POD for New Labour surviving longer

Unless Brown suddenly has a complete personality change any government of his is going to be simply too big a target for the opposition over the long-term, and too much of a cause of OTL-style friction within his own party. By 2012 the narratives would be already set, and the Conservatives would be starting from a slightly higher base than 2010 if we're assuming a John Major-style majority in 2007.
IIRC Brown's approval ratings were unexpectedly good up until his announcement at the start of October that their wouldn't be an early election despite all the speculation that their would be that his government had fuelled. If he'd gone to the country in the autumn of 2007 his approval ratings wouldn't have dived so precipitously. It may be that friction within the party combined with fallout from the financial crisis might have seen him replaced, but I think that even if it isn't Brown going in to a post-Olympics election it would still be a winnable one if the economic recovery seemed fairly set.
 
Unless Brown suddenly has a complete personality change any government of his is going to be simply too big a target for the opposition over the long-term, and too much of a cause of OTL-style friction within his own party. By 2012 the narratives would be already set, and the Conservatives would be starting from a slightly higher base than 2010 if we're assuming a John Major-style majority in 2007.

Maybe having Brown in a different post under Blair would have helped his personality? The Treasury seemed to bring out the worst in him OTL, and if he was moved in 2001 Blair might have left more of a mark on the country in terms of reform of public services, and maybe another potential successor would have emerged?
 
Maybe having Brown in a different post under Blair would have helped his personality? The Treasury seemed to bring out the worst in him OTL, and if he was moved in 2001 Blair might have left more of a mark on the country in terms of reform of public services, and maybe another potential successor would have emerged?

Hmm. If Blair had pushed harder for the Euro (and especially if there was no 9/11), Brown would probably have resigned as Chancellor, and maybe even his seat, and that leaves the door open for a less divisive successor. Who that could be, I don't really know... David Miliband? :p
 
Maybe having Brown in a different post under Blair would have helped his personality? The Treasury seemed to bring out the worst in him OTL, and if he was moved in 2001 Blair might have left more of a mark on the country in terms of reform of public services, and maybe another potential successor would have emerged?

Maybe Blair might replace him because Blair is keen to join the Euro and wants the reassessment of the five tests that would begin in June 2001 to come back with a favourable result. In reality, I think that if that were to happen I think that you'd be looking at a serious schism that'd shorten Labour's time in office considerably.
 
Maybe Blair might replace him because Blair is keen to join the Euro and wants the reassessment of the five tests that would begin in June 2001 to come back with a favourable result. In reality, I think that if that were to happen I think that you'd be looking at a serious schism that'd shorten Labour's time in office considerably.

If I'm honest, Blair was pretty power-hungry. He wouldn't take a lower position having been PM (he resigned his seat instead of becoming a backbencher, remember). He might ditch Brown in favour of a loyalist like Alan Milburn to ensure he gets into the Euro.
 
Easy, have them find some actually WMDs or a credible program to create them during the invasion of Iraq. Blair and Bush get their 'I told you so' moment and if the war isn't exactly popular it's no longer an anchor dragging Blair and New Labour down.

If you want a later, and less ASB, POD have Brown go for a snap election after he wins the leadership contest, he would probably win at that point as he was relatively popular for a while.
 
If I'm honest, Blair was pretty power-hungry. He wouldn't take a lower position having been PM (he resigned his seat instead of becoming a backbencher, remember). He might ditch Brown in favour of a loyalist like Alan Milburn to ensure he gets into the Euro.
I was talking about Blair replacing Brown. I don't for one moment think that Blair would have anything to do with a Labour government if he were to be deposed as Prime Minister. Though, I don't think Brown would have anything to do with a Labour government if he had been replaced as Chancellor, well apart from damningly criticising said government should it move toward Euro membership.
 
I was talking about Blair replacing Brown. I don't for one moment think that Blair would have anything to do with a Labour government if he were to be deposed as Prime Minister. Though, I don't think Brown would have anything to do with a Labour government if he had been replaced as Chancellor, well apart from damningly criticising said government should it move toward Euro membership.

If it came at a moment of strength for Blair (i.e right after the 2001 election) I think Brown might well have accepted a move to the Foreign Office - he's still prime minister in waiting and that's a lot to throw away. DPM could well been thrown into the bargain as well (I believe it was offered IOTL).
 
I was talking about Blair replacing Brown. I don't for one moment think that Blair would have anything to do with a Labour government if he were to be deposed as Prime Minister. Though, I don't think Brown would have anything to do with a Labour government if he had been replaced as Chancellor, well apart from damningly criticising said government should it move toward Euro membership.

Hmm. What if we have an earlier POD, with the Granita pact going the other way- Blair becomes Shadow Home Secretary or Shadow Chancellor and Brown gets the leadership?
 
Hmm. What if we have an earlier POD, with the Granita pact going the other way- Blair becomes Shadow Home Secretary or Shadow Chancellor and Brown gets the leadership?

No way, Blair was going to pulverize Brown in the leadership election and after 92, where Brown refused to let either himself or Blair enter the leadership or deputy leadership, there was no way Blair was going to allow himself to be bullied out of the contest.

Your best bet for Brown taking the leadership before Blair is John Smith dying after his first heart attack in '89, or a Labour victory in 92 which means the contest is delayed - but that creates a very different party altogether.
 
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