters and minorities to camps up North, and had virtually curbed democracy in Britain, the way Windrip did in America. He also began to repress Scottish, Welsh, and Irish traditions, languages, and cultures. However, his brand of fascism was more conservative, having relatively moderate corporatism and less nationalizations than the American Corpo regime. As a result of his antipathy towards both Germans and Communists, as well as his strong alliance with America, Britain didn't enter the Second World War, but was heavily fortified following the essential Soviet takeover of Europe. Drummound's paranoia was furthered during the Indian Independence War, where, after a brutal crackdown on independence activists by the BBF regime (resulting in the deaths of peace activists like Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru), a 1946 turned into a rebellion, which turned into a war, resulting in the creation of the "People's Republic of India," backed by the USSR, and a communist bulwark against Japanese expansion into South and West Asia. By his death in 1954, Drummound had established a strong fascist state, with an extensive intelligence network, both foreign and domestic, and had repressed local traditions around the British isles, both of which would prove to be its undoing.
[2] Roderick Spode was the obvious choice to be Drummound's successor, having been a longtime BBF politician, and leader of the Black Shorts. However, Spode was considered more lax and a bit of a brutish buffoon. The leadership (along with their American backers) found him ineffective, especially when facing the Communist threat in Europe. His stronger corporatist streak also caused concern, due to the economic restructuring happening in nations of the American sphere. This was especially true, when he threatened war against Ireland to reconquer it, despite the warnings of his intelligence advisers that there was a strong Soviet and European military presence that could lead to war. Ultimately, the espionage service the SIS, and a secret Government counter-intelligence cell called the "Diogenes Club" (which dated to the Victorian era) carried out a de facto coup, managing to convince both the Cabinet and the BBF High Council to remove Spode from the position due to his "amateur leadership".
[3] Bob Cherry was a member of the so-called "Greyfriar's Group", a group of spies recruited during primary school at Greyfriars Public School. He had distinguished himself spying in Germany, France, Soviet occupied Greece, and India, which eventually allowed him to rise to Minister of Foreign Intelligence. Thus, he was the perfect choice to be installed in place of Lord Sidcup. While not a strong advocate of corporatism, (keeping Spode's reforms), he strengthened the security apparatus, supposedly fighting against communist threat. However, he had shown more favoritism towards the SIS, which left the Diogenes Club feeling slighted, despite their more prominent role in the overthrow and their larger influence in the British government. The growing suspicion against John Iselin in the US began to extend to sections of the SIS, who began to see similar patterns with Cherry. They began to suspect that Cherry and Iselin were both members of a Soviet conspiracy to undermine the "Western Bloc". Those anti-Cherry SIS forces allied with the Diogenes Club, and in parallel to the Ripper coup that same year, removed Cherry from power in a more forceful manner, replacing him with MI6 head and member of the Diogenes Club...
[4] Unlike Ripper, Messervy was distinctly more moderate, toning down the security apparatus that his predecessors set up, and began talks to reduce the nuclear presence in Britain. He gave his explicit support to Fury after Fury had seized control of the Corpo regime in America. Messervy followed Fury's moderation, and released political prisoners. He also allowed African colonies more autonomy and even reached detente with both the USSR and the PRI. However, he and Fury also ramped up the "Secret War" with the USSR, with spies attempting to foil the other side, though he refused to send troops to help America and Japan during the Indochina conflict. His demise was due to old age.
[5] George Smiley was the so-called "Control" of "The Circus", the Diogenes Club overseas branch, after the original was forced from the position due to the revelation of ties with Bob Cherry in 1966. He was given the position by the BBF leadership, which had been essentially taken over by the Diogenes Club, and became their legal apparatus to appoint new leaders. His policies were essentially a continuation of Messervy's. However, his reign was cut short by an assassin's bullet. That assassin was Jack Carter, a gangster with ties to mob lords like Harry Flowers and the Pirhana Twins. It was stated that Carter killed Smiley as retribution for the crackdown on the mob, though later conspiracy theories stated that Carter was actually the alias of an SIS assassin, alias "Harry Palmer", who had been used by anti-Diogenes members of the BBF to secretly bring down the Diogenes Club from the inside.
[6] Whatever the reason, relatively fresh faced SIS agent John Steed took over. This saw the beginning of Britain sending some troops to Indochina, to a dying cause. However, the bigger issue was sending troops to prop up the Fascist allied South African government, which was fighting (and losing) to rebel leaders. This proved poorly handled, with the South African rebels outmanuevering them at every turn. With the economy slowing down around this time and with soldiers coming in home at night (despite state press implying to the contrary), rumblings began around Britain, which would begin the decline of the BBF regime. Soon, Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish nationalists began to protest their marginalization, and many also began to protests in the streets. While initial protests were put down brutally, they grew and grew until the government couldn't quite hold them. Internally, there was also tension leading the decline. The military grew frustrated with Steed's inept handling of both the Indochina conflict and the current South Africa conflict, and older BBF bureaucrats and politicians were attempting to fight the ubiquitous influence of the Diogenes-SIS apparatus over the government, which they felt turned away from the founding principles of the fascists. They slowly plotted as the domestic situation continued to collapse. Riots broke out in London, Birmingham, Glosgow, and many other British cities. These revolts grew larger and larger, forcing the US to send some of their own Minutemen to help control these revolts. Eventually, when Steed made remarks indicating he was ready to negotiate with key rebel leaders, the plotters made their move, locking down the Palace of Westminster and arresting Steed and key members of the Diogenes Club (including the current "M", Richard S. Holmes). When the Royal Family tried to protest, they were placed under house arrest, the coupsters unwilling to alienate the populace by killing them.
