The Iron Lady - 1986 General Election

[Lumine]

October 1986 - Foot and Labour aim to repeat their victory

Prelude: In the middle of a booming economy but facing serious domestic strife and foreign policy chaos, Michael Foot fights for a second mandate after five years as Prime Minister and despite advancing age. Can he repeat his triumph?

Labour Party: Having governed through the past five years on an invincible majority, an increasingly frail Prime Minister Foot is back on the campaign trail again to secure another mandate for Labour. Championing their economic record and downplaying domestic and foreign policy backlash, the Labour manifesto calls for further disarmament and cuts to national defence, a minimum wage and increased industrial democracy, expanding devolution in Wales and Scotland, going through with the promised banking control scheme and expanded nationalization efforts on further industries. Labour has also blasted the Conservatives and the Democrats for "wanting to return to the past."

Conservative Party: Despite the humiliation of 1981, Michael Heseltine's Conservatives are determined to return as a major party, setting themselves an ambitious target of clawing back to more than 150 MP's, hoping to prove the past result was a fluke. Heseltine has championed his own form of "compassionate conservatism" and "caring capitalism", promoting pro-free market reforms along with social programs and inner cities rejuvenation as they way forward. The Conservative manifesto also supports nuclear weapons, Europe, an immediate return to NATO and reforming public services to increase efficiency. Heseltine has also struck an aggresive tone against Labour, denouncing the shared control of the Falklands and warning against "the rising tide of socialism."

Democrats: Born out of the fusion of the SDP-Liberal Alliance, the Democrats under Shirley Williams are going on an all-out campaign to become the new "progressive, center-left" alternative to the Labour Party, attacking Foot for his radical policies and arguing for a more "reasonable" course towards social justice. The charismatic (and media darling) Williams stands on a platform of social-liberalism, a moderate to dovish foreign policy, staunch support for Europe (and a return to the EEC), electoral and government reform, comprehensive educational reform and anti-discrimination laws.

Two days.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Conservative

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Heseltine and the Conservatives.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Protest vote for Williams because Heseltine is that odious.

[Zioneer]

Honest vote for the Democrats: Labour is too far left for me, and the Conservatives are not my cup of tea.

[MAINEiac4434]

Labour.

[PPT Spiral]

Very happy to see you back in the groove, Lumine!

Labour for me.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Conservative (to bring more balance to the next parliament)

[Lumine]

Foot on track of repeating the landslide as we speak. I'm strongly considering including one or two new parties for the next General Election.

[Intell]

Labour.

[America Needs R'hllor]

1. Democrats, easily
2. Conservatives




3. Labour

[Former President tack50]

Democrats

Foot's term has been good enough but he is too far left and has had very serious flaws.

The Democrats are pretty good meanwhile.

[Arturo Belano]

Labour!

[America Needs R'hllor]

Foot on track of repeating the landslide as we speak. I'm strongly considering including one or two new parties for the next General Election.

Hopefully leftist ones, because atm it looks like Labour has a solid Atlas majority

[Lumine]

Foot on track of repeating the landslide as we speak. I'm strongly considering including one or two new parties for the next General Election.

Hopefully leftist ones, because atm it looks like Labour has a solid Atlas majority

I'll start to get a bit creative! Also, there will be at least two celebrities as Leader candidates in the future elections (could be anywhere from 1986 to 2017). If someone guesses the right celebrity and party he/she gets a reward for this interactive timeline.

[Former President tack50]

For all what's worth the current result, while still a labour landslide, wouldn't be that lopsided. It's actually quite close to the 1997 and 2001 results, with the exception of the Lib Dems which are way too high (there's no "others" option and we're not counting Northern Ireland)

[Kamala]

I'll start to get a bit creative! Also, there will be at least two celebrities as Leader candidates in the future elections (could be anywhere from 1986 to 2017). If someone guesses the right celebrity and party he/she gets a reward for this interactive timeline.

Scary Spice leads a weakened Labour back to victory in the mid-2000s.

Although by that time I think she’ll just be Mel B.

[Lumine]

For all what's worth the current result, while still a labour landslide, wouldn't be that lopsided. It's actually quite close to the 1997 and 2001 results, with the exception of the Lib Dems which are way too high (there's no "others" option and we're not counting Northern Ireland)

Yeah, counting smaller parties would screw up the results too much (I just estimate the share of the vote of the minor parties and remove it in equal parts from the main party votes). Having said that, I expect to add one or two extra parties at the next General Election.

[AtorBoltox]

Voting conservative so the results are more realistic this time, actually support labour

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Foot on track of repeating the landslide as we speak. I'm strongly considering including one or two new parties for the next General Election.

Hopefully leftist ones, because atm it looks like Labour has a solid Atlas majority

I'll start to get a bit creative! Also, there will be at least two celebrities as Leader candidates in the future elections (could be anywhere from 1986 to 2017). If someone guesses the right celebrity and party he/she gets a reward for this interactive timeline.

Katie Hopkins. Calling it now.

[GoTfan]

Foot on track of repeating the landslide as we speak. I'm strongly considering including one or two new parties for the next General Election.

Hopefully leftist ones, because atm it looks like Labour has a solid Atlas majority

I'll start to get a bit creative! Also, there will be at least two celebrities as Leader candidates in the future elections (could be anywhere from 1986 to 2017). If someone guesses the right celebrity and party he/she gets a reward for this interactive timeline.

Owen Jones as the Sebastian Kurz of 2017 Labour?

#Owen4PM

[Phony Moderate]

Peter Hitchens?
Richard Branson?

[PPT Spiral]

I'm gonna guess Russell Brand for Labour and John Cleese for Liberals/Democrats/whatever.

[Arturo Belano]

Katie Hopkins for the Conservatives?
Piers Morgan for the Democrats?
Peter Capaldi for Labour?

[Lumine]

Lots of interesting choices! I'll be messaging winners (if there are some) as celebrity candidates appear later in the timeline.

As to who will be the first, I can only say that said person should be elected first Mayor of London very soon on this TL. And to add to the mystery, it won't be someone from Labour.