Yeah, "A Very British Coup" was all about the
responses to an ultra-left government in the UK,
not the likelihood of it or even how it could have ever come about. IIRC, the scenario was of an overwhelming Labor landslide with only a single token moderate in the government. Also, no mention of a split away by any SODEMALL party. Even as an American, I found the film entertaining. After all, it was a fantasy, where you were free to more or less pretend that the world outside of the west didn't even exist (i.e., the USSR at the time of the 1982 novel). And I did remember a hilarious BBC movie that went in the same vein, with hilarious results. (1)
1) I don't remember the name of the film, other than it had as the American President the British actor Barry Morse. The newly elected Prime Minister Pork
of the UK had announced a near total abolition of military spending (98%!
), and dropping out of NATO, unilateral nuclear disarmament, while adopting a strictly neutralist foreign policy. This was made possible because, as he told his Chancellor and Foreign Secretary, he would be taking over Britain's defense needs personally in his capacity as the Last Son of Krypton, Superman!
Needless to say, he was NOT Superman.
This left the Foreign Secretary with no choice but to sign a treaty with the Soviets, having the United Kingdom enter the Warsaw Pact! As Britain's new treaty with Moscow stated: "You are free to leave the Warsaw Pact at any time,
subject to the usual MILITARY FORMALITIES."
And leaving poor Barry Morse with authorizing the selection of nuclear strike targets in the United Kingdom!
So it was easy for me to put "Coup" in a proper perspective.