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Lists of Heads of Government and Heads of State

Love? Actually,

1990-1995: John Major (Conservative)
def. 1992 (Majority): Neil Kinnock (Labour), Paddy Ashdown (Liberal Democrats)

1995-1996: Michael Portillo (Conservative)

1996-2003: Tony Blair (Labour)
def. 1996 (Majority): Michael Portillo (Conservative), Paddy Ashdown (Liberal Democrats), James Goldsmith (Referendum)
def. 2000 (Majority): Menzies Campbell (Liberal Democrats), Ken Clarke (Conservative), Jeffrey Titford (New Britain)

2003-2012: David MacLean (Liberal Democrats)
def. 2003 (Majority): Tony Blair (Labour), William Hague (Conservative), Jeffrey Titford (New Britain)
def. 2007 (Majority): Jack Straw (Labour), Mike Nattrass (New Britain & Anti-Europe Conservative), Frances Curran (Left List), William Hague (Conservative, Pro-European)

2012-2017: Hilary Benn (Labour)
def. 2012 (Minority): David MacLean (Liberal Democrats), Robin Birley (People's), Tim Collins (Modern Conservative)

2017-20??: David MacLean (Liberal Democrats)
def. 2017 (Modern Conservative Coalition): Hilary Benn (Labour), Tim Collins (Modern Conservative), Robin Birley (People's)
 
Love? Actually,

1990-1995: John Major (Conservative)
def. 1992 (Majority): Neil Kinnock (Labour), Paddy Ashdown (Liberal Democrats)

1995-1996: Michael Portillo (Conservative)

1996-2003: Tony Blair (Labour)
def. 1996 (Majority): Michael Portillo (Conservative), Paddy Ashdown (Liberal Democrats), James Goldsmith (Referendum)
def. 2000 (Majority): Menzies Campbell (Liberal Democrats), Ken Clarke (Conservative), Jeffrey Titford (New Britain)

2003-2012: David MacLean (Liberal Democrats)
def. 2003 (Majority): Tony Blair (Labour), William Hague (Conservative), Jeffrey Titford (New Britain)
def. 2007 (Majority): Jack Straw (Labour), Mike Nattrass (New Britain & Anti-Europe Conservative), Frances Curran (Left List), William Hague (Conservative, Pro-European)

2012-2017: Hilary Benn (Labour)
def. 2012 (Minority): David MacLean (Liberal Democrats), Robin Birley (People's), Tim Collins (Modern Conservative)

2017-20??: David MacLean (Liberal Democrats)
def. 2017 (Modern Conservative Coalition): Hilary Benn (Labour), Tim Collins (Modern Conservative), Robin Birley (People's)

oooo i was considering doing something with this myself

my POD was the fuel crisis in 2001 kicking off earlier, hague and kennedy substantially slicing blair's majority in the election that year so that the government could actually fall over iraq

1997-2003: Tony Blair (Labour)
1997 (Majority) def. John Major (Conservative), Paddy Ashdown (Liberal Democrat), David Trimble (Ulster Unionist), Alex Salmond (Scottish National)
2001 (Majority) def. William Hague (Conservative), Charles Kennedy (Liberal Democrat), David Trimble (Ulster Unionist), Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist), John Swinney (Scottish National)

2003-2003: Gordon Brown ('War' Labour minority, with de facto 'War' Conservative confidence and supply)
2003-2003: Robin Cook ('Peace' Labour leading Caretaker Government)
2003-2008: Matthew Taylor (Liberal Democrat)
2003 (Peace Coupon majority, with Labour Democrats) def. Jack Straw (Labour), William Hague (Conservative), Alex Salmond (Scottish National), Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist), Ieuan Wyn Jones (Plaid Cymru), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein)
2008-2014: John McDonnell (Labour)
2008 (Coalition with Liberal Democrats) def. Edward Leigh (Conservative), Matthew Taylor (Liberal Democrat), Alex Salmond (Scottish National), David Miliband (NewLabour), Peter Robinson (Democratic Unionist), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein)
2009 AV referendum, NO 52%, YES 48%
2009 (Majority) def. Edward Leigh (Conservative), Julia Goldsworthy (Liberal Democrat), Alex Salmond (Scottish National), Peter Robinson (Democratic Unionist), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein)

2014-2016: John Baron (Conservative)
2014 (Minority coalition with Liberal Democrats, with SNP confidence and supply) def. John McDonnell (Labour), Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat), Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh (Scottish National), Peter Robinson (Democratic Unionist), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein)
2015 Scottish independence referendum NO 58%, YES 42%

2016-2017: John Baron (Conservative minority, with Scottish National confidence and supply)
2017 EU membership referendum REMAIN 51%, LEAVE 49%
2017-2017: Nicky Morgan (Conservative minority, with Scottish National confidence and supply)
2017-2022: Matthew Taylor (Liberal Democrat)
2017 (Coalition with Conservatives) def. Graham Stringer (Labour), Nicky Morgan (Conservative), Arlene Foster (Democratic Unionist), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein)
 
oooo i was considering doing something with this myself

my POD was the fuel crisis in 2001 kicking off earlier, hague and kennedy substantially slicing blair's majority in the election that year so that the government could actually fall over iraq

1997-2003: Tony Blair (Labour)
1997 (Majority) def. John Major (Conservative), Paddy Ashdown (Liberal Democrat), David Trimble (Ulster Unionist), Alex Salmond (Scottish National)
2001 (Majority) def. William Hague (Conservative), Charles Kennedy (Liberal Democrat), David Trimble (Ulster Unionist), Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist), John Swinney (Scottish National)

