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AH Cooperative Lists Thread

Presidents of the United States, 2021 - present:
2021 - 2021: Joe Biden / Kamala Harris
2021 - 2025:
2025 - 2029:
2029 - 2037:
2037 - 2040:
2040 - present:
 
Presidents of the United States, 2021 - present:
2021 - 2021: Joe Biden / Kamala Harris
2021 - 2025: Donald Trump/ Mike Pence (disputed)
2025 - 2029:
2029 - 2037:
2037 - 2040:
2040 - present:
 
Presidents of the United States, 2021 - present:
2021 - 2021: Joe Biden / Kamala Harris
2021 - 2025: Donald Trump/ Mike Pence (disputed)
2025 - 2029: Bernie Sanders/ Richard Ojeda
2029 - 2037:
2037 - 2040:
2040 - present:
 
Presidents of the United States, 2021 - present:
2021 - 2021: Joe Biden / Kamala Harris
2021 - 2025: Donald Trump/ Mike Pence (disputed)
2025 - 2029: Bernie Sanders/ Richard Ojeda
2029 - 2037: Sara Nelson/Antonio Reynoso
2037 - 2040:
2040 - present:
 
Presidents of the United States, 2021 - present:
2021 - 2021: Joe Biden / Kamala Harris
2021 - 2025: Donald Trump/ Mike Pence (disputed)
2025 - 2029: Bernie Sanders/ Richard Ojeda
2029 - 2037: Sara Nelson/Antonio Reynoso
2037 - 2040: Donald Trump Jr/Lara Ingraham
2040 - present:
 
Presidents of the United States, 2021 - present:
2021 - 2021: Joe Biden / Kamala Harris
2021 - 2025: Donald Trump/ Mike Pence (disputed)
2025 - 2029: Bernie Sanders/ Richard Ojeda
2029 - 2037: Sara Nelson/Antonio Reynoso
2037 - 2040: Donald Trump Jr/Lara Ingraham
2040 - present: Chelsea Clinton/Albert Gore III
 
Leaders of the British Labour Party:

1970-1979: Roy Jenkins (1)
1979-1987:
1987-1992:
1992-2003:
2003-2005:
2005-2011:
2011-2015:
2015-2022:
2022-20??

(1) After Wilson's resignation as leader of the Party, Roy Jenkins came into the contest as the underdog yet managed to steal the show out from underneath the likes of Denis Healy and Jim Callaghan who had expected to win. He embodied the successes of Labour in the 60's having been Wilson's better Chancellor and original Home Secretary. As Leader however he would bitterly disappoint many, his leadership became one obsessed with Europe, failing to stand up to the Tories on it, or make account for the policies failings. Facing constant revolts from the Left, they finally allied with Party moderates to eject Jenkins from his position after his defeat in the 1978 election.
 
Leaders of the British Labour Party:

1970-1979: Roy Jenkins (1)
1979-1987: Barbara Castle (2)
1987-1992:
1992-2003:
2003-2005:
2005-2011:
2011-2015:
2015-2022:
2022-20??

(1) After Wilson's resignation as leader of the Party, Roy Jenkins came into the contest as the underdog yet managed to steal the show out from underneath the likes of Denis Healy and Jim Callaghan who had expected to win. He embodied the successes of Labour in the 60's having been Wilson's better Chancellor and original Home Secretary. As Leader however he would bitterly disappoint many, his leadership became one obsessed with Europe, failing to stand up to the Tories on it, or make account for the policies failings. Facing constant revolts from the Left, they finally allied with Party moderates to eject Jenkins from his position after his defeat in the 1978 election.

(2) Despite lingering ill-feeling over her first draft of Trade Union Regulations Act, Castle was able to win enough of the Left with moderates and clinch the nomination. Hideously dated comedy from the time was obsessed with the fact both the PM and LOTO were women: lots of cartoons of swinging handbags and jokes about Castle secretly being in love with any male shadow secretary assumed to have her ear. However, Castle challenged Thatcher again and again as unemployment went up, as race riots hit several cities, and as the Conservative government failed to restore any Northern Irish government. In 1985 she led Labour to a small majority and reversed much of Thatcher's policies, as well as pledging "more jobs, better health, and peace in Ulster". The first two arguably happened. The latter led to her being killed in a meeting with republican politicians - the bullet actually meant for one of them, for 'betrayal', rather than her.


--

(And since we forgot to close this one off:




Chancellors of the German Reich -Post Kapp Putsch

1919-1922: Wolfgang Kapp (DNVP) (1)
1922-1929: Erich Von Ludendorff (Ludendorff Bloc) (2)
1929-1932: Miklos Horthy (Hapsburg Military Occupation) (3)
1932-1934: Fritz Schäffer (Christian People’s Party) (4)
1934-1940: Wilhelm Marx (Volk Party) (5)
1941-1945: Heinrich Brüning (Volk Party) (6)
1945-1952: Kurt Schumacher (Social Democratic Party) (7)
1952-XXXX: Richard Löwenthal (Social Democratic Party) (8)

(1) In successfully capturing the Government at the Reich Chancellery Lüttwitz forces stop the orders for a general strike and force the Weimar Government to accede to the demands of the Putsch conspirators. Kapp became acting Chancellor and dissolved the Reichstag, promising fresh elections within 6 months. However unrest within the West of the country increased, leading to a harsh military crackdown and the promised elections with consistently pushed back. Kapp became increasingly sickly with cancer and the day to day running of the Cabinet fail to his aides, influenced more and more by the military and selected technocrats.

(2) Tragically for Germany, Ludendorff's desperate attempt to vindicate himself and prove that he could be Germany's savior would quickly lead to the Reich's nadir. The 'putsch-within-the-putsch' that saw him take power hours before Kapp's death 'proved' to the Western democracies that Prussian militarism was a cancer within Germany. His seven years in office saw increasing repression marry bungled foreign policy; his decision to oppose the French incursion on the Saar with force turned a diplomatic disaster for Paris turn into the prestigious victory that rejuvenated the Third Republic. His final mistake was during the Hapsburg Restoration, when he convinced himself that the southern German states were in danger of breaking away from the Reich to join Austria. After a decade of promising stability to the Reich's elite, as the twenties came to the close the state had no allies, had secured no revision of Versailles and the Freikorps had been unleashed once more. It was time, certain people decided, for more decisive action.

(3) The sclerotic mess that passed for a Reichswehr was crushed by the mustered might of 'Budapest's Caudillo' alongside the British and French. Ludendorff's worst fears were realised, and some. Prussia was reduced before being severed from the Reich, while the rump Germany was placed under Hapsburg military government, an ostensibly temporary state of affairs while the former Entente squabbled over what to do next. Neither Britain or France wanted to see Germany annexed into Otto's restored Danubian monarchy, but the precise fate of Germany was up for debate. France temporarily occupied the Rhineland and wanted to see that situation become permanent along with further dismemberment of Germany. Britain temporarily occupied Hanover and wanted the reduced Reich preserved as a valuable trading partner. In the meantime, the victorious Admiral closed his fist tighter.

(4) Under fire from the Blum and Henderson Governments and not wanting to lose possible allies against the hungry bear that was the Soviet Union, the Hapsburg’s decreed that a election in the former German Reich would occur. Of course it was a sham, Horthy was made President without being voted into office, a long list of parties were outlawed or gutted of funding. In the end Fritz Schäffer of the Christian People’s Party a Centerist Party that was fond of the Hapsburg’s was made Chancellor. His rule was chaotic, recession had set in, Communist terrorists kept on attack the ‘bourgeoisie Royalist Capitalist pigs’ and the Hapsburg’s were more worried about the saber rattling from the Soviet Union and Romania than the political goings on in Berlin. In the end Fritz left the Chancellorship after having a nervous breakdown leading to another scramble for power.

