List of U.K. Prime Ministers 1945-2020

Maeglin · Apr 28, 2017

THE LADY DOESN'T TURN;

1979: James Callaghan (Labour Minority with Liberal Confidence and Supply) [1]
1981: Denis Healey [2]

1- With the public unsure of the radical monetarist policies of opposition leader Margaret Tahtcher, whose largely raw image is unappealing to many voters, and many right wing voters being sucked to the National Front, James Callaghan narrowly won re-election to the prmeierhsip as leader of a Minority Government with Liberal support. With oil revenues rushing into the Treasury and the economic troubles of the 1970s seeming on the cusp of resolution things seemed secure for Sunny Jim...
2- Callaghan retires, and gets his desired successor.

Premier Taylerov · Apr 28, 2017

THE LADY DOESN'T TURN
What if Callaghan holds on in 1979?

1979: James Callaghan (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [1]
1981: Denis Healey (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [2]
1983: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative minority) [3]

[1] With the public unsure of the radical monetarist policies of opposition leader Margaret Thatcher, whose largely raw image is unappealing to many voters (and many right wing voters being sucked to the National Front), James Callaghan narrowly won re-election to the premiership as leader of a minority government with Liberal support. With oil revenues rushing into the Treasury and the economic troubles of the 1970s seeming on the cusp of resolution things seemed secure for Sunny Jim...
[2] Callaghan retires, and gets his desired successor. It was a Labour government with a very different feel to that of Callaghan; Europe and nuclear disarmament became major issues, as well as the ongoing squabbles on the reform of the trade unions, and the Liberals became increasingly belligerent in their demands for changes to the voting system. Healey, quick to turn a phrase, revived modest Labour support in Middle England but increasingly alienated support in the North and Scotland.
[3] The Liberals became increasingly concerned that Healey was attempting to capture areas of their vote, and in 1983 they pulled the plug from their support deal. Healey went into the election feeling confident of at least a narrow majority, but instead suffered a shock defeat to Thatcher. Having hung on through her embattled leadership, the Conservative victory was dampened by lacking the necessary seats for a majority. Furthermore the Liberals refused to pledge their support to her government, hoping to consolidate their modest gains into an independent 'neutral' bloc in Parliament.

Techdread · Apr 28, 2017

THE LADY DOESN'T TURN
What if Callaghan holds on in 1979?

1979: James Callaghan (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [1]
1981: Denis Healey (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [2]
1983: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative minority) [3]
1985: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative majority) [4]

[1] With the public unsure of the radical monetarist policies of opposition leader Margaret Thatcher, whose largely raw image is unappealing to many voters (and many right wing voters being sucked to the National Front), James Callaghan narrowly won re-election to the premiership as leader of a minority government with Liberal support. With oil revenues rushing into the Treasury and the economic troubles of the 1970s seeming on the cusp of resolution things seemed secure for Sunny Jim...
[2] Callaghan retires, and gets his desired successor. It was a Labour government with a very different feel to that of Callaghan; Europe and nuclear disarmament became major issues, as well as the ongoing squabbles on the reform of the trade unions, and the Liberals became increasingly belligerent in their demands for changes to the voting system. Healey, quick to turn a phrase, revived modest Labour support in Middle England but increasingly alienated support in the North and Scotland.
[3] The Liberals became increasingly concerned that Healey was attempting to capture areas of their vote, and in 1983 they pulled the plug from their support deal. Healey went into the election feeling confident of at least a narrow majority, but instead suffered a shock defeat to Thatcher. Having hung on through her embattled leadership, the Conservative victory was dampened by lacking the necessary seats for a majority. Furthermore the Liberals refused to pledge their support to her government, hoping to consolidate their modest gains into an independent 'neutral' bloc in Parliament.
[4] The First Thatcher ministry hobbled on for a little over fourteen months, relying on support from the Northern Irish parties that once taken the Conservative whip in the Commons to pass any kind of legislation. Whilst unable to fully implement her monetarist economic policies as planned, government spending had been cut compared with the Wilson, Callaghan, and Healey years. Sensing an opportunity, with the Tories' place in opinion polls ahead of both Healey's Labour and the re-energised Liberal Party, Thatcher took the nation back to the ballot box to seek her own mandate. Whilst she would find herself returned to No. 10 with a narrow majority, it was the surprising upset of Labour losses and Liberal gains that made much of the press & news coverage in the succeeding days & weeks.

