An Unholy Alliance: An Alternate History

AlfieJ

AlfieJ

THE UNHOLY ALLIANCE

An Alternate History
By
Alfie J Steer​


Chapter One
A Question of Leadership

(Taken from Airey Neave’s “National Address” dated 5th November 1985)

“…Friends and people of Britain; I stand before you tonight in the cold drizzling rain, to deliver you a new dawn, a new hope for Britain. In the last ten years this country has constantly faced the prospect complete and utter collapse. The Socialist state that Labour has so longed to become a reality is destroying this beautiful land, with our once loved Conservative Party helping them every step of the way. Six hundred brave soldiers died three years ago as a result of this treacherous government as well as the collapse of the mining industry and one of the worst economic crises we have ever seen. For the last four weeks riots have raged through the streets, the people of Britain have had enough, but still this government ignores them. I say enough!

Tonight the Radical – National Alliance shall form a government, with the support of the British Armed forces and Secret Services. It is time for Law and Order to return to Britain, it is time to rebuild our sense of patriotism, of economic power and political independence from the European Super State. We must end the wave of immigration which has deformed our culture and way of life. We must end the indoctrination of our children by Liberal and Communist influences, we must show the IRA we will never surrender and destroy once and for all the evils of Socialism in Britain.

I ask for your support and your prayers. Together, Britain will be great again…”


(Taken from “Opening Shots: The 75’ Leadership Election” By Jon Snowdon, Random House 2001)

“…On that cold night in November 1985 Britain changed forever. Britain’s great parliamentary democracy was destroyed and replaced by a Military Dictatorship, once considered unfathomable in British society. It was a dictatorship, considered the most infamous since the Nazi’s and one which left the greatest impact on the world as we know it. But how did it begin, what led one of the greatest democracies in history to become the evil dictatorships in the wold has ever known? Some say it began when John O’ Brian became leader of the National Front and began the great modernization of a formerly considered fascist party. Others say it was the 1977 “Radical Split” which saw the hard right of the Conservatives split and then formed its own party.

But I believe it began at a different moment, one which truly shocked British Politics; the survival Edward Heath.

The event that truly sparked the “Neave Coup” took place in January 1975, ten years before. The Conservative Part had just come out of another terrible election defeat and the future of their leader Edward Heath was in doubt. Increased calls for his resignation put huge pressure on Heath, culminating into his decision to call a Leadership Election, with him standing. The most vocal anti Heathites, the right wing of the party, soon set about finding the perfect candidate to represent them and ultimately lead the party.

They chose Edward du Cann. He was a business man, chairman of the 1922 Committee and a firebrand right-winger. They saw him as the perfect candidate to stand against Heath and bring back the Party back to its Tory roots, which had recently been abandoned by the party and claimed by the controversial National Font, a party which had only just gained its first MP.

Edward du Cann sought to change things, with the support of Keith Joseph, Margaret Thatcher, the newly elected Alan Clark and veteran politician Airey Neave, du Cann sought to rebuild the Party as the true voice of Conservatism and regain the shire Tories they had lost in previous elections. The right wing was confident that they would win the leadership; the party had had enough of Heath. He didn’t connect with the people; he often came off as rude and awkward to the public and never befriended those who were needed. His decision to join the EEC without a vote was seen as undemocratic and wrong by many on the right, most notably Enoch Powell who as a result defected to the Ulster Unionists.

They believed it was the right wings time to seize control in the party. Victory to them seemed certain. They couldn’t be more wrong…”


(Taken from “Telephone Transcript Records in the House of Commons” dated February 3rd 1975)

“… (Line Connects)

Voice 1: Hello?

Voice 2: Airey? Thank god, have you heard the news?

Voice 1: Hugh? What news? What’s going on?

Voice 2: Its Ed’s company, it’s gone under.

Voice 1: Jesus, is he still standing?

Voice 2: Yes but he’s says it’s a lost cause, I mean who would want a bankrupt businessman as leader?

Voice 1: I know I know. Bloody hell what are we going to do when the Grocer gets back in?! Du Cann was our last hope? Are you going to give it a go?