[7] Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, who had led the coupsters, immediately tried to limit the power of the Diogenes Club over the state institutions, and tried to crackdown as much as he could on the rebellions. However, the situation had gone beyond saving at this point. The Diogenes Club was not ready to give up its power, and Lethbridge-Stewart was forced to essentially ban the organization, and purge its members. However, many of those members ran the economic and policing institutions and their BBF/Military replacements proved inadequate for dealing with the growing problems. Police were unable to deal with the growing rioting crowds, especially when the American Minutemen were recalled back to fight incursions in their own nation. Meanwhile, Diogenes members either went to the various rebel/Nationalist groups to offer their talents, or were using their remaining influence to hamper the rival government, which exuberated the situation. With the US falling into Civil War, removing its military presence from the islands, Lethbridge-Stewart recalled forces from South Africa, and the remaining British colonies, and tried to control the situation. However, the many of the returning soldiers (and indeed, many of the home front soldiers) were dissatisfied with the conditions, either disillusioned by their service, or loyal to their homeland, resulting in their defections. The fall of the Corpo regime in the US was succeeded by the Scottish Declaration of Independence 1988, which jumpstarted the British Civil War. Lethbridge-Stewart spent the early 1990's attempting to reunify the United Kingdom, but Wales and Scotland had gotten a sufficient government and military structure from the defectors. Unable to gain any ground, Lethbridge-Stewart ultimately committed suicide.
[8] The first non-SIS/Military leader of Britain since Sidcup, Collier was one of the few bureaucrats left, put up to the job by whatever BBF leadership remained. While he had hoped to use his position to reunify and redemocratize Great Britain, conditions proved that impossible, and he was forced to continue leading the rump UK government in war with the nationalists. Still, with the fighting continuing into the 21st Century, he was now committed to stopping the conflict. He began back-channel talks with the USSR and the US to mediate a settlement and also began to make small negotiations with the other forces. This culminated in the ceasefire in 2004, and the Summit of 2005, where the leaders of each side came to negotiate the borders of the new states. In November of 2006, (with the help of US President Josiah Barlett and his diplomatic staff), the English Civil War came to a formal end. The rump BBF government was reformed into the English Commonwealth, with the BBF outlawed, and former Steed associate Emma Peel as its leader. Scotland and Wales were given diplomatic recognition from the new EC government (both were already recognized by most other nations, including the US), and Northern Ireland was reunified with rest of Ireland.
-------------------------------
So, no footnotes or defeated tickets for the successor states, mainly because a.) this was a bit long already, and b.) I couldn't find that many fictional peoples of those nationalities that would fit the bill.
It Did Happen Here (British Edition):
Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom (Fascist, 1935-2006)
1935-1952: Hugh Drummond (Brotherhood of British Fascists)[1]
1935 def. Stephen Baldwin (Conservative), Clement Atlee (Labour), George Brown (Liberal National), Salome Otterbourne (Liberal)
Elections "postponed"
1952-1954: Roderick Spode, 7th Earl of Sidcup[2]
1954-1957: Robert Kim Cherry [3]
1957-1968: Adm. Sir Miles Messervy [4]
1968-1972: George Smiley[5]
1972-1980: John Steed[6]
1980-1996: Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart[7]
1996-2006: Terry Collier[8]
Prime Minister of the English Commonwealth
2006-: Emma Peel (English Republican)
Prime Minister of the Republic of Wales
2006-2010: Huw Edwards (Plaid Cymru)
2010-2015: Ianto Jones (Plaid Cymru)
President of the Scottish Republic:
2006-: Malcolm Tucker (Independence Coalition)
[1] Following the examples of fellow fascists Buzz Windrip and Adolf Hitler, the Brotherhood of British Fascists used aggressive scare tactics (through its paramilitary wing, the "Black Shorts") and conservative appeals to win enough of a majority. Leading the way was war veteran turned adventurer turned politician Hugh Drummond, who managed to agitate against Communists, trade unionists, Jews, Germans, etc. By 1940, he had enacted emergency rule, sent most political dissenters and minorities to camps up North, and had virtually curbed democracy in Britain, the way Windrip did in America. He also began to repress Scottish, Welsh, and Irish traditions, languages, and cultures. However, his brand of fascism was more conservative, having relatively moderate corporatism and less nationalizations than the American Corpo regime. As a result of his antipathy towards both Germans and Communists, as well as his strong alliance with America, Britain didn't enter the Second World War, but was heavily fortified following the essential Soviet takeover of Europe. Drummound's paranoia was furthered during the Indian Independence War, where, after a brutal crackdown on independence activists by the BBF regime (resulting in the deaths of peace activists like Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru), a 1946 turned into a rebellion, which turned into a war, resulting in the creation of the "People's Republic of India," backed by the USSR, and a communist bulwark against Japanese expansion into South and West Asia. By his death in 1954, Drummound had established a strong fascist state, with an extensive intelligence network, both foreign and domestic, and had repressed local traditions around the British isles, both of which would prove to be its undoing.
[2] Roderick Spode was the obvious choice to be Drummound's successor, having been a longtime BBF politician, and leader of the Black Shorts. However, Spode was considered more lax and a bit of a brutish buffoon. The leadership (along with their American backers) found him ineffective, especially when facing the Communist threat in Europe. His stronger corporatist streak also caused concern, due to the economic restructuring happening in nations of the American sphere. This was especially true, when he threatened war against Ireland to reconquer it, despite the warnings of his intelligence advisers that there was a strong Soviet and European military presence that could lead to war. Ultimately, the espionage service the SIS, and a secret Government counter-intelligence cell called the "Diogenes Club" (which dated to the Victorian era) carried out a de facto coup, managing to convince both the Cabinet and the BBF High Council to remove Spode from the position due to his "amateur leadership".
