AHC: CCF/NDP Supplants the Progressive Conservatives

[Commissar From Kiev]

There has been speculation at various times, most recently at the 2011 Canadian election, of the NDP supplanting the Liberals as a major party, since social democratic parties become major parties in most Anglosphere countries (i.e. Britain, Australia, New Zealand). However, the Liberals would likely be too well-placed to supplant.
So, if one is to have a centre-left party rise to power in Canada, perhaps the relatively weaker Progressive Conservatives could be relegated to third-party status.

Here is my challenge: have either the CCF or NDP become a major party, while the PCs become a smaller party, with both taking place between the end of WWII and the 1980s. Given that the OTL dominance of either the Liberals or PCs was largely dictated by regional swing and identity politics, this shouldn't be impossible.

Good luck

 

[Commissar From Kiev]

Any takers?

 

[Indicus]

RB Bennett was actually pretty left-wing. In 1934, he suggested that Canada could implement a New Deal-like thing. Perhaps he could be banished from the Conservative Party and form a coalition with a stronger CCF, while the Conservatives in disarray are defeated and pushed into third place?

RB Bennett could be like an anti-Ramsay MacDonald, basically.

 

[Commissar From Kiev]

RB Bennett was actually pretty left-wing. In 1934, he suggested that Canada could implement a New Deal-like thing. Perhaps he could be banished from the Conservative Party and form a coalition with a stronger CCF, while the Conservatives in disarray are defeated and pushed into third place?

RB Bennett could be like an anti-Ramsay MacDonald, basically.

Now, that's a good idea
Maybe the Blue Tories seize control of the party in the mid-1930s, then Bennett gets booted out and eventually breaks a deal with J.S. Woodsworth. Although Woodsworth was quite left-wing, I think he would take Bennett's support in order to make the CCF more electable. Maybe a few Conservatives and Liberals with similar ideas to Bennett defect to the CCF.

Thanks for that. It seems like an interesting premise!

 

[Heat]

This doesn't exactly fit in the timeframe you're asking for, but if Dave Barrett became leader, could the NDP ride the backlash against the PCs and Western alienation and become the official opposition in 1993?

 

[Commissar From Kiev]

This doesn't exactly fit in the timeframe you're asking for, but if Dave Barrett became leader, could the NDP ride the backlash against the PCs and Western alienation and become the official opposition in 1993?

It's something to think about, though I prefer fjihr's idea.

 

[Indicus]

This doesn't exactly fit in the timeframe you're asking for, but if Dave Barrett became leader, could the NDP ride the backlash against the PCs and Western alienation and become the official opposition in 1993?

I think the key to this situation is that you need to stifle Reform's growth. Maybe it has a really shitty leader who gets involved with some sort of scandal, but it's hard to avoid its growth, especially with the NDP being at fault with the creation of the National Energy Program.

 

[Commissar From Kiev]

I think the key to this situation is that you need to stifle Reform's growth. Maybe it has a really shitty leader who gets involved with some sort of scandal, but it's hard to avoid its growth, especially with the NDP being at fault with the creation of the National Energy Program.

I think having a Tory leader defect to the CCF is a more entertaining way to lead to the CCF's power.

 

[Indicus]

I think having a Tory leader defect to the CCF is a more entertaining way to lead to the CCF's power.

Well, not really defect as it is forming another party in coalition with the CCF. Look up Ramsay MacDonald to see what I'm going for.

 

[Commissar From Kiev]

Well, not really defect as it is forming another party in coalition with the CCF. Look up Ramsay MacDonald to see what I'm going for.

Ah, like National Labour? I see where you're going
So, basically, the Tories kick Bennett out, but Bennett and maybe a few of his allies in the Conservative Party form a new party (perhaps called the Conservative Labour Party or something like that) which allies with the CCF.
I imagine Bennett's new party would cause extreme conservative vote-splitting similar to the 90s federal elections, which gives the CCF a major leg up.

 

[Commissar From Kiev]

Here's a rough infobox for the idea.