(5) The Christian People's Party were in dire straits and the German people wanted autonomy back - it was time for a new, dynamic party of reform. But all of those had been deliberately crippled in the last five years, so the aging Wilhelm Marx's new party of old centre-right figures was the lead. He had to govern in coalition with the SDP, an awkward compromise of policies but one that, to everyone's surprise, won a small majority in next year's election due to the continued unpopularity of the CPP. Marx oversaw cautious welfare reforms, cautious trade policies, and cautious everything else, shifting Germany towards the British political orbit and away from the Hapsburgs but not changing much else. (The social scene, however, exploded into decadent life in various cities and for many young foreign tourists, Germany was actually seen as "Bombastic Berlin") The Rhineland Question became an ongoing problem, as Marx didn't dare push France too hard over it but continued to push anyway, unwilling to accept either the backlash of formally losing the Rhineland or the difficulties of properly trying to get it back. Marx stepped down in 1940 after picking his successor, hoping things would carry on the even keel and hoping more that the various 'border issues' further east wouldn't come their way,

(6) Brüning was the man selected to continue Marx's policies, a respected and moderate party man. Economic reforms continued and trade expanded, along with increased diplomatic expansion. Brünings contacts within the Catholic church allowed access to the Vatican through which channels were opened with the French Third Republic leadership. In conjunction with allies in the British establishment an agreement was reached with the French for a joint authority arrangement in the Rhineland with a move to allow full sovereignty for German in a decade, on the understanding fulls reparations would be paid to the French. The "Handshake at the Saar" should have been Brünings greatest trumiph, instead it would led to his death. The "Hitler Putsch" was an attempt by paramilitary leader Adolf Hitler to repeat the Kapp Putsch (an event he was nominally involved in) in a reaction to the perceived sell out to the French. Hitler and his Brownshirts had provided muscle to the Reich leadership in the past for dealing with the Communists and retained contacts with the Army, with tacit agreement with hard-line elements of the military he and his men marched on the Chancellery and attempted to capture the Government. They succeeded in capturing Brüning who was shot soon after, but the rest of the cabinet escaped to Magdeburg, where a new Chancellor was chosen to face down Hitler's coup.

(7) Schumacher became the first SDP Chancellor at a dark hour. By now the most senior member of his Party, he remained faithful to its coalition with the Volks Party in Germany's hour of need. At Magdeburg, he assemble a national government that became a popular front against the Brownshirts. His first meeting with Chief of the General Staff, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, was crucial in persuading the majority of the army to back the government. Schumacher was no Communist, and hated them as much as he did the Brownshirts, and allowed Vorbeck to guarantee the security by hitting them as well as the Brownshirts. Hitler's march out of Berlin was broken at the Bradenburg Gate, when Vorbeck re-entered the city with tanks to return the government to the Reichstag, they then turned and hit the Communist uprising the Ruhr. Out of danger for the moment, Schumacher continued to provide stability by putting practicality and necessity above politics: industry was nationalised, emergency food supplies were handed out, and order was kept though it was often at bayonet point. Calm returned to the streets, order restored to the country, and Schumacher's SPD were freed from the shackles of their coalition by winning a majority in 1948 election. From there, he turned attention abroad and became a central to the North Sea Pact to guard European security against the Soviet Union after the Baltic War. He became fast friends with Britain's Stafford Cripps, though could never wholly trust French President Pierre Laval, yet the Pact endured and would survive the three men: all well remembered as the Father's of Modern Europe.

(8) Schumacher's death caught his more natural successors on the hop, and Löwenthal won a narrow majority - a former journalist and writer, political prisoner in the Hapsburg days, and man who'd been a broadcaster for Schumacher's Radio Magdeburg during the civil war, he had impeccable credentials for the party's left and he won the 1953 election. The SDP would shift further leftward, with yet more liberalisation on law and greater worker control of the nationalised industries; unsurprisingly, parts of the opposition would be blighted with antisemitism. However, while personally popular, it was clear he lacked the stature of Schumacher when it came to military and foreign policy, and criticism grew that Germany was starting to lose its dominant position in the North Sea Pact and the Community of Europe. Ironically, declassified documents show that the Austrian government saw Löwenthal as a secret communist on their border who would stab them in the back and march to Vienna if the feared-for Pact/USSR War broke out. This meant war plans were drawn up planning to send a good chunk of the Austrian army to stand on the German border!

The Rhineland returned to German hands in 1955 - this was presented to the German people as the end of "the long shadow of the World War", and popularly is considered the end of the 'Kapp Era'.
 
Leaders of the British Labour Party:

1970-1979: Roy Jenkins (1)
1979-1987: Barbara Castle (2)
1987-1992: Micheal Meacher (3)
1992-2003:
2003-2005:
2005-2011:
2011-2015:
2015-2022:
2022-20??

(1) After Wilson's resignation as leader of the Party, Roy Jenkins came into the contest as the underdog yet managed to steal the show out from underneath the likes of Denis Healy and Jim Callaghan who had expected to win. He embodied the successes of Labour in the 60's having been Wilson's better Chancellor and original Home Secretary. As Leader however he would bitterly disappoint many, his leadership became one obsessed with Europe, failing to stand up to the Tories on it, or make account for the policies failings. Facing constant revolts from the Left, they finally allied with Party moderates to eject Jenkins from his position after his defeat in the 1978 election.

(2) Despite lingering ill-feeling over her first draft of Trade Union Regulations Act, Castle was able to win enough of the Left with moderates and clinch the nomination. Hideously dated comedy from the time was obsessed with the fact both the PM and LOTO were women: lots of cartoons of swinging handbags and jokes about Castle secretly being in love with any male shadow secretary assumed to have her ear. However, Castle challenged Thatcher again and again as unemployment went up, as race riots hit several cities, and as the Conservative government failed to restore any Northern Irish government. In 1985 she led Labour to a small majority and reversed much of Thatcher's policies, as well as pledging "more jobs, better health, and peace in Ulster". The first two arguably happened. The latter led to her being killed in a meeting with republican politicians - the bullet actually meant for one of them, for 'betrayal', rather than her.

(3) The hasty leadership election had left the Moderates and Right scrambling for candidates who were quickly swept aside by the Meacher Tsunami. Meacher was a lot of things, Capable Minister of Health in the Castle Government, part of the Left of the Party but not a Bennite (who many saw as being dangerous and wrong), had a brief appearance in the BBC show Edge of Darkness as himself which helped the fame.

In the end Meacher won hands down. In the following election of 88 despite worries that Meacher was too radical Labour still managed to keep there majority. Meacher’s rule was uncontroversial for the most part, overseeing the peace process in Ulster, fall of the Berlin Wall, increased rights and support for the LGBT+ and BAME Communities (Meacher having individuals like Bernie Grant in the cabinet helped) and increased funding into the NHS and the New Government supported Co-Ops. In 92 Meacher would step down saying he done everything he had set out to do and also citing health reasons but many said he wanted to go out whilst the going was good. They weren’t wrong.
 
Leaders of the British Labour Party:

1970-1979: Roy Jenkins (1)
1979-1987: Barbara Castle (2)
1987-1992: Micheal Meacher (3)
1992-2003: Tony Blair (4)
2003-2005:
2005-2011:
2011-2015:
2015-2022:
2022-20??

(1) After Wilson's resignation as leader of the Party, Roy Jenkins came into the contest as the underdog yet managed to steal the show out from underneath the likes of Denis Healy and Jim Callaghan who had expected to win. He embodied the successes of Labour in the 60's having been Wilson's better Chancellor and original Home Secretary. As Leader however he would bitterly disappoint many, his leadership became one obsessed with Europe, failing to stand up to the Tories on it, or make account for the policies failings. Facing constant revolts from the Left, they finally allied with Party moderates to eject Jenkins from his position after his defeat in the 1978 election.

(2) Despite lingering ill-feeling over her first draft of Trade Union Regulations Act, Castle was able to win enough of the Left with moderates and clinch the nomination. Hideously dated comedy from the time was obsessed with the fact both the PM and LOTO were women: lots of cartoons of swinging handbags and jokes about Castle secretly being in love with any male shadow secretary assumed to have her ear. However, Castle challenged Thatcher again and again as unemployment went up, as race riots hit several cities, and as the Conservative government failed to restore any Northern Irish government. In 1985 she led Labour to a small majority and reversed much of Thatcher's policies, as well as pledging "more jobs, better health, and peace in Ulster". The first two arguably happened. The latter led to her being killed in a meeting with republican politicians - the bullet actually meant for one of them, for 'betrayal', rather than her.