[3] Bob Cherry was a member of the so-called "Greyfriar's Group", a group of spies recruited during primary school at Greyfriars Public School. He had distinguished himself spying in Germany, France, Soviet occupied Greece, and India, which eventually allowed him to rise to Minister of Foreign Intelligence. Thus, he was the perfect choice to be installed in place of Lord Sidcup. While not a strong advocate of corporatism, (keeping Spode's reforms), he strengthened the security apparatus, supposedly fighting against communist threat. However, he had shown more favoritism towards the SIS, which left the Diogenes Club feeling slighted, despite their more prominent role in the overthrow and their larger influence in the British government. The growing suspicion against John Iselin in the US began to extend to sections of the SIS, who began to see similar patterns with Cherry. They began to suspect that Cherry and Iselin were both members of a Soviet conspiracy to undermine the "Western Bloc". Those anti-Cherry SIS forces allied with the Diogenes Club, and in parallel to the Ripper coup that same year, removed Cherry from power in a more forceful manner, replacing him with MI6 head and member of the Diogenes Club...
[4] Unlike Ripper, Messervy was distinctly more moderate, toning down the security apparatus that his predecessors set up, and began talks to reduce the nuclear presence in Britain. He gave his explicit support to Fury after Fury had seized control of the Corpo regime in America. Messervy followed Fury's moderation, and released political prisoners. He also allowed African colonies more autonomy and even reached detente with both the USSR and the PRI. However, he and Fury also ramped up the "Secret War" with the USSR, with spies attempting to foil the other side, though he refused to send troops to help America and Japan during the Indochina conflict. His demise was due to old age.
[5] George Smiley was the so-called "Control" of "The Circus", the Diogenes Club overseas branch, after the original was forced from the position due to the revelation of ties with Bob Cherry in 1966. He was given the position by the BBF leadership, which had been essentially taken over by the Diogenes Club, and became their legal apparatus to appoint new leaders. His policies were essentially a continuation of Messervy's. However, his reign was cut short by an assassin's bullet. That assassin was Jack Carter, a gangster with ties to mob lords like Harry Flowers and the Pirhana Twins. It was stated that Carter killed Smiley as retribution for the crackdown on the mob, though later conspiracy theories stated that Carter was actually the alias of an SIS assassin, alias "Harry Palmer", who had been used by anti-Diogenes members of the BBF to secretly bring down the Diogenes Club from the inside.
[6] Whatever the reason, relatively fresh faced SIS agent John Steed took over. This saw the beginning of Britain sending some troops to Indochina, to a dying cause. However, the bigger issue was sending troops to prop up the Fascist allied South African government, which was fighting (and losing) to rebel leaders. This proved poorly handled, with the South African rebels outmanuevering them at every turn. With the economy slowing down around this time and with soldiers coming in home at night (despite state press implying to the contrary), rumblings began around Britain, which would begin the decline of the BBF regime. Soon, Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish nationalists began to protest their marginalization, and many also began to protests in the streets. While initial protests were put down brutally, they grew and grew until the government couldn't quite hold them. Internally, there was also tension leading the decline. The military grew frustrated with Steed's inept handling of both the Indochina conflict and the current South Africa conflict, and older BBF bureaucrats and politicians were attempting to fight the ubiquitous influence of the Diogenes-SIS apparatus over the government, which they felt turned away from the founding principles of the fascists. They slowly plotted as the domestic situation continued to collapse. Riots broke out in London, Birmingham, Glosgow, and many other British cities. These revolts grew larger and larger, forcing the US to send some of their own Minutemen to help control these revolts. Eventually, when Steed made remarks indicating he was ready to negotiate with key rebel leaders, the plotters made their move, locking down the Palace of Westminster and arresting Steed and key members of the Diogenes Club (including the current "M", Richard S. Holmes). When the Royal Family tried to protest, they were placed under house arrest, the coupsters unwilling to alienate the populace by killing them.
[7] Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, who had led the coupsters, immediately tried to limit the power of the Diogenes Club over the state institutions, and tried to crackdown as much as he could on the rebellions. However, the situation had gone beyond saving at this point. The Diogenes Club was not ready to give up its power, and Lethbridge-Stewart was forced to essentially ban the organization, and purge its members. However, many of those members ran the economic and policing institutions and their BBF/Military replacements proved inadequate for dealing with the growing problems. Police were unable to deal with the growing rioting crowds, especially when the American Minutemen were recalled back to fight incursions in their own nation. Meanwhile, Diogenes members either went to the various rebel/Nationalist groups to offer their talents, or were using their remaining influence to hamper the rival government, which exuberated the situation. With the US falling into Civil War, removing its military presence from the islands, Lethbridge-Stewart recalled forces from South Africa, and the remaining British colonies, and tried to control the situation. However, the many of the returning soldiers (and indeed, many of the home front soldiers) were dissatisfied with the conditions, either disillusioned by their service, or loyal to their homeland, resulting in their defections. The fall of the Corpo regime in the US was succeeded by the Scottish Declaration of Independence 1988, which jumpstarted the British Civil War. Lethbridge-Stewart spent the early 1990's attempting to reunify the United Kingdom, but Wales and Scotland had gotten a sufficient government and military structure from the defectors. Unable to gain any ground, Lethbridge-Stewart ultimately committed suicide.
[8] The first non-SIS/Military leader of Britain since Sidcup, Collier was one of the few bureaucrats left, put up to the job by whatever BBF leadership remained. While he had hoped to use his position to reunify and redemocratize Great Britain, conditions proved that impossible, and he was forced to continue leading the rump UK government in war with the nationalists. Still, with the fighting continuing into the 21st Century, he was now committed to stopping the conflict. He began back-channel talks with the USSR and the US to mediate a settlement and also began to make small negotiations with the other forces. This culminated in the ceasefire in 2004, and the Summit of 2005, where the leaders of each side came to negotiate the borders of the new states. In November of 2006, (with the help of US President Josiah Barlett and his diplomatic staff), the English Civil War came to a formal end. The rump BBF government was reformed into the English Commonwealth, with the BBF outlawed, and former Steed associate Emma Peel as its leader. Scotland and Wales were given diplomatic recognition from the new EC government (both were already recognized by most other nations, including the US), and Northern Ireland was reunified with rest of Ireland.