Maeglin · May 2, 2017

THE LADY DOESN'T TURN
What if Callaghan holds on in 1979

1979: James Callaghan (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [1]

1981: Denis Healey (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [2]
1983: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative minority) [3]
1985: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative majority) [4]
1986: Geoffrey Howe (Conservative majority) [5]

[1] With the public unsure of the radical monetarist policies of opposition leader Margaret Thatcher, whose largely raw image is unappealing to many voters (and many right wing voters being sucked to the National Front), James Callaghan narrowly won re-election to the premiership as leader of a minority government with Liberal support. With oil revenues rushing into the Treasury and the economic troubles of the 1970s seeming on the cusp of resolution things seemed secure for Sunny Jim...
[2] Callaghan retires, and gets his desired successor. It was a Labour government with a very different feel to that of Callaghan; Europe and nuclear disarmament became major issues, as well as the ongoing squabbles on the reform of the trade unions, and the Liberals became increasingly belligerent in their demands for changes to the voting system. Healey, quick to turn a phrase, revived modest Labour support in Middle England but increasingly alienated support in the North and Scotland.
[3] The Liberals became increasingly concerned that Healey was attempting to capture areas of their vote, and in 1983 they pulled the plug from their support deal. Healey went into the election feeling confident of at least a narrow majority, but instead suffered a shock defeat to Thatcher. Having hung on through her embattled leadership, the Conservative victory was dampened by lacking the necessary seats for a majority. Furthermore the Liberals refused to pledge their support to her government, hoping to consolidate their modest gains into an independent 'neutral' bloc in Parliament.
[4] The First Thatcher ministry hobbled on for a little over fourteen months, relying on support from the Northern Irish parties that once taken the Conservative whip in the Commons to pass any kind of legislation. Whilst unable to fully implement her monetarist economic policies as planned, government spending had been cut compared with the Wilson, Callaghan, and Healey years. Sensing an opportunity, with the Tories' place in opinion polls ahead of both Healey's Labour and the re-energised Liberal Party, Thatcher took the nation back to the ballot box to seek her own mandate. Whilst she would find herself returned to No. 10 with a narrow majority, it was the surprising upset of Labour losses and Liberal gains that made much of the press & news coverage in the succeeding days & weeks.
[5] Thatcher is forced to resign over the Westland Affair.

Premier Taylerov · May 2, 2017

THE LADY DOESN'T TURN
What if Callaghan holds on in 1979?

1979: James Callaghan (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [1]

1981: Denis Healey (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [2]
1983: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative minority) [3]
1985: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative majority) [4]
1986: Geoffrey Howe (Conservative majority) [5]
1988: Roy Hattersley (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [6]

[1] With the public unsure of the radical monetarist policies of opposition leader Margaret Thatcher, whose largely raw image is unappealing to many voters (and many right wing voters being sucked to the National Front), James Callaghan narrowly won re-election to the premiership as leader of a minority government with Liberal support. With oil revenues rushing into the Treasury and the economic troubles of the 1970s seeming on the cusp of resolution things seemed secure for Sunny Jim...
[2] Callaghan retires, and gets his desired successor. It was a Labour government with a very different feel to that of Callaghan; Europe and nuclear disarmament became major issues, as well as the ongoing squabbles on the reform of the trade unions, and the Liberals became increasingly belligerent in their demands for changes to the voting system. Healey, quick to turn a phrase, revived modest Labour support in Middle England but increasingly alienated support in the North and Scotland.
[3] The Liberals became increasingly concerned that Healey was attempting to capture areas of their vote, and in 1983 they pulled the plug from their support deal. Healey went into the election feeling confident of at least a narrow majority, but instead suffered a shock defeat to Thatcher. Having hung on through her embattled leadership, the Conservative victory was dampened by lacking the necessary seats for a majority. Furthermore the Liberals refused to pledge their support to her government, hoping to consolidate their modest gains into an independent 'neutral' bloc in Parliament.
[4] The First Thatcher ministry hobbled on for a little over fourteen months, relying on support from the Northern Irish parties that once taken the Conservative whip in the Commons to pass any kind of legislation. Whilst unable to fully implement her monetarist economic policies as planned, government spending had been cut compared with the Wilson, Callaghan, and Healey years. Sensing an opportunity, with the Tories' place in opinion polls ahead of both Healey's Labour and the re-energised Liberal Party, Thatcher took the nation back to the ballot box to seek her own mandate. Whilst she would find herself returned to No. 10 with a narrow majority, it was the surprising upset of Labour losses and Liberal gains that made much of the press & news coverage in the succeeding days & weeks.
[5] Thatcher is forced to resign over the Westland Affair.
[6] With the Conservative government in disarray, Howe pushed on through domestic unrest and a dramatic rise in both inflation and unemployment. Northern Ireland also continued to be a desperate issue. While personally a likeable figure, Howe began to lose the trust of the country. Citing backbench rebellions over Europe as an excuse, he called an election for 1988. The result was a hung parliament, with Roy Hattersley and Labour reviving their confidence-and-supply deal to evict Howe from Downing Street. The Liberal breakthrough that some had predicted simply did not materialize in the election, with the party losing roughly a third of MPs. This time, Hattersley permitted a referendum on AV (but it was handily defeated).

Cevolian · May 2, 2017

THE LADY DOESN'T TURN
What if Callaghan holds on in 1979?