(3) The hasty leadership election had left the Moderates and Right scrambling for candidates who were quickly swept aside by the Meacher Tsunami. Meacher was a lot of things, Capable Minister of Health in the Castle Government, part of the Left of the Party but not a Bennite (who many saw as being dangerous and wrong), had a brief appearance in the BBC show Edge of Darkness as himself which helped the fame.

In the end Meacher won hands down. In the following election of 88 despite worries that Meacher was too radical Labour still managed to keep there majority. Meacher’s rule was uncontroversial for the most part, overseeing the peace process in Ulster, fall of the Berlin Wall, increased rights and support for the LGBT+ and BAME Communities (Meacher having individuals like Bernie Grant in the cabinet helped) and increased funding into the NHS and the New Government supported Co-Ops. In 92 Meacher would step down saying he done everything he had set out to do and also citing health reasons but many said he wanted to go out whilst the going was good. They weren’t wrong.


(4) One of several 'bright young things' Meecher had cultivated, the former Secretary of State for Transport - famous for the British side of the Channel Tunnel - became Prime Minister and held an early election for legitimacy's sake. This meant the election took place before the Ecu Drop caused a recession in the UK and made the state of the deficit clear. Meecher and Blair had both known this would be a problem and gambled there'd be more time, but time there was not. While the economy had recovered by 1994, the issue would hang over Blair's head. Simultaneously, Blair had to send British troops to assist NATO's Yugoslavia intervention in autumn 1992, a deeply unpopular move as people protested collateral damage and asked why the UN hadn't gone. The Conservatives portrayed Blair as a student who'd blundered into an actual job, leaving him to be compared unfavourably to the older, "more experienced" Tory leader Malcolm Rifkind. They also dived into a growing culture war over LGBT rights, implying Labour was overruling the Legitimate Concerns of normal people.

Blair attempted to shore up support for Labour by setting up local devolved parliaments in Scotland, Wales, and, controversially, North England, Midlands, and South England, the latter three without consultation. The first elections would take place during the general. It was a chaotic mess of a process but, so the theory went, it would bring out Labour voters and convince various swing voters that Labour would give them a voice the Tories would not. Instead, the Tories argued this was another "student union wheeze by Mr Blair" (while they also campaigned to win those seats) and Labour suffered a rout.

However, it was such a rout that several of Blair's most obvious challengers lost their seats and, to be fair, Labour did win a majority in the Scottish and Midlands Parliaments. Blair narrowly saw off a leadership challenge and began focusing Labour's efforts on making things work in their regional parliaments, while agreeing to a coalition in the north withn the Lib Dems to narrowly run that. This did, indeed, work: those three areas began to see infrastructure and council policy benefits, while Rifkind's attempted bonfire of LGBT law backfired as his party's headbangers began focused on that to the exclusion of other policy. Add that to the dotcom burst causing an economic downturn, the one thing Rifkind promised would not happen under him, and Labour began to believe Blair could lead them back into power in 2002.

In the end, he narrowly did not.
 
Last edited:
Leaders of the British Labour Party:

1970-1979: Roy Jenkins (1)
1979-1987: Barbara Castle (2)
1987-1992: Micheal Meacher (3)
1992-2003: Tony Blair (4)
2003-2005: Robin Cook (5)
2005-2011:
2011-2015:
2015-2022:
2022-20??

(1) After Wilson's resignation as leader of the Party, Roy Jenkins came into the contest as the underdog yet managed to steal the show out from underneath the likes of Denis Healy and Jim Callaghan who had expected to win. He embodied the successes of Labour in the 60's having been Wilson's better Chancellor and original Home Secretary. As Leader however he would bitterly disappoint many, his leadership became one obsessed with Europe, failing to stand up to the Tories on it, or make account for the policies failings. Facing constant revolts from the Left, they finally allied with Party moderates to eject Jenkins from his position after his defeat in the 1978 election.

(2) Despite lingering ill-feeling over her first draft of Trade Union Regulations Act, Castle was able to win enough of the Left with moderates and clinch the nomination. Hideously dated comedy from the time was obsessed with the fact both the PM and LOTO were women: lots of cartoons of swinging handbags and jokes about Castle secretly being in love with any male shadow secretary assumed to have her ear. However, Castle challenged Thatcher again and again as unemployment went up, as race riots hit several cities, and as the Conservative government failed to restore any Northern Irish government. In 1985 she led Labour to a small majority and reversed much of Thatcher's policies, as well as pledging "more jobs, better health, and peace in Ulster". The first two arguably happened. The latter led to her being killed in a meeting with republican politicians - the bullet actually meant for one of them, for 'betrayal', rather than her.

(3) The hasty leadership election had left the Moderates and Right scrambling for candidates who were quickly swept aside by the Meacher Tsunami. Meacher was a lot of things, Capable Minister of Health in the Castle Government, part of the Left of the Party but not a Bennite (who many saw as being dangerous and wrong), had a brief appearance in the BBC show Edge of Darkness as himself which helped the fame.

In the end Meacher won hands down. In the following election of 88 despite worries that Meacher was too radical Labour still managed to keep there majority. Meacher’s rule was uncontroversial for the most part, overseeing the peace process in Ulster, fall of the Berlin Wall, increased rights and support for the LGBT+ and BAME Communities (Meacher having individuals like Bernie Grant in the cabinet helped) and increased funding into the NHS and the New Government supported Co-Ops. In 92 Meacher would step down saying he done everything he had set out to do and also citing health reasons but many said he wanted to go out whilst the going was good. They weren’t wrong.


(4) One of several 'bright young things' Meecher had cultivated, the former Secretary of State for Transport - famous for the British side of the Channel Tunnel - became Prime Minister and held an early election for legitimacy's sake. This meant the election took place before the Ecu Drop caused a recession in the UK and made the state of the deficit clear. Meecher and Blair had both known this would be a problem and gambled there'd be more time, but time there was not. While the economy had recovered by 1994, the issue would hang over Blair's head. Simultaneously, Blair had to send British troops to assist NATO's Yugoslavia intervention in autumn 1992, a deeply unpopular move as people protested collateral damage and asked why the UN hadn't gone. The Conservatives portrayed Blair as a student who'd blundered into an actual job, leaving him to be compared unfavourably to the older, "more experienced" Tory leader Malcolm Rifkind. They also dived into a growing culture war over LGBT rights, implying Labour was overruling the Legitimate Concerns of normal people.

Blair attempted to shore up support for Labour by setting up local devolved parliaments in Scotland, Wales, and, controversially, North England, Midlands, and South England, the latter three without consultation. The first elections would take place during the general. It was a chaotic mess of a process but, so the theory went, it would bring out Labour voters and convince various swing voters that Labour would give them a voice the Tories would not. Instead, the Tories argued this was another "student union wheeze by Mr Blair" (while they also campaigned to win those seats) and Labour suffered a rout.

However, it was such a rout that several of Blair's most obvious challengers lost their seats and, to be fair, Labour did win a majority in the Scottish and Midlands Parliaments. Blair narrowly saw off a leadership challenge and began focusing Labour's efforts on making things work in their regional parliaments, while agreeing to a coalition in the north withn the Lib Dems to narrowly run that. This did, indeed, work: those three areas began to see infrastructure and council policy benefits, while Rifkind's attempted bonfire of LGBT law backfired as his party's headbangers began focused on that to the exclusion of other policy. Add that to the dotcom burst causing an economic downturn, the one thing Rifkind promised would not happen under him, and Labour began to believe Blair could lead them back into power in 2002.

In the end, he narrowly did not.

