TLIAFD: "What Is Going On?"

[The Red]

Just...brilliant.

 

[wargamer6]

Jeez... What happens to the Monster Raving Loony Party? Come on, Natural Law is off the deep end, while OMRLP actually had a point!

It's his TL and he can have it go in any direction he wants.

What seats to the Beatles hold?

 

[Turquoise Blue]

It's his TL and he can have it go in any direction he wants.

What seats to the Beatles hold?

Why do people think I want to take over TLs? I was just shocked at the twist, that's all.

 

[Orville_third]

This is...wild. Continue! (Any chance the Loonies can get some seats outside Parliament?)

 

[Meadow]

Amazing. Did not see that coming for one moment. Your characters feel very real and experienced.

 

[Julius Vogel]

What a twist

Yogic Flyers will save the day!

 

[Cymraeg]

What a twist

Yogic Flyers will save the day!

*Swoop, whoooosh, dakadakadakadakadaka* (whistles Battle of Britain soundtrack)

 

[Orville_third]

For some reason, a clip from Stevie Wonder's "Jesus Children of America" is running through my head.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp32GMzcfOU
Does this mean the NLP may spread?

 

[MatthewFirth]

No. No, no, no. Nonononono. No.

What the hell is your problem this time?

You just had the three surviving Beatles elected to Parliament.

Yep.

Beating Labour.

Indeedy.

In Liverpool.

Sounds about right.

AS MEMBERS OF THE NATURAL LAW PARTY.

Aren't you a purely rhetorical device invented solely to provide a self-deprecating explanation of the premise to TLIADs?

Yeah, but even I can't let you pass something like this up! Have you not heard of plausibility?!

Well, the 'Beatles-as-NLP-candidates-in-Liverpool' was discussed IOTL; the three weren't particularly sold on the idea. I think that's the big hurdle ITTL too, and Sutch's higher media profile means they have something of a lead to follow here. Once they're on the ballot, I don't think having their celebrity power carry them through will be too much of an issue.

...I can't believe we waited two weeks for this.

Oh, shut up and read.

I actually like the WI idea, although I don't think Paul and Ringo would make good politicians. George would be though. GEORGE FOR PM!

 

[Whanztastic]

I actually like the WI idea, although I don't think Paul and Ringo would make good politicians. George would be though. GEORGE FOR PM!

Ringo has to be good at something though!

 

[Meadow]

Why do people think I want to take over TLs? I was just shocked at the twist, that's all.

You PM'd me with unsolicited instructions of what to do with Wales during my Boris TLIAD. That message, and your brusque tone within it, made me think that of you.

Apologies to Ed for the derail.

 

[MatthewFirth]

Ringo has to be good at something though!

Ah, as a TV presenter?

 

[Ed Costello]

Once again, thank you all for the kind words.

Jeez... What happens to the Monster Raving Loony Party? Come on, Natural Law is off the deep end, while OMRLP actually had a point!

Oh, the Loonies have a way to go yet. Quite a bit further than the NLP, for one thing.

(As to the Natural Law Party being 'off the deep end'... who says the Fab Three-Quarters will stick all too closely to the party line?)

(Any chance the Loonies can get some seats outside Parliament?)

The Loonies have already been winning local and parish council seats since before the POD. They'll be winning a few more with the Party's higher media profile, although that has more to do with the people they attract as candidates; that fact, along with Sutch's personal journey through the TL, means they'll probably become a rather different beast from the one we know and love.

Does this mean the NLP may spread?

The next update, when I get it out, will show that this is by far the NLP's high-water mark.

I actually like the WI idea, although I don't think Paul and Ringo would make good politicians. George would be though. GEORGE FOR PM!

You are right, insofar as only one of the three will prove a decent MP. As to whether you got the right one... *innocent face*

Ringo has to be good at something though!

Ah, as a TV presenter?

Have you gentlemen never heard of Thomas The Tank Engine?


ETA: regarding the rest of this TL - I make no promises as to when updates will appear, or how long it'll take. Work has been even more insanely busy than I anticipated this summer (who thought having four jobs might lead to this, eh?), so it'll be as and when. I don't intend to let this die just yet, though.

 

[iainbhx]

Ringo has to be good at something though!

Actually, Ringo might make a good politician, for a few months, then he'd resign.

 

[Thoresby]

Well the quality of Strangers Bar karaoke has just gone up.

 

[Orville_third]

Any updates to this TL? Pretty please?

 

[Ed Costello]

THROUGH THE POWER OF TYPING I RAISE THEE FROM THE DEAD!!!

www.alternativehistory.com thread 23/4/2011

WI: The Beatles win re-election in 1997?

One of the big shock results of the 51st Parliament was the election of the three surviving Beatles as Natural Law MPs for Liverpool. They only served one term, and in 1997 the seats were reclaimed by mainstream parties. But WI the Beatles decided to fight on as members of Parliament? What effect might this have on their careers, and on the NLP's future?

Firstly – welcome to the Board! It's always a pleasure to see new members here

As to your question; I think your biggest problem is going to be getting the three Beatles to agree to run again. From what I remember at the time, they were all pretty disaffected by 1997...