-------------------------------
So, no footnotes or defeated tickets for the successor states, mainly because a.) this was a bit long already, and b.) I couldn't find that many fictional peoples of those nationalities that would fit the bill.
Wait, MARTIAN Liberal? Is this some amusing play on words with Martial, or has the War of the Worlds led to a counteroffensive with the Empire going offworld?
May I suggest "Government" National as a possible alternative to the somewhat clumsy "National National". Unless it's for the meme in which case I did find it funny.
War of the Unian Succesion - Recent Presidents of the United States
2132-2140 Johanna LeMay - Neoliberal Party
Most recent woman president, lead the Neoliberals in a shift to the left which eventually proved too much for the coalition that got her elected, with a swing back to Autarky in the 2140 elections.
2140-2148 Abraham Martins - Autarky Party
Jewish Palestinian president, first non-Christian and non-Atheist president. Presided over the main phase of the War of the Unian Succession. Left-leaning for an Autark, he was considered the unofficial leader of the Progressive Platform during the war. However, he pleased the right side of his base when he took credit for the Second Republic of the United Nations' constitution granting much more autonomy to member nations.
2148-2152 Kim Jong-il - Autarky Party
A member of the Kim dynasty that practically runs the Korean Autark-Juche Party, and named after one of his ancestors. Rode historic postwar popularity of the Autarks to the white house, but his policies were still further to the right than his predecessor. His weakening of People's Capitalist democratic institutions alienated the silent majority, and he was a one-term president.
2152- Donald Wilson - Neoliberal Party
A centrist, Donald Wilson is a Neoliberal "originalist", and is trying to bring the Neoliberals back to their core values of open markets and globalism. This has meant an abandoning of the party by a certain percentage of leftists, who had made their home in the party while it was the left-wing opposition to the Autarks. He has managed to maintain reasonable bipartisan support, however, and has passed a good amount of legislation through even the Autark-controlled Senate.
2132-2140 Johanna LeMay - Neoliberal Party
Most recent woman president, lead the Neoliberals in a shift to the left which eventually proved too much for the coalition that got her elected, with a swing back to Autarky in the 2140 elections.
2140-2148 Abraham Martins - Autarky Party
Jewish Palestinian president, first non-Christian and non-Atheist president. Presided over the main phase of the War of the Unian Succession. Left-leaning for an Autark, he was considered the unofficial leader of the Progressive Platform during the war. However, he pleased the right side of his base when he took credit for the Second Republic of the United Nations' constitution granting much more autonomy to member nations.
2148-2152 Kim Jong-il - Autarky Party
A member of the Kim dynasty that practically runs the Korean Autark-Juche Party, and named after one of his ancestors. Rode historic postwar popularity of the Autarks to the white house, but his policies were still further to the right than his predecessor. His weakening of People's Capitalist democratic institutions alienated the silent majority, and he was a one-term president.
2152- Donald Wilson - Neoliberal Party
A centrist, Donald Wilson is a Neoliberal "originalist", and is trying to bring the Neoliberals back to their core values of open markets and globalism. This has meant an abandoning of the party by a certain percentage of leftists, who had made their home in the party while it was the left-wing opposition to the Autarks. He has managed to maintain reasonable bipartisan support, however, and has passed a good amount of legislation through even the Autark-controlled Senate.
Decided to continue the list of the Celtic Federation to the present day. Sorry for no footnotes.
Plus, the Brittany ones were fairly hard to find, TBH.
Presidents of the United Federation of Celtic Nations (1946 Constitution)
John Buchan (Federalist) 1945-1947 [1945-1946 informally]
William Norton (Labour) 1947-1952 - Ireland
1947: def. Richard Mulcahy (Federalist), Sean T. O'Kelly (Teaghlach na Gaeilge), Basil Brooke (Ulster Values)
Malcolm MacDonald (Labour) 1952-1957 - Scotland
1952: def. Alec Douglas-Home (Federalist), Archibald Sinclair (Democratic), Robert McIntyre (Scots Pairtie)
Gwilym Lloyd George (Independent) 1957-1962 - Wales
1957: def. Aneurin Bevan (Labour), Clement Davies (Democratic)
André Colin (Federalist) 1962-1967 - Brittany
1962: def. René Pleven (Labour)
Liam Cosgrave (Federalist) 1967-1972 - Ireland
1967: def. Brendan Corish (Labour), Sean Lemass (Teaghlach na Gaeilge - Independence Alliance), William Craig (Ulster Values)
William Whitelaw (Federalist) 1972-1977 - Scotland
1972: def. Willie Ross (Labour), Jo Grimond (Democratic), William Wolfe (Scots Pairtie - Independence Alliance)
Roy Jenkins (Labour) 1977-1982 - Wales
1977: def. Geoffrey Howe (Federalist), Emlyn Hooson (Democratic), Gwynfor Evans (Mudiad Cymreig - Independence Alliance)
Michel Rocard (Labour) 1982-1987 - Brittany
1982: def. Yves Guéna (Federalist), Eugène Bérest (Democratic), Erwan Evenou (Strollad Breizh - Independence Alliance)
Garret FitzGerald (Federalist) 1987-1992 - Ireland
1987: def. Gerry Fitt (Labour), Desmond O'Malley (Democratic), Ian Paisley (Protestant League), Charles Haughey (Teaghlach na Gaeilge - Independence Alliance), Brian Faulkner (Ulster Values), Tomás Mac Giolla (Sinn Féin - write-in)
John Smith (Labour) 1992-1995 - Scotland
1992: def. Malcolm Rifkind (Federalist), Robert Maclennan (Democratic), Gordon Wilson (Scots Pairtie - Independence Alliance)
Position vacant due to Smith's death: 1995-1997 (Gordon Brown (Labour) as Vice-President of Scotland was considered de facto President)
Neil Kinnock (Labour) 1997-2002 - Wales
1997: def. Michael Heseltine (Federalist), Michael German (Democratic), Dafydd Elis-Thomas (Mudiad Cymreig - Independence Alliance)
Marie-Françoise Clergeau (Labour) 2002-2007 - Brittany
2002: def. Pierre Hériaud (Federalist), Annick Girardin (Democratic), Hervé Le Guen (Strollad Breizh - Independence Alliance), Jean-Marie Le Pen (People's)
Enda Kenny (Federalist) 2007-2012 - Ireland
2007: def. Ruairi Quinn (Labour), Mary Harney (Democratic), Bertie Ahern (Teaghlach na Gaeilge - Independence Alliance), Áine Ní Chonaill (People's), John Gormey (Green), Ian Paisley, Jr. (Protestant League)
Annabel Goldie (Federalist) 2012-2017 - Scotland
2012: def. Gordon Brown (Labour), Tavish Scott (Democratic), Patrick Harvie (Green), John Swinney (Scots Pairtie - Independence Alliance), David Coburn (People's)
2017 - Wales: Alun Cairns (Federalist), Huw Irranca-Davies (Labour), Kirsty Williams (Democratic), Molly Scott Cato (Green), Elin Jones (Mudiad Cymreig - Independence Alliance), Neil Hamilton (People's)
2022 - Brittany: Nominations are undecided this early, however Benoît Hamon (Labour) and Marine Le Pen (People's) are major names being talked up...