(5) That Blair would die in the failed hijacking and subsequent crash of United 54 is one of those tests that would seem tired in tawdry airport fiction but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Hastily elevated to leadership to fight the coming election was his shadow Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. A serious minded workaholic, Cook was seen as the safe pair of hands to lead the party back to power. Cooks main focus was foreign affairs and he would leave the daily running of the country to his cabinet, in particular the powerful Chancellor of the Exchequer. Cooks finest moments in office were the signing of the Berlin Peace Accords that finally settled the long running civil wars in the former Yugoslavia and the bilateral agreements with Gore's USA to tackle the growing threat of Islamic terrorism. With the economy running smoothly and an increasing peaceful global situation it appeared that Cook would be the man to lead Labour strongly into the new Century. Tragic it then was when he was found late at night slumped at his desk in Number 10, struck down by a massive heart attack. Still mourned even today by the party and much missed by the public, Cook is seen as a man taken too soon. It would leave his successor with massive expectations to fulfil.
 
Leaders of the British Labour Party:

1970-1979: Roy Jenkins (1)
1979-1987: Barbara Castle (2)
1987-1992: Micheal Meacher (3)
1992-2003: Tony Blair (4)
2003-2005: Robin Cook (5)
2005-2011: May Blood (6)
2011-2015:
2015-2022:
2022-20??

(1) After Wilson's resignation as leader of the Party, Roy Jenkins came into the contest as the underdog yet managed to steal the show out from underneath the likes of Denis Healy and Jim Callaghan who had expected to win. He embodied the successes of Labour in the 60's having been Wilson's better Chancellor and original Home Secretary. As Leader however he would bitterly disappoint many, his leadership became one obsessed with Europe, failing to stand up to the Tories on it, or make account for the policies failings. Facing constant revolts from the Left, they finally allied with Party moderates to eject Jenkins from his position after his defeat in the 1978 election.

(2) Despite lingering ill-feeling over her first draft of Trade Union Regulations Act, Castle was able to win enough of the Left with moderates and clinch the nomination. Hideously dated comedy from the time was obsessed with the fact both the PM and LOTO were women: lots of cartoons of swinging handbags and jokes about Castle secretly being in love with any male shadow secretary assumed to have her ear. However, Castle challenged Thatcher again and again as unemployment went up, as race riots hit several cities, and as the Conservative government failed to restore any Northern Irish government. In 1985 she led Labour to a small majority and reversed much of Thatcher's policies, as well as pledging "more jobs, better health, and peace in Ulster". The first two arguably happened. The latter led to her being killed in a meeting with republican politicians - the bullet actually meant for one of them, for 'betrayal', rather than her.

(3) The hasty leadership election had left the Moderates and Right scrambling for candidates who were quickly swept aside by the Meacher Tsunami. Meacher was a lot of things, Capable Minister of Health in the Castle Government, part of the Left of the Party but not a Bennite (who many saw as being dangerous and wrong), had a brief appearance in the BBC show Edge of Darkness as himself which helped the fame.

In the end Meacher won hands down. In the following election of 88 despite worries that Meacher was too radical Labour still managed to keep there majority. Meacher’s rule was uncontroversial for the most part, overseeing the peace process in Ulster, fall of the Berlin Wall, increased rights and support for the LGBT+ and BAME Communities (Meacher having individuals like Bernie Grant in the cabinet helped) and increased funding into the NHS and the New Government supported Co-Ops. In 92 Meacher would step down saying he done everything he had set out to do and also citing health reasons but many said he wanted to go out whilst the going was good. They weren’t wrong.


(4) One of several 'bright young things' Meecher had cultivated, the former Secretary of State for Transport - famous for the British side of the Channel Tunnel - became Prime Minister and held an early election for legitimacy's sake. This meant the election took place before the Ecu Drop caused a recession in the UK and made the state of the deficit clear. Meecher and Blair had both known this would be a problem and gambled there'd be more time, but time there was not. While the economy had recovered by 1994, the issue would hang over Blair's head. Simultaneously, Blair had to send British troops to assist NATO's Yugoslavia intervention in autumn 1992, a deeply unpopular move as people protested collateral damage and asked why the UN hadn't gone. The Conservatives portrayed Blair as a student who'd blundered into an actual job, leaving him to be compared unfavourably to the older, "more experienced" Tory leader Malcolm Rifkind. They also dived into a growing culture war over LGBT rights, implying Labour was overruling the Legitimate Concerns of normal people.

Blair attempted to shore up support for Labour by setting up local devolved parliaments in Scotland, Wales, and, controversially, North England, Midlands, and South England, the latter three without consultation. The first elections would take place during the general. It was a chaotic mess of a process but, so the theory went, it would bring out Labour voters and convince various swing voters that Labour would give them a voice the Tories would not. Instead, the Tories argued this was another "student union wheeze by Mr Blair" (while they also campaigned to win those seats) and Labour suffered a rout.

However, it was such a rout that several of Blair's most obvious challengers lost their seats and, to be fair, Labour did win a majority in the Scottish and Midlands Parliaments. Blair narrowly saw off a leadership challenge and began focusing Labour's efforts on making things work in their regional parliaments, while agreeing to a coalition in the north withn the Lib Dems to narrowly run that. This did, indeed, work: those three areas began to see infrastructure and council policy benefits, while Rifkind's attempted bonfire of LGBT law backfired as his party's headbangers began focused on that to the exclusion of other policy. Add that to the dotcom burst causing an economic downturn, the one thing Rifkind promised would not happen under him, and Labour began to believe Blair could lead them back into power in 2002.

In the end, he narrowly did not.

(5) That Blair would die in the failed hijacking and subsequent crash of United 54 is one of those tests that would seem tired in tawdry airport fiction but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Hastily elevated to leadership to fight the coming election was his shadow Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. A serious minded workaholic, Cook was seen as the safe pair of hands to lead the party back to power. Cooks main focus was foreign affairs and he would leave the daily running of the country to his cabinet, in particular the powerful Chancellor of the Exchequer. Cooks finest moments in office were the signing of the Berlin Peace Accords that finally settled the long running civil wars in the former Yugoslavia and the bilateral agreements with Gore's USA to tackle the growing threat of Islamic terrorism. With the economy running smoothly and an increasing peaceful global situation it appeared that Cook would be the man to lead Labour strongly into the new Century. Tragic it then was when he was found late at night slumped at his desk in Number 10, struck down by a massive heart attack. Still mourned even today by the party and much missed by the public, Cook is seen as a man taken too soon. It would leave his successor with massive expectations to fulfil.

(6) The Labour Party had begun to properly operate in Northern Ireland for a few years and former trade unionist & peace activist May Blood was pretty much the only MP to make it. Still, her stature saw her rise up fast and become the next leader. An early election was called and Labour won a landslide: the triple factors of Cook's popular government, Cook and Blair's martyrdom, and an unexpected surge for the Liberals from disgruntled liberal Tory voters all counted in their favour. Added to Labour power in the regional parliaments, and Blood could bring in a whole raft of left-wing policies. What brought her down, however, was her peace process background left her leery of the new counterterrorism at home and abroad, and controversially attempting dialogues with nations like Libya. While the UK remained a peaceful, prosperous country, the Conservatives argued she was risking their security - including on the streets, as her police and prison reforms would surely raise crime. The regional parliamentsran every five years and were not called early as Westminster had been, allowing both Tories and the nationalist parties to 'trial run' for the 2011 election, and a Conservative government duly came to power in May '11.
 
Leaders of the British Labour Party:

1970-1979: Roy Jenkins (1)
1979-1987: Barbara Castle (2)
1987-1992: Micheal Meacher (3)
1992-2003: Tony Blair (4)
2003-2005: Robin Cook (5)
2005-2011: May Blood (6)
2011-2015: Douglas Alexander (7)
2015-2022:
2022-20??

(1) After Wilson's resignation as leader of the Party, Roy Jenkins came into the contest as the underdog yet managed to steal the show out from underneath the likes of Denis Healy and Jim Callaghan who had expected to win. He embodied the successes of Labour in the 60's having been Wilson's better Chancellor and original Home Secretary. As Leader however he would bitterly disappoint many, his leadership became one obsessed with Europe, failing to stand up to the Tories on it, or make account for the policies failings. Facing constant revolts from the Left, they finally allied with Party moderates to eject Jenkins from his position after his defeat in the 1978 election.