2003-2003: Gordon Brown ('War' Labour minority, with de facto 'War' Conservative confidence and supply)
2003-2003: Robin Cook ('Peace' Labour leading Caretaker Government)
2003-2008: Matthew Taylor (Liberal Democrat)
2003 (Peace Coupon majority, with Labour Democrats) def. Jack Straw (Labour), William Hague (Conservative), Alex Salmond (Scottish National), Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist), Ieuan Wyn Jones (Plaid Cymru), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein)
2008-2014: John McDonnell (Labour)
2008 (Coalition with Liberal Democrats) def. Edward Leigh (Conservative), Matthew Taylor (Liberal Democrat), Alex Salmond (Scottish National), David Miliband (NewLabour), Peter Robinson (Democratic Unionist), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein)
2009 AV referendum, NO 52%, YES 48%
2009 (Majority) def. Edward Leigh (Conservative), Julia Goldsworthy (Liberal Democrat), Alex Salmond (Scottish National), Peter Robinson (Democratic Unionist), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein)

2014-2016: John Baron (Conservative)
2014 (Minority coalition with Liberal Democrats, with SNP confidence and supply) def. John McDonnell (Labour), Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat), Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh (Scottish National), Peter Robinson (Democratic Unionist), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein)
2015 Scottish independence referendum NO 58%, YES 42%

2016-2017: John Baron (Conservative minority, with Scottish National confidence and supply)
2017 EU membership referendum REMAIN 51%, LEAVE 49%
2017-2017: Nicky Morgan (Conservative minority, with Scottish National confidence and supply)
2017-2022: Matthew Taylor (Liberal Democrat)
2017 (Coalition with Conservatives) def. Graham Stringer (Labour), Nicky Morgan (Conservative), Arlene Foster (Democratic Unionist), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein)
Ah- see for me, the 2001 Fuel Crisis is a bit too chaotic a PoD for Richard Curtis-land, and while David (Maclean, because Hugh Grant's mothers maiden name) is obviously not Labour and succeeds Blair (or at least is heavily hinted to be), I've always taken away that the PM was meant to be Blair without Blairism; he's not managing peace, but he's also not at war, rather it's a bland majority government of the mushy centre in which Britain doesn't really face much issue, or at least it's placid enough that David can go about fucking his house cleaner and making speeches about how jolly good love is.
 
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Ah- see for me, the 2001 Fuel Crisis is a bit too chaotic a PoD for Richard Curtis-land, and while David (Maclean, because Hugh Grant's mothers maiden name) is obviously not Labour and succeeds Blair (or at least is heavily hinted to be), I've always taken away that the PM was meant to be Blair without Blairism; he's not managing peace, but he's also not at way, rather it's a bland majority government of the mushy centre in which Britain doesn't really face much issue, or at least it's placid enough that David can go about fucking his house cleaner and making speeches about how jolly good love is.

I really hate that film.
 
Neoliberalism Forever!
Presidents of the United States
2001-2005 George W. Bush/ Dick Cheney (Republican) (1)
2000: Al Gore/ Joe Lieberman(Democratic) ,Ralph Nader/ Winona LaDuke (Green)
2005-2006: Al Gore/ Gary Locke (Democratic) (2)
2004: George W. Bush/ Dick Cheney (Republican)
2006-2013 Gary Locke/ Mark Pryor (Democratic) (3)
2008: Mike Huckabee/ Lindsey Graham(Republican) (4)
2013-? Hillary Clinton/ Tom Vilsack (Democratic) (5)
2012: Tim Pawlenty/ Bobby Jindal (Republican) (6)
1. From the beginning, the second President Bush had a troubled administration. Having entered office under the cloud of Florida's butterfly ballots, he would manage to lose the Senate less than a year after taking power. The problems and the scandals would never stop coming. The bursting of the DotCom bubble. Halliburton. Enron. The Bush administration was successful in passing a round of tax cuts and education reforms but 2002, which saw the Democrats regain the House and expand their majority in the Senate, would leave Bush as a lame duck. Bush's trumpeting of the successful foiling of a major terrorist attack in New York fell flat. Like Clinton before him, it was believed that he was inventing a foreign threat to take attention away from his domestic failures. In the end, the result of the 2004 election was a foregone conclusion.

2. The story of Al Gore has been told on stage and screen countless times. His childhood in Washington D.C., working his way up through the House and Senate, his thankless years as Vice-President, seeing victory cruelly snatched from his jaws , the vindication of 2004 and finally his shocking death. The euphoria felt by liberals upon Gore's return led in turn to an outpouring of grief when he was struck down by a far-right assassin a year later, leaving a nation shocked and traumatised. Still, some cynics have noted that Gore's death was ultimately beneficial for Democrats, resulting in what had looked likely to be a bruising midterm instead resulting in several Democrat gains. Conspiracy theories continue to circulate.