Plus, the Brittany ones were fairly hard to find, TBH.
Presidents of the United Federation of Celtic Nations (1946 Constitution)
John Buchan (Federalist) 1945-1947 [1945-1946 informally]
William Norton (Labour) 1947-1952 - Ireland
1947: def. Richard Mulcahy (Federalist), Sean T. O'Kelly (Teaghlach na Gaeilge), Basil Brooke (Ulster Values)
Malcolm MacDonald (Labour) 1952-1957 - Scotland
1952: def. Alec Douglas-Home (Federalist), Archibald Sinclair (Democratic), Robert McIntyre (Scots Pairtie)
Gwilym Lloyd George (Independent) 1957-1962 - Wales
1957: def. Aneurin Bevan (Labour), Clement Davies (Democratic)
André Colin (Federalist) 1962-1967 - Brittany
1962: def. René Pleven (Labour)
Liam Cosgrave (Federalist) 1967-1972 - Ireland
1967: def. Brendan Corish (Labour), Sean Lemass (Teaghlach na Gaeilge - Independence Alliance), William Craig (Ulster Values)
William Whitelaw (Federalist) 1972-1977 - Scotland
1972: def. Willie Ross (Labour), Jo Grimond (Democratic), William Wolfe (Scots Pairtie - Independence Alliance)
Roy Jenkins (Labour) 1977-1982 - Wales
1977: def. Geoffrey Howe (Federalist), Emlyn Hooson (Democratic), Gwynfor Evans (Mudiad Cymreig - Independence Alliance)
Michel Rocard (Labour) 1982-1987 - Brittany
1982: def. Yves Guéna (Federalist), Eugène Bérest (Democratic), Erwan Evenou (Strollad Breizh - Independence Alliance)
Garret FitzGerald (Federalist) 1987-1992 - Ireland
1987: def. Gerry Fitt (Labour), Desmond O'Malley (Democratic), Ian Paisley (Protestant League), Charles Haughey (Teaghlach na Gaeilge - Independence Alliance), Brian Faulkner (Ulster Values), Tomás Mac Giolla (Sinn Féin - write-in)
John Smith (Labour) 1992-1995 - Scotland
1992: def. Malcolm Rifkind (Federalist), Robert Maclennan (Democratic), Gordon Wilson (Scots Pairtie - Independence Alliance)
Position vacant due to Smith's death: 1995-1997 (Gordon Brown (Labour) as Vice-President of Scotland was considered de facto President)
Neil Kinnock (Labour) 1997-2002 - Wales
1997: def. Michael Heseltine (Federalist), Michael German (Democratic), Dafydd Elis-Thomas (Mudiad Cymreig - Independence Alliance)
Marie-Françoise Clergeau (Labour) 2002-2007 - Brittany
2002: def. Pierre Hériaud (Federalist), Annick Girardin (Democratic), Hervé Le Guen (Strollad Breizh - Independence Alliance), Jean-Marie Le Pen (People's)
Enda Kenny (Federalist) 2007-2012 - Ireland
2007: def. Ruairi Quinn (Labour), Mary Harney (Democratic), Bertie Ahern (Teaghlach na Gaeilge - Independence Alliance), Áine Ní Chonaill (People's), John Gormey (Green), Ian Paisley, Jr. (Protestant League)
Annabel Goldie (Federalist) 2012-2017 - Scotland
2012: def. Gordon Brown (Labour), Tavish Scott (Democratic), Patrick Harvie (Green), John Swinney (Scots Pairtie - Independence Alliance), David Coburn (People's)
2017 - Wales: Alun Cairns (Federalist), Huw Irranca-Davies (Labour), Kirsty Williams (Democratic), Molly Scott Cato (Green), Elin Jones (Mudiad Cymreig - Independence Alliance), Neil Hamilton (People's)
2022 - Brittany: Nominations are undecided this early, however Benoît Hamon (Labour) and Marine Le Pen (People's) are major names being talked up...
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What was/or is the "War of the Unian Succession" about? Normally, I would understand it as a war about the succession to the throne of the Duchy/Kingdom/Empire of Unia, but here... and how can Kim Jong-il "jr." become president (this is POTUSes, right?)?
I have an infobox series about it, but basically: in this retrofuturistic universe, Unian is the demonym for the United Nations. The War was over the legitimacy of the Secretary-General, who took power in a coup. Kim here was born in an American territory - Korea became a US trust territory in this universe, and eventually was further integrated into the US. The Kims became a local political dynasty.