(2) Despite lingering ill-feeling over her first draft of Trade Union Regulations Act, Castle was able to win enough of the Left with moderates and clinch the nomination. Hideously dated comedy from the time was obsessed with the fact both the PM and LOTO were women: lots of cartoons of swinging handbags and jokes about Castle secretly being in love with any male shadow secretary assumed to have her ear. However, Castle challenged Thatcher again and again as unemployment went up, as race riots hit several cities, and as the Conservative government failed to restore any Northern Irish government. In 1985 she led Labour to a small majority and reversed much of Thatcher's policies, as well as pledging "more jobs, better health, and peace in Ulster". The first two arguably happened. The latter led to her being killed in a meeting with republican politicians - the bullet actually meant for one of them, for 'betrayal', rather than her.

(3) The hasty leadership election had left the Moderates and Right scrambling for candidates who were quickly swept aside by the Meacher Tsunami. Meacher was a lot of things, Capable Minister of Health in the Castle Government, part of the Left of the Party but not a Bennite (who many saw as being dangerous and wrong), had a brief appearance in the BBC show Edge of Darkness as himself which helped the fame.

In the end Meacher won hands down. In the following election of 88 despite worries that Meacher was too radical Labour still managed to keep there majority. Meacher’s rule was uncontroversial for the most part, overseeing the peace process in Ulster, fall of the Berlin Wall, increased rights and support for the LGBT+ and BAME Communities (Meacher having individuals like Bernie Grant in the cabinet helped) and increased funding into the NHS and the New Government supported Co-Ops. In 92 Meacher would step down saying he done everything he had set out to do and also citing health reasons but many said he wanted to go out whilst the going was good. They weren’t wrong.


(4) One of several 'bright young things' Meecher had cultivated, the former Secretary of State for Transport - famous for the British side of the Channel Tunnel - became Prime Minister and held an early election for legitimacy's sake. This meant the election took place before the Ecu Drop caused a recession in the UK and made the state of the deficit clear. Meecher and Blair had both known this would be a problem and gambled there'd be more time, but time there was not. While the economy had recovered by 1994, the issue would hang over Blair's head. Simultaneously, Blair had to send British troops to assist NATO's Yugoslavia intervention in autumn 1992, a deeply unpopular move as people protested collateral damage and asked why the UN hadn't gone. The Conservatives portrayed Blair as a student who'd blundered into an actual job, leaving him to be compared unfavourably to the older, "more experienced" Tory leader Malcolm Rifkind. They also dived into a growing culture war over LGBT rights, implying Labour was overruling the Legitimate Concerns of normal people.

Blair attempted to shore up support for Labour by setting up local devolved parliaments in Scotland, Wales, and, controversially, North England, Midlands, and South England, the latter three without consultation. The first elections would take place during the general. It was a chaotic mess of a process but, so the theory went, it would bring out Labour voters and convince various swing voters that Labour would give them a voice the Tories would not. Instead, the Tories argued this was another "student union wheeze by Mr Blair" (while they also campaigned to win those seats) and Labour suffered a rout.

However, it was such a rout that several of Blair's most obvious challengers lost their seats and, to be fair, Labour did win a majority in the Scottish and Midlands Parliaments. Blair narrowly saw off a leadership challenge and began focusing Labour's efforts on making things work in their regional parliaments, while agreeing to a coalition in the north withn the Lib Dems to narrowly run that. This did, indeed, work: those three areas began to see infrastructure and council policy benefits, while Rifkind's attempted bonfire of LGBT law backfired as his party's headbangers began focused on that to the exclusion of other policy. Add that to the dotcom burst causing an economic downturn, the one thing Rifkind promised would not happen under him, and Labour began to believe Blair could lead them back into power in 2002.

In the end, he narrowly did not.

(5) That Blair would die in the failed hijacking and subsequent crash of United 54 is one of those tests that would seem tired in tawdry airport fiction but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Hastily elevated to leadership to fight the coming election was his shadow Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. A serious minded workaholic, Cook was seen as the safe pair of hands to lead the party back to power. Cooks main focus was foreign affairs and he would leave the daily running of the country to his cabinet, in particular the powerful Chancellor of the Exchequer. Cooks finest moments in office were the signing of the Berlin Peace Accords that finally settled the long running civil wars in the former Yugoslavia and the bilateral agreements with Gore's USA to tackle the growing threat of Islamic terrorism. With the economy running smoothly and an increasing peaceful global situation it appeared that Cook would be the man to lead Labour strongly into the new Century. Tragic it then was when he was found late at night slumped at his desk in Number 10, struck down by a massive heart attack. Still mourned even today by the party and much missed by the public, Cook is seen as a man taken too soon. It would leave his successor with massive expectations to fulfil.

(6) The Labour Party had begun to properly operate in Northern Ireland for a few years and former trade unionist & peace activist May Blood was pretty much the only MP to make it. Still, her stature saw her rise up fast and become the next leader. An early election was called and Labour won a landslide: the triple factors of Cook's popular government, Cook and Blair's martyrdom, and an unexpected surge for the Liberals from disgruntled liberal Tory voters all counted in their favour. Added to Labour power in the regional parliaments, and Blood could bring in a whole raft of left-wing policies. What brought her down, however, was her peace process background left her leery of the new counterterrorism at home and abroad, and controversially attempting dialogues with nations like Libya. While the UK remained a peaceful, prosperous country, the Conservatives argued she was risking their security - including on the streets, as her police and prison reforms would surely raise crime. The regional parliamentsran every five years and were not called early as Westminster had been, allowing both Tories and the nationalist parties to 'trial run' for the 2011 election, and a Conservative government duly came to power in May '11.

(7) Protégé of Cook and Blood's titanic Chancellor, Alistair Darling, the young Scot was hoped to bring back Labour's broad appeal and help push back against the regional nationalist parties. In the end however he didn't fulfil those hopes, and manage to offend just about everyone as his moves further centre were taken as capitulations to the Conservatives. As the English Regional Assemblies were consolidated into one, his failure to stick up for the legacy of Tony Blair sat sour with Labour and voters in the North of England, who had gotten used to their resurgent political identity, grew annoyed that they were once more being neglected, while the Scottish especially felt it would be a back door attempt to reduce the power of their own Parliament. Regional parties surged in popularity, while Labour's fell. Several gaffs over the summer of 2014 involving Alexander's tan lines and choice of fashion while on holiday now made him a laughing stock. With election looming next year, the Christmas coup was launched that was meant to oust him. Though it failed to shift him out the Leadership immediately, it did trigger a leadership election that Alexander decidedly lost. His successor, and architect of Alexander's fall from grace, came out swinging at the general election in April.
 
Leaders of the British Labour Party:

1970-1979: Roy Jenkins (1)
1979-1987: Barbara Castle (2)
1987-1992: Micheal Meacher (3)
1992-2003: Tony Blair (4)
2003-2005: Robin Cook (5)
2005-2011: May Blood (6)
2011-2015: Douglas Alexander (7)
2015-2022: John McDonnell (8)
2022-20??

(1) After Wilson's resignation as leader of the Party, Roy Jenkins came into the contest as the underdog yet managed to steal the show out from underneath the likes of Denis Healy and Jim Callaghan who had expected to win. He embodied the successes of Labour in the 60's having been Wilson's better Chancellor and original Home Secretary. As Leader however he would bitterly disappoint many, his leadership became one obsessed with Europe, failing to stand up to the Tories on it, or make account for the policies failings. Facing constant revolts from the Left, they finally allied with Party moderates to eject Jenkins from his position after his defeat in the 1978 election.

(2) Despite lingering ill-feeling over her first draft of Trade Union Regulations Act, Castle was able to win enough of the Left with moderates and clinch the nomination. Hideously dated comedy from the time was obsessed with the fact both the PM and LOTO were women: lots of cartoons of swinging handbags and jokes about Castle secretly being in love with any male shadow secretary assumed to have her ear. However, Castle challenged Thatcher again and again as unemployment went up, as race riots hit several cities, and as the Conservative government failed to restore any Northern Irish government. In 1985 she led Labour to a small majority and reversed much of Thatcher's policies, as well as pledging "more jobs, better health, and peace in Ulster". The first two arguably happened. The latter led to her being killed in a meeting with republican politicians - the bullet actually meant for one of them, for 'betrayal', rather than her.