1979: James Callaghan (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [1]
1981: Denis Healey (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [2]
1983: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative minority) [3]
1985: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative majority) [4]
1986: Geoffrey Howe (Conservative majority) [5]
1988: Roy Hattersley (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [6]
1989: Roy Hattersley (Labour majority) [7]

[1] With the public unsure of the radical monetarist policies of opposition leader Margaret Thatcher, whose largely raw image is unappealing to many voters (and many right wing voters being sucked to the National Front), James Callaghan narrowly won re-election to the premiership as leader of a minority government with Liberal support. With oil revenues rushing into the Treasury and the economic troubles of the 1970s seeming on the cusp of resolution things seemed secure for Sunny Jim...
[2] Callaghan retires, and gets his desired successor. It was a Labour government with a very different feel to that of Callaghan; Europe and nuclear disarmament became major issues, as well as the ongoing squabbles on the reform of the trade unions, and the Liberals became increasingly belligerent in their demands for changes to the voting system. Healey, quick to turn a phrase, revived modest Labour support in Middle England but increasingly alienated support in the North and Scotland.
[3] The Liberals became increasingly concerned that Healey was attempting to capture areas of their vote, and in 1983 they pulled the plug from their support deal. Healey went into the election feeling confident of at least a narrow majority, but instead suffered a shock defeat to Thatcher. Having hung on through her embattled leadership, the Conservative victory was dampened by lacking the necessary seats for a majority. Furthermore the Liberals refused to pledge their support to her government, hoping to consolidate their modest gains into an independent 'neutral' bloc in Parliament.
[4] The First Thatcher ministry hobbled on for a little over fourteen months, relying on support from the Northern Irish parties that once taken the Conservative whip in the Commons to pass any kind of legislation. Whilst unable to fully implement her monetarist economic policies as planned, government spending had been cut compared with the Wilson, Callaghan, and Healey years. Sensing an opportunity, with the Tories' place in opinion polls ahead of both Healey's Labour and the re-energised Liberal Party, Thatcher took the nation back to the ballot box to seek her own mandate. Whilst she would find herself returned to No. 10 with a narrow majority, it was the surprising upset of Labour losses and Liberal gains that made much of the press & news coverage in the succeeding days & weeks.
[5] Thatcher is forced to resign over the Westland Affair.
[6] With the Conservative government in disarray, Howe pushed on through domestic unrest and a dramatic rise in both inflation and unemployment. Northern Ireland also continued to be a desperate issue. While personally a likeable figure, Howe began to lose the trust of the country. Citing backbench rebellions over Europe as an excuse, he called an election for 1988. The result was a hung parliament, with Roy Hattersley and Labour reviving their confidence-and-supply deal to evict Howe from Downing Street. The Liberal breakthrough that some had predicted simply did not materialize in the election, with the party losing roughly a third of MPs. This time, Hattersley permitted a referendum on AV (but it was handily defeated).
[7] Fifteen years and seven elections after their 1974 return to power, the Labour Party won a majority and returned to government stably again. Hattersley set out to invest in what he called a "Sovereign Wealth Fund" using the reserves built up due to North Sea Oil, but faced increased challenge from the left of his party...

Maeglin · May 2, 2017

THE LADY DOESN'T TURN
What if Callaghan holds on in 1979?

1979: James Callaghan (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [1]
1981: Denis Healey (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [2]
1983: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative minority) [3]
1985: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative majority) [4]
1986: Geoffrey Howe (Conservative majority) [5]
1988: Roy Hattersley (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [6]
1989: Roy Hattersley (Labour majority) [7]
1993: Roy Hattersley (Labour majority) [8]

[1] With the public unsure of the radical monetarist policies of opposition leader Margaret Thatcher, whose largely raw image is unappealing to many voters (and many right wing voters being sucked to the National Front), James Callaghan narrowly won re-election to the premiership as leader of a minority government with Liberal support. With oil revenues rushing into the Treasury and the economic troubles of the 1970s seeming on the cusp of resolution things seemed secure for Sunny Jim...
[2] Callaghan retires, and gets his desired successor. It was a Labour government with a very different feel to that of Callaghan; Europe and nuclear disarmament became major issues, as well as the ongoing squabbles on the reform of the trade unions, and the Liberals became increasingly belligerent in their demands for changes to the voting system. Healey, quick to turn a phrase, revived modest Labour support in Middle England but increasingly alienated support in the North and Scotland.
[3] The Liberals became increasingly concerned that Healey was attempting to capture areas of their vote, and in 1983 they pulled the plug from their support deal. Healey went into the election feeling confident of at least a narrow majority, but instead suffered a shock defeat to Thatcher. Having hung on through her embattled leadership, the Conservative victory was dampened by lacking the necessary seats for a majority. Furthermore the Liberals refused to pledge their support to her government, hoping to consolidate their modest gains into an independent 'neutral' bloc in Parliament.
[4] The First Thatcher ministry hobbled on for a little over fourteen months, relying on support from the Northern Irish parties that once taken the Conservative whip in the Commons to pass any kind of legislation. Whilst unable to fully implement her monetarist economic policies as planned, government spending had been cut compared with the Wilson, Callaghan, and Healey years. Sensing an opportunity, with the Tories' place in opinion polls ahead of both Healey's Labour and the re-energised Liberal Party, Thatcher took the nation back to the ballot box to seek her own mandate. Whilst she would find herself returned to No. 10 with a narrow majority, it was the surprising upset of Labour losses and Liberal gains that made much of the press & news coverage in the succeeding days & weeks.
[5] Thatcher is forced to resign over the Westland Affair.
[6] With the Conservative government in disarray, Howe pushed on through domestic unrest and a dramatic rise in both inflation and unemployment. Northern Ireland also continued to be a desperate issue. While personally a likeable figure, Howe began to lose the trust of the country. Citing backbench rebellions over Europe as an excuse, he called an election for 1988. The result was a hung parliament, with Roy Hattersley and Labour reviving their confidence-and-supply deal to evict Howe from Downing Street. The Liberal breakthrough that some had predicted simply did not materialize in the election, with the party losing roughly a third of MPs. This time, Hattersley permitted a referendum on AV (but it was handily defeated).
[7] Fifteen years and seven elections after their 1974 return to power, the Labour Party won a majority and returned to government stably again. Hattersley set out to invest in what he called a "Sovereign Wealth Fund" using the reserves built up due to North Sea Oil, but faced increased challenge from the left of his party...
[8] Hattersley smooths over party squabbles with oil-funded social expenditure, and wins an easy victory over a Conservative Party increasingly at odds with itself over Europe. The Liberals find themselves decimated after the shock arrest of retiring MP, Cyril Smith, three weeks before the election.