Where is the infobox series available? Is it the first link in your siggy?
Also: Are you the only one who should/is allowed to contribute a fully fledged ideology description in the second thread linked to in your signature? Or could I or other people also make an ideological description there?
Just look it up on the wikiboxes thread. The Repository is open to anyone.
Inverting the parties' control over the White House (1953-2017):
(1953-1961) - Adlai Stevenson / John Sparkman (Democratic)
def. 1952: Robert A. Taft / Douglas McArthur (Republican)
def. 1956: Earl Warren / Richard Nixon (Repulican)
(1961-1963) - Richard Nixon / Nelson Rockefeller (Republican)
def. John F. Kennedy / Lyndon B. Johnson (Democratic)
(1963) - Nelson Rockefeller / vacant (Republican)
(1963-1969) - Nelson Rockefeller / Earl Warren (Republican)
def. George Wallace / Storm Thurmond (Democratic)
(1969-1974) - Hubert Humphrey / George McGovern (Democratic)
def. 1968: George W. Romney / Spiro Agnew (Republican)
def. 1972: Barry Goldwater / Ronald Reagan (Republican)
(1974) - George McGovern / vacant (Democratic)
(1974-1977) - George McGovern / Henry M. Jackson (Democratic)
(1977-1981) - Ronald Reagan / Jack Kemp (Republican)
def. Jimmy Carter / Walter Mondale (Democratic)
(1981-1989) - Walter Mondale / Ron Dellums (Democratic)
def. 1980: Ronald Reagan / Jack Kemp (Republican)
def. 1984: John B. Anderson / Howard Baker (Republican)
(1989-1993) - Ron Dellums / Bill Clinton (Democratic)
def. George H. W. Bush / Bob Dole (Republican)
(1993-2001) - Donald Rumsfeld / Alexander Haig (Republican)
def. 1992: Ron Dellums / Bill Clinton (Democratic), H. Ross Perot / James Stockdale (Independent)
def. 1996: Bill Clinton / Jerry Brown (Democratic), H. Ross Perot / Al Gore (Reform)
(2001-2009) - Bill Bradley / Howard Dean (Democratic)
def. 2000: Bob Smith / Dick Cheney (Republican)
def. 2004: Ron Paul / Mike Huckabee (Republican)
(2009-2017) - John McCain / Mitt Romney (Republican)
def. 2008: Howard Dean / Hillary Clinton (Democratic)
def. 2012: Martin O'Malley / Joe Biden (Democratic)
(2017-) - Bill Gates / Bernie Sanders (Democratic)
def. Ted Cruz / Marco Rubio (Republican)
(1953-1961) - Adlai Stevenson / John Sparkman (Democratic)
def. 1952: Robert A. Taft / Douglas McArthur (Republican)
def. 1956: Earl Warren / Richard Nixon (Repulican)
(1961-1963) - Richard Nixon / Nelson Rockefeller (Republican)
def. John F. Kennedy / Lyndon B. Johnson (Democratic)
(1963) - Nelson Rockefeller / vacant (Republican)
(1963-1969) - Nelson Rockefeller / Earl Warren (Republican)
def. George Wallace / Storm Thurmond (Democratic)
(1969-1974) - Hubert Humphrey / George McGovern (Democratic)
def. 1968: George W. Romney / Spiro Agnew (Republican)
def. 1972: Barry Goldwater / Ronald Reagan (Republican)
(1974) - George McGovern / vacant (Democratic)
(1974-1977) - George McGovern / Henry M. Jackson (Democratic)
(1977-1981) - Ronald Reagan / Jack Kemp (Republican)
def. Jimmy Carter / Walter Mondale (Democratic)
(1981-1989) - Walter Mondale / Ron Dellums (Democratic)
def. 1980: Ronald Reagan / Jack Kemp (Republican)
def. 1984: John B. Anderson / Howard Baker (Republican)
(1989-1993) - Ron Dellums / Bill Clinton (Democratic)
def. George H. W. Bush / Bob Dole (Republican)
(1993-2001) - Donald Rumsfeld / Alexander Haig (Republican)
def. 1992: Ron Dellums / Bill Clinton (Democratic), H. Ross Perot / James Stockdale (Independent)
def. 1996: Bill Clinton / Jerry Brown (Democratic), H. Ross Perot / Al Gore (Reform)
(2001-2009) - Bill Bradley / Howard Dean (Democratic)
def. 2000: Bob Smith / Dick Cheney (Republican)
def. 2004: Ron Paul / Mike Huckabee (Republican)
(2009-2017) - John McCain / Mitt Romney (Republican)
def. 2008: Howard Dean / Hillary Clinton (Democratic)
def. 2012: Martin O'Malley / Joe Biden (Democratic)
(2017-) - Bill Gates / Bernie Sanders (Democratic)
def. Ted Cruz / Marco Rubio (Republican)
Uhura's Mazda
Banned
...And Now Social Democracy
List of Prime Ministers of New Zealand
1981-1984: Robert Muldoon (National with C&S from Social Credit)
1981 def: Bill Rowling (Labour), Bruce Beetham (Social Credit)
1984-1988: David Lange (Labour)
1984 def: Robert Muldoon (National), Bruce Beetham (Social Credit)
1987 def: Jim Bolger (National), Les Hunter (Democrats)
1988-1990: Jim Anderton (Labour)
1990-1992: Jim Bolger (National)
1990 def: Jim Anderton (Labour), Les Hunter (Democrats)
1992-1993: Winston Peters (National)
1993-1996: Annette King (Labour-Democrats coalition)
1993 def: Winston Peters (National), Terry Heffernan (Democrats)
1996-2008: Maurice Williamson (National)
1996 def: Annette King (Labour), Terry Heffernan (Democrats)
Bruce Beetham
Beetham had swept to the leadership of Social Credit in 1972, as part of a wave of young, liberal activists washing over the old factions (Orthodox Creditists, social conservatives, anti-Semites, etc.). He had been a breath of fresh air in New Zealand politics, and despite pursuing a long-term strategy of replacing Labour, his greatest success came in the rural National electorate of Rangitikei, which he first won in a by-election in 1978. By 1981, though, the novelty was beginning to wear off. He was getting increasingly involved in debilitating arguments about what Social Credit actually was, and despite polling 31% in 1980, only the seats of Rangitikei, East Coast Bays and Bay of Islands were won in 1981. The magic touch wore off even more when it became apparent that these results had created a Hung Parliament, in which Beetham would actually be forced to use the 'Balance of Responsibility' which he had always dreamed of exerting. In the end, he (and his caucus: centrist liberal Gary Knapp and centre-left economic guru Les Hunter) resolved to support Muldoon from afar. The weakened National Party in fact walked all over Social Credit, apart from the occasion of the vote on the Clyde Dam, in which Beetham's party forced the Government to build a low dam instead of a high one. It was not a resounding victory, and in 1984 the Socreds lost over half of their vote despite holding on to the seats of Knapp and Hunter and gaining Pakuranga, but not that of Beetham. They were attacked from the Right by the emergence of Bob Jones' NZ Party, and from the Left by the genuinely charismatic David Lange, killing any chance they had of fulfilling Beetham's dream of replacing Labour.
