A Collection of Alternate UK Scenarios

This pack includes five different What If? Scenarios from recent UK political history:

1.1978-The Election that never was

The last four years have been difficult for the Labour government. Following Harold Willson’s resignation, James Callaghan has succeeded to the Premiership, and has shortly had to face an economic crisis, culminating in taking a bailout from the IMF. However, the UK looks to have turned the corner, and with the polls too close to call, Callaghan has taken a gamble and called an early election in hopes of seeing off the challenge from Margaret Thatcher’s Tory party. Will it pay off?

United Kingdom – 1978

2. 1984- Falklands Lost

Following Margaret Thatcher’s win in 1979, British politics has undergone its biggest upheaval in half of a century. Faced first by economic hardship, then by the loss of the Falkland Islands to Argentina, the Iron Lady was forced to resign in 1982, and was replaced by the unity figure of William Whitelaw. Meanwhile, the newly formed SDP-Liberal Alliance has surged to a lead in the polls, and a radically left wing Labour, though divided and polling below both, looks well placed to form a government. Who will triumph in the first truly three party race for a generation?

United Kingdom – 1984

3. 1992-Thatcher Fights On

Margaret Thatcher has survived Michael Heseltine’s 1990 leadership challenge, but has been badly damaged in the eyes of the voters. Will she be able to turn things around to pull off a record breaking fourth term? Or will Neil Kinnock’s Labour finally oust her after thirteen years?

United Kingdom – 1992 Thatcher Fights On 

4. 1997-Smith Lives

John Smith never suffers the heart attack that kills him, and leads Labour into the 1997 General Election. The polls are projecting a comfortable Labour victory, but will John Major be able to turn Tory hopes and keep Labour out of power yet again?

United Kingdom – 1997-Smith Lives

5. 2015-The Right Brother?

Having narrowly defeated his younger brother in the 2010 leadership contest, David Miliband is now leading Labour into the 2015 general election. Though Labour has estabilished a slight lead in the polls, a hung parliament is still widely projected, amidst the rise of smaller, populist parties like UKIP, the Greens, and the SNP. Will Milliband be able to prevail over David Cameron?

UK 2015-The Right Brother

Let me know if there any issues that need sorting out with any of the scenarios.

20 thoughts on “A Collection of Alternate UK Scenarios”

  1. I’m fairly certain that the 1984 scenario is bugged. Because Michael Foot starts with 90 million pounds and polling from the standard 1983 scenario doesn’t appear to have changed at all.

  2. The money is probably a simple case of typing in one too many zeroes, ill upload it again when I get the chance. Did you try all possible starting dates? The polling might only be updated for one of them.

  3. The 90 million thing will be amended as soon as possible. As far as more scenarios go, I got a little tired of writing them after doing five in a row. After I released 1997 I said if I do more they would be 1950/51 and maybe 2005, but I didn’t really give any firm commitments. I only really did these alternate scenarios cos they only really took a few clicks to edit properly.

    I’ve made a very tentative start to a 1950 campaign, but I can’t tell you if I will stick with it, or how long it will take. Sorry I couldn’t give anything more definitive.

  4. So, I checked the updated 1984 scenario, and yeah, the foot issue is resolved, but the polling is almost completely identical to the 1983 scenario. There is only one start date, March 1st 1984.

  5. I’ve tried downloading the link and the polling seems to be working fine for me. What’s more, Foot definitely had 9 million in that version as well, so it would seem strange for that to work and not the percentages. Maybe go into the editor and have a look to see if there are any universal shifts?

  6. Don’t know what to tell you mate. I checked it with the editor and it’s the 1983 scenario. At least for me.

  7. Love the scenarios; people don’t appreciate how much time it takes, and just how generally a thankless task is it!

    I’d love a 2005 campaign; but I’m an big Blair so I’d just want to have a play around.

    Thanks again tho!

  8. Thanks, I’m currently working on a 1950 campaign. I’ll probably do a 2005 scenario at some point after that.

  9. The 1984 Scenario has the exact same polling and seat count as the 1983 scenario. Any idea on how to fix this?

  10. When I download it, everything works fine, the polling and seat numbers are all there. Maybe go into the editor and see if the swing is there. As you can see above, Jefka of St Lawrence had a similar problem. I’m not sure how he resolved it though.

  11. Great scenarios! Have you ever considered making one for “The Election That Never Was” of 2007?

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