Premier Taylerov · May 9, 2017

THE LADY DOESN'T TURN
What if Callaghan holds on in 1979?

1979: James Callaghan (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [1]
1981: Denis Healey (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [2]
1983: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative minority) [3]
1985: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative majority) [4]
1986: Geoffrey Howe (Conservative majority) [5]
1988: Roy Hattersley (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [6]
1989: Roy Hattersley (Labour majority) [7]
1993: Roy Hattersley (Labour majority) [8]
1996: Llin Golding (Labour majority) [9]

[1] With the public unsure of the radical monetarist policies of opposition leader Margaret Thatcher, whose largely raw image is unappealing to many voters (and many right wing voters being sucked to the National Front), James Callaghan narrowly won re-election to the premiership as leader of a minority government with Liberal support. With oil revenues rushing into the Treasury and the economic troubles of the 1970s seeming on the cusp of resolution things seemed secure for Sunny Jim...
[2] Callaghan retires, and gets his desired successor. It was a Labour government with a very different feel to that of Callaghan; Europe and nuclear disarmament became major issues, as well as the ongoing squabbles on the reform of the trade unions, and the Liberals became increasingly belligerent in their demands for changes to the voting system. Healey, quick to turn a phrase, revived modest Labour support in Middle England but increasingly alienated support in the North and Scotland.
[3] The Liberals became increasingly concerned that Healey was attempting to capture areas of their vote, and in 1983 they pulled the plug from their support deal. Healey went into the election feeling confident of at least a narrow majority, but instead suffered a shock defeat to Thatcher. Having hung on through her embattled leadership, the Conservative victory was dampened by lacking the necessary seats for a majority. Furthermore the Liberals refused to pledge their support to her government, hoping to consolidate their modest gains into an independent 'neutral' bloc in Parliament.
[4] The First Thatcher ministry hobbled on for a little over fourteen months, relying on support from the Northern Irish parties that once taken the Conservative whip in the Commons to pass any kind of legislation. Whilst unable to fully implement her monetarist economic policies as planned, government spending had been cut compared with the Wilson, Callaghan, and Healey years. Sensing an opportunity, with the Tories' place in opinion polls ahead of both Healey's Labour and the re-energised Liberal Party, Thatcher took the nation back to the ballot box to seek her own mandate. Whilst she would find herself returned to No. 10 with a narrow majority, it was the surprising upset of Labour losses and Liberal gains that made much of the press & news coverage in the succeeding days & weeks.
[5] Thatcher is forced to resign over the Westland Affair.
[6] With the Conservative government in disarray, Howe pushed on through domestic unrest and a dramatic rise in both inflation and unemployment. Northern Ireland also continued to be a desperate issue. While personally a likeable figure, Howe began to lose the trust of the country. Citing backbench rebellions over Europe as an excuse, he called an election for 1988. The result was a hung parliament, with Roy Hattersley and Labour reviving their confidence-and-supply deal to evict Howe from Downing Street. The Liberal breakthrough that some had predicted simply did not materialize in the election, with the party losing roughly a third of MPs. This time, Hattersley permitted a referendum on AV (but it was handily defeated).
[7] Fifteen years and seven elections after their 1974 return to power, the Labour Party won a majority and returned to government stably again. Hattersley set out to invest in what he called a "Sovereign Wealth Fund" using the reserves built up due to North Sea Oil, but faced increased challenge from the left of his party...
[8] Hattersley smooths over party squabbles with oil-funded social expenditure, and wins an easy victory over a Conservative Party increasingly at odds with itself over Europe. The Liberals find themselves decimated after the shock arrest of retiring MP, Cyril Smith, three weeks before the election.
[9] With the memory of the Labour-Liberal coalition quickly fading, the Labour centre came under increasing attack from an energized Left. When Hattersley chose to stand down as Prime Minister in 1996, his critics rallied together to try and propel John Prescott to the leadership. Opposed to allow the militant unions to reclaim a major stake in Labour policy making, Hattersley and his team threw their support behind the moderate Llin Golding. The result was close, but after Golding clinched the leadership election the party rallied together once more.