Voice 2: No, that ship has sailed, it’s bad old chap, a lot of people can’t see a future in this party with a practical Socialist leading. Some are going to leave.

Voice 1: What?! Defect? Where?!

Voice 2: National Front a lot of them, others have said they might start a hole knew party.

Voice 1: National Front?! (Laughs) I wouldn’t be seen with those Nazis.

Voice 2: Oh come off it old chap. Their hardly Nazis, they’re not much different than us, like that O’Brian chap. They’re a little extreme on immigration but they’re speaking the word of a lot of people. Besides I’d rather take my chances there than face obliteration here. I mean, we’d need a miracle to get the people to vote for Heath again.

Voice 1: I understand Hugh. Who’s going?

Voice 2: Margaret, Keith, Edward, Nicholas, maybe Nigel and Geoffrey and some of the new ones like Clark, Tebbit and Boyson. Other than that I know as much as you.

Voice 1: Are you going?

Voice 2: (Sighs) I don’t yet, the country is in a state and so is the party. I can’t see us getting in next time or the one after that for that matter. If we plan ahead and plan well we could become the real voice of Conservatism – especially if we had you on side – but we need to act now if we are to prevent this country becoming another Socialist state. (Laughs) Maybe that O’Brien could help as well, or Enoch?

Voice 1: (Laughs) well we’ll just have to wait and see.

(Line Disconnects)…”


(National Front: The Decline and Fall of the British Democracy” By Peter Hennessey, Harper Collins 2006)

“…Edward Heath was re-elected Leader of the Conservative Party in the second ballot. It was a great victory for Heath and a huge defeat for the right wing. It became increasingly likely that a split was coming between the left and the right of the party. The Right had had enough of Heath’s disastrous leadership and his apparent betrayal of true Conservatism. In the months and weeks following a steady trickle of MPs defected to the National Front, while further rumours grew of a full schism and establishment of a new party.

Hugh Fraser, Airey Neave, Edward du Cann, Margaret Thatcher and Keith Joseph, along with a number of other figures, were often seen in meetings for unknown reasons. Enoch Powell himself also made a number of appearances as did Reginald Maudling.

All was not well in the Conservative Party…”
 
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DanMcCollum

DanMcCollum

AlfieJ said:
Thoughts anybody?
Click to expand...

Truthfully? I don't know much about British electoral politics during the era, and so I have little feedback that I can give (a military dictatorship seems likely to me, knowing what I know of Britain, but I don't know a great deal during this era.) But, that being said, it sounds interesting, and I will watch this TL in the future :)
 

Spike Torch

I'm not convinced it's at all plausible.

However it is very interesting, and well written so I would like to see more.

I'm always interested in Airey Neave as well.
 

Blackadder mk 2

I remember reading that Airey Neave was pro-Europe, though that could have just been the Common Market and he may be radicalised from what I have seen so far so no complaints here.
 
AlfieJ

AlfieJ

Chapter Two
The Split

(Taken from “From Fascists to Radicals: A History of British Extremism” By Robert Harris, Random House 2007)

“…By the winter of 1976 factional relations the Conservative Party had reached breaking point. Those on the right and left were constantly at each other’s throats while Edward Heath seemed helpless to stop it. Heath’s support for Europe in the EEC Referendum the previous year had infuriated the Tory Right, led by Airey Neave who had formed a “Radical” pressure group in the Party following Heath’s leadership victory. The National Front’s sole MP and Leader John O’Brien said there was “barely a cigarette paper” between the two group’s policies. A phrase that would be the first hint of the “National Alliance” that was to come.

Following the ultimately victorious referendum for Heath, the Radicals and National Front became ever more cooperative with each other. Some like Keith Joseph and Margaret Thatcher protested at such goings on, describing the Front as “Racist Nazis” and “Neo-Fascists”. However no matter their opposition as the National Front continued to modernize to mainstream politics it seemed impossible for the two groups to survive alone.

It became a marriage, not of convenience, but of necessity.

By December that year the IMF loan taken out by the then Chancellor Denis Healey destroyed Labour’s popularity. Many saw it as the Conservative’s best chance to get back on their feet. However Heath failed to capitalize on the disaster and as polls showed the Conservatives had stagnated in second place with the National Front coming very, very close behind.

