Vox Populi - January 1975 General Election

[Lumine]

January 1975 - A new election is fought as Robens prepares to stand down

Prelude: In the middle of an economic boom but suffering from harsh domestic strife and terrorism the National Government dissolves to go the polls. Can Lubbock or Powell become Prime Minister on their own? Will Jenkins or Shore win the growing rift in Labour?

Labour Party: The outspoken and fiercely nationalistic Shore has attempted to reinvigorate Labour, standing on a platform of economic autarky through state intervention, price and wages control and heavy import controls; a markedly anti-Europe stance, support for nuclear weapons and NATO, a pro-unionist stance in Northern Ireland, a moderate social policy, the renewal of inner cities across Britain and the protection of public services. Shore is also attempting to bring down Jenkins's National Labour as having "betrayed" Socialism, while hammering at the Liberals and the Conservatives as disastrous alternatives for the future.

Conservative Party: Heavily running on their government record of victory in the Cyprus War and economic stability, Enoch Powell and the Conservative have redoubled their case for the Tories as the sole party to be capable of leading a "strong government." Powell continues to run on a free-market and monetarist economic policy, isolation from Europe and detente with the Soviet Union, support for the Unionists on Norther Ireland, opposition to devolution and a tough stance on crime and terrorism. Attacking Labour as "dangerous", Powell has also softened Tory policy on trade union reform, receiving the unusual endorsement of a few minor trade unions.

Liberal Party: Determined to overcome their 1972 performance despite the Thorpe scandal, Eric Lubbock and the Liberals are championing their record of withdrawal from Vietnam, decriminalization of homosexuality and economic stability, while running on a renewed "liberal progressive" platform of political reform, social liberalization, peace in Northern Ireland, devolution in Scotland and Wales, immediate entry into Europe, an anti-nuclear weapons and pro-defence cuts stance, and environmental policies. Attacking Shore and Powell as "reactionary, the Liberals have also closed a tactical alliance with Jenkins, hoping to maximize their chances of a majority or coalition.

Plaid Cymru / Scottish National Party: Plaid and the SNP hope to defend their large majorities in Scotland and Wales this time around, while expecting to pick up a few more seats still out of their reach. Both parties appear to have taken different courses, with Plaid Cymru and Gywnfor Evans taking a road of devolution, support for the Welsh culture and a willingness to participate or support a center-left to left government, and the Scottish National Party and William Wolfe becoming more radicalized, demanding not only devolution but an independence referendum (an issue which continues to divide the party), only offering Supply and Confidence to a willing partner.

National Labour Party: From the other side of Labour is Chancellor Roy Jenkins, who has turned his band of rebels into a new political party. Hoping to benefit from Jenkins's economic boom and the support of Prime Minister Robens, National Labour is running on a social-democratic mold, taking a strongly pro-European integration stance, support for relaxing immigration laws, responsible economic management and a moderate foreign policy. While not fielding candidates in every seat, Jenkins hopes to consolidate a force strong enough to allow for a "progressive government", while attacking Shore both for his ties to Callaghanism as for his economic autarky and anti-EEC views, which he sees as too far to the left and a betrayal of Labour.

Two days.

Note: Plaid and the SNP still capped at 7.5-8%.

[White Trash]

Labour

[Lexii, harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy]

Tory

[MAINEiac4434]

Liberal until Labour get a socially progressive leader.

[Maxwell]

Lubbock and the Liberals for me.

[Kingpoleon]

Liberals, and maybe we can get a coalition with Powell.

[Lumine]

A few hours left here! (Labour landslide under current numbers)

[Clyde1998]

If devolution occurs, will the elections in Scotland and Wales be simulated or will they be something that we vote on?

[Lumine]

If devolution occurs, will the elections in Scotland and Wales be simulated or will they be something that we vote on?

I don't plan on simulating them, doesn't really seem necessary. All I'll be doing is important party leadership elections or key decisions, general elections, and referendums.

[Lumine]

January 1975 General Election:

January 1975 - Another Hung Parliament... with Labour in a comeback

Labour Party: 30.7% (242 MP's)
Conservative Party: 28.0% (203 MP's)
Liberal Party: 28.0% (87 MP's)
Scottish National Party: 4.2% (60 MP's)
Plaid Cymru : 2.4% (31 MP's)
National Labour : 5.4% (10 MP's)
Others: 1.3% (2 MP's)

All too divided because of differences over domestic policy the National Government parties scrambled to field their own campaigns, facing a seemingly resurgent Labour Party under Shore which had been able to prepare efficiently for the campaign, if still hampered by large-scale infighting inside the party over factional battles. The campaign therefore began with Labour slowly climbing back to 30%, matched with the Conservatives and the Liberals in a close fight over first place as the main parties did their best to defeat the SNP and Plaid in Scotland and Wales to secure their own majority. Despite predictions of another hung parliament, none of the three leaders was prepared to rule out governing on their own.

It was believed by many to have been a less than inspiring campaign, with the leaders failing to agree on debates - mostly due to whether to include the SNP, Plaid and National Labour - and many seeing the campaigns as lacking clear messages, despite the field organization by Labour activists proving decent. It soon became clear that the unpopularity of the National Government was affecting both Powell and Lubbock, with the state of the economy failing to secure them votes as opposed to the drawback that was the brief Macmillan premiership for the Tories and the sordid Thorpe scandal for the Liberals, which was constantly revived on the press. In contrast Shore fought a less flawed campaign, staying on message.

Election Night proved tense, and an alltogether disappointing experience to virtually all parties. The Conservatives lost a substantial amount of votes, but managed to limit their seat losses to a few. The Liberals had a rude awakening to the extent the Thorpe affair and some decisions during the National Government had affected their standing, dropping back to third place in the popular vote and suffering the lost of almost half their MP's due to FPTP. National Labour had survived and returned most of their MP's, yet had failed to expand across the nation. Plaid and the SNP managed to hold on to their electoral bastions, yet also faced a few losses of their own as some of their seats went back to Labour. And Shore, while reviving the Labour Party had made limited gains on the popular vote, and despite the surge in MP's to the detriment of the Liberals was almost eighty seats short of a majority.

With Lubbock ruling out a coalition with Labour and a National Government being out of the question with Shore refusing to back one, Labour was forced to hold talks with Plaid and the SNP. Soon an unstable supply and confidence deal was reached, and Shore formed a minority government, expecting elections to come again before the year was over.