Comisario · Nov 9, 2017

Swinging Into Shakiness

1964: Harold Wilson (Labour minority with Liberal confidence and supply) [1]

[1] Wilson just lucked out on the chance of a majority government, his party standing at just 312 seats. Cobbling together a confidence and supply deal with Jo Grimond's Liberals, however, Wilson was still able to manoeuvre his way into 10 Downing Street. Conscious of the instability that could come with minority government, many in the Prime Minister's inner circle were sure that Britain was looking forward to another election by 1966 at the latest.

Premier Taylerov · Jun 13, 2019

Given the recent revival of the US Presidents thread, the long history of this thread until inactivity, and a general unwilling to start a new thread I thought it might be fun and interesting to restart this UK PM list thread once again.

Churchill Retires in 1950
What if Winston Churchill retired after the 1945 Conservative defeat?

1945: Clement Attlee (Labour) [1]

[1] The surprising victory of the Labour Party in the 1950 election would lead to the creation of the welfare state and the resignation of Winston Churchill as Conservative leader. His heir-apparent, Anthony Eden, became the Leader of the Opposition and agreed to uphold a general 'post-war consensus' in regards to the sweeping domestic changes across Britain. For the first time Labour held a full term in government, and Attlee led his party into a tightly-fought general election in February 1950.

Comisario · Jun 13, 2019

Churchill Retires in 1950
What if Winston Churchill retired after the 1945 Conservative defeat?

1945: Clement Attlee (Labour) [1]
1950: Anthony Eden (Conservative) [2]

[1] The surprising victory of the Labour Party in the 1950 election would lead to the creation of the welfare state and the resignation of Winston Churchill as Conservative leader. His heir-apparent, Anthony Eden, became the Leader of the Opposition and agreed to uphold a general 'post-war consensus' in regards to the sweeping domestic changes across Britain. For the first time Labour held a full term in government, and Attlee led his party into a tightly-fought general election in February 1950.
[2] From the dark days of the winter of 1946/7 to the continuing austerity measures left over from the war, Attlee’s government faced the masterful haranguing of Eden and his Conservative colleagues. Intellectually revitalised and with a modernised party machine courtesy of Lord Woolton, the Tories went into the 1950 election with a spring in their step and unbridled optimism about their electoral prospects. Sadly for them, the election would not deliver the huge majority that many had expected and Labour managed a small turnaround toward the end of the campaign... which worked to turn Eden’s hypothetical 50-seat majority into an actual majority of just 11. Still, the charismatic new Prime Minister was undaunted as he prepared to implement his One Nation programme.

Scerus · Jun 13, 2019

Churchill Retires in 1950
What if Winston Churchill retired after the 1945 Conservative defeat?

1945: Clement Attlee (Labour) [1]
1950: Anthony Eden (Conservative) [2]
1957: Harold Macmillan (Conservative) [3]

[1] The surprising victory of the Labour Party in the 1950 election would lead to the creation of the welfare state and the resignation of Winston Churchill as Conservative leader. His heir-apparent, Anthony Eden, became the Leader of the Opposition and agreed to uphold a general 'post-war consensus' in regards to the sweeping domestic changes across Britain. For the first time Labour held a full term in government, and Attlee led his party into a tightly-fought general election in February 1950.
[2] From the dark days of the winter of 1946/7 to the continuing austerity measures left over from the war, Attlee’s government faced the masterful haranguing of Eden and his Conservative colleagues. Intellectually revitalised and with a modernised party machine courtesy of Lord Woolton, the Tories went into the 1950 election with a spring in their step and unbridled optimism about their electoral prospects. Sadly for them, the election would not deliver the huge majority that many had expected and Labour managed a small turnaround toward the end of the campaign... which worked to turn Eden’s hypothetical 50-seat majority into an actual majority of just 11. Still, the charismatic new Prime Minister was undaunted as he prepared to implement his One Nation programme.
[3] Eden's premiership, to many, was little different from the Attlee ministry in terms of overall economic objectives and social policies. Much was done on the housing front with the rapid expansion of what Eden called the "property-owning democracy" which, to him, signified the centrist appeal of the Conservative Party. Eden also sought to improve Britain's international standing and browbeat the Egyptian government into withdrawing from the Suez Canal and was fundamental in overthrowing Nasser - something that greatly harmed relations with other regional Arab powers, not least the United States. His tenure was regarded as an era of renewed prosperity after the austere decade following WWII and was in office with record low unemployment. However, as his health deteriorated after a botched surgical operation while Eden struggled to chair cabinet and he decided it was best for the party should he resign as Prime Minister for the sake of his health (sources claim Douglas-Home and Macmillan encouraged him to resign). Over the following days, the tooing-and-throwing of the Conservative Party candidates left two obvious contenders - Rab Butler Lord Privy Seal and the Chancellor of the Exchequer Harold Macmillan. Macmillan stood and was eventually called upon by the Queen due to his wide popularity within the party.

