Author: JDrakeify

After two landslide victories over the Tories in 1997 and 2001, Tony Blair’s Labour looks to be in a more precarious position going into the 2005 General Election. Britain’s controversial intervention in Iraq with the USA has seen the Prime Minister’s popularity plummet, and the government’s polling lead narrow significantly as the troubled Tory opposition restores some semblance of unity under former Home Secretary Michael Howard, and the Lib Dems take advantage of their anti war stance to increase their support.

Can Labour overcome their difficulties to win a record breaking third term in the style of their past two triumphs? Or will the Tories be able to bridge the gap and form their first government in eight years? And can charismatic Scot Charles Kennedy lead his Lib Dems to he breakthrough to major party status that they have been aspiring to for so long?

 

United Kingdom – 2005

The year is 1950. Having dealt a surprise loss to Winston Churchill’s Tories following the Allied victory in World War 2, the Attlee government has set about implementing Labour’s vision of a cradle to grave welfare state at home, amidst decolonisation and the start of the Cold War abroad. Whilst they have met with a number of successes, notably the founding of the National Health Service, their five years in government have not been without economic hardship as the country has had to face post-war austerity. Meanwhile, the Tories have rebounded from their 1945 loss, and have now embraced much of the new consensus around a more active government, and the polls are remarkably tight between the two parties. Can Churchill reclaim the Premiership from Attlee, or will Labour be allowed their first ever second term?

 

United Kingdom – 1950

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.

After seventeen years in power, the Tories finally appear to be on their way out of office. Having won an unexpected victory in the 1992 General Election, Prime Minister John Major has had a second term marked by economic difficulties and bitter party infighting. Meanwhile, Labour have recovered from their defeat five years ago, and the death of their leader, John Smith, in 1994, to establish a comfortable lead in the polls under the wildly popular Tony Blair, who has rebranded the party to the centre as ‘New Labour’. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats, once more led by Paddy Ashdown, are hoping to benefit from the collapse of the Conservatives to win their best result in the post war era. Can the Tories prevent a historic Labour landslide, or will Blair deal them a defeat that will cripple their chances of winning power for a generation?

United Kingdom – 1997

After thirteen years in office, it looks like Conservative rule in the UK might finally be coming to an end. Having replaced Margaret Thatcher three years previously, the new Prime Minister, John Major, has had to face economic difficulties and divisions within his party as he attempts to keep the Tories in power. Is now the time for Neil Kinnock’s Labour to take back power after over a decade in the wilderness? Or will the Conservatives win an unlikely victory? And can either win an outright majority, so as not to be dependent on Paddy Ashdown’s Lib Dems?

United Kingdom – 1992

Having taken following the resignation of Harold Wilson in 1976, Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan has had a turbulent first three years in office that has been defined by economic crises and trade union disputes, culminating in ‘The Winter of Discontent’ where a series of strikes brought the country to a stand still. Against this backdrop, the Conservatives, led by staunch monetarist Margaret Thatcher, hope to sweep back to power on the most right wing platform for government in decades. Will Thatcher become the first female head of government in the western world, or will Labour stage an unexpected comeback to cling onto power?

United Kingdom – 1979

Eight years into her Premiership, Margaret Thatcher is still going strong. With a booming economy, she has called an election, hoping to emulate or even improve on her landslide of 1983. Meanwhile, the opposition to her is weak. Having endured a landslide defeat under Michael Foot, Labour are now led by the youthful figure of Neil Kinnock, who has begun the long process of reforming the party. Can he fend off a challenge from the SDP-Liberal Alliance and cement Labour’s place as the main opposition to the Tories, and possibly even challenge them for government?

United Kingdom – 1987

This is a sequel to my 1983 scenario which I figured I’d do since I already had the 1987 boundaries from that. I have made a few changes to it. The National Front are removed, and Ecology are replaced by the Greens. I have also replaced some of the alternative party leaders. Otherwise, it largely follows the same structure.

After a turbulent few years in British politics, Margaret Thatcher looks set to secure a second term with an increased number of MPs. Meanwhile, the opposition to her is more divided than it has been for a generation. Labour has moved to the left under the leadership of Michael Foot, and has faced years of turmoil that has sunk its standing in the polls. Can they fend off a challenge from the newly formed SDP-Liberal Alliance to remain the main opposition, and can either of them prevent the Tories from winning a majority?

This is my first scenario that I have published, so feedback would be much appreciated.

v1.1: Minor update to amend candidate name and incumbency errors

United Kingdom – 1983 v1.1

United Kingdom – 1983 v1.0

Notes:

Parties: All the parties from the original game with logos and leaders changed for 1983. I have also added National Front, Ecology, and the Workers Party of Northern Ireland. The SDP-Liberal Alliance is treated as one party for the purposes of the game.

Leaders: All the 1983 Party Leaders complete with photos and stats. Thanks to GOP Progressive & Ed Gaffney on this one, whose PMF scenario provided much of the resources for the more obscure parties. I have set David Steel to the default Alliance leader, seeing as he led the campaign, but as PM designate, Jenkins could equally be used as well, so he is an option too. The three main parties also have a set of alternative leaders:

Tories: Whitelaw, Howe, and Pym

Labour: Healey, Benn, Shore, Callaghan

Alliance: Jenkins, Owen, Williams

All constituencies have been edited to reflect 1983 boundaries, and support levels amended to reflect the polls at the time of the campaign start. I believe I have done a fairly thorough job on this one, but if you come across a constituency which shouldn’t be there, or any other error, feel free to notify me and I will update the scenario to change it.

Issues and there importance have been changed, there are no debates as was the case in the campaign in real life. I deleted the Independent as an endorser, seeing as it did not exist back then, and to make things more realistic, I have amended starting scores to be higher for the parties that papers are generally very likely to endorse. Now for example, it will be much harder for Labour to win the endorsement of the Telegraph than it was in the original game.

I have also added a couple of events that took place during the campaign period. Though the election was called on the 9th May, I thought that a month long campaign is often not as enjoyable as a longer one. Therefore, the player has a choice between starting on the 9th May, or April 1st.