3. The first Asian president would prove to be defiantly reluctant to change history in any other way, quickly seeking to broaden his appeal with an amiable southerner. Locke's first term was primarily concerned with foreign affairs. Locke sought to topple Saddam Hussein, who had been a persistent thorn in the side of the Clinton, Bush and Gore administrations. While the appetite for war was low, Locke tightened the sanctions still further and launched numerous air strikes. Saddam would eventually fall, thanks to a combination of failing health and rebellion but this would not happen until 2009.
After his easy victory over the Republican id unleashed, Locke would find himself faced with an economic downturn in 2009. While relatively mild, the downturn proved to be an opportunity for Locke to implement the same policies he had used as Governor of Washington. Taxes were cut, thousands of federal employees were laid off and funding for Medicare and education was slashed. Locke's relations with Senators such as Russ Feingold and Bernie Sanders were infamously hostile. Their hostility, however paled in comparison to that of the Republicans, smarting over their defeats. The 4th of July Movements would allow the Republicans to make gains in the 2010 Midterms, although their majority in the House was narrow and the Senate remained in Democratic hands, despite the shocking defeat of Majority Leader Daschle.

4. The comprehensive failure of the Republican establishment enabled the insurgent wing to choose the nominee, with a moderate-ish Senator to stop the donors panicking. The ticket was a miserable failure, although greater partisanship prevented it from self-destructing as spectacularly as the Goldwater campaign.

5. The economy had largely recovered by 2011, enabling the former First Lady to run, sustained by memories of the 90's and the desire of a generally peaceful and prosperous electorate not to rock the boat. Nevertheless, the 2012 election was extremely close and dark mutterings about the late returns in Ohio continue to circulate on Fox News. The Democrats received a second thumping in 2014, handing the Republicans a substantial majority in the House and a bare one in the Senate. Congress continues to dog President Clinton with numerous investigations of various supposed scandals. As the 2016 election approaches the eyes of the White House are on two things- the crowded horrorshow that is the 2016 Republican primary and the rumours of financial troubles coming out of Lehman Brothers.

6. The establishment regained control in 2012, although not without facing a long and different primary campaign against Rick Santorum. In an effort to simultaneously reassure the conservative base and reach out to minorities, Bobby Jindal was chosen for VP. He succeeded in the former task but not so much the latter.

Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom
1997-2010 Tony Blair (Labour) (7)
1997: John Major (Conservative), Paddy Ashdown (Liberal Democrat)
2001: William Hague (Conservative), Charles Kennedy (Liberal Democrat)
2005: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative)(8) , Charles Kennedy (Liberal Democrat) (9)
2009: Tim Collins (Conservative),(10) Danny Alexander (Liberal Democrat), (11) Robert Kilroy-Silk (UKIP)(12)
2010-2013 John Reid (Labour) (13)
2013-2013 John Reid (Labour minority) (14)
2013: Tim Collins (Conservative) (15), David Laws (Liberal Democrat),(16) Nigel Farage (UKIP)(17)​
2013-? James Purnell (Labour-Liberal Democrat Coalition) (18)
7. What can be said about Blair ,other than that he was the most influential prime minister of a generation and the longest serving of all time? Despite his desire to be more radical, Blair's second term was not particularly eventful, save for the implementation of northeast devolution and the controversial NHS reforms of Alan Milburn, derided by many on the left as creeping privatisation. It was after winning a third consecutive landslide that Blair decided that his legacy would be to bring Britain into the Euro. Although the idea was extremely unpopular to begin with, Join would narrowly manage to win, at the cost of winning a great deal of antipathy towards the government and jettisoning Brown.
The 2009 election saw a huge swing against the government which greatly reduced Labour's majority. However even a reduced majority was still massive and Blair would survive, only to be forced from office less than a year later, after a serious heart attack.

8. The Quiet Man would not prove to be quite as much of a disaster as his worst critics had feared, losing only a couple of seats and managing to gain several others. Still, it was enough to resign over.

9. The Lib Dems made a net gain of seats in 2005 but a combination of disappointment over the scale of the gains and Kennedy's alcoholism would force him to resign.

10. Tim Collins sought to create a kinder, gentler Conservative Party, one that wasn't quite so scary to many voters. Widely derided as the "Tory Blair”, he did well enough against the actual Blair that he was allowed to stay on as leader.

11. After the brief and unhappy tenure of Chris Huhne, Danny Alexander emerged as dark horse in the subsequent leadership election. A darling of the right, he was successful in gaining seats in Scotland but would go backwards elsewhere.

12. Building upon opposition to the Euro, UKIP under it's eccentric leader would gain many votes from supporters of both the two main parties, although they failed to win any seats.

13. Brown made an attempt to finally get what he was owed but the Blairites managed to unify under their Glaswegian attack dog. Reid was tough on crime, not so much on the causes of crime. Prison sentences were raised, immigration was slashed and the criminal justice system was rapidly reformed. Economic policy slid to the right, with Reid permitting Chancellor Alan Milburn more freedom to pursue his own policies. Despite a brief bounce in popularity towards the beginning of his premiership, fuelled by his obvious differences from Blair the uncharismatic prime minister soon began to lose public sympathy. Reid also had many differences with Labour backbenchers, especially over immigration.

14. The 2013 election was a mess. 16 Years of government had left Labour exhausted and out of ideas and many began to wonder whether a stay in opposition might be good for the party. In the event, thanks to weakness among the opposition and a well-timed UKIP surge, Labour emerged as (barely) the largest party in a hung parliament, with the lowest share of the vote of any winning party in recent history. Reid stubbornly sought to cling on as a minority government, his mutual antipathy with the Liberal Democrats preventing any deal with them. Reid would only last for a couple of months before he was inevitably forced to jump.

