PM David Owen, 1990s

With a 1981 POD, your challenge is to have David Owen win the Labour leadership after the 1987 election and become Prime Minister. Bonus if he either narrowly defeats or is narrowly defeated by Thatcher in 1991. Double Bonus if he wins in 1997 with both Blair and Brown in the Cabinet.
 
More of the right and centre of Labour and more of the left Tories leave to join the SDP so more confidence in them but Owen takes charge instead of Jenkins. The SDP does far better and Labour far worse in the 1983 general election but more Social Democrats get in than Liberals so the election table would be:

Conservative-417 seats

SDP/Liberal Alliance-143 seats (131 to SDP 51 to Liberal)

Labour-69 seats

SDP suffer a spilt with the Liberals over the party platform and the Labour leadership changes and wants a re-merging with the SDP which Owen accepts if he becomes party leader. In the next election Owen makes big leaps but fails to cut down Thatcher until she is ditched by the Tories and Owen smelling blood makes one last big charge beats Major for 1992.
 
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