Taken from Going Ashdown by Jamie Hyland (Random House, 2004)
Nita Clarke, who Ashdown appointed to the role of Downing Street Chief of Staff[52], was faced with a growing backlash from the "Dromey Debacle." Ashdown himself had given thanks to Dromey for his brief but memorable tenure at Immigration, but Clarke and McFadden were forced into assuaging fears from concerned members of the cabinet, such as the Foods minister Michael Meacher who was already growing weary over Ashdown's percieved abandonment of the working class[53].
Taken from Clarke by Michael Chapman (Pearson, 2001)
Clarke had left the Major government with his popularity more intact than when he entered it[54], but he still held radical pro-European positions that were not only at odds with the generally unsure British public, and especially so with the bitterly opposed Conservative voter base. Clarke's closest campaign associates, Andrew Tyrie[55] and David Curry[56], were more malleable in their sympathies to the EU, but Ken himself was very much stringent in his stance[57]. He did not see himself as one to shift with the political winds on any topic, not least of which the dividing issue of Europe, which had doomed many a prime minister in the past. Against the wishes of his former Special Adviser David Ruffley[58], Clarke began to crack down on certain voices of dissent within the party.
William Hague, the 37 year old bald Yorkshireman famous for his appearance at the Tory conference in 1977[59], was sacked from his post as Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary (which wasn't a prestigious one in the first place) in a prompt and unexpected manner in March of 1998, to be replaced by the Eastwood MP Paul Cullen[60].
Michael Portillo, having sat as Shadow Home Secretary for nearly a year, looked on uneasily, fearing that Clarke's hammer would fall upon him next. The two never shared a special cordiality in government, and tensions were heightened in the leadership contest, with Portillo only being slotted in as a conciliatory gesture from Clarke. Even though Portillo was starting to come around to Clarke's mooted modernisation of the party, notably attending the opening of the redesigned Conservative youth organisation 'Conservative Future[61]' in July 1997, he was still on the lookout. He hired the Australian journalist Amanda Platell[62] to be his press officer, as well as strategist Mark MacGregor[63] to be a spin doctor of sorts.
Ashdown's keen agreement with Clarke on the topic of the European Single Currency gave members of the 1922 Committee jitters. In March of 1998, the Commission ruled that 11 Member States would adopt the Single Currency by the time the New Year rolled around[64]. Ashdown, ever a Europhile owing to his service in the marines, was very open to the prospect of Britain joining the Eurozone. His Chancellor, Jack Straw, initiated a series of 'economic simulations' to test the possibility in October 1997[65]. After their conclusion, Straw gave the go ahead in spite of allegations that he put his thumb on the scales.
Clarke set up an informal inquiry on the topic, to be lead by the moderately pro-Euro David Hunt, fresh off of a razor-thin victory in the Beckenham[66] by-election, and Thatcher-era speechwriter Paul Howell[67], with contribution from members of the Shadow Cabinet such as Gillian Sheppard. It was 'Clarke's way or the highway', it declared, praising the economic value of the single currency.
The likes of John Redwood were stung badly, and these internal troubles forewarned similar such divisions in the 2002 Referendum, which would threaten the Tory party even more...
Taken from Yevgeny Primakov and the Struggle for Russia by Angus Roxburgh (IB Tauris, 2012)
...After the founding of the Fatherland Party in November 1998, Primakov became the target of an all out media offensive from tycoon Boris Berezovsky, who had a close affiliation with President Yeltsin[68]. This was not to last however. Berezovsky was fired from his position as Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States, as he had a corrupt reputation which Yeltsin did not wish to be connected with[69].
Primakov saw his opportunity to mend relations with the ailing president, whose frosty relations dated all the way back to 1993, when Primakov declined to announce support for Yeltsin's command of the country when his leadership was in crisis[70]. The Communist dominated Duma plotted to remove Yeltsin from office via impeachment. Primakov craftily condemned the proceedings, winning him the trust of the president, and securing him in his position as Prime Minister of Russia[71]...
...Skirmishes in Chechnya lead to a growth in domestic terrorism. Ibn al-Khatbab and Abu Omar al-Saif, Arab militants fighting in the region, planned to detonate bombs in apartment complexes located in southeast Moscow and Buynaksk in August 1999. Luckily for residents in the target areas, police detained the two and intercepted the undetonated bombs[72]...
...The 1999 Duma elections bore much fruit for Primakov. Though Zyuganov's Communists held a clear plurality of seats (110), Fatherland were in a strong second on 80, well ahead of the Unity Party (69)[73]...
...Yeltsin had recorded a resignation statement, informing his daughters Tatyana and Elena, before the event itself on New Years' Eve 1999. Primakov, safe as Prime Minister, took over in quick succession[74].
...Primakov won a strong majority in the 2000 Presidential Election, garnering a 2:1 voteshare advantage over Zyuganov. Fatherland was set to perform well at the next election of the Duma, and while Primakov pledged a foreign policy not dependent on the United States[75], growing troubles in Chechnya meant that a Security Official by the name of Vladimir Putin was on the rise...
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[52]: IOTL, Clarke, who is the daughter in law of Tony Benn, served as an adviser to Blair later on in his term. Here, she gets in earlier with Cherie's influence.
[53]: Meacher IOTL was quite eurosceptic.
[54]: This is true. Clarke was seen as quite likable by the general public, though this failed to translate into success in leadership elections.
[55]: MP for Chichester and Clarke's Campaign Manager in 2001. Here, with Clarke as leader, he enters the tent earlier.
[56]: A confidant and ally of Clarke in 1997 and 2001 IOTL.
[57]: Clarke's very rigidly pro EU, both ITTL and IOTL. This is partially (mostly) why he had trouble winning in 1997, 2001, and 2005 IOTL.
[58]: IOTL MP for Bury St. Edmunds. He had quite a quest to get the seat, having narrowly been beaten by Norman Lamont in Harrogate and Knaresborough before that. TTL, Theresa May's selection at Ashford leads to Damian Green seeking Maidenhead and Bury St. Edmunds being sought by...David Cameron. Ruffley's out on his arse here, but he might be scouted for a by election.
[59]: This is basically all he's known for ITTL. Poor Willie.
[60]: Elected here. Jim Murphy will have to wait before he can sort it all out ITTL.
[61]: This happened in 1998 IOTL. With Clarke more determined, it comes into existence earlier.
[62]: IOTL William Hague's Press Secretary. Attacked Portillo in the 2001 race after speaking positively of him, but 1998 is a different environment.
[63]: IOTL ended up as Chief Executive of Conservative Central Office during the Duncan Smith years.
[64]: As IOTL.
[65]: Brown did this IOTL, but with the clear intention of ruling it out. Straw's doing it for the opposite reasons ITTL (so that entry doesn't happen Just Because).
[66]: IOTL won by Jacqui Lait.
[67]: IOTL went on to voice support for the Pro Euro Conservative Party. Not exactly balanced...
[68]: This is true IOTL as well.
[69]: This happened IOTL.
[70]: True IOTL.
[71]: IOTL Primakov held his breath, cementing Yeltsin's distrust of him. Here, he takes action.
[72]: These were successful IOTL, and killed over 200. In their absence, Vladimir Putin's rise will take a little longer.
[73]: IOTL the Communists and Unity did better, while Fatherland lingered in third.
[74]: The situation IOTL, swap out Putin for Primakov.
[75]: Contrary to some reports, Primakov held a Putinian position of establishing Russia as independent of the USA.