Disaffected? I think by 1997 Harrison and Starr were pretty much ready to knock the walls down to get out of there. McCartney might be a different matter... but I'll leave that to someone else to take care of, it's beyond my sphere of knowledge.

The NLP, on the other hand, are screwed. The party fluked out in getting as many MPs as they did, and most of that was down to the star power of the Fab Three-Quarters (Whoever came up with that, I owe you a drink at the next meetup). Come 1997, Natural Law will become a smaller historical footnote than the Monster Raving Loony Party.

They never release 'Free As A Bird'

And thus our noble artistic spirit dies, unmourned

This kind of thread annoys me. The premise would've made a really interesting TL; as it is, it's just another dull discussion thread, as if we need any more of those. And since when were the Greens a 'mainstream' party?

@Runnymede: Smaller footnote than the OMRLP? I wasn't aware the Loonies had elected a member to Parliament...

'Fab Three-Quarters' was me

But yeah, Runnymede pretty much has it. The NLP was pretty much a spent force in 1997, so even if their sitting MPs had wanted to contest it it's unlikely they would've won.

Also, just a point when you're talking about British Politics: unlike the US Congress we don't number them, not least because people start arguing about when to start from. I know NetCycloPedia does that, but as we all know that particular website was sent to us by Satan to end history, so don't put too much stock in it. Also, the correct terminology is 'elected as MPs in three Liverpool constituencies' – the way you put it made it sound like they were elected like your Senators, and that process doesn't exist in the UK (unless they bring back the University constituencies...).

@Lupus Incanus: True, but the NLP never brought down a government Also, don't forget that the OP is probably talking about the 1997 election, when Riverside was a Liberal/Labour marginal; the Greens taking advantage of that split electorate didn't come about until later.

OP asks: Can three MPs, one of whom has the lowest attendance ever recorded for a Parliamentarian, another who made it clear he was doing his job under duress and a third who was at loggerheads with the bunch of crackpots under whose banner he was elected from the word go, manage to hold a trio of seats which are Labour's biggest targets for the GE – a decision which will take them away from their fabulous riches and rock-star lifestyles for another five years?

Tell you what; I'll go get my bong, and see if I can still type once I reach a stage where this becomes plausible.

@Runnymede: brought down a Prime Minister. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, dear.

Gentlemen, let's keep this civil, shall we?

Out of interest, Lennon's Tomb, are you asking because you're a Beatles fan, or a wannabe NLP supporter?

Aw, nuts, is it really that implausible? I had a great TL idea planned for this...

@Eddie Marr: I'm a Beatles fan, yeah – though I thought my handle might've given that away

I thought as much, but it's always safe to check – some of the NLP-wannabes are cranks, frankly!

But yeah, I'm afraid the others pretty much have the game sussed. George was never that keen on parliamentary politics, and pretty much lost interest when his spiritual mission failed to galvanise anyone at Westminster or in Broad Green; Ringo did a decent job for two years until parliamentary discourse wore him down, spent the rest of his term sulking, nearly caused a fight with a Tory in the Commons Bar, and then sealed himself away in LA for three years in a mood; Paul had the nous to fight for his constituents over his party (which caused no end of fights with the leadership, since he was arguably the most high-profile), but unless you butterfly Linda's breast-cancer there's no way he's contesting 1997, NLP or otherwise; and the party themselves are near-bankrupt, haven't elected anyone beside the Fab ¾ to so much as a parish council, and are basically considered a vehicle for nutjobs and egotists.

Mr. Neve and Mr. Marr are sadly too wrapped up in their Own material Xistences to appreciate the opportunity Natural Law offered us as a People.If only fewer People placed such emphasis on the Empty greed of their Consumerism...

I am disappointed no others have mentioned the Great travesty of Democracy that this entire episode represents.The Three surviving Beatles(along with Yoko Ono)took the blood money of the British Royal Family and their Political Puppets to destroy Natural Law by deceiving the Maharishi Maresh Yogi(PBUH)and perverting his Great Works to their own ends and those of their Masters.One day this betrayal will come to light, and the False gods will be Struck Down...

Aaand right on schedule! This guy keeps better time than Arriva North! When will you get the message, you nutcase, that your party punched way, way above its weight IOTL and was never going to be anything more than a flash in the pan, not least because everyone thought they were bloody nutjobs?! (A perception, by the way, you are not doing anything to change...)

@Eddie Marr:
There's been a lot of borderline-actionable incivility on this thread, but this post is way across the line. Rudeness, foul language and an attempt to silence free speech (to say nothing of your upthread goading). You are kicked for a week; be glad the Admin didn't see this.

Oh, I see what you mean...

 

[Ed Costello]

So yeah, alternate version of AH.com for ya to round off a nice four-month hiatus...

Just to make it clear, the posters in this last post are affectionately named after references to our own posters; they're not necessarily supposed to be the same people. I'm basically stretching the use of butterflies a bit to indulge my own writing flights of fancy. That said, if anyone feels offended by the characters represented here I'll be more than happy to change it.

Despite this TL already being wildly mis-named, I make no promises on an update schedule; it'll be as and when it comes. I kind of know where I'm going from here on out, though.