A scenario I've been mulling over recently involves Labour continuously remaining in power between 1945-1970 due to a mixture of luck, circumstance and FPTP breaking down hilariously during the 60s. As I was fleshing out the political consequences of such a Labour hegemony I started thinking about the political impact this would have on Northern Ireland.
As I understand it Labour had a support base amongst the Protestant working-class in Belfast in the 40s and 50s. Labour's 1950 manifesto promised extensive investment in Northern Ireland. If they manage and spin it well I can see them strengthening that base of support. In addition, the large influx of investment helps bring issues of economic, and by extension political, discrimination against Catholics to the fore. Labour generally being opposed to discrimination and disenfranchisement, as well as seeing it as a way to undermine the Conservative-aligned Unionists, throws their support behind the Northern Irish Civil Rights Movement and pushes for political and economic reforms to address these grievances, which gains them support within the Catholic community.
As a result the political and economic grievances that led to the troubles have been addressed, or at least can be addressed within the legal political framework, the British army is never called in and Labour (and possibly also the Liberals) are able to offer a cross-communal political space whilst the die-hard nationalists and loyalists are sidelined and forced to moderate.
How likely is this and what are the major hiccoughs that could still cause the Troubles to break out?