Les Hunter
Hunter was of the same generation as Beetham, and served as his economic expert (for a very broad definition of 'expert') right up 1984. At this point, he realised that replacing Labour was a doomed endeavour while the trade unions were still wedded to their standard-bearers, and in the Annual Conference he challenged Beetham with a daring plan to target the rural vote with environment-centred messaging and cheap credit for farmers. He was supported in this by his fellow MP, Garry Knapp, largely because Knapp had a personal dislike of Beetham. The delegates were convinced, and Beetham was sent on his way, going on to stand in Rangitikei for various parties until his death. The 1985 Conference also approved a name-change to the 'NZ Democratic Party' so that they would no longer have to answer difficult questions about Social Credit. Hunter was the only person who could deal with these questions with any confidence, and even then, he would routinely mystify anyone foolish enough to ask him.
The 1987 election was a terrible time for third parties compared to the last few elections: people often forget that there was a time when fewer than 90% of the electorate went with either Labour or National. Recognising this in the polls, Hunter arranged an electoral alliance with the Values Party - an alliance that ended up in a full merger in 1988 and probably saved the Democrats' bacon. The other saving factor was the retention of Knapp's East Coast Bays seat and the gain of Wanganui with perennial candidate Terry Heffernan (although both Neil Morrison in Pakuranga, and Les Hunter himself, were unseated). Hunter held on to the leadership despite being out of Parliament, and made quite a name for himself in so doing - he publicly backed Jim Anderton's putsch against David Lange, which gained headlines as the media caught up to the fact that the Democrats were, at that moment, economically to the left of Labour.
Anderton won the Labour leadership, but was not able to reverse the economic reforms that had already been undertaken, and his efforts resulted only in the flattening of the economic boom of the 1980s and the nose-dive in Labour's popularity. The main beneficiary was National, but the Democrats took their own reward, with 9% of the vote going their way. Other parties, such as Mana Motuhake and Beetham's 'Continuity Social Credit', flopped. However, the targetting strategy of the Beetham years had now rather fallen by the wayside, meaning that the only gain was Hunter re-entering Parliament on behalf of the hippies of the Coromandel. Fatigue among the members, along with Hunter's lack of personal charisma and tendency to go off on meandering rants about monetary reform, ejected him from the leadership.
Terry Heffernan
The new leader was Terry Heffernan, a centre-right liberal with a frightening ability to remember incriminating details, who had turned Wanganui into his own personal fiefdom. He generally moved the Democrats to the right socially, and despite his lack of concern for environmental matters, his economic nationalism satisfied the former Values members for the time being. His big chance came in 1993, when for the second time in a generation, the statistically unlikely result of a Hung Parliament eventuated - National had squandered a large majority by infighting over the extent to which Finance Minister Winston Peters would be allowed to buy back privatised land and assets. Eventually, Peters challenged Jim Bolger in caucus and won, but at the cost of the election (in which National admittedly won both the popular vote and 49 seats). Heffernan, naturally, preferred to support Peters, but this was vetoed by the only other Democrat MP, Les Hunter, who was a vocal supporter of Annette King. This was effectively the end of the Party, as for the next three years both MPs toed the Labour line on all matters while two internal factions within their party slowly tore each other to shreds.
In the end, neither the Hunterites nor the Heffernanites won out: both figures lost their seats in the 1996 National landslide, with the only Democrat elected being Frank Grover, an anti-abortion activist and staunch Heffernanite, in Hobson. Both Grover and Jeanette Fitzsimons (a Hunter protege) challenged Heffernan for the leadership at the next Conference. Fitzsimons won on Heffernanite second preferences due to Grover's perceived disloyalty - and Grover proved them right by defecting to Bruce Beetham's Christian Heritage Party the following day.
That was really the end of the Democrats, and of third parties in general in NZ: Fitzsimons came second in Coromandel in 1999, Laila Harré equalled her in Titirangi in 2002, and the only other third party results of significance are the distressingly good Christian Heritage tallies in East Coast Bays over the last few elections.
Perhaps New Zealand just isn't large enough to support more than two parties.
