(I Fought the law and) The Law Won
(What if Bonar Law hadn't died in 1923?)
1922-1927: Andrew Bonar Law (Conservative)
1922 def. J.R. Clynes (Labour), Herbert Asquith (Liberal), David Lloyd George (National Liberal) [1]
1925 def. Herbert Asquith (Liberal), J.R. Clynes (Labour) [2]
1927-1934: Arthur Griffith-Boscawen (Conservative)
1929 def. J.H. Thomas (Labour), Reginald McKenna (Liberal) [3]
1934-1936: Philip Snowden (Labour-Liberal National Government)
1934 def: Arthur Griffith-Boscawen (Conservative), David Lloyd George (Independent Liberal) [4]
1936-1950: Christopher Addison (Labour-Liberal National Government)
1938 def: Walter Elliot (Conservative), David Lloyd George (Independent Liberal) [5]
1943 def: Samuel Hoare (Conservative), Megan Lloyd George (Independent Liberal) [6]
1947 def: Edward Wood, 3rd Viscount Halifax (Conservative), Megan Lloyd George (Independent Liberal) [7]
1950-1951: Jim Griffiths (Labour-Liberal National Government)
1951-1955: Robin Turton (Conservative-Independent Liberal Coalition)
1951 def. Jim Griffiths (Labour-Liberal National Government), Edith Summerskill (Independent Liberal) [8]
1956-1957: Robin Turton (Conservative minority)
1956 def. Jim Griffiths (Labour), Leonard Behrans (Liberal) [9]
1957-1957: Jim Griffiths (Labour)
1957 def. Robin Turton (Conservative), Leonard Behrans (Liberal) [10]
1960 def. Henry Brooke (Conservative), Frank Byers (Liberal) [11]
[1] Law won a reduced majority in the 1922 Election, but after recovering from his battle with throat cancer, sought to ensure that the Conservatives would remain in power for at least the next few years.
[2] An ageing Bonar Law would return to polls to leave a healthier majority for whoever his successor would be, capitalising on the divides on the left. He did just that but the main surprise was H. H. Asquith returning as leader of the opposition, edging out Labour by just two seats. Whilst an attempt was made for a left wing coalition, talks broke down and Law comfortably remained at Number 10 for the next few months.
[3] Senior Conservative MP’s were outraged when they heard who Bonar Law finally threw his support behind (though he kept quiet about it publicly, he let it be known who his preferred successor was), but they shouldn’t have been surprised. Bonar Law supported those who supported him and Griffith-Boscawen had been one of his keenest supporters, even when many thought cancer was going to claim the PM. The next election would again be close, with more terse negotiations between Labour and the Liberals, but the stock market crash later that year would give everyone else other priorities.
[4] The Wall Street Crash and the subsequent Great Depression were difficult for the minority government to deal with. In order to deal with the crisis, the Labour and Liberal parties merged into a de-facto partnership, in some ways mirroring the National administration of Gustav Stresemann in Weimar Germany ( a coalition of all anti-Nazi political parties). However, David Lloyd George opposes the merger and leads 10 MPs out of his party. Snowdon is not expected to remain Prime Minister for a full term especially after having prostate gland surgery and the governments large majority make finding a successor quite a simple process.
[5] Despite claims to be Britain's Roosevelt (both left-wing popular government leaders, both with a marked tendency to use walking sticks), Snowden was in fact a much more cautious politician than his American counterpart. Much of the progressive governmental policy actually originated with Lord President of the Council Christopher Addison. Therefore, it was no surprise when Snowden resigned due to health problems, who would be his successor. Although theoretically a Liberal, Addison had long promoted Labour policies and was therefore acceptable to all members of the coalition. He immediately encountered a series of crises; Edward VIII's abdication, growing tension in Europe, which he met with his typical "doctor's demeanour". The public seemed satisfied and despite Lloyd George's claims that "Britain's New Deal" was stolen from him, the National Government won another large majority.
[6] It was domestic matters that secured the National Government’s strong 1938 re-election, with the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme just one of its vote-winning policies, but it was international matters that would dominate the parliament to the exclusion of much else. The world would forever be changed later that year the Second Great War broke out with Germany’s invasion of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. While Elliot reluctantly supported the government’s decision, a significant number of Conservative’s called Addison a warmonger and Britain a lackey of the Soviet Union. This viewpoint was only reinforced with the Finish Winter War and the Soviet’s “protection” of the Baltic States and Moldova which forced Elliot’s replacement by (briefly) Chamberlain and then Hoare. Despite some early fears that France may fall, the German blitzkrieg faltered and by 1942 Germany had fallen into civil war. Critics argued that the War could have finished earlier if Addison hadn’t also used the opportunity to support Republican Spain (a cause he cared deeply about) or divert resources to the Pacific War in America’s fight against the Japanese. Despite this, the National Government won another convincing victory in a hard fought election; the only thing the two major leaders seeming to agree on - the rapid devolution of powers to the recently established Federation of India.