Despite the wavering popularity the Conservatives had managed to win a number of by-election victories and by March the Labour Government was without a majority and a vote of confidence seemed imminent. The economy was still on the rocks, British Leyland was losing millions of pounds a week, unemployment was rising and IRA violence was intensifying. So Edward Heath did the unthinkable, he offered his and his Party’s support to the Labour Government.

The right wing Neavites were shocked and outraged by Heath’s decision, they labelled him a “traitor to Conservatism” and that he was “supporting Socialism”. Anti-Heath rallies were held by National Front and Radical activists, a few weeks later Neave and the Radicals marched out of parliament to be greeted by the media outside. Meanwhile Eric Heffer, Tony Benn, Michael Foot and the Militant Trotskyites also announced their opposition to the National Government, splitting from Labour under the “Socialist Labour” banner, saying they would “have no place” in a government with Conservatives.

It was the final straw for the far right, the very idea of a peacetime National Government infuriated them as did working with the likes of James Callaghan and Denis Healey.

Something had to be done.

On 23rd April 1977, Airey Neave wrote a letter to Edward Heath, calling for his resignation as Leader or face the complete schism of the right wing of the party as well as possible mass defections to the National Front, who had previously raised their seat count to 5 as a result of defections. At the bottom of the page was a list of names who had agreed to leave in the event of Heath refusing. The names were:

• Margaret Thatcher
• Airey Neave
• Keith Joseph
• Hugh Fraser
• Rhodes Boyson
• Alan Clarke
• Nicholas Ridley
• Norman Tebbit
• Enoch Powell (Ulster Unionist MP)
• Reginald Maudling
• Geoffrey Howe
• Patrick Wall
• Harvey Proctor
• Teddy Taylor

Heath however, rebuffed the letter as nothing and went on as leader until his eventual resignation in 1979, but the damage had been done and on the 7th June 1977 the “Radical Party” was formed.

Within days of the announcement Airey Neave was elected leader and the controversial Enoch Powell led the Ulster Unionist negotiations into a possible alliance. Many in the Conservative party described it as a betrayal of the Conservative unity but it was too late to stop the tide of change. The new faces of politics had made their appearance. By November that year a formal merger had been decided between the Vanguard, Ulster Unionist and Radical Parties and by the Christmas break in Parliament, the party was preparing for their first election campaign…”


(Taken from “Diaries: Into Politics” By Alan Clarke, Pan Books 2003)

“…Parliament’s closed for Christmas and we’re all looking forward to the opening. We’ve come a long way and I really believe this party could go somewhere. We had overtaken the Liberals in terms of seats and the National Front has also increased their seat count to seven in just a few days. Enoch has really given us a boost and we’re gaining the support of the old Tories who are fed up with Heath but not ready for the NF.

Last night I got call from Neave. He says he been talking to O’Brien and they’ve arranged to meet. I’m not sure what’s going on but looks like another deal. I could really see us working with the NF, they can really get the working class vote and O’Brien’s leadership has prevented the party becoming extremists like the GBM under Tyndall. A few weeks he got shot and beaten up in a street fight, I’m just happy they don’t get involved in things like that.

Margaret is still worrying about them though, she’s determined to not be associated with Nazis. I hope she realises soon how important small sacrifices are in a crisis like this. If the rumours are right Callaghan’s set to call an election while the goings good for him, we need to be ready and we need to be organized, this isn’t just an election we’re going to be fighting, it’s the future of our country…”


(Taken from “The House of Commons of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Seat Structure” Dated January 26th 1978)

“… House of Commons seat structure, January 26th 1978:

Government
Labour*: 308
Conservative: 259
Liberal: 13

Opposition
Radical: 23
Labour: 10
National Front: 7
SNP: 4
Plaid Cymru: 3
SDLP: 1
Democratic Unionist: 1
Independent Republican: 1

*National Labour…”
 
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AlfieJ

AlfieJ

Chapter Three
The Unholy Alliance

(Taken from “National Front: The Decline and Fall of British Democracy” By Peter Hennessey, Harper Collins 2006)

“…By May 1979 after months of waiting following the false rumours of an early election the year before, James Callaghan decided to call a General Election, bringing an end to the controversial and unpopular National Government, the first of its kind since the Second World War. All three parties began their separate campaigns though there were still rumours of an unofficial agreement between Labour and the Liberals. Either way, for the Liberal, Conservative and Labour Parties, it was not going to be a “happy” election.