15. Collins sought to finally return to power but while voters were unhappy with Reid's Labour, many were still unsure about the Conservatives. While much blame for his failure has been placed upon UKIP splitting their vote and an ill-advised comment by Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling on gay couples, the truth is that the Conservatives in general ran a bland and uninspiring campaign. Collins would hang on until it became clear that a second election was not going to happen.

16. The problem with Alexander, it was decided was his personality, not his politics. David Laws therefore stood forward to represent the Liberal right to the public. The Lib Dems had a somewhat uneven campaign, with gains from Labour being balanced out by losses to the Conservatives. Nevertheless, getting into government for the first time in many decades was enough to save Laws.

17. UKIP was the only party that could be said to have had a consistently good election gaining a handful of seats and many more votes. UKIP continues to grow as a reaction against the bland centrism of the three major parties.

18. Upon Reid's resignation, the young Home Secretary took control. Purnell has thus far proven to be a less polarizing figure than Reid and has excellent relations with his coalition partners. However both governing parties have seen their popularity continue to fall and the latest round of local elections have been troubling in the extreme. Labour waits it out, hoping that events will save them.
 
Prime Ministers of the Republic of Examplia
01: John Villar Mooreshead (One majority) 1951-1957
1951: def. Tom Brookes (Two)
1954: def. Tom Brookes (Two)
02: Tom Brookes (Two majority, then
Two - The Liberals minority) 1957-1959
1957: def. John Villar Mooreshead (One)
03: John Villar Mooreshead (One majority) 1959-1968
1959: def. Tom Brookes (Two - The Liberals) and Hamilton Reyes (Two (Original))
1962: def. George Dern (Two - The Liberals), Manuel Alvarez (Social Labour) and Hamilton Reyes (Two (Original)
1965: def. Richard Ardern ("Reunified" Two) and Manuel Alvarez (Social Labour)
04: Richard Ardern ("Reunified" Two majority, then Two minority) 1968-1973
1968: def. John Villar Mooreshead (One) and Manuel Alvarez (Social Labour)
1971: def. Franklin Smalls (One) and Manuel Alvarez (Social Labour)
05: Duncan Tune (One-National Two coalition) 1973-1982
1973: def. Richard Ardern (Two), William Lamm (Social Labour) and Jabez Silva (National Two)
1976: def. Richard Ardern (Two), William Lamm (Social Labour) and Jabez Silva (National Two)
1979: def. Samuel Catts (TWO.The Liberals), Joseph Proud-Bellamy (Social Labour) and Jabez Silva (National Two)
06: Samuel Catts (TWO.The Liberals-Social Labour coalition, then majority) 1982-1995
1982: def. Duncan Tune (One), Joseph Proud-Bellamy (Social Labour) and Jabez Silva (National Two)
1985: def. Stanley Howlin (One) and Joseph Proud-Bellamy (Social Labour)
1988: def. Stanley Howlin (One), Joseph Proud-Bellamy (Social Labour) and Annabeth Random (Three - The Real Alternative)
1992: def. Jay Mixson (One), Joseph Proud-Bellamy (Social Labour) and Annabeth Random (Three - The Real Alternative)
07: Madison O'Malley (One-Two Unionist-Three - The Real Alternative "Progressive Coupon") 1995-1997
1995: def. Samuel Catts (TWO.The Liberals), William Pitt (Two Unionist), Annabeth Random (Three - The Real Alternative) and Liz Fry (Social Labour)
08: Joseph Proud-Bellamy, 3rd Earl of Proudhon (Social Labour-led "Wartime Government") 1997-2005

09: Madison O'Malley (One-Two Unionist coalition, then majority) 2005-2011
2005: def. Liz Fry (Social Labour), William Pitt (Two Unionist), Quentin Lyle (TWO.The Liberals) and Zephyr Raincoat (Three - The Real Alternative)
2009: def. Skylar White (Two), Liz Fry (Social Labour), William Pitt (Two Unionist) and Zephyr Raincoat (Three - The Real Alternative)
10: Frankie Edison (One majority) 2011-2014
11: William Pitt (Two-Two Unionist coalition, then Two majority) 2014-2015*
2014: def. Skylar White (Two), Frankie Edison (One), Zephyr Raincoat (3ARTH) and Bobbie Black (Social Labour)
12: Skylar White (Two majority) 2015-2022
2017: def. Simon Bright Eyes (One), Miranda Nixon (3ARTH), Frankie Edison (One (Secular)) and Bobbie Black (Social Labour)
13: Frankie Edison (One (Secular)-Social Labour-3ARTH coalition, then One (Secular)-Social Labour coalition) 2022-2027
2022: def. Skylar White (Two), Bobbie Black (Social Labour), Simon Bright Eyes (One) and Miranda Nixon (3ARTH)
2026: def. Danny Bloom (Two), Alex Thorsson (One), Bobbie Black (Social Labour), Jack Proud-Bellamy (Socialist Four) and Miranda Nixon (3ARTH)
14: Cameron Davies (One (Secular)-Social Labour coalition, then One (Secular)-led "Remain United" coalition) 2027-2032
2031: def. Tammy Tyler (Two), Alex Thorsson (One), Jack Proud-Bellamy (Socialist Four) and Bobbie Black (Social Labour)
15: Fergus MacDonald (Two majority) 2032-2039
2032: def. Alex Thorsson (One), Cameron Davies (One (Secular)), Jack Proud-Bellamy (Socialist Four) and Harry Bleak (Threecology)
2037: def. Maud MacDonald (Reunited One). Jack Proud-Bellamy (Socialist Four) and Harry Bleak (Threecology)
16: Ted Gust (Two majority, then Two-Socialist Four coalition) 2039-2042
2040: def. Maud MacDonald (One), Jack Proud-Bellamy (Socialist Four), Harry Bleak (Threecology) and Louise Rainey (Five Star)
17: Jack Proud-Bellamy (Two-Socialist Four coalition) 2042-2043
18: William Reach (One-Threecology coalition, then One-led "Ministry of All the Talents") 2043-2050
2043: def. Ted Gust (Two [Alliance]), Amelia Linden (Threecology), Louise Rainey (Five Star) and Jack Proud-Bellamy (Socialist Four [Alliance])
2049: def. Frank Allen (Two [MAT]), Louise Rainey (Five Star), Amelia Linden (Threecology [MAT]) and Matt Mack (Socialist Four [MAT])
19: David Tennant (Military) 2050-2053
20: Louise Rainey (Five Star-led "Constitutional Convention", then Five Star majority) 2053-
2056: def. Frank Allen (One-Two "Buckled Shoe" Alliance) and Matt Mack (Three-Four "Shut Door" Alliance)

