WI: Harold Wilson drowned in 1973?

An article on the BBC News website has caught my eye - The strange day my father saved Harold Wilson's life.

The article details the near-death experience that happened to Harold Wilson, Labour Party leader in 1973 and former Prime Minister, on the 10th August 1973 whilst on holiday in the Scilly Isles.

IOTL, he was saved by some passers-by. But, what if he hadn't been? What if Paul Wolff and his family hadn't been passing by when Harold Wilson needed help and the former Prime Minister drowned?
 
Was Callaghan in a position at the time to succeed him as leader? And could any leader besides Wilson have beaten Heath?
 
Was Callaghan in a position at the time to succeed him as leader? And could any leader besides Wilson have beaten Heath?

Callaghan probably would have been first choice to succeed Wilson. Though, without Wilson's skill at keeping the Party at least nominally united, the leadership contest could split in all manner of directions.
 
Callaghan would be the clear frontrunner

Jenkins was still discredited after his rebellion over the EEC

Healey would probably run, but he would be unlikely to win

Barbara Castle, Peter Shore, Tony Crosland might well all run, but Callaghan could best them all
 
Callaghan would be the clear frontrunner

Jenkins was still discredited after his rebellion over the EEC

Healey would probably run, but he would be unlikely to win

Barbara Castle, Peter Shore, Tony Crosland might well all run, but Callaghan could best them all

The Party would certainly be fractious with many candidates coming forward. But yes, Callaghan would be most likely to win in such a contest.

Looking onwards to the general election (still probably likely to be in early 1974), I think Callaghan would lose out to Heath.
 
The Party would certainly be fractious with many candidates coming forward. But yes, Callaghan would be most likely to win in such a contest.

Looking onwards to the general election (still probably likely to be in early 1974), I think Callaghan would lose out to Heath.

the party would be fractious, yes

well, with no Wilson its possible the strike could've been resolved in 1973, as there is evidence that he meddled in the negotiations, telling Gormley he should reject the offer made by Heath as he could get a better one under a Wilson government. So that means probably no 1974 election.

if things do play out OTL though about the strike, then it is possible Callaghan wouldn't have won the 1974 election, but Labour would likely have gained a few seats, and the tory majority would've been very small (maybe even as small as 1964).
 
Well if the miner's strike is settled in 73 and/or Ted Heath wins a 74 election the Maggie revolution is at least delayed. This may well mean Willie Whitelaw becoming the next leader of the Conservatives as Heath will be able to choose the time of his going rather than being forced out.

However there would have been other miner's strikes in later years so everything would probably just be delayed rather than avoided.
 
Heath could very well have survived the miners strike of 1974 without the intervention of Wilson. Having settled though the Government would still face issues with over Labour unions. There would also be the severe problem with Inflation which escalated due to the 1973 Oil Shock. If Heath called an election in 1974 it would be fought not on the issue of union power but on Inflation. This is what happened in the February campaign. Yet it is still possible a Heath led Conservative or conservative minority government could hang on in the period of 1974-1975. The other alternative would be a Callaghan led government with possible Liberal support.
 
It was an interesting article, note Wilson's evident irritation at meeting the people who saved him the following day. Had he died in 73 a number of possibilities.

1) Within a few years a whole raft of conspiracy theories, especially if his body was never found.
2) Heath may well have won the election in 74 (or early 75 if he had settled with the miners) but it would have been a poisoned chalice.
3) I would expect a growth in labour euroscepticism and further pressure for a referendum.
4) Not so sure Callaghan would have won the leadership, would Healey have had a chance or even Shirley Williams. A Williams candidacy would have been a bit like a Thatcher one, out of the blue, but possibly unstoppable once momentum was gained. Benn also did not have the reputation for extremism he later gained at that point.
 
Didn't Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt drown in OTL? If Wilson dies as well, they'll be some freaky conspiracy theories going around.
 
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