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The UK remained the number 3 world power until the 1960s. What if the UK (not an Imperial Federation) had remained as such?

This probably requires a higher population and a stronger economy. Much of Britain's economic malaise was self-imposed.

-Britain became somewhat protectionist after the war, leading to domestic industries being less efficient
-Sterling convertibility was very damaging to the UK
-Avoid sterling convertibility and the associated currency crises
-Have the US just forgive the war debts of Britain (perhaps in exchange for decolonization)
-Keep Britain from propping up failing domestic industries
-Have a more liberal immigration policy
-More investment in areas like computing (Thatcher cut this IIRC)
-Rootes buying Volkswagen when it was proposed (giving the UK a strong auto-industry perhaps)
-Holding on to a few more overseas territories and either giving them parliamentary representation or have them have self-government like the OTL overseas territories. Nothing major, just little places like Malta, Sierra Leone, Andaman islands, etc.

A larger population would also be a necessity. A stronger economy would mean less emigration and more immigration. The British would also need to be more liberal on immigration.

If the UK had a population of around 88 million and a present-day GDP per capita of ~48,000 (like the Netherlands) that'd mean the country would comparable to Japan economically.

I'm not trying to have the UK be a third superpower, just a much stronger country relative to OTL.
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