With Examplia's democracy spiralling out of control due to the economy imploding, the military chose to step in. The rising far-right Five Star Movement, already under a cordon sanitaire, led a popular uprising that ended up toppling the military regime and establishing the Five Stars as the dominant party. Rewriting the Examplian constitution to suit their ends, they ended up winning a landslide election in 2056

Can the Buckled Shoes and Shut Doors come to an agreement, a possible "Zero Party", or is the Five Stars sure to win every election from here on out, driving Examplia further and further to the right? All is up in the air, but one thing is certain - Examplia has changed and for the worse
 
This is inspired by Matthew Engels' comment that Horatio Bottomley would've easily been elected Mayor of London if such a post had existed in his day. As far as I know, Asquith didn't have any plans to make elected mayors a, like, thing, but it's a fun idea and um yeah.

Domine Dirige Nos

Mayors of London

1916 - 1921: Horatio Bottomley (John Bull)
1916: Neil Primrose (Liberal); Ronald Collet Norman (National Unionist); George Lansbury (Labour)
1920: Thomas James Macnamara (Liberal and Labour); Arthur Conan Doyle (National Unionist); George Lansbury (Independent Labour)

1921 - 0000: John Burns (Liberal)

As a part of H.H. Asquith's ambitious proposal for 'Home Rule All Round,' the Prime Minister would, along with creating Irish and Scottish Parliaments - the long and colourful premiership of Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham, 'Ar Bob,' as a generation of Scots knew him, is a story in itself, while Redmond's Ireland would quickly be dubbed 'the Ruby Isle' for the bloodshed there, perpetrated by Tom Clarke's Irish Republican Brotherhood - devolve the powers of the London County Council onto a directly elected Mayor, with the first Mayor to be elected in 1916. While there was certainly some resistance to the bill, it would ultimately pass, and soon, would-be mayors began campaigning.

With the dissolution of the LCC's Progressive and Municipal Reform Parties, which represented the national Liberal and National Unionist parties, respectively, a jolted London knew that the election had begun in earnest. The Liberals and the National Unionists began looking for candidates to represent them in the election. The Liberals would ultimately reject the aging former radical John Burns, turned Whiggish over the years, in favour of the handsome, young Under-Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs and Asquith's preferred candidate, Neil Primrose, the son of former Prime Minister Lord Rosebery. The National Unionists, meanwhile, nominated a dynast of their own, Ronald Collet Norman of the Norman banking family. Labour, meanwhile, selected the firebrand radical Councillor George Lansbury, a strong advocate of women's suffrage, primarily as a tactic to gain the endorsement of Sylvia Pankhurst, who had been milling an run for the Mayoralty as a protest candidate to campaign for women's suffrage.

And then there was Horatio Bottomley. The populist editor of John Bull and former MP, despite his dubious parentage, his prosecution for fraud, and his subsequent bankruptcy, was still one of the most popular men in London. Thus, when he announced that he would be standing for Mayor, on a 'John Bull' ticket of his own creation, many feared that Bottomley might actually win. Bottomley, campaigning on a platform of 'Bottomley, Brains and Business,' saw his rousing speeches, in which he reveled in painting himself as a representative of the "man on the street," packing with supporters, cheering his denunciation of Primrose as a "deserter," chiding him for his having left London for a parliamentary seat in Cambridgeshire, all while saving the worst of his vitriol for "the banker" Norman. As the election came closer and closer, intellectuals like George Bernard Shaw decried Bottomley as a demagogue. No one thought he would win.

And then he did. Horatio Bottomley was Mayor. Now triumphantly in office, Bottomley did little actual governing, except for cutting spending as part of his "anti-waste" platform, which brought business into government - most of his effort was focused on making his John Bull movement into "a great third party" at Westminster, led by his ally Charles Frederick Palmer and supported by newspaper magnate Lord Rothermere.