Comisario · Jun 13, 2019

‘Property-owning’, not ‘land-owning’, just FYI.

Also, you’d need to explain how a member of the Lords would be allowed to be PM at this point (as Alec was only considered in the aftermath of the Peerages Act 1963 IOTL).

Comisario · Jun 13, 2019

Scerus said:
Home's constituency was Lanark before 1951, if he stayed in the Commons he could conceivably become PM.

He couldn’t, though. He inherited his peerage.

Comisario · Jun 13, 2019

I don’t mean to police anyone’s fun, but I like my list games to include details as to how the new PMs come about when there are major constitutional issues (such as the fact that peerages could not be disclaimed until 1963).

Comisario · Jun 13, 2019

Scerus said:
I'll change it to Macmillan then, or Butler, depending on your preferences.

It’s your post, after all, and both of them could have been in that position.

Scerus · Jun 13, 2019

Comisario said:
It’s your post, after all, and both of them could have been in that position.

Made the OTL choice of Macmillan, since I have a soft spot for him

Mumby · Jun 14, 2019

Churchill Retires in 1950
What if Winston Churchill retired after the 1945 Conservative defeat?

1945: Clement Attlee (Labour) [1]
1950: Anthony Eden (Conservative) [2]
1957: Harold Macmillan (Conservative) [3]
1960: Nye Bevan (Labour) [4]

[1] The surprising victory of the Labour Party in the 1950 election would lead to the creation of the welfare state and the resignation of Winston Churchill as Conservative leader. His heir-apparent, Anthony Eden, became the Leader of the Opposition and agreed to uphold a general 'post-war consensus' in regards to the sweeping domestic changes across Britain. For the first time Labour held a full term in government, and Attlee led his party into a tightly-fought general election in February 1950.
[2] From the dark days of the winter of 1946/7 to the continuing austerity measures left over from the war, Attlee’s government faced the masterful haranguing of Eden and his Conservative colleagues. Intellectually revitalised and with a modernised party machine courtesy of Lord Woolton, the Tories went into the 1950 election with a spring in their step and unbridled optimism about their electoral prospects. Sadly for them, the election would not deliver the huge majority that many had expected and Labour managed a small turnaround toward the end of the campaign... which worked to turn Eden’s hypothetical 50-seat majority into an actual majority of just 11. Still, the charismatic new Prime Minister was undaunted as he prepared to implement his One Nation programme.
[3] Eden's premiership, to many, was little different from the Attlee ministry in terms of overall economic objectives and social policies. Much was done on the housing front with the rapid expansion of what Eden called the "property-owning democracy" which, to him, signified the centrist appeal of the Conservative Party. Eden also sought to improve Britain's international standing and browbeat the Egyptian government into withdrawing from the Suez Canal and was fundamental in overthrowing Nasser - something that greatly harmed relations with other regional Arab powers, not least the United States. His tenure was regarded as an era of renewed prosperity after the austere decade following WWII and was in office with record low unemployment. However, as his health deteriorated after a botched surgical operation while Eden struggled to chair cabinet and he decided it was best for the party should he resign as Prime Minister for the sake of his health (sources claim Douglas-Home and Macmillan encouraged him to resign). Over the following days, the tooing-and-throwing of the Conservative Party candidates left two obvious contenders - Rab Butler Lord Privy Seal and the Chancellor of the Exchequer Harold Macmillan. Macmillan stood and was eventually called upon by the Queen due to his wide popularity within the party.
[4] Macmillan inherited a healthy majority from Eden's victory at the 1955 general election, but the years between 1957 and 1960 proved far tougher than those that preceded it. Macmillan is remembered today as the Prime Minister of the Gulf War, as attempts to hold the Middle East firmly under London and Paris's thumb fell apart. As Soviet backed Nasserite socialism spread to Jordan and Iraq, and bloody insurrection became the order of the day, Macmillan found himself cast as the stern defender of Empire a role which didn't suit him. National Service saw young working class men go to fight to defend Arab kings who quavered in their palaces, and return battered and broken - or dead. Initial patriotic support for the war faded, and was soon replaced by seemingly constant protests, which the government was ill-prepared to confront, resulting in heavy-handed suppression. The situation was not helped by the state of affairs within the Conservative party - while Macmillan was at heart a One Nation Tory, a new generation of MPs were unhappy at how wedded the party had become to socialist Labour policies, and wished to see them undone. The resignation of men like Peter Thorneycroft and Enoch Powell from Cabinet over the government's economic course only added to the bitter atmosphere. Needless to say, when the exhausted government came to election time, few were surprised when the firebrand face of the anti-Gulf protests secured victory.

DuncanI · Jun 14, 2019

Churchill Retires in 1950
What if Winston Churchill retired after the 1945 Conservative defeat?

