October 1988 - Four candidates rise to replace Healey
Nine years had passed since Denis Healey had been elected Prime Minister, and in the course of that time Labour met the contradictory fate of a split followed by an election success in 1982, and by entering government in 1987 only to lose it right back in 1988. Even if it was part of a coalition government Labour had become the third party once again, to the dismay of Healey and many of his staunchest supporters. And after such a long time, and much like Wainwright and Heffer, the Labour leader had decided the time was right for his retirement. After closing the deal that led Margaret Beckett to Number Ten and leading the party for a few more months, Healey finally stood down as leader, leaving four men to rise and battle for the succession:
Leader Candidates:
David Owen: Deputy Leader for the past nine years (and an eminence grise of sorts), Owen runs as the candidate of the so called "Owenite modernizers", a Labour faction which purports to remold the Labour Party by taking a sharp turn towards the center while adopting a moderate, social-democratic platform. As a result, Owen fights for a hawkish foreign policy, a "social-market" economy, a moderate stance on Europe and a mixture of Callaghanism and social-liberal stances. Owen is also the most critical candidate regarding the coalition, calling to end it after the agreed 12 month period has passed.
Roy Hattersley: Hattersley has often been identified as a close ally of Denis Healey, and despite being less visible than Owen he is running as the direct heir to the retiring leader by standing up for the old Labour right (inheriting the Gaitskellite past as well). Holding similar views to Healey (moderate social views, hawkish foreign stances and progressive economics), Hattersley is by far the most pro-europe candidate, strongly promoting a policy of immediate entry into Europe under a Labour-led government. Hattersley is also concerned about the coalition arrangements, but he makes the case for renegotiating future terms more acceptable to Labour.
John Major: The so called "Honest John" is running as a darkhorse candidate, both as a pragmatist and a new brand of updated Callaghanism. Having quickly risen up the party ranks as a safe pair of hands and a man of consensus, Major has offered up a vision of a "classless Britain", advocating for a pragmatic center-left course willing to work with other parties to tackle social inequality across the country. Major also stands for moderate pro-Europe policies, social-conservatism, a pragmatic foreign and economic policy and a renegotiation of the coalition.
Denzil Davies: Closing off the list is eccentric MP Denzil Davies, who had already run for Deputy Leader back in 1979. Also a candidate from the right of the party and supporting many of Healey's past policies and efforts, Davies is nonetheless making a rebel case of sorts, strongly supporting Euroscepticism and attacking any concessions on devolution as damaging to a unionist ideal. Davies is less hostile to Beckett and the SLP than the rest of the field, although he has also expressed serious doubts about the viability of the coalition in the long term.
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.
Poll