List of Prime Ministers of New Zealand
1981-1984: Robert Muldoon (National with C&S from Social Credit)
1981 def: Bill Rowling (Labour), Bruce Beetham (Social Credit)
1984-1988: David Lange (Labour)
1984 def: Robert Muldoon (National), Bruce Beetham (Social Credit)
1987 def: Jim Bolger (National), Les Hunter (Democrats)
1988-1990: Jim Anderton (Labour)
1990-1992: Jim Bolger (National)
1990 def: Jim Anderton (Labour), Les Hunter (Democrats)
1992-1993: Winston Peters (National)
1993-1996: Annette King (Labour-Democrats coalition)
1993 def: Winston Peters (National), Terry Heffernan (Democrats)
1996-2008: Maurice Williamson (National)
1996 def: Annette King (Labour), Terry Heffernan (Democrats)
Bruce Beetham
Beetham had swept to the leadership of Social Credit in 1972, as part of a wave of young, liberal activists washing over the old factions (Orthodox Creditists, social conservatives, anti-Semites, etc.). He had been a breath of fresh air in New Zealand politics, and despite pursuing a long-term strategy of replacing Labour, his greatest success came in the rural National electorate of Rangitikei, which he first won in a by-election in 1978. By 1981, though, the novelty was beginning to wear off. He was getting increasingly involved in debilitating arguments about what Social Credit actually was, and despite polling 31% in 1980, only the seats of Rangitikei, East Coast Bays and Bay of Islands were won in 1981. The magic touch wore off even more when it became apparent that these results had created a Hung Parliament, in which Beetham would actually be forced to use the 'Balance of Responsibility' which he had always dreamed of exerting. In the end, he (and his caucus: centrist liberal Gary Knapp and centre-left economic guru Les Hunter) resolved to support Muldoon from afar. The weakened National Party in fact walked all over Social Credit, apart from the occasion of the vote on the Clyde Dam, in which Beetham's party forced the Government to build a low dam instead of a high one. It was not a resounding victory, and in 1984 the Socreds lost over half of their vote despite holding on to the seats of Knapp and Hunter and gaining Pakuranga, but not that of Beetham. They were attacked from the Right by the emergence of Bob Jones' NZ Party, and from the Left by the genuinely charismatic David Lange, killing any chance they had of fulfilling Beetham's dream of replacing Labour.
Les Hunter
Hunter was of the same generation as Beetham, and served as his economic expert (for a very broad definition of 'expert') right up 1984. At this point, he realised that replacing Labour was a doomed endeavour while the trade unions were still wedded to their standard-bearers, and in the Annual Conference he challenged Beetham with a daring plan to target the rural vote with environment-centred messaging and cheap credit for farmers. He was supported in this by his fellow MP, Garry Knapp, largely because Knapp had a personal dislike of Beetham. The delegates were convinced, and Beetham was sent on his way, going on to stand in Rangitikei for various parties until his death. The 1985 Conference also approved a name-change to the 'NZ Democratic Party' so that they would no longer have to answer difficult questions about Social Credit. Hunter was the only person who could deal with these questions with any confidence, and even then, he would routinely mystify anyone foolish enough to ask him.
The 1987 election was a terrible time for third parties compared to the last few elections: people often forget that there was a time when fewer than 90% of the electorate went with either Labour or National. Recognising this in the polls, Hunter arranged an electoral alliance with the Values Party - an alliance that ended up in a full merger in 1988 and probably saved the Democrats' bacon. The other saving factor was the retention of Knapp's East Coast Bays seat and the gain of Wanganui with perennial candidate Terry Heffernan (although both Neil Morrison in Pakuranga, and Les Hunter himself, were unseated). Hunter held on to the leadership despite being out of Parliament, and made quite a name for himself in so doing - he publicly backed Jim Anderton's putsch against David Lange, which gained headlines as the media caught up to the fact that the Democrats were, at that moment, economically to the left of Labour.
Anderton won the Labour leadership, but was not able to reverse the economic reforms that had already been undertaken, and his efforts resulted only in the flattening of the economic boom of the 1980s and the nose-dive in Labour's popularity. The main beneficiary was National, but the Democrats took their own reward, with 9% of the vote going their way. Other parties, such as Mana Motuhake and Beetham's 'Continuity Social Credit', flopped. However, the targetting strategy of the Beetham years had now rather fallen by the wayside, meaning that the only gain was Hunter re-entering Parliament on behalf of the hippies of the Coromandel. Fatigue among the members, along with Hunter's lack of personal charisma and tendency to go off on meandering rants about monetary reform, ejected him from the leadership.
Terry Heffernan
The new leader was Terry Heffernan, a centre-right liberal with a frightening ability to remember incriminating details, who had turned Wanganui into his own personal fiefdom. He generally moved the Democrats to the right socially, and despite his lack of concern for environmental matters, his economic nationalism satisfied the former Values members for the time being. His big chance came in 1993, when for the second time in a generation, the statistically unlikely result of a Hung Parliament eventuated - National had squandered a large majority by infighting over the extent to which Finance Minister Winston Peters would be allowed to buy back privatised land and assets. Eventually, Peters challenged Jim Bolger in caucus and won, but at the cost of the election (in which National admittedly won both the popular vote and 49 seats). Heffernan, naturally, preferred to support Peters, but this was vetoed by the only other Democrat MP, Les Hunter, who was a vocal supporter of Annette King. This was effectively the end of the Party, as for the next three years both MPs toed the Labour line on all matters while two internal factions within their party slowly tore each other to shreds.
In the end, neither the Hunterites nor the Heffernanites won out: both figures lost their seats in the 1996 National landslide, with the only Democrat elected being Frank Grover, an anti-abortion activist and staunch Heffernanite, in Hobson. Both Grover and Jeanette Fitzsimons (a Hunter protege) challenged Heffernan for the leadership at the next Conference. Fitzsimons won on Heffernanite second preferences due to Grover's perceived disloyalty - and Grover proved them right by defecting to Bruce Beetham's Christian Heritage Party the following day.
That was really the end of the Democrats, and of third parties in general in NZ: Fitzsimons came second in Coromandel in 1999, Laila Harré equalled her in Titirangi in 2002, and the only other third party results of significance are the distressingly good Christian Heritage tallies in East Coast Bays over the last few elections.
Perhaps New Zealand just isn't large enough to support more than two parties.
- Status