Sir Charles Dilke (4 September 1843 - 26 January 1911) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Charles_Dilke,_2nd_Baronet , was elected Liberal MP for Chelsea in 1868. In William Gladstone's second government he was Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs from April 1880 to December 1882, and President of the Local Government Board from December 1882 to June 1885.
In a well-publicised divorce case in 1886 he was found guilty of adultery with the wife of Donald Crawford a Liberal MP, though in fact he was innocent. Thereafter he did not hold office in any government.
The POD is that Dilke is not involved in this divorce case. However he probably loses his Chelsea seat in the 1886 general election because it was very marginal (though in OTL he was defeated by a swing of only 1% to the Conservatives, which was lower than the London average) .
Sometime in the 1886 to 1892 Parliament he is returned for a safe Liberal constituency. In OTL he was elected MP for the Forest of Dean in the 1892 general election, which he held for the rest of his life. In Gladstone's fourth government which took office in August 1892 he is appointed Secretary of State for War instead of Sir Henry Campell-Bannerman(C-B). He retains this post when Lord Rosebery becomes Prime Minister in 1894.
When William Harcourt, Rosebery's successor as leader of the Liberal Party, resigns as leader in 1898 (as in OTL) Dilke becomes leader of the party. The Conservatives win the 1900 general election as in OTL. When Arthur Balfour's government collapses in December 1905, Dilke becomes Prime Minister. The Liberals win a landslide victory in the January 1906 general election as in OTL.
Dilke appoints Herbert Henry Asquith as Chancellor of the Exchequer. In OTL Asquith became Prime Minister when C-B resigned because of ill health in April 1908, and is succeeded as Chancellor by David Lloyd George. However in this TL Dilke does not resign, so Asquith continues as Chancellor.
With Lloyd George not Chancellor of the Exchequer the People's Budget ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Budget ) is not introduced? Therefore there is no general election in January 1910 and subsequently in December 1910.
Dilke dies on 26 January 1911 as in OTL. He is succeded as Prime Minister by Asquith. In a general election later in 1911 the Liberals are returned with a much reduced majority. In 1912, Lloyd George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer introduces the People's Budget which is basically the same as the People's Budget in OTL. This is rejected by the House of Lords. In the general election of January 1913, the Conservatives under Balfour win a majority in the House of Commons. In this TL, Balfour does not resign as leader of the Conservative Party in 1911.
So a Conservative government declares war on Germany at the beginning of August 1914. What would be that government's policies regarding the war? With Winston Churchill not in the government in 1915 presumably the Gallipoli expedition would not have taken place. The Conservatives form a coalition government with the Liberals and Labour in 1915 or 1916.
The main course of the war is basically the same as in OTL, and the Germans declare an armistice on 11 November. In the general election of December 1918, the Liberals fight as a united party. Though a small number of Liberals had opposed the war, most had not and there is no Asquith/Lloyd George split. The Lberal Party is also able to maintain its radical credentials which greatly hinders the advance of the Labour Party. The Liberals win a majority in the general election. There are in the region of 40 to 50 Labour MPs elected.
In future years the Liberal Party retains its position as the main opposition party to the Conservatives. The political situation is similar to that in Canada with Conservative and Liberal parties competing for power, and a third-placed democratic socialist party.
In a well-publicised divorce case in 1886 he was found guilty of adultery with the wife of Donald Crawford a Liberal MP, though in fact he was innocent. Thereafter he did not hold office in any government.
The POD is that Dilke is not involved in this divorce case. However he probably loses his Chelsea seat in the 1886 general election because it was very marginal (though in OTL he was defeated by a swing of only 1% to the Conservatives, which was lower than the London average) .
Sometime in the 1886 to 1892 Parliament he is returned for a safe Liberal constituency. In OTL he was elected MP for the Forest of Dean in the 1892 general election, which he held for the rest of his life. In Gladstone's fourth government which took office in August 1892 he is appointed Secretary of State for War instead of Sir Henry Campell-Bannerman(C-B). He retains this post when Lord Rosebery becomes Prime Minister in 1894.
When William Harcourt, Rosebery's successor as leader of the Liberal Party, resigns as leader in 1898 (as in OTL) Dilke becomes leader of the party. The Conservatives win the 1900 general election as in OTL. When Arthur Balfour's government collapses in December 1905, Dilke becomes Prime Minister. The Liberals win a landslide victory in the January 1906 general election as in OTL.
Dilke appoints Herbert Henry Asquith as Chancellor of the Exchequer. In OTL Asquith became Prime Minister when C-B resigned because of ill health in April 1908, and is succeeded as Chancellor by David Lloyd George. However in this TL Dilke does not resign, so Asquith continues as Chancellor.
With Lloyd George not Chancellor of the Exchequer the People's Budget ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Budget ) is not introduced? Therefore there is no general election in January 1910 and subsequently in December 1910.
Dilke dies on 26 January 1911 as in OTL. He is succeded as Prime Minister by Asquith. In a general election later in 1911 the Liberals are returned with a much reduced majority. In 1912, Lloyd George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer introduces the People's Budget which is basically the same as the People's Budget in OTL. This is rejected by the House of Lords. In the general election of January 1913, the Conservatives under Balfour win a majority in the House of Commons. In this TL, Balfour does not resign as leader of the Conservative Party in 1911.
So a Conservative government declares war on Germany at the beginning of August 1914. What would be that government's policies regarding the war? With Winston Churchill not in the government in 1915 presumably the Gallipoli expedition would not have taken place. The Conservatives form a coalition government with the Liberals and Labour in 1915 or 1916.
The main course of the war is basically the same as in OTL, and the Germans declare an armistice on 11 November. In the general election of December 1918, the Liberals fight as a united party. Though a small number of Liberals had opposed the war, most had not and there is no Asquith/Lloyd George split. The Lberal Party is also able to maintain its radical credentials which greatly hinders the advance of the Labour Party. The Liberals win a majority in the general election. There are in the region of 40 to 50 Labour MPs elected.
In future years the Liberal Party retains its position as the main opposition party to the Conservatives. The political situation is similar to that in Canada with Conservative and Liberal parties competing for power, and a third-placed democratic socialist party.