[7] With the Second Great War more or less wrapped up and the Republicans having won a resounding victory in Spain, Addison could now focus all his energy on domestic matters. Foreign Secretary Sir Archibald Sinclair continued to pay close attention to the warring factions in Germany, while Health Minister Clement Attlee continued to expand the ever-popular National Health Insurance Scheme. The Conservatives had a chance to play to voter fatigue to pick up some seats, but their choice of Lord Halifax as party leader did little to excite their base, gaining them just a handful of seats. The impressive gains of Megan Lloyd George's Independent Liberals, however, raised eyebrows, as rumors swirled of anything from a viable new opposition to a re-merger with the Liberal Party. On the home front, the government passed measures streamlining foreign aid and allowing for the creation of life peerages. Additionally, in a display of national unity, Britons came together in 1950 as King George VI's eldest son, Prince Frederick, was invested with the title of Prince of Wales.
[8] By 1951, despite being popular, the National Government had become increasingly stale in the eyes of many British citizens. Addison had resigned from ill health and was replaced with Chancellor Jim Griffiths. The National Government had blurred the lines between the Labour and Liberal parties and the two parties where more or less a package deal. The Independent Liberals however had begun to affiliate more with the Conservatives than their namesake, despite new party leader Edith Summerskill being moderately left wing. The Conservatives, under Robin Turton, enjoyed an uninspiring plurality in the new Commons, with a tenacious Summerskill being pushed into a coalition. Soon after, in March 1952, George VI died of a stroke and was succeeded by Prince Frederick as King Richard IV.
[9] Turton proved to be a fairly modest prime minister, but he showed that the Conservatives were fit to rule again after more than 15 years in the desert. Perhaps inspired by President Taft, he sought a "British First" approach to trying to strengthen the Commonwealth, although his Foreign Secretary, Churchill, was furious at the full autonomy granted to the Indian Federation. France was also upset - condemning the UK's abandonment of Europe, as it took the lead in propping up Germany's new shaky attempt at democracy. However, it was his attempts to reform the National Health Insurance Plan (which had grown exponentially during the National Government's time in office) that sealed his fate, with Summerskill withdrawing support in the run-up to the election with an announcement that the Liberals would be reuniting. Summerskill made history by becoming the first female deputy leader of a major party, and despite continuing to claim third-party status, the reunified Liberals were viewed by many as the true big winners of the election. Turton managed to hold his minority government together, but no one expected it to last long.
[10] As expected, the Turton government fell in a blaze of political chaos. The withdrawal of Independent Liberal support (and the subsequent unification of the Liberal Party for the 1956 election) spelt doom for his ministry, as Conservative minority government proved completely unsustainable. Reforms to the NHIP failed in the face of a united Opposition; a last-ditch attempt to restore government trust fell at the wayside as Alan Lennox-Boyd, the Home Secretary, struggled to implement any meaningful dialogue on the opening of immigration restrictions to the New Commonwealth. The failure of the King's Speech necessitated a general election, and Jim Griffiths became the first Prime Minister to return to office since the Marquess of Salisbury in 1895. His newly-revamped manifesto - committed primarily to political devolution, military withdrawal from Asia and social welfare reforms - would prove difficult to implement, but did contribute to a decline in fortunes for the reunited Liberals in the late-1950s.
[11] The majority that Griffith commanded wasn’t anywhere near the numbers of the former Labour-Liberal National Government, and a number of his more controversial measures (such as giving minor legislative powers to the previously advisory Scottish and Welsh Assemblies) still only passed with Liberal support. This opened a fracture within the newly reunited party as Gwilym Lloyd-George (son of long-time former leader and leading figure of the party’s right) attempted to wrest control - in what some termed an attempted coup. Failing this, he led a tiny breakaway group to revive the Independent Liberal moniker. However as they accepted the Conservative Whip it didn’t take long for a Fleet Street wag to point our they were “neither Independent nor Liberal” and much like the Scottish Unionists (who produced Bonar Law) they quietly folded into the Conservative umbrella. Griffith took advantage of this turmoil (and general unpopularity of other party leaders) and claiming a greater mandate for change, called an early election. The gamble paid off with an increased majority, however, it was also rumoured that the 70-year old Griffith wanted to avoid the fate of Addison (who had practically worked himself into the grave) and was merely securing a stable government for his successor.
