Labour wins West Bromwich, 1931 - and loses Attlee

[zaffre]

Labour's most renowned leader is also, arguably, it's luckiest, if only because the roots of his rise to power were seeded in the utter devastation that was his party circa 1931. Battling circumstances (and Ramsay MacDonald) Labour plunged from 287 seats to 52 and from a leadership perspective was practically decapitated. A grand total of three MPs with ministerial experience held on - Stafford Cripps (first elected that same year), George Lansbury, and of course Attlee, who clung to Limehouse by just over 500 votes but was, nonetheless, the second most experienced MP left. He became Lansbury's deputy practically by default, setting him on a long glide path to become leader and, much later, Prime Minister.

I've posted in the past about the basic WI of Attlee losing Limehouse but, to turn the question on its head - are there any other Labour ministers that (a) did not defect with MacDonald and (b) came close to holding their seat in 1931 (close here defined as <5% margin) and what would be the consequences of their hanging on?

And there is one, by which I mean 1931 was such a massive wipeout I've literally only found one, MP that meets that criteria - drumroll please - Frederick Roberts, Minister of Pensions, who lost in West Bromwich by little over five hundred votes. This is made more or less intriguing by Roberts being a Literally Who, but he was elected to Parliament a few years before Attlee, served in the first MacDonald ministry as well as the second and also, well, as far as relevant experience in 1931 goes, I would think Minister of Pensions outranks Postmaster General - if Roberts keeps his seat, I genuinely think he's the odds-on favorite to become Lansbury's deputy. This butterflies Attlee's big break and conversely, elevates Roberts, who was of course his own politician and own person. Working class with deep union ties, as opposed to Attlee's somewhat atypical background, and the only profile I've found suggests someone by no means lacking in talent or the ability to keep his party together.

Roberts only got back into Parliament in 1935, and then passed away in his mid sixties in 1941, hence his historical reputation is essentially nil, but I do still think it begs an obvious question. What might have happened in that intervening decade, if F. O. Roberts had gotten a few more votes in West Bromwich in 1931 - and then Attlee's job?

 

[Yokai Man]

Labour's most renowned leader is also, arguably, it's luckiest, if only because the roots of his rise to power were seeded in the utter devastation that was his party circa 1931. Battling circumstances (and Ramsay MacDonald) Labour plunged from 287 seats to 52 and from a leadership perspective was practically decapitated. A grand total of three MPs with ministerial experience held on - Stafford Cripps (first elected that same year), George Lansbury, and of course Attlee, who clung to Limehouse by just over 500 votes but was, nonetheless, the second most experienced MP left. He became Lansbury's deputy practically by default, setting him on a long glide path to become leader and, much later, Prime Minister.

I've posted in the past about the basic WI of Attlee losing Limehouse but, to turn the question on its head - are there any other Labour ministers that (a) did not defect with MacDonald and (b) came close to holding their seat in 1931 (close here defined as <5% margin) and what would be the consequences of their hanging on?

And there is one, by which I mean 1931 was such a massive wipeout I've literally only found one, MP that meets that criteria - drumroll please - Frederick Roberts, Minister of Pensions, who lost in West Bromwich by little over five hundred votes. This is made more or less intriguing by Roberts being a Literally Who, but he was elected to Parliament a few years before Attlee, served in the first MacDonald ministry as well as the second and also, well, as far as relevant experience in 1931 goes, I would think Minister of Pensions outranks Postmaster General - if Roberts keeps his seat, I genuinely think he's the odds-on favorite to become Lansbury's deputy. This butterflies Attlee's big break and conversely, elevates Roberts, who was of course his own politician and own person. Working class with deep union ties, as opposed to Attlee's somewhat atypical background, and the only profile I've found suggests someone by no means lacking in talent or the ability to keep his party together.

Roberts only got back into Parliament in 1935, and then passed away in his mid sixties in 1941, hence his historical reputation is essentially nil, but I do still think it begs an obvious question. What might have happened in that intervening decade, if F. O. Roberts had gotten a few more votes in West Bromwich in 1931 - and then Attlee's job?

Be viewed as a sacrifice leader,demand Churchill lead the war cabinet like Labour demanded OTL and,uh,dies

Then Herb Morrison becomes Leader most likely and PM after the war. That or Cripps,but that’s less likely I suppose.

Idk,there’s not much about him and him dying in ‘41 kinda makes an obscure leader of the Labour Party. Maybe others who know more about the history of the Labour Party around this time could fill in the gaps.

Don’t get me wrong,it’s a great PoD though.