UK 2005: Gordon Brown leads Labour

[© tweed]

Suppose that Gordon Brown took over leadership of Labour before the 2005 elections from Tony Blair.

How would this have impacted the election?  (I think Labour would have done slightly better but I'm not an expert on the subject)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Labour would have done a bit better yes; IMO a majority of around 80-90 odd rather than 60 odd.
LibDems might actually have won less seats than in 2001 (more *votes* obviously, but the one don't mean the other). SNP might have done extremely badly.
Will post more tomorrow [hopefully].

[afleitch]

I agree. Seats like Cambridge would no doubt have still been lost, but the Lib Dems would have been squeezed elswhere.

I can imagine the Tories taking about a dozen Lib Dem seats, offset by Labour holds in the marginals and would have probably finished between 190-210. In Scotland the SNP would probably have lost Angus to the Tories, not gained Dundee East or even the Western Isles (depending on how Browns christian socialism played there)

Howard would still have quit, but it would be probable that Ken Clarke reached the last two in the leadership contest (touting his previous experience against Brown) Kennedy would have been pushed if he didn't go quietly.