With no Suez Crisis, how long would Eden last as PM?

Thande

Donor
Basically what the title says. If the Suez Crisis was averted, how long would Anthony Eden be PM? Would he still be in Number 10 for the 1959 (or 1960) election, and if so, how well would the Conservatives do against Hugh Gaitskell's Labour relative to OTL? Would his drug problem become an issue?
 
Basically what the title says. If the Suez Crisis was averted, how long would Anthony Eden be PM? Would he still be in Number 10 for the 1959 (or 1960) election, and if so, how well would the Conservatives do against Hugh Gaitskell's Labour relative to OTL? Would his drug problem become an issue?

He wins in 1959. I am guessing that the victory would be similar to OTL.

In 1959 Macmillan faced an initial uphill struggle against a a slick (by 1950's standards) Labour campaign and the memory of Suez.

Macmillan pulled it out of the bag by trying to look like a reassuring father figure, talking about rising living standards and above all, by playing on fears that Labour would ruin things.

Eden was well liked by most people and wouldn't have to erase the Suez debacle to win the election. His drug/health problems would not be an issue in 1959.

IMO he wins with almost the same number of seats and would step down shortly after. By then Macmillan would be considered too old to take over and so it's either Butler, Hailsham or insert your own favourite.
 
I don't think his health problems would become known as the media was far more deferential to politicians in those days. It was only the stress of Suez that pushed Eden to breaking point so without that then he could have gone on unless another major crisis came along. Either way it will be probably another year before he can't go on and it would probably Butler who gets to be the successor.
 
I once started a TL (on hold currently) where Ike died in September 1955 of the Heart Attack he had in OTL.

Nixon doesn't have the reputation Eisenhower had, so all he can do is try to nigociate with both sides (something he does relatively successfully in my TL).


As a result, Eden stays on until the beginning of 1958 (I can't see him staying around much longer, because of his health problems). The alternate manner in which Suez ends helps Eden remain relatively popular and Butler (who takes over), calls a snap election and wins a simelar result to the one Mcmillan obtained.
 
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