1945: Clement Attlee (Labour) [1]
1950: Anthony Eden (Conservative) [2]
1957: Harold Macmillan (Conservative) [3]
1960: Nye Bevan (Labour) [4]
1961: Richard Crossman (Labour) [5]

[1] The surprising victory of the Labour Party in the 1950 election would lead to the creation of the welfare state and the resignation of Winston Churchill as Conservative leader. His heir-apparent, Anthony Eden, became the Leader of the Opposition and agreed to uphold a general 'post-war consensus' in regards to the sweeping domestic changes across Britain. For the first time Labour held a full term in government, and Attlee led his party into a tightly-fought general election in February 1950.
[2] From the dark days of the winter of 1946/7 to the continuing austerity measures left over from the war, Attlee’s government faced the masterful haranguing of Eden and his Conservative colleagues. Intellectually revitalised and with a modernised party machine courtesy of Lord Woolton, the Tories went into the 1950 election with a spring in their step and unbridled optimism about their electoral prospects. Sadly for them, the election would not deliver the huge majority that many had expected and Labour managed a small turnaround toward the end of the campaign... which worked to turn Eden’s hypothetical 50-seat majority into an actual majority of just 11. Still, the charismatic new Prime Minister was undaunted as he prepared to implement his One Nation programme.
[3] Eden's premiership, to many, was little different from the Attlee ministry in terms of overall economic objectives and social policies. Much was done on the housing front with the rapid expansion of what Eden called the "property-owning democracy" which, to him, signified the centrist appeal of the Conservative Party. Eden also sought to improve Britain's international standing and browbeat the Egyptian government into withdrawing from the Suez Canal and was fundamental in overthrowing Nasser - something that greatly harmed relations with other regional Arab powers, not least the United States. His tenure was regarded as an era of renewed prosperity after the austere decade following WWII and was in office with record low unemployment. However, as his health deteriorated after a botched surgical operation while Eden struggled to chair cabinet and he decided it was best for the party should he resign as Prime Minister for the sake of his health (sources claim Douglas-Home and Macmillan encouraged him to resign). Over the following days, the tooing-and-throwing of the Conservative Party candidates left two obvious contenders - Rab Butler Lord Privy Seal and the Chancellor of the Exchequer Harold Macmillan. Macmillan stood and was eventually called upon by the Queen due to his wide popularity within the party.
[4] Macmillan inherited a healthy majority from Eden's victory at the 1955 general election, but the years between 1957 and 1960 proved far tougher than those that preceded it. Macmillan is remembered today as the Prime Minister of the Gulf War, as attempts to hold the Middle East firmly under London and Paris's thumb fell apart. As Soviet backed Nasserite socialism spread to Jordan and Iraq, and bloody insurrection became the order of the day, Macmillan found himself cast as the stern defender of Empire a role which didn't suit him. National Service saw young working class men go to fight to defend Arab kings who quavered in their palaces, and return battered and broken - or dead. Initial patriotic support for the war faded, and was soon replaced by seemingly constant protests, which the government was ill-prepared to confront, resulting in heavy-handed suppression. The situation was not helped by the state of affairs within the Conservative party - while Macmillan was at heart a One Nation Tory, a new generation of MPs were unhappy at how wedded the party had become to socialist Labour policies, and wished to see them undone. The resignation of men like Peter Thorneycroft and Enoch Powell from Cabinet over the government's economic course only added to the bitter atmosphere. Needless to say, when the exhausted government came to election time, few were surprised when the firebrand face of the anti-Gulf protests secured victory.
[5] The Labour Party under the left-wing Aneurin Bevan had secured victory, but Bevan's victory was to be short-lived. With his strong election victory, he had consolidated his power against what was the growing divide with the right of the party, though they continued to be a strain for the socialist government. It had been clear that the leadership had to moderate some of their views as they did before the election. Positions such as nuclear disarmament that Bevan had once advocated were no longer official policy. However, Bevan was facing his own problems. The Prime Minister was charismatic, perhaps too charismatic, that was to be his downfall. It was no secret to those close to Bevan that he was facing some health issues during the election, but he didn't think much of it, he remained committed to fighting the campaign to focus on them. In office, his health would only take a turn for the worse, to the point he could no longer hide it. The official line from Downing Street acknowledged that the Prime Minister was seriously ill, but spoke no further. It was only within the next few months that Bevan himself confirmed it; he had been diagnosed with cancer. Facing an increasingly unpredictable international climate, in the Cold War and in Middle East with the Gulf withdrawal, the Prime Minister reluctantly decided he had to put his health first and ensure an orderly transition of leadership. He announced his intention to resign, with Labour Party Deputy Leader Richard Crossman subsequently elected his successor. Just over a year since the election, Britain had a new Prime Minister.

Premier Taylerov · Jun 15, 2019

Churchill Retires in 1950
What if Winston Churchill retired after the 1945 Conservative defeat?

