Willie Whitelaw as alt-UK PM?

[mullauna]

This guy:

If Thatcher loses in '75, or is killed at Brighton in '84, Willie Whitelaw will most likely become Prime Minister.

Can anyone here assess what he would do, and what the butterflies would be?

[lordroel]

Apr 15, 2019 14:39:00 GMT mullauna said:

This guy:

If Thatcher loses in '75, or is killed at Brighton in '84, Willie Whitelaw will most likely become Prime Minister.

Can anyone here assess what he would do, and what the butterflies would be?

Never heard of him until know, so i do not know what his policies will be.

[stevep]

Apr 15, 2019 14:41:14 GMT lordroel said:

Apr 15, 2019 14:39:00 GMT mullauna said:

This guy:

If Thatcher loses in '75, or is killed at Brighton in '84, Willie Whitelaw will most likely become Prime Minister.

Can anyone here assess what he would do, and what the butterflies would be?

Never heard of him until know, so i do not know what his policies will be.

  Lordroel

  See  William_Whitelaw, for some details.  In many ways he was a moderate but served Thatcher loyally, as he had done earlier for Health and also took a hard line on law and order issues in both the 70's and 80's.  He was moved to the Lords in 1983 and resigned in 87 after a stroke. 

  As such can't see him replacing Thatcher in 84 is she had got killed but possibly if he had stood in the 1st round against Health, rather than loyally staying out of it he might have become Tory leader then.  Although since he did stand in the 2nd round after Heath stood down and was fairly heavily defeated by Thatcher I'm not sure how practical that would be.

  If he becomes leader in 75 then the Tory party is likely to stay a more centralist, consensual party rather than the hard swing to the right under Thatcher.  This is likely to be a lot better for Britain although there is the danger that some extreme elements would take over at a later stage.  A moderate Tory party if it won in 1979 is likely to be more popular and markedly less destructive of the British economy and also of social cohesion.  It could well have clashes with the unions as OTL but probably win more decisively as its likely to have a more balanced view and hence carry more popular support with it.  Unlikely I suspect to see the massive forced high unemployment of the 1980's which would save a hell of a lot of money - not to mention the suffering and social division - and be more willing to invest in Britain, in terms of supporting infrastructure and also new industries, which would also be a good thing. 

  If you got a more responsible Tory Party does Labour still go hard left under Foot and see the SDP splitting off?  ir does it stay relatively moderate?

  Could be huge butterflies but very likely a better world for Britain.

  Steve

[James G]

I cannot see Whitelaw as PM in 84 for any more than a week. I'd assume that, as they are all at Brighton, the remaining Cabinet and MPs would elect a new leader among themselves and he (even she) would take over from Whitelaw.
He wasn't PM material, not after five years of Thatcher.

[Middlesex_Toffeeman]

If you want a more moderate/Cool Britannia Tory Party, it can't happen at any point in the Thatcher years - 1975 is your best bet.

[Deleted]

Not happening unless someone shoots Thatcher.

I understand there was a queue for this job, however, and a good few opportunities that were missed.