(3) The hasty leadership election had left the Moderates and Right scrambling for candidates who were quickly swept aside by the Meacher Tsunami. Meacher was a lot of things, Capable Minister of Health in the Castle Government, part of the Left of the Party but not a Bennite (who many saw as being dangerous and wrong), had a brief appearance in the BBC show Edge of Darkness as himself which helped the fame.

In the end Meacher won hands down. In the following election of 88 despite worries that Meacher was too radical Labour still managed to keep there majority. Meacher’s rule was uncontroversial for the most part, overseeing the peace process in Ulster, fall of the Berlin Wall, increased rights and support for the LGBT+ and BAME Communities (Meacher having individuals like Bernie Grant in the cabinet helped) and increased funding into the NHS and the New Government supported Co-Ops. In 92 Meacher would step down saying he done everything he had set out to do and also citing health reasons but many said he wanted to go out whilst the going was good. They weren’t wrong.


(4) One of several 'bright young things' Meecher had cultivated, the former Secretary of State for Transport - famous for the British side of the Channel Tunnel - became Prime Minister and held an early election for legitimacy's sake. This meant the election took place before the Ecu Drop caused a recession in the UK and made the state of the deficit clear. Meecher and Blair had both known this would be a problem and gambled there'd be more time, but time there was not. While the economy had recovered by 1994, the issue would hang over Blair's head. Simultaneously, Blair had to send British troops to assist NATO's Yugoslavia intervention in autumn 1992, a deeply unpopular move as people protested collateral damage and asked why the UN hadn't gone. The Conservatives portrayed Blair as a student who'd blundered into an actual job, leaving him to be compared unfavourably to the older, "more experienced" Tory leader Malcolm Rifkind. They also dived into a growing culture war over LGBT rights, implying Labour was overruling the Legitimate Concerns of normal people.

Blair attempted to shore up support for Labour by setting up local devolved parliaments in Scotland, Wales, and, controversially, North England, Midlands, and South England, the latter three without consultation. The first elections would take place during the general. It was a chaotic mess of a process but, so the theory went, it would bring out Labour voters and convince various swing voters that Labour would give them a voice the Tories would not. Instead, the Tories argued this was another "student union wheeze by Mr Blair" (while they also campaigned to win those seats) and Labour suffered a rout.

However, it was such a rout that several of Blair's most obvious challengers lost their seats and, to be fair, Labour did win a majority in the Scottish and Midlands Parliaments. Blair narrowly saw off a leadership challenge and began focusing Labour's efforts on making things work in their regional parliaments, while agreeing to a coalition in the north withn the Lib Dems to narrowly run that. This did, indeed, work: those three areas began to see infrastructure and council policy benefits, while Rifkind's attempted bonfire of LGBT law backfired as his party's headbangers began focused on that to the exclusion of other policy. Add that to the dotcom burst causing an economic downturn, the one thing Rifkind promised would not happen under him, and Labour began to believe Blair could lead them back into power in 2002.

In the end, he narrowly did not.

(5) That Blair would die in the failed hijacking and subsequent crash of United 54 is one of those tests that would seem tired in tawdry airport fiction but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Hastily elevated to leadership to fight the coming election was his shadow Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. A serious minded workaholic, Cook was seen as the safe pair of hands to lead the party back to power. Cooks main focus was foreign affairs and he would leave the daily running of the country to his cabinet, in particular the powerful Chancellor of the Exchequer. Cooks finest moments in office were the signing of the Berlin Peace Accords that finally settled the long running civil wars in the former Yugoslavia and the bilateral agreements with Gore's USA to tackle the growing threat of Islamic terrorism. With the economy running smoothly and an increasing peaceful global situation it appeared that Cook would be the man to lead Labour strongly into the new Century. Tragic it then was when he was found late at night slumped at his desk in Number 10, struck down by a massive heart attack. Still mourned even today by the party and much missed by the public, Cook is seen as a man taken too soon. It would leave his successor with massive expectations to fulfil.

(6) The Labour Party had begun to properly operate in Northern Ireland for a few years and former trade unionist & peace activist May Blood was pretty much the only MP to make it. Still, her stature saw her rise up fast and become the next leader. An early election was called and Labour won a landslide: the triple factors of Cook's popular government, Cook and Blair's martyrdom, and an unexpected surge for the Liberals from disgruntled liberal Tory voters all counted in their favour. Added to Labour power in the regional parliaments, and Blood could bring in a whole raft of left-wing policies. What brought her down, however, was her peace process background left her leery of the new counterterrorism at home and abroad, and controversially attempting dialogues with nations like Libya. While the UK remained a peaceful, prosperous country, the Conservatives argued she was risking their security - including on the streets, as her police and prison reforms would surely raise crime. The regional parliamentsran every five years and were not called early as Westminster had been, allowing both Tories and the nationalist parties to 'trial run' for the 2011 election, and a Conservative government duly came to power in May '11.

(7) Protégé of Cook and Blood's titanic Chancellor, Alistair Darling, the young Scot was hoped to bring back Labour's broad appeal and help push back against the regional nationalist parties. In the end however he didn't fulfil those hopes, and manage to offend just about everyone as his moves further centre were taken as capitulations to the Conservatives. As the English Regional Assemblies were consolidated into one, his failure to stick up for the legacy of Tony Blair sat sour with Labour and voters in the North of England, who had gotten used to their resurgent political identity, grew annoyed that they were once more being neglected, while the Scottish especially felt it would be a back door attempt to reduce the power of their own Parliament. Regional parties surged in popularity, while Labour's fell. Several gaffs over the summer of 2014 involving Alexander's tan lines and choice of fashion while on holiday now made him a laughing stock. With election looming next year, the Christmas coup was launched that was meant to oust him. Though it failed to shift him out the Leadership immediately, it did trigger a leadership election that Alexander decidedly lost. His successor, and architect of Alexander's fall from grace, came out swinging at the general election in April.

(8) The strongman of the Labour Left (or as the Sun would christen him "Mao Tse John) John McDonnell set forth staking Labours pivot back to its traditional roots. Ditching Alexanders Centrist posturing McDonnell targeted the neglected Working Class communities in the North, conducting a "listening tour" in an attempt to shore up the Labour vote against the regional parties. This was tied with a promise to return to Labours "ethical" foreign policy, allowing McDonnell to harness the Cook legacy to pacify the more moderate sections of the parliamentary party. This was to get buy in from them for his economic New Deal, the purported re-nationalisation of the utilities industries as well as an increase in state spending. With this program Labour went swinging to the 2016 campaign.

The result an increase in seats and a hung Parliament, but just not enough to unseat the Tories, who went into coalition with a number of the more Right Wing regional parties. It was an uneasy marriage however and McDonnell knew it was simply a matter of time until the arrangement collapsed, which came to pass over a leak of the plans for the long expected attempt to reduce the powers of the Scottish Assembly. Labour went into the 2018 election promising more devolution of powers for the regional assemblies albeit with a return of some economic planning powers to Westminster. This combined with the previous promised spending priorities was enough to return Labour with a healthy majority.

McDonnell's government functioned reasonably effectively and his economic plan appeared to be delivering for the UK until events threw a spanner in the works. In 2021 a hardline coup against the reformist Iranian government brought a fundamentalist government back to power, which immediately began saber-rattling at its neighbors. The resulting oil price spike hit he UK economy at an inopportune moment but worse was to come when Iranian backed militias and Russian forces clashed in the Caucasus. The ambush and massacre of Russian troops in Dagestan was a casus belli for military intervention to which the Iranians reacted by increasing funding and support for various Islamist militias across the Middle East. McDonnell was loath to get involved and slow to react, even when British troops were killed in a truck bomb attack in Kuwait. This lack of action, plus the ructions within the economy allowed the Conservatives and press to portray McDonnell as weak and out of touch. Increasing feeling the pressure and also his age beginning to catch up with him McDonnell felt it prudent to hand power to younger forces of renewal within the party.
 