1945: Clement Attlee (Labour) [1]
1950: Anthony Eden (Conservative) [2]
1957: Harold Macmillan (Conservative) [3]
1960: Nye Bevan (Labour) [4]
1961: Richard Crossman (Labour) [5]
1964: Richard Crossman (Labour) [6]

[1] The surprising victory of the Labour Party in the 1950 election would lead to the creation of the welfare state and the resignation of Winston Churchill as Conservative leader. His heir-apparent, Anthony Eden, became the Leader of the Opposition and agreed to uphold a general 'post-war consensus' in regards to the sweeping domestic changes across Britain. For the first time Labour held a full term in government, and Attlee led his party into a tightly-fought general election in February 1950.
[2] From the dark days of the winter of 1946/7 to the continuing austerity measures left over from the war, Attlee’s government faced the masterful haranguing of Eden and his Conservative colleagues. Intellectually revitalized and with a modernized party machine courtesy of Lord Woolton, the Tories went into the 1950 election with a spring in their step and unbridled optimism about their electoral prospects. Sadly for them, the election would not deliver the huge majority that many had expected and Labour managed a small turnaround toward the end of the campaign... which worked to turn Eden’s hypothetical 50-seat majority into an actual majority of just 11. Still, the charismatic new Prime Minister was undaunted as he prepared to implement his One Nation programme.
[3] Eden's premiership, to many, was little different from the Attlee ministry in terms of overall economic objectives and social policies. Much was done on the housing front with the rapid expansion of what Eden called the "property-owning democracy" which, to him, signified the centrist appeal of the Conservative Party. Eden also sought to improve Britain's international standing and browbeat the Egyptian government into withdrawing from the Suez Canal and was fundamental in overthrowing Nasser - something that greatly harmed relations with other regional Arab powers, not least the United States. His tenure was regarded as an era of renewed prosperity after the austere decade following WWII and was in office with record low unemployment. However, as his health deteriorated after a botched surgical operation while Eden struggled to chair cabinet and he decided it was best for the party should he resign as Prime Minister for the sake of his health (sources claim Douglas-Home and Macmillan encouraged him to resign). Over the following days, the tooing-and-throwing of the Conservative Party candidates left two obvious contenders - Rab Butler Lord Privy Seal and the Chancellor of the Exchequer Harold Macmillan. Macmillan stood and was eventually called upon by the Queen due to his wide popularity within the party.
[4] Macmillan inherited a healthy majority from Eden's victory at the 1955 general election, but the years between 1957 and 1960 proved far tougher than those that preceded it. Macmillan is remembered today as the Prime Minister of the Gulf War, as attempts to hold the Middle East firmly under London and Paris's thumb fell apart. As Soviet-backed Nasserite socialism spread to Jordan and Iraq, and bloody insurrection became the order of the day, Macmillan found himself cast as the stern defender of Empire a role which didn't suit him. National Service saw young working class men go to fight to defend Arab kings who quavered in their palaces, and return battered and broken - or dead. Initial patriotic support for the war faded, and was soon replaced by seemingly constant protests, which the government was ill-prepared to confront, resulting in heavy-handed suppression. The situation was not helped by the state of affairs within the Conservative party - while Macmillan was at heart a One Nation Tory, a new generation of MPs were unhappy at how wedded the party had become to socialist Labour policies, and wished to see them undone. The resignation of men like Peter Thorneycroft and Enoch Powell from Cabinet over the government's economic course only added to the bitter atmosphere. Needless to say, when the exhausted government came to election time, few were surprised when the firebrand face of the anti-Gulf protests secured victory.
[5] The Labour Party under the left-wing Aneurin Bevan had secured victory, but Bevan's victory was to be short-lived. With his strong election victory, he had consolidated his power against what was the growing divide with the right of the party, though they continued to be a strain for the socialist government. It had been clear that the leadership had to moderate some of their views as they did before the election. Positions such as nuclear disarmament that Bevan had once advocated were no longer official policy. However, Bevan was facing his own problems. The Prime Minister was charismatic, perhaps too charismatic, that was to be his downfall. It was no secret to those close to Bevan that he was facing some health issues during the election, but he didn't think much of it, he remained committed to fighting the campaign to focus on them. In office, his health would only take a turn for the worse, to the point he could no longer hide it. The official line from Downing Street acknowledged that the Prime Minister was seriously ill, but spoke no further. It was only within the next few months that Bevan himself confirmed it; he had been diagnosed with cancer. Facing an increasingly unpredictable international climate, in the Cold War and in Middle East with the Gulf withdrawal, the Prime Minister reluctantly decided he had to put his health first and ensure an orderly transition of leadership. He announced his intention to resign, with Labour Party Deputy Leader Richard Crossman subsequently elected his successor. Just over a year since the election, Britain had a new Prime Minister.
[6] The Crossman government was guided by philosophy - the NHS was (on paper at least) protected from future privatization by law, while a commitment to house-building played well with the electorate. Crossman was rewarded with a decent majority in an election finally called in 1964, although this victory then brought previously-settled issues back into contention. As economic recession struck the West Crossman came under pressure to readdress the issue of the nuclear deterrent, and as these arguments raged in Parliament decolonization continued in earnest. The Conservatives rallied, fighting against the perceived and very-deliberate decline of Britain as an interventionist global power (although in fact the debacle of the Gulf War had done far more in the eyes of the Americans). Divisions within the Labour Party also rose, with the Bevanites feuding with centrists and moderates willing to compromise on socialist dogma.