By 1920, Bottomley was as popular as ever, but now a National Unionist, Austen Chamberlain, was in 10 Downing Street, having defeated both Asquith and his bedraggled successor, Winston Churchill, a man who was little more than "everyone's second choice." For all their mutual animosity, though, there was one thing both Chamberlain and Churchill could agree on: they wanted Bottomley out of office. Both men were proud, however, and neither would countenance endorsing the other party's candidate, even if it meant defeating Bottomley. The Liberal candidate, the Quebec-born radical Thomas James Macnamara, would ultimately receive the endorsement of the Labour Party by a narrow vote. Out of this conference stormed George Lansbury, who stood once more as an 'Independent Labour Party' candidate. The National Unionists, meanwhile, after briefly considering putting up former PM Arthur Balfour for the Mayoralty, or even the dying Foreign Secretary, Andrew Bonar Law, a figure of pity since his narrow defeat in 1915, ultimately chose the famed author Arthur Conan Doyle, of Sherlock Holmes fame, who had stood for the Liberal Unionists on two separate occasions. Conan Doyle was by now tired - his young son Adrian had died of the German Flu in 1919 - and while would do an admirable job of campaigning, his heart was truly not in the game. Macnamara was viewed with suspicion by Liberals and Labour voters, who both saw him as neither one nor the other, but, instead, "somewhere in between." Lansbury's base of support was limited, and despite it all, Bottomley was just as popular as ever. He won reelection as Mayor, although by a smaller margin than in 1916.

Things soon came crashing down, however. Bottomley's criminal activity and underhanded tactics were well-known the public - although most voters simply didn't care - but when he was accused of having used his hireling Maundy Gregory to mastermind financial schemes defrauding the entire city of London, and to even potentially have committed murder - Bottomley would later be acquitted of this charge - the city was in an uproar. Bottomley maintained that any financial impropriety was entirely accidental, but Chamberlain would have none of it, and neither would the people of London. Bottomley would ultimately resign, replaced by old John Burns by a unanimous vote of the City Council, and would soon find himself imprisoned, sewing wool bags.

London looked forward now, to a future without Horatio Bottomley. It was hard to envision for many, but the City had seen more and worse. For now, John Burns looked to London.
 
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Thoughts?

Choice 80's democrat candidates

Gov. Paul Simon of Illinois
Fmr. Gov. Reubin Askew of Florida
Sen. Birch Bayh of Indiana
Sen. Gary Hart of Colorado
Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachussetts
Fmr. Gov. Jerry Brown of California
Sen. and Fmr. Gov. Cliff Finch of Mississippi
Gov. David Pryor of Arkansas
Sen. Dick Clarke of Iowa
Fmr. Gov. Edwin Edwards of Louisiana
Rep. and former V.P. candidate Mo Udall of Arizona
 
I recall Comisario saying in the Labour Left thread that Gordon Brown feared Ken Livingstone would end up being the successor to Blair. Given how much we love Red Ken here, I figured it would be a fun concept.

The United Kingdom

1997-2005: Tony Blair (Labour)
1997 (Majority) def. John Major (Conservative), Paddy Ashdown (Liberal Democrats)
2001 (Majority) def. Michael Heseltine (Conservative), Charles Kennedy (Liberal Democrats)

2005-2012: Ken Livingstone (Labour)
2005 (Majority) def. Michael Portillo (Conservative), Charles Kennedy (Liberal Democrats)
2010 (Minority) def. Tim Collins (Conservative), Menzies Campbell (Liberal Democrats), Alex Salmond (SNP)

2012-2012: Yvette Cooper (Labour minority)
2012-2017: Tim Collins (Conservative)
2012 (Majority) def. Yvette Cooper (Labour), Danny Alexander (Liberal Democrats), Alex Salmond (SNP)
2016 (Majority) def. Jon Trickett (Labour), Danny Alexander (Liberal Democrats), Nicola Sturgeon (SNP)

2017-2020: Boris Johnson (Conservative majority)
2020-0000: Jon Trickett (Labour)
2020 (Majority) def. Boris Johnson (Conservative), Nicola Sturgeon (SNP), Danny Alexander (Liberal Democrats)

While not being Blair’s 1950, the 2001 election was not positive news for Tony Blair and the New Labour project. Despite the DUP growing into the Tories’ vote (with Eurosceptics still bitter over Hezza replacing Clarke at the last minute), the Conservatives would fall just over 200 seats.

This would prove difficult during the Iraq War vote, where Blair and Portillo were able to gain approval by a too close for comfort margin. 2003 and 2004 would provide a great deal of stress on the Prime Minister, culminating in a heart attack. Fearing that the New Labour project would be destroyed by Gordon Brown, Blair would call up the Mayor of London to secure his legacy. Standing side by side, Blair would announce his retirement and announce Livingstone as his preferred successor. While Brown would still run, Blair’s sway among MPs kept others out of the race and whipped votes for Red Ken; and sure enough, he would succeed. Gordon Brown would be furious and move to the backbenches before retiring in 2010.

Soon after taking office, Livingstone would call an election to secure himself support for his Iraqi peace plan and get a seat in Parliament. In the first general election debates held in Britain, an unprepared Portillo embarrassed himself as Livingstone’s media skill turned him from a loon to a statesman. While opinion polls at the start of the campaign indicated a hung Parliament, Labour would end up gaining three seats. Both Kennedy and Portillo would be out by the end of the year, replaced by Ming Campbell and the Iraq War hero Tim Collins.

After the election, Livingstone would announce that British troops would leave Iraq by Christmas 2005, causing a surge in popularity among many who abandoned Blair. Without Bush in office, Livingstone’s close relationship with President Green would also be applauded. Of course, relations with Merkel and Chirac would be very tense as Britain became more distant from the rest of the EU. Middle Eastern policy would also be impacted as Israel and Saudi Arabia were met with a British government very much opposed to their governments.

