What if Michael Howard did not stand down as leader of the Conservative Party in 2005, but stayed on and fought the 2010 election.
His reason for stepping down was his age. He was 69 in 2010, so he could have fought at least one more election if he wasn't kicked out. The Conservative performance was creditable enough given the circumstances for him not to be kicked out; both Heath and Kinnock survived after defeats their first time out that were as bad.