The Iron Lady - 1987 Labour Leadership

[Lumine]

November 1987 - Can Tony Benn be stopped?

After leading the party for seven years and serving as Prime Minister for six, Michael Foot has been brought down by the "Pasha scandal" and the determination of his colleagues to put an end to his career to succeed him. As Labour faces a complex civil war between the different factions, four candidates stand to become Prime Minister, and other four to take the Deputy Leadership vacated by the retirement of Denis Healey from frontline politics. With the Foot loyalists and the Labour right divided, many wonder if this is the year of the hardliner Tony Benn, allied with the Militant faction and the Bennites to capture Downing Street Ten.

Leader Candidates:

Tony Benn: One of the most famous politicians in the country, Benn stands as the most hardline candidate of the party, arguing the Foot years saw too much moderation and that Labour needs an even sharper turn to the left to achieve real Socialism. Benn's platform, outside from advocating for large-scale nationalization, Euroscepticism, pacifism and extreme social-liberalization also promises a constitutional revolution, as if elected Benn promises to abolish the monarchy and turn the United Kingdom into a republican and federal "Commonwealth of Britain."

Peter Shore: The other challenger with a very high profile, Chancellor Peter Shore has presided over the recovery of the past years and runs partly as a Foot loyalist, partly as his own man given his controversial views. A staunch Eurosceptic, fierce nationalist and a defence hawk of sorts, Shore combines the concern for the stronger defence of the right with the economic beliefs of the left, arguing to continue the trend of regulations and control to reinvigorate British industry and expand the seemingly tired economic boom.

Michael Meacher: Education Secretary Meacher is the lesser known of the candidates, arguing that neither Shore, Benn or Hattersley adequately represent Foot's vision and blasting the factions for having undermined the Prime Minister. Despite his limited influence, Meacher purports to become a unity candidate to continue the sensible left policies of Michael Foot, focusing on social justice and bringing focus to the environment, an issue so far ignored by the major parties.

Roy Hattersley: Finally, the leadership contest is followed by Home Secretary Roy Hattersley, the determined head of what remains of the Labour right (and very critical of those who left for the Democrats). Hattersley offers a significantly different road, arguing for Labour to moderate itself and return to the center left, as Hattersley strongly supports not only a return into Europe, but a more moderate foreign policy. Hattersley is also highly critical of Meacher and particularly of Benn, warning that a Benn victory could cause virtual chaos inside the party and to the nation.

Deputy Leader Candidates:

Candidates: Another four candidates have decided to run for Deputy Leader to replace Healey: Eric Heffer, the Militant-Bennite aligned candidate (staunch Socialist and Eurosceptic), Gwyneth Dunwoody, the opinionated and Eurosceptic running-mate for Peter Shore, John Prescott, the tough-talking and working-class Foot loyalist, and Gerald Kaufman, the sarcastic, incisive Foreign Secretary and staunch critic of the Bennites.

You have two days to vote, the two candidates with the most votes go to a final round if no one garners a majority on this ballot.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Hattersley

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Shore!

[MAINEiac4434]

Hattersley/Prescott

[Kamala]

Benn/Prescott

[PPT Spiral]

Shore!

[White Trash]

Shore/Prescott

[Intell]

Meacher/Prescott.

[Phony Moderate]

1. Benn
2. Shore
3. Meacher
4. Hattersley

1. Prescott
2. Heffer
3. Dunwoody
4. Kaufman

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Meecher/Prescott

[Kingpoleon]

Shore/Kaufman.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Shore/Heffer

[Mr. Smith]

Meacher/Prescott.

[Former President tack50]

Meacher/Kaufman

[America Needs R'hllor]

For leader:

1. Roy Hattersley, by far! The only candidate I could see myself supporting in the General.

2. Peter Shore, who I'd support if not for his irresponsible spending policies.
3. Michael Meacher. Not terrible given the leading option, but still bad.

4. Tony Benn, who I'd never support in the general.

For deputy:

1. Gerald Kaufman enthusiastically

2. John Prescott
3. Gwyneth Dunwoody
4. Eric Heffer

[America Needs R'hllor]

1. Gerald Kaufman enthusiastically

Uh... you know who Gerald Kaufman is, right?

I did not, actually. I went by Lumine's description of each candidate, since I have a very limited knowledge of historical British politics. But now that I checked him, though I cannot change my vote in the poll...

1. John Prescott
2. Gwyneth Dunwoody
3. Eric Heffer

4. Gerald Faufman

Thanks for notifying!

[The Govanah Jake]

Tony Benn enthusiastically

[Lechasseur]

Shore/Dunwoody, I guess

[Orthogonian Society Treasurer]

Shore!

[Leftbehind]

Benn/Heffer.

[Phony Moderate]

Wild prediction for the new cabinet: 

Prime Minister: Tony Benn
Deputy Prime Minister: John Prescott
Chancellor: Eric Heffer
Chief Secretary to the Treasury: John Smith
Home Secretary: Michael Meacher
Foreign Secretary: Peter Shore
Health Secretary: Frank Dobson
Defence Secretary: Robin Cook
Attorney General: Paul Boateng
Trade Secretary: Gordon Brown
Social Security: Neil Kinnock
Scottish Secretary: Donald Dewar
Welsh Secretary: Denzil Davies
Northern Irish Secretary: Mo Mowlam
Leader of the House of Commons: Betty Boothroyd
National Heritage (or whatever it's called then): Richard Caborn

[Lumine]

Wild prediction for the new cabinet: 

Prime Minister: Tony Benn
Deputy Prime Minister: John Prescott
Chancellor: Eric Heffer
Chief Secretary to the Treasury: John Smith
Home Secretary: Michael Meacher
Foreign Secretary: Peter Shore
Health Secretary: Frank Dobson
Defence Secretary: Robin Cook
Attorney General: Paul Boateng
Trade Secretary: Gordon Brown
Social Security: Neil Kinnock
Scottish Secretary: Donald Dewar
Welsh Secretary: Denzil Davies
Northern Irish Secretary: Mo Mowlam
Leader of the House of Commons: Betty Boothroyd
National Heritage (or whatever it's called then): Richard Caborn

I should note quite a few of those have only spent a year in Parliament, but we should be seeing many of that list in the future (I have some interesting plans for Mowlam, Boothroyd and Brown in particular).

Kinnock however is unlikely to have a political future after badly screwing up the 86' campaign while being Chair of the Labour Party (badly enough to get demoted in an internal coup by the Blair couple, Gould and Mandelson).