(What if Bonar Law hadn't died in 1923?)
1922-1927: Andrew Bonar Law (Conservative)
1922 def. J.R. Clynes (Labour), Herbert Asquith (Liberal), David Lloyd George (National Liberal) [1]
1925 def. Herbert Asquith (Liberal), J.R. Clynes (Labour) [2]
1927-1934: Arthur Griffith-Boscawen (Conservative)
1929 def. J.H. Thomas (Labour), Reginald McKenna (Liberal) [3]
1934-1936: Philip Snowden (Labour-Liberal National Government)
1934 def: Arthur Griffith-Boscawen (Conservative), David Lloyd George (Independent Liberal) [4]
1936-1950: Christopher Addison (Labour-Liberal National Government)
1938 def: Walter Elliot (Conservative), David Lloyd George (Independent Liberal) [5]
1943 def: Samuel Hoare (Conservative), Megan Lloyd George (Independent Liberal) [6]
1947 def: Edward Wood, 3rd Viscount Halifax (Conservative), Megan Lloyd George (Independent Liberal) [7]
1950-1951: Jim Griffiths (Labour-Liberal National Government)
1951-1955: Robin Turton (Conservative-Independent Liberal Coalition)
1951 def. Jim Griffiths (Labour-Liberal National Government), Edith Summerskill (Independent Liberal) [8]
1956-1957: Robin Turton (Conservative minority)
1956 def. Jim Griffiths (Labour), Leonard Behrans (Liberal) [9]
1957-1957: Jim Griffiths (Labour)
1957 def. Robin Turton (Conservative), Leonard Behrans (Liberal) [10]
1960 def. Henry Brooke (Conservative), Frank Byers (Liberal) [11]
[1] Law won a reduced majority in the 1922 Election, but after recovering from his battle with throat cancer, sought to ensure that the Conservatives would remain in power for at least the next few years.
[2] An ageing Bonar Law would return to polls to leave a healthier majority for whoever his successor would be, capitalising on the divides on the left. He did just that but the main surprise was H. H. Asquith returning as leader of the opposition, edging out Labour by just two seats. Whilst an attempt was made for a left wing coalition, talks broke down and Law comfortably remained at Number 10 for the next few months.
[3] Senior Conservative MP’s were outraged when they heard who Bonar Law finally threw his support behind (though he kept quiet about it publicly, he let it be known who his preferred successor was), but they shouldn’t have been surprised. Bonar Law supported those who supported him and Griffith-Boscawen had been one of his keenest supporters, even when many thought cancer was going to claim the PM. The next election would again be close, with more terse negotiations between Labour and the Liberals, but the stock market crash later that year would give everyone else other priorities.
[4] The Wall Street Crash and the subsequent Great Depression were difficult for the minority government to deal with. In order to deal with the crisis, the Labour and Liberal parties merged into a de-facto partnership, in some ways mirroring the National administration of Gustav Stresemann in Weimar Germany ( a coalition of all anti-Nazi political parties). However, David Lloyd George opposes the merger and leads 10 MPs out of his party. Snowdon is not expected to remain Prime Minister for a full term especially after having prostate gland surgery and the governments large majority make finding a successor quite a simple process.
[5] Despite claims to be Britain's Roosevelt (both left-wing popular government leaders, both with a marked tendency to use walking sticks), Snowden was in fact a much more cautious politician than his American counterpart. Much of the progressive governmental policy actually originated with Lord President of the Council Christopher Addison. Therefore, it was no surprise when Snowden resigned due to health problems, who would be his successor. Although theoretically a Liberal, Addison had long promoted Labour policies and was therefore acceptable to all members of the coalition. He immediately encountered a series of crises; Edward VIII's abdication, growing tension in Europe, which he met with his typical "doctor's demeanour". The public seemed satisfied and despite Lloyd George's claims that "Britain's New Deal" was stolen from him, the National Government won another large majority.
[6] It was domestic matters that secured the National Government’s strong 1938 re-election, with the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme just one of its vote-winning policies, but it was international matters that would dominate the parliament to the exclusion of much else. The world would forever be changed later that year the Second Great War broke out with Germany’s invasion of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. While Elliot reluctantly supported the government’s decision, a significant number of Conservative’s called Addison a warmonger and Britain a lackey of the Soviet Union. This viewpoint was only reinforced with the Finish Winter War and the Soviet’s “protection” of the Baltic States and Moldova which forced Elliot’s replacement by (briefly) Chamberlain and then Hoare. Despite some early fears that France may fall, the German blitzkrieg faltered and by 1942 Germany had fallen into civil war. Critics argued that the War could have finished earlier if Addison hadn’t also used the opportunity to support Republican Spain (a cause he cared deeply about) or divert resources to the Pacific War in America’s fight against the Japanese. Despite this, the National Government won another convincing victory in a hard fought election; the only thing the two major leaders seeming to agree on - the rapid devolution of powers to the recently established Federation of India.