The Prime Minister’s response to the London bombings were also praised for his sharp condemnation of both the attack and prior governments’ foreign policy agenda. Livingstone organized an anti-racism campaign to stop Islamophobic attacks on Muslims.

Of course, while much of Livingstone’s policies were popular, his radical stances continued to upset many. Chancellor Trickett’s new budget would have a dramatic raise in taxes, especially on businesses. Collins and those on the opposition benches would soon latch on the issue as a leverage for public protest. While Labour would narrowly hold on to power in 2007’s Scottish elections, their decreased victory was a bad sign. Tony Blair would renter the spotlight when he would become President of the European Council, helping Anglo-European relations.

Israeli-Palestinian issues would come up again and given Livingstone a major issue. During the 2007 invasion of Lebanon, Livingstone seeming to compare the Israeli government to Nazi Germany got him condemnation among his own party.

However, in response to the financial crisis, Livingstone’s anti-banking messages greatly resonated with many, gaining Labour’s support in the polls. At the EU elections, Labour would finish a stronger than expected second place, resisting the growth of the DUP, Greens, and BNP.

In the 2010 election, all signs headed to a hung Parliament. Despite a weak LibDem showing, seat counts between the Tories and Labour were expected to be neck and neck with two charismatic yet outspoken leaders. Collins’ strategy was to focus on “law and order” and cutting government tax and regulation. Livingstone attacked Collins for running a “dog whistle” campaign and believed that socialist economic policy would be needed to get Britain out of the recession.

At the end of the election, Labour would form a government with the LibDems and Celtic nationalists supporting another Queen’s Speech. Collins would maintain his role as the Conservative Party’s leader. The opposite would take place for Livingstone, with David Miliband launching a challenge following his sacking from the cabinet. While Miliband had a strong base in the party, few were ready for him as Prime Minister.

Livingstone’s last two years would have him be seen as the “sickman PM”, with him facing the difficult prospect of a minority government and a largely uncooperative LibDems. His plan was to call a snap election right after the London Olympics seemed to be sensible, with the games being his work as mayor and Prime Minister. Unfortunately, Livingstone’s planned speeches grew more and more rambling, and once the games concluded, his fellow MPs demanded he resigned. Knowing the writing was on the wall, he would step down (with Yvette Cooper defeating the discredited David Miliband). Thus would end the tenure of Britian’s most controversial and divisive Prime Minister. Ken Livingstone would certainly leave his mark on Britian, just as he did in London.

The United States

2001-2005: George W. Bush/Dick Cheney (Republican)
2000 def. Al Gore/Joe Lieberman (Democratic), Ralph Nader/Winona LaDuke (Green)
2005-2009: Mark J. Green/Dick Gephardt (Democratic)
2004 def. George W. Bush/Bill Frist (Republican)
2009-2015: Fred Thompson/George Allen (Republican)
2008 def. Mark J. Green/Dick Gephardt (Democratic)
2012 def. Tom Daschle/Barack Obama (Democratic)
2015-2015: George Allen/Vacant (Republican)
2015-2017: George Allen/Mitch Daniels (Republican)
2017-0000: Gary Locke/Russ Feingold (Democratic)
2016 def. George Allen/Mitch Daniels (Republican)

2000 would be a memorable election, but for more than just the presidential race. New York’s Senate race would be an intense battle between First Lady Hillary Clinton and Mayor Rudy Giuliani. In what was the most expensive Senate race at that point, Giuliani would narrowly prevail. This in itself would not make much of an impact. Due to a last-minute call for Brian Schweitzer, the Senate would remain 50-50 until Jim Jeffords’ defection. However, it would be the first step in Mark Green’s ascension to the presidency. Green, as New York City’s public advocate, would take over for Giuliani following the mayor taking the Senate seat. Green had already announced a candidacy for 2001, but as the incumbent he had a stronger base.

Green would end up as mayor on New York City’s most tragic day - 9/11. That day, his leadership would make him known as “America’s Mayor.” His reelection in November would be a landslide over billionaire Michael Bloomberg, and his name would be mentioned as a presidential prospect straight away. Green would force out other contenders such as John Kerry and John Edwards with commanding leads in the polls. Green’s main rivals would end up being Wesley Clark, Dick Gephardt, and Joe Lieberman. Gephardt’s loss in Iowa would discredit his candidacy as Green continued to have strong showings across the board. While Joe Lieberman would have Joementum in New Hampshire and Clark would do well on Super Tuesday, Green would have the clear edge in the primaries. While Bush attempted to paint himself as the candidate of stability and strong leadership, Green had proved on 9/11 that he was just as tough. In a strong victory, Green would defeat President Bush and issue a New Democratic era. Things went downhill from that dream.
 
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My mum gave me Tony Benn's diaries between 1991 and 2001 to me for my birthday and Benn pre-1992 seems to be convinced that Kinnock has financially ruined the party by pursuing right-wing approval and big financial donors at the expense of a mass membership and the party is on the verge of bankruptcy. So this is a TL where both the Labour and Liberal Democrats are bankrupted and forced to virtually fold up between 1992 and 1997 - leading to an exhausted unpopular Tory party heaving itself to winning between 400 and 500 seats in 1997...