Leaders of the British Labour Party:

1970-1979: Roy Jenkins (1)
1979-1987: Barbara Castle (2)
1987-1992: Micheal Meacher (3)
1992-2003: Tony Blair (4)
2003-2005: Robin Cook (5)
2005-2011: May Blood (6)
2011-2015: Douglas Alexander (7)
2015-2022: John McDonnell (8)
2022-20??: Cat Smith (9)

(1) After Wilson's resignation as leader of the Party, Roy Jenkins came into the contest as the underdog yet managed to steal the show out from underneath the likes of Denis Healy and Jim Callaghan who had expected to win. He embodied the successes of Labour in the 60's having been Wilson's better Chancellor and original Home Secretary. As Leader however he would bitterly disappoint many, his leadership became one obsessed with Europe, failing to stand up to the Tories on it, or make account for the policies failings. Facing constant revolts from the Left, they finally allied with Party moderates to eject Jenkins from his position after his defeat in the 1978 election.

(2) Despite lingering ill-feeling over her first draft of Trade Union Regulations Act, Castle was able to win enough of the Left with moderates and clinch the nomination. Hideously dated comedy from the time was obsessed with the fact both the PM and LOTO were women: lots of cartoons of swinging handbags and jokes about Castle secretly being in love with any male shadow secretary assumed to have her ear. However, Castle challenged Thatcher again and again as unemployment went up, as race riots hit several cities, and as the Conservative government failed to restore any Northern Irish government. In 1985 she led Labour to a small majority and reversed much of Thatcher's policies, as well as pledging "more jobs, better health, and peace in Ulster". The first two arguably happened. The latter led to her being killed in a meeting with republican politicians - the bullet actually meant for one of them, for 'betrayal', rather than her.

(3) The hasty leadership election had left the Moderates and Right scrambling for candidates who were quickly swept aside by the Meacher Tsunami. Meacher was a lot of things, Capable Minister of Health in the Castle Government, part of the Left of the Party but not a Bennite (who many saw as being dangerous and wrong), had a brief appearance in the BBC show Edge of Darkness as himself which helped the fame.

In the end Meacher won hands down. In the following election of 88 despite worries that Meacher was too radical Labour still managed to keep there majority. Meacher’s rule was uncontroversial for the most part, overseeing the peace process in Ulster, fall of the Berlin Wall, increased rights and support for the LGBT+ and BAME Communities (Meacher having individuals like Bernie Grant in the cabinet helped) and increased funding into the NHS and the New Government supported Co-Ops. In 92 Meacher would step down saying he done everything he had set out to do and also citing health reasons but many said he wanted to go out whilst the going was good. They weren’t wrong.


(4) One of several 'bright young things' Meecher had cultivated, the former Secretary of State for Transport - famous for the British side of the Channel Tunnel - became Prime Minister and held an early election for legitimacy's sake. This meant the election took place before the Ecu Drop caused a recession in the UK and made the state of the deficit clear. Meecher and Blair had both known this would be a problem and gambled there'd be more time, but time there was not. While the economy had recovered by 1994, the issue would hang over Blair's head. Simultaneously, Blair had to send British troops to assist NATO's Yugoslavia intervention in autumn 1992, a deeply unpopular move as people protested collateral damage and asked why the UN hadn't gone. The Conservatives portrayed Blair as a student who'd blundered into an actual job, leaving him to be compared unfavourably to the older, "more experienced" Tory leader Malcolm Rifkind. They also dived into a growing culture war over LGBT rights, implying Labour was overruling the Legitimate Concerns of normal people.

Blair attempted to shore up support for Labour by setting up local devolved parliaments in Scotland, Wales, and, controversially, North England, Midlands, and South England, the latter three without consultation. The first elections would take place during the general. It was a chaotic mess of a process but, so the theory went, it would bring out Labour voters and convince various swing voters that Labour would give them a voice the Tories would not. Instead, the Tories argued this was another "student union wheeze by Mr Blair" (while they also campaigned to win those seats) and Labour suffered a rout.

However, it was such a rout that several of Blair's most obvious challengers lost their seats and, to be fair, Labour did win a majority in the Scottish and Midlands Parliaments. Blair narrowly saw off a leadership challenge and began focusing Labour's efforts on making things work in their regional parliaments, while agreeing to a coalition in the north withn the Lib Dems to narrowly run that. This did, indeed, work: those three areas began to see infrastructure and council policy benefits, while Rifkind's attempted bonfire of LGBT law backfired as his party's headbangers began focused on that to the exclusion of other policy. Add that to the dotcom burst causing an economic downturn, the one thing Rifkind promised would not happen under him, and Labour began to believe Blair could lead them back into power in 2002.

In the end, he narrowly did not.

(5) That Blair would die in the failed hijacking and subsequent crash of United 54 is one of those tests that would seem tired in tawdry airport fiction but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Hastily elevated to leadership to fight the coming election was his shadow Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. A serious minded workaholic, Cook was seen as the safe pair of hands to lead the party back to power. Cooks main focus was foreign affairs and he would leave the daily running of the country to his cabinet, in particular the powerful Chancellor of the Exchequer. Cooks finest moments in office were the signing of the Berlin Peace Accords that finally settled the long running civil wars in the former Yugoslavia and the bilateral agreements with Gore's USA to tackle the growing threat of Islamic terrorism. With the economy running smoothly and an increasing peaceful global situation it appeared that Cook would be the man to lead Labour strongly into the new Century. Tragic it then was when he was found late at night slumped at his desk in Number 10, struck down by a massive heart attack. Still mourned even today by the party and much missed by the public, Cook is seen as a man taken too soon. It would leave his successor with massive expectations to fulfil.

(6) The Labour Party had begun to properly operate in Northern Ireland for a few years and former trade unionist & peace activist May Blood was pretty much the only MP to make it. Still, her stature saw her rise up fast and become the next leader. An early election was called and Labour won a landslide: the triple factors of Cook's popular government, Cook and Blair's martyrdom, and an unexpected surge for the Liberals from disgruntled liberal Tory voters all counted in their favour. Added to Labour power in the regional parliaments, and Blood could bring in a whole raft of left-wing policies. What brought her down, however, was her peace process background left her leery of the new counterterrorism at home and abroad, and controversially attempting dialogues with nations like Libya. While the UK remained a peaceful, prosperous country, the Conservatives argued she was risking their security - including on the streets, as her police and prison reforms would surely raise crime. The regional parliamentsran every five years and were not called early as Westminster had been, allowing both Tories and the nationalist parties to 'trial run' for the 2011 election, and a Conservative government duly came to power in May '11.

(7) Protégé of Cook and Blood's titanic Chancellor, Alistair Darling, the young Scot was hoped to bring back Labour's broad appeal and help push back against the regional nationalist parties. In the end however he didn't fulfil those hopes, and manage to offend just about everyone as his moves further centre were taken as capitulations to the Conservatives. As the English Regional Assemblies were consolidated into one, his failure to stick up for the legacy of Tony Blair sat sour with Labour and voters in the North of England, who had gotten used to their resurgent political identity, grew annoyed that they were once more being neglected, while the Scottish especially felt it would be a back door attempt to reduce the power of their own Parliament. Regional parties surged in popularity, while Labour's fell. Several gaffs over the summer of 2014 involving Alexander's tan lines and choice of fashion while on holiday now made him a laughing stock. With election looming next year, the Christmas coup was launched that was meant to oust him. Though it failed to shift him out the Leadership immediately, it did trigger a leadership election that Alexander decidedly lost. His successor, and architect of Alexander's fall from grace, came out swinging at the general election in April.

(8) The strongman of the Labour Left (or as the Sun would christen him "Mao Tse John) John McDonnell set forth staking Labours pivot back to its traditional roots. Ditching Alexanders Centrist posturing McDonnell targeted the neglected Working Class communities in the North, conducting a "listening tour" in an attempt to shore up the Labour vote against the regional parties. This was tied with a promise to return to Labours "ethical" foreign policy, allowing McDonnell to harness the Cook legacy to pacify the more moderate sections of the parliamentary party. This was to get buy in from them for his economic New Deal, the purported re-nationalisation of the utilities industries as well as an increase in state spending. With this program Labour went swinging to the 2016 campaign.

