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In yet another @Time Enough ponders different avenues for Labour in the 1980s, I was wondering what would be the effect of Roy Hattersley winning the 1983 Labour Leadership contest?
Now the way I would do this is Kinnock still gets caught in his 1983 car crash as OTL during the campaign but unlike OTL he's injured enough to force him to cancel his campaign. Given that Peter Shore and Eric Heffer were rather toxic by this point, Roy would probably be the winner here.
Now, in this scenario there's also some interesting factors to the deputy leadership, with no Kinnock to reassure the Soft Left and also Hattersley being leader and all that, there's a strong chance the Deputy leader would be Michael Meacher which presents an interesting dynamic there.
So what would be the effects beyond 1983, Roy whilst maybe being slightly less gaff prone than Kinnock probably wouldn't inspire the same passion and energy as Kinnock did (there's a reason why folks have called Kinnock one of the best orators since Bevan) and also without a 'Left' man in charge I think any changes Hattersley would do would be hard to press upon the Tribunate/Soft Left folks.
Also Hattersley's open Pro-European stance may rub some of the other members the wrong way too.
Also how does Hattersley effect the fight against Millitant, the 1987 General Election and also would we maybe see a Leadership challenge in the late 80s?
Now the way I would do this is Kinnock still gets caught in his 1983 car crash as OTL during the campaign but unlike OTL he's injured enough to force him to cancel his campaign. Given that Peter Shore and Eric Heffer were rather toxic by this point, Roy would probably be the winner here.
Now, in this scenario there's also some interesting factors to the deputy leadership, with no Kinnock to reassure the Soft Left and also Hattersley being leader and all that, there's a strong chance the Deputy leader would be Michael Meacher which presents an interesting dynamic there.
So what would be the effects beyond 1983, Roy whilst maybe being slightly less gaff prone than Kinnock probably wouldn't inspire the same passion and energy as Kinnock did (there's a reason why folks have called Kinnock one of the best orators since Bevan) and also without a 'Left' man in charge I think any changes Hattersley would do would be hard to press upon the Tribunate/Soft Left folks.
Also Hattersley's open Pro-European stance may rub some of the other members the wrong way too.
Also how does Hattersley effect the fight against Millitant, the 1987 General Election and also would we maybe see a Leadership challenge in the late 80s?