James Callaghan had become unpopular in the party and the country. His decision to form an emergency National Government was seen as treacherous along the same lines as James McDonald’s actions in the 1920s and 30s. The infamous “Winter of Discontent” also made him an unpopular Prime Minister, Trade Union strikes, pay freezes and the biting cold all caused a strong drop in the polls for Labour, but still they clung to first place by a measly two or three points, despite the left splits formal establishment as a party. The opposition was still in disarray and despite it all the Party was holding together, however there was still the constant criticism of his decision not to call an early election.

David Steel entered the election with high hopes for the Liberals. The constant infighting between the Conservatives had left an open gap in the centralist and moderate vote, one that his party were determined to fill. However, Steel’s poor performance in government had cost him support in the party describing him as “weak” compared to Heath and Callaghan. As well as this the Thorpe Affair still left over the party, one which would take a lot of work to shake off.

Edward Heath’s final chance at power was in that election. His service as Foreign Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister was successful but unpopular by many. His decision to go into government with Labour was seen as a betrayal and the last straw for another three MPs who thus defected to the Radicals. It would be his last election as leader and one of the most disturbing of his political career.

Airey Neave was by the most confident of any of the party leaders. His Party was gaining membership, endorsements and popularity, their slogan “The Real Voice of Britain” had paid off with the electorate as they saw their poll ratings shoot up to around 23%. There was however one final problem to be addressed, the cooperation with the National Front…”


(Taken from “From Fascists to Radicals: A History of British Extremism” By Robert Harris, Random House 2007)

“…Two weeks before the election John O’Brian and Airey Neave met in a small back room in the House of Commons. They spoke for forty five minutes before shortly leaving to hold emergency meetings with their respective party officials. They had just formed the “Radical – National Alliance” otherwise known as the “RNA”. That three letter phrase would become one of the most controversial and well known in British History, the three letters that conjure up images of a fifteen year dictatorship and some of the worst atrocities in modern history. Images that are still fresh in many minds.

The Alliance support it unanimously with minor grumblings from Margaret Thatcher and Keith Joseph, however they decided to remain quiet for the good of the party and the country; a decision that was condemned as some of the worst actions of Neave Coup, the silence of those who should have spoken up.

By polling day the predicted polls and results were all different from each other with no overall average. It was one of the longest announced elections in history and the last democratic election Britain would see untill 2001.

The results were:

Labour: 320 (+12)
Conservative: 242 (-18)
Radical*: 32 (+9)
National Front*: 14 (+7)
Liberal: 11 (-2)
Socialist Labour: 8 (-2)
Democratic Unionist: 3 (+2)
SNP: 2 (-9)
Plaid Cymru: 2 (-1)
Independent Republican: 1 (NC)

*Radical - National Alliance

Labour had survived, but only just. The Liberal Party’s hopes of plugging the gap had been dashed and the party had been pushed back to fourth place, fifth, if you count the National Front. Edward Heath suffered his worst electoral performance and witnessed to his horror his old colleagues take a solid third place. In just a few hours he resigned as leader and thrust his party into another potentially destructive leadership election. Airey Neave and John O’Brien were elated by their result added together they polled forty six seats in their first election as an alliance, the two men appeared side by side at a “Victory” rally the next day declaring themselves the “true Conservative movement of Britain”.

They gained seats with ballots; they would soon gain power with bullets…”
 

starwarsfan

Love this TL so far, I don't know much about British political history, but it looks promising so far, I cant wait for international reaction.
 