The result an increase in seats and a hung Parliament, but just not enough to unseat the Tories, who went into coalition with a number of the more Right Wing regional parties. It was an uneasy marriage however and McDonnell knew it was simply a matter of time until the arrangement collapsed, which came to pass over a leak of the plans for the long expected attempt to reduce the powers of the Scottish Assembly. Labour went into the 2018 election promising more devolution of powers for the regional assemblies albeit with a return of some economic planning powers to Westminster. This combined with the previous promised spending priorities was enough to return Labour with a healthy majority.

McDonnell's government functioned reasonably effectively and his economic plan appeared to be delivering for the UK until events threw a spanner in the works. In 2021 a hardline coup against the reformist Iranian government brought a fundamentalist government back to power, which immediately began saber-rattling at its neighbors. The resulting oil price spike hit he UK economy at an inopportune moment but worse was to come when Iranian backed militias and Russian forces clashed in the Caucasus. The ambush and massacre of Russian troops in Dagestan was a casus belli for military intervention to which the Iranians reacted by increasing funding and support for various Islamist militias across the Middle East. McDonnell was loath to get involved and slow to react, even when British troops were killed in a truck bomb attack in Kuwait. This lack of action, plus the ructions within the economy allowed the Conservatives and press to portray McDonnell as weak and out of touch. Increasing feeling the pressure and also his age beginning to catch up with him McDonnell felt it prudent to hand power to younger forces of renewal within the party.

(9). The Minister for Women and a member of the so called ‘Pragmatic Socialist Alliance’ a group of Hard and Soft Left MP’s who wanted to reform the Labour Party and the Country to make it even more Democratic Socialist, Cat Smith didn’t seem like an obvious candidate. But with the support of the ‘Cagney and Lacey of the Labour Party’ Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Chancellor Rebecca Long Bailey, Cat Smith won against the Hard Left campaign of Laura Pidcock and the Centerist Campaigns of Lisa Nandy and Ed Miliband.

Now Leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister Cat Smith has a strong plan to lead Britain into a turbulent future. But first an election and with strong competition from the Left with the Socialist Alliance lead by Róisín McLaren, the center from the Lib Dem’s lead by Christine Jardine and the Right by the Conservatives John Bercow it looks like it’ll be a tough election.
 
SEVEN COMMON MYTHS ABOUT THE THIRD WORLD WAR

1.) IT WASN'T COMPLETELY ABOUT BERLIN

Yes, we all learned in school about the planes getting shot down over Tempelhof. But it's not like the Soviet Airforce randomly decided that the summer of 1948 was a good time for a war!

The previous few years formed what's often called the 'Peace of Potsdam' or 'The Fake Peace.' During this time, the USSR (not Russia) jockeyed with her previous allies for influence in Eastern Europe, and in East Asia. If you want to understand World War Three, you need to know about more than just the airlift!
 
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SEVEN COMMON MYTHS ABOUT THE THIRD WORLD WAR

1.) IT WASN'T COMPLETELY ABOUT BERLIN

Yes, we all learned in school about the planes getting shot down over Tempelhof. But it's not like the Russian Airforce randomly decide that the summer of 1948 was a good time for a war!

The previous few years formed what's often called the 'Peace of Potsdam' or 'The Fake Peace.' During this time, the USSR (not Russia) jockeyed with her previous allies for influence in Eastern Europe, and in East Asia. If you want to understand World War Three, you need to know about more than just the airlift!

2.) NO, IT ISN'T STILL ONGOING

People like to claim that the fact that the People's Republic of China (to seperate it from the then seperate Taiwan government) has never formally made peace with the Japan means that the war never actually ended. HOWEVER, while the two armies do enjoy staring angrily at each other across the Korea Straits, neither was officially a belligerant in the Soviet-American war, Japan not existing as an independent coutnry and Mao just using the distraction to claim the rest of the Korean peninsula without a fight.
 
SEVEN COMMON MYTHS ABOUT THE THIRD WORLD WAR

1.) IT WASN'T COMPLETELY ABOUT BERLIN

Yes, we all learned in school about the planes getting shot down over Tempelhof. But it's not like the Russian Airforce randomly decide that the summer of 1948 was a good time for a war!

The previous few years formed what's often called the 'Peace of Potsdam' or 'The Fake Peace.' During this time, the USSR (not Russia) jockeyed with her previous allies for influence in Eastern Europe, and in East Asia. If you want to understand World War Three, you need to know about more than just the airlift!

2.) NO, IT ISN'T STILL ONGOING

People like to claim that the fact that the People's Republic of China (to seperate it from the then seperate Taiwan government) has never formally made peace with the Japan means that the war never actually ended. HOWEVER, while the two armies do enjoy staring angrily at each other across the Korea Straits, neither was officially a belligerant in the Soviet-American war, Japan not existing as an independent country and Mao just using the distraction to claim the rest of the Korean peninsula without a fight.

3.) IT WAS NEVER CHURCHILL'S WAR

Although at the time, and for along time afterwards, the Soviet Union and anti-War politicians in the West liked to think that they had been duped into another World War by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a vast conspiracy network he had formed on a tour of the Western Allies post-war, the fact is no evidence has has ever come to light to substantiate the claims. The origin of this theory comes out of Operation Unthinkable, possible war plans the British came up with in the event of war in 1945. By the time war broke out however, Churchill had been out of power for 3 years and the ideas - it is a vast overestimation to call Unthinkable a final war plan - were thrown out by the next government, and Britain's involvement in the land war didn't not warrant the amount of influence that Stalin thought it had. If this been known to the Marshal or Soviet High Command it is likely that they would have chosen a more sensible target than Kent for their first atomic strike.
 
SEVEN COMMON MYTHS ABOUT THE THIRD WORLD WAR

1.) IT WASN'T COMPLETELY ABOUT BERLIN

Yes, we all learned in school about the planes getting shot down over Tempelhof. But it's not like the Russian Airforce randomly decide that the summer of 1948 was a good time for a war!

The previous few years formed what's often called the 'Peace of Potsdam' or 'The Fake Peace.' During this time, the USSR (not Russia) jockeyed with her previous allies for influence in Eastern Europe, and in East Asia. If you want to understand World War Three, you need to know about more than just the airlift!

2.) NO, IT ISN'T STILL ONGOING

People like to claim that the fact that the People's Republic of China (to seperate it from the then seperate Taiwan government) has never formally made peace with the Japan means that the war never actually ended. HOWEVER, while the two armies do enjoy staring angrily at each other across the Korea Straits, neither was officially a belligerant in the Soviet-American war, Japan not existing as an independent country and Mao just using the distraction to claim the rest of the Korean peninsula without a fight.

3.) IT WAS NEVER CHURCHILL'S WAR

Although at the time, and for along time afterwards, the Soviet Union and anti-War politicians in the West liked to think that they had been duped into another World War by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a vast conspiracy network he had formed on a tour of the Western Allies post-war, the fact is no evidence has has ever come to light to substantiate the claims. The origin of this theory comes out of Operation Unthinkable, possible war plans the British came up with in the event of war in 1945. By the time war broke out however, Churchill had been out of power for 3 years and the ideas - it is a vast overestimation to call Unthinkable a final war plan - were thrown out by the next government, and Britain's involvement in the land war didn't not warrant the amount of influence that Stalin thought it had. If this been known to the Marshal or Soviet High Command it is likely that they would have chosen a more sensible target than Kent for their first atomic strike.

4.) It wasn't Patton's fault

George S. Patton usually gets painted as one of the villains of the piece, a vainglorious blowhard whose mad dash into East Germany sparked off a destructive conflict that rivalled the one just finished. A pervasive myth but one that omits certain facts, the main one being Patton was simply following the chain of command and the orders of EUCOM. The disastrous first push into Eastern Germany that led to the Lepzig massacre needed a scapegoat, as did the mass death that followed and it was easiest to blame the media friendly Patton. Especially helpful was the fact he died at the front, killed in a random strafing attack. The Patton myth still exists to this day, despite modern historians attempts to debunk it, even Patton's private paper show his deep unease with the orders he was given. This looks to be one myth that simply refuses to die.
 
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