Things Can Only Get Worse

1990-2003: John Major (Conservative)
1992 (Majority) def. Neil Kinnock (Labour), James Molyneaux (Ulster Unionist), Alan Beith (Social and Liberal Democrat)
1997 (Majority) def. various 'Independent Labour' candidacies, David Trimble (Ulster Unionist), Alex Salmond (Scottish National), Dafydd Wigley (Plaid Cymru), Arthur Scargill (Socialist Labour)
2003 (Majority) def. Alex Salmond (Scottish National), Peter Mandelson (Progressive), Arthur Scargill (Labour Refoundation), Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist), David Trimble (Ulster Unionist), Ieuan Wyn Jones (Plaid Cymru), Nick Griffin (British National)

2003-2014: Chris Patten (Conservative)
2006 Scottish independence referendum NO 52%
2007 (Coalition with DUP) def. Bob Crow (NewLabour), Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist), Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National), Andrew Adonis (Progressive), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein), David Trimble (Ulster Unionist)
2008 Lisbon Treaty referendum NO 56%
2012 (Minority, with DM/P confidence and supply) def. Bob Crow (NewLabour), Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National), David Miliband (Democratic Movement / Progressive), Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein)

2014-2019: George Osborne (Conservative)
2014 (Majority) def. Ricky Tomlinson (NewLabour), Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National), Andrew Hunter (Democratic Unionist), David Miliband (Democratic Movement / Progressive), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein), Danny Kennedy (Ulster Unionist)
2019-0000: Katy Clark (NewLabour)
2019 (Minority) def. George Osborne (Conservative), Neil Hamilton (Democratic Unionist), Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National), Andrew Adonis (Progressive Movement), Danny Kennedy (Ulster Unionist), Michelle O'Neill (Sinn Fein)

A party system eventually re-emerges from the ashes of 1997. For a time however, the Conservatives enjoy an era of comfortable majorities faced by minnows in opposition. Major's astounding victory for the 'wets' sees the DUP see an opportunity to expand onto the mainland - which they do eventually at the expense of a leading position in Ulster. They also short-circuit the BNP's brief moment in the sun, becoming the main right-wing opposition to the increasingly squishy establishment centrist Tories.

The SNP's surprising rise to Official Opposition leads to an IndyRef - despite no Scottish or Welsh devolution - which NO only narrowly wins. This lends further strength to the DUP as the threat of separatism spreads to the mainland and the SNP surge is matches by a similar growth south of the border and Scargill's reformed crypto-communist vehicle outstrips the managerial progressive party of Andrew Adonis to become the generally acknowledged successor to the Labour Party of old. Patten loses his majority but buys the DUP's support in return for a referendum on Lisbon ratification - Britain voting against Lisbon leads to the Treaty falling by the wayside similarly to the proposed EU Constitution.

The No vote does lead to a somewhat weakening in the SNP's momentum but also sees the emergence of David Miliband's Democratic Movement allied with the Progressives who enjoy the support of metropolitan liberals frustrated by the failure to align with Brussels. The DUP loses dozens of seats in 2012 due to the compromises of government and the resurgence of opposition forces in Ulster - on both sides of the constutitional question. Much churn at the election however means that the DM/P supports the Tory minority against Bob Crow's radically left-wing campaign.

Patten steps down after a health scare and Osborne, his young Chancellor, rises to the top and wins a narrow majority in an energetic campaign that sees all opposition forces aside from NewLabour either stagnate or fall back. The economic crisis of the late 00s was ameliorated but barely seems to have gone away by the time another one hits in the late 10s, and Osborne's solution seems to be to cut, cut and cut again. It should have come as no surprise that at the 2019 election, the Tories would finally shudder and collapse.

After forty years, the Conservative dominance is at an end - though not entirely. NewLabour is still not entirely trusted and their emergence as the largest party was matched by similar regrowth in the DUP on the mainland. NewLabour also performed more poorly in Scotland than anticipated with the SNP having established themselves in the Central Belt since the No vote over a decade ago and the resurgence of the Tories in the Highlands and Borders.
 
That's a very interesting scenario @Mumby. The only bit that feels a bit off to me is I can't picture David Miliband becoming a prominent figure without being able to rise within the existing Labour structure, I don't think he'd have the profile to build a party from scratch based on just being some dude. (Help, is this what it feels like to be @Meadow ?).
 
More timelines tailored to my fantasies please @Mumby

Interesting idea though, I've never seen Labour and the Lib Dems (or Liberals) get worn out so late in the game, it's usually set decades earlier
I've not come across the attitude re. Labour funding Benn espouses there but there are a few things that were Common Wisdom to a few Brits in the Know back then that turned out to be complete fantasy. There are quite a few in (unsurprisingly) Boris Johnson's articles from the 1990s which could also be used for similar scenarios.
 
I've not come across the attitude re. Labour funding Benn espouses there but there are a few things that were Common Wisdom to a few Brits in the Know back then that turned out to be complete fantasy. There are quite a few in (unsurprisingly) Boris Johnson's articles from the 1990s which could also be used for similar scenarios.

In Heffernan and Marqusee’s book on the whole period one of their major criticisms of Kinnock was that the membership had been depleated and the party was bankrupt. Seems to have been a popular left wing criticism in the 90s
 
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In Heffernan and Marqusee’s book on the whole period one of their major criticisms of Kinnock was that the membership had been depleated and the party was bankrupt. Seems to have been a popular left wing criticism in the 90s
Makes sense on the face of it, we know the membership did decline, but the bankruptcy never arrived.
 
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