[7] With the Second Great War more or less wrapped up and the Republicans having won a resounding victory in Spain, Addison could now focus all his energy on domestic matters. Foreign Secretary Sir Archibald Sinclair continued to pay close attention to the warring factions in Germany, while Health Minister Clement Attlee continued to expand the ever-popular National Health Insurance Scheme. The Conservatives had a chance to play to voter fatigue to pick up some seats, but their choice of Lord Halifax as party leader did little to excite their base, gaining them just a handful of seats. The impressive gains of Megan Lloyd George's Independent Liberals, however, raised eyebrows, as rumors swirled of anything from a viable new opposition to a re-merger with the Liberal Party. On the home front, the government passed measures streamlining foreign aid and allowing for the creation of life peerages. Additionally, in a display of national unity, Britons came together in 1950 as King George VI's eldest son, Prince Frederick, was invested with the title of Prince of Wales.
[8] By 1951, despite being popular, the National Government had become increasingly stale in the eyes of many British citizens. Addison had resigned from ill health and was replaced with Chancellor Jim Griffiths. The National Government had blurred the lines between the Labour and Liberal parties and the two parties where more or less a package deal. The Independent Liberals however had begun to affiliate more with the Conservatives than their namesake, despite new party leader Edith Summerskill being moderately left wing. The Conservatives, under Robin Turton, enjoyed an uninspiring plurality in the new Commons, with a tenacious Summerskill being pushed into a coalition. Soon after, in March 1952, George VI died of a stroke and was succeeded by Prince Frederick as King Richard IV.
[9] Turton proved to be a fairly modest prime minister, but he showed that the Conservatives were fit to rule again after more than 15 years in the desert. Perhaps inspired by President Taft, he sought a "British First" approach to trying to strengthen the Commonwealth, although his Foreign Secretary, Churchill, was furious at the full autonomy granted to the Indian Federation. France was also upset - condemning the UK's abandonment of Europe, as it took the lead in propping up Germany's new shaky attempt at democracy. However, it was his attempts to reform the National Health Insurance Plan (which had grown exponentially during the National Government's time in office) that sealed his fate, with Summerskill withdrawing support in the run-up to the election with an announcement that the Liberals would be reuniting. Summerskill made history by becoming the first female deputy leader of a major party, and despite continuing to claim third-party status, the reunified Liberals were viewed by many as the true big winners of the election. Turton managed to hold his minority government together, but no one expected it to last long.
[10] As expected, the Turton government fell in a blaze of political chaos. The withdrawal of Independent Liberal support (and the subsequent unification of the Liberal Party for the 1956 election) spelt doom for his ministry, as Conservative minority government proved completely unsustainable. Reforms to the NHIP failed in the face of a united Opposition; a last-ditch attempt to restore government trust fell at the wayside as Alan Lennox-Boyd, the Home Secretary, struggled to implement any meaningful dialogue on the opening of immigration restrictions to the New Commonwealth. The failure of the King's Speech necessitated a general election, and Jim Griffiths became the first Prime Minister to return to office since the Marquess of Salisbury in 1895. His newly-revamped manifesto - committed primarily to political devolution, military withdrawal from Asia and social welfare reforms - would prove difficult to implement, but did contribute to a decline in fortunes for the reunited Liberals in the late-1950s.
[11] The majority that Griffith commanded wasn’t anywhere near the numbers of the former Labour-Liberal National Government, and a number of his more controversial measures (such as giving minor legislative powers to the previously advisory Scottish and Welsh Assemblies) still only passed with Liberal support. This opened a fracture within the newly reunited party as Gwilym Lloyd-George (son of long-time former leader and leading figure of the party’s right) attempted to wrest control - in what some termed an attempted coup. Failing this, he led a tiny breakaway group to revive the Independent Liberal moniker. However as they accepted the Conservative Whip it didn’t take long for a Fleet Street wag to point our they were “neither Independent nor Liberal” and much like the Scottish Unionists (who produced Bonar Law) they quietly folded into the Conservative umbrella. Griffith took advantage of this turmoil (and general unpopularity of other party leaders) and claiming a greater mandate for change, called an early election. The gamble paid off with an increased majority, however, it was also rumoured that the 70-year old Griffith wanted to avoid the fate of Addison (who had practically worked himself into the grave) and was merely securing a stable government for his successor.