AlfieJ

AlfieJ

Chapter Four
The Last Days

(Taken from “Lights Out: The Last Days of Callaghan’s Government” By Anthony Blair, Random House 2011)

“…The period from 1980-1984 are considered the “Death Throws” of Britain’s parliamentary democracy. It was a time of strikes, riots, economic uncertainty and a very bloody “colonial” war.

By 1980 the country was still deep in recession; unemployment was high as was inflation. Denis Healey struggled to control the economy and his already poor performance with the IMF had cost him a huge amount of popularity. He was seen as hopeless and a disaster as Chancellor, while James Callaghan was seen as just “not up to it” as Prime Minister.

Unemployment was soaring and the Trade Unions started to strike, undermining and destroying the government’s hopes of economic recovery by 1981. Then there were riots in Brixton, which became a protest not only against unemployment but against the different ethnic communities, Enoch Powell described it as “the failure of multiculturalism”. Manufacturing output dropped by 40%, IRA violence intensified following refusal to cooperate with the Irish President into the future of Ulster. The Iranian embassy siege had become a bloody disaster and nearly twenty lives were lost including three SAS soldiers. A further three Labour MPs defected to the Socialist Labour Party and by the end of the year the Party Polls were:

Labour: 30%
Radical-National Alliance: 28%
Conservative: 22%
Socialist Labour: 15%
Liberal: 5%

Labour still hung on in the polls, but only just. The Alliance had risen to second place and the Liberals had flat lined in fifth. The Conservatives were beaten to third place, a position they would stay in for the remainder of their existence as a party.

John O’Brien and Airey Neave celebrated the rise in support, declaring it “The new dawn Britain needs”. Support for the Alliance skyrocketed, membership activists and endorsements increased every day it was not long until newspapers were backing the party such as the Sun and Daily Mail.

The government was in a shambles, the economy had fallen apart, the trade unions couldn’t be controlled and infighting was rife in the Labour Party. But then in April 1982, things got a lot worse for the government. Argentina invaded the Falklands…”


(Taken from “National Front: The Decline and Fall of British Democracy” By Peter Hennessey, Harper Collins 2006)

“…The invasion of the Falkland Islands in April 1982 was the final nail in the coffin for the Labour Government. The huge economic troubles and conflict with the trade unions had caused a massive drop in support and by 1982 it seemed anything could spark huge anger and hostility towards the government. The Argentine invasion did just that. The invasion of over five hundred foreign troops on British soil sparked outrage and a full retaliation was demanded. Airey Neave attacked the government for budget cuts which had left the islands defenceless and a lack of forcefulness in telling the Argentineans that the islands were British. John O’Brian called it a “betrayal of the British people”.

Despite huge calls for retaliation Callaghan took the advice of Healey and the new Conservative Leader James Pym and remained reserved, deciding to go to the UN before considering action, wasting precious time as troops or the islands continued to grow. By June 12th British troops departed and a few weeks later began the assault on the islands.

Deaths became frequent and in large numbers, a number of ships were sunk and entire units were decimated in the Battle for Tumbledown. Four weeks later British troops reached Stanley, the capital of the islands and the largest concentration of Argentine troops. It was the largest and bloodiest battle of the conflict and led to the infamous images of Stanley burning to the ground as a result of the fighting.

Huge anti-war protests began as a result of the images. James Callaghan was portrayed as a war monger and a leader drunk on war. The Radical Neavites attacked his leadership on a daily basis as nearly PMQs began with a tribute to fallen soldiers.

After nearly two weeks Stanley was recaptured and a final surrender was signed. The “Treaty of Stanley” was signed the next month, bringing a ceasefire and status quo peace deal to end the conflict.

Britain had won, but at a cost.

Callaghan became hugely unpopular his lack of decisive action had cost the lives of six hundred men and had brought by many a “shameful” end to hostilities. Nearly one hundred civilians had also been killed as a result many in the battle for Stanley a battle strongly criticized by the public as needless and bloody. That November as Callaghan laid the poppy reefs at the cenotaph, he was booed by spectators.

A few months after the conflict, the Alliance began secret talks with the British Army and Secret Services…”
 
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Griffin

Well I'm not that familiar with British politics, especially of that time, but it seems to me that all this is pretty feasible.
 
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