A British Answer to the Kennedy Dynasty?
Your objective is to produce a political dynasty in Britain who has a key member venerated by much of the populace, and retains a great deal of social and cultural influence. Not a family of aristocratic origin, and it isn't necessary for them to crop up all the time, just so long that their influence in society is recognised.
1900: Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Conservative-Liberal Unionist Coalition)
1902: Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal Unionist) [1]
1907: Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal Unionist) [2]
1911: Ernest Shackleton (Liberal Unionist) [3]
1912: George Cave, 1st Viscount Cave (Conservative) [4]
1915: Austen Chamberlain (Liberal Unionist) [5]
1919: Austen Chamberlain (Liberal Unionist) [6]
1924: Austen Chamberlain (Liberal Unionist) [7]
1927: Austen Chamberlain (Liberal Unionist) [8]
1930: Stanley Baldwin (Conservative) [9]
1932: Stanley Baldwin (Conservative) [10]
1935: John Simon, 1st Viscount Simon (Liberal Unionist) [11]
1939: John Simon, 1st Viscount Simon (Liberal Unionist) [12]
1944: Herbrand Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr (Labour) [13]
1948: Herbrand Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr (Labour) [14]
1953: Austen Chamberlain III (Liberal Unionist) [15]
1957: Austen Chamberlain III (Liberal Unionist) [16]
1962: Richard Crossman (Labour) [17]
[1] The collapse of the coalition government over tarriff reform (combined with Chamberlain giving the oratory performances of his career in each town he visited in a hugely well-run campaign) made it look like the Liberal Unionists could well become the official opposition. A Fenian attack killed Spencer Cavendish in 1902, however, and led to the once-impossible becoming reality. Chamberlain, himself stunned, moved into Downing Street and (becoming taken with the place) invited his sons to dinner so that they might too gain an appreciation of its private furnishings. It was to be a dinner that set the stage for the 20th century.
[2] Chamberlain's economic and foreign policies secured the Unionists as a dominant party; in particular, his measures to increase relations with the German Empire were particuarly popular. His proposals for land reform, direct taxation and universal male suffrage were the focus for his next term - the election for which he won comfortably.
[3] Unfortunately in 1909, Chamberlain suffered a stroke and chose to retire. There was a short leadership struggle in which Dundee MP and polar explorer Ernest Shackleton emerged victorious. Chamberlain had retired enormously popular with the public, and maintained a certain degree of informal control over the party.
[4] In 1912, dissent within the Unionists resulted in Shackleton called an election to solidify his mandate. Highly surprisingly, however, the Conservatives narrowly clinched the contest under George Cave.
[5] The Conservative Government of George Cave had came to power with only a small majority and the debate over Irish Home Rule slowly tore the party apart. Eventually, some Conservative MPs sided with the Liberal Unionists and the election of 1915 saw Austen Chamberlain - son of "Fighting Joe" Chamberlain - elected Prime Minister.
[6] Chamberlain's journey to Munich in January 1916 saw him hailed as a bringer of peace when his historic agreement with Germany brought an end to the War Scare of 1915-1916. The Third Balkan War had recently broken out when Austria provoked Serbia and found itself in a quagmire of a conflict against its allies. The Ottomans, seeing their final chance, entered on the Austrian side in February 1916 and arguably doomed themselves by forcing Bulgaria into an unlikely alliance with Greece and Serbia. In Britain, Chamberlain presided over four years of peace and prosperity (thanks in no small part to the exceptional trade deal and alliance negotiated with the Empire of Germany at Munich) and went to the country a year early - he was rewarded for his troubles.
[7] With pro-Chamberlainism at an all-time high, the Liberal Unionists continue their wave to secure a third consecutive victory. By now, the Conservatives were struggling to keep up and the Unionists had no real organized opposition. Chamberlain would hope to establish peace in Europe by balancing the conflicting demands of France and Germany, and would encourage both to agreed to plebiscites in Alsace-Lorraine and the Rhineland. With his close friend and advisor Leo Amery, Chamberlain would also draft the European Naval Strategem (1922) which hoped to offset the continuing maritime race between Britain's Royal Navy, Germany's Kriegsmarine and France's Marine Nationale. Home rule also continued to be an issue, although lingered in the background of the European affairs.
[8] In his last term in government, Austen's popularity waned as he increasingly sought friendship with France over Germany. With socialists emerging in Spain, Italy and the Balkans and Austria-Hungary undergoing serious internal factionalism, the future of Europe looked increasingly uncertain.
[9] Prime Minister Austen Chamberlain suffered a similar stoke as his father late in 1930 - right before the upcoming election. The Liberal Unionists soon became embroiled in a divisive leadership battle between the pro-French and pro-German factions. This allowed the Conservative Party to come to power with a small majority of 10. The Liberal Unionists eventually elected Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (a personal friend of Austen Chamberlain) as temporary leader.
[10] The Liberal Unionists would quickly be squabbling amongst themselves, as people questioned the health of the elderly and loudly spiritualist Conan Doyle. Stanley Baldwin called a snap election, and increased his majority.
[11] When Edward VII threatened to abdicate in 1935 over the status of his proposed marriage with the American Wallis Simpson, Baldwin resigned in anger. As the Conservatives rallied around a new leader, the ensuing election resulted in Simon's strong Liberal Unionist victory. Compromising with Edward for a morganatic marriage for Wallis, Simon was credited with restoring faith in the monarchy. Abroad, Austria-Hungary continued its descent into the danger zone, and the Balkans lit up with pro-Revolutionary fervour. Additionally, the economic boom of the past few years began a turn into decline and the Liberal Unionists were entrusted with trying to keep the Empire on a level keel. This period was also significant for the development of the Labour Party, as it gained a few seats in the election.
[12] With the Germans intervening in Austria-Hungary, the completion of the German sphere in Eastern Europe and the former Ottoman Empire appears to be a dangerous threat to British interests. However, Simon earns the ire of the British public for allying with the Germans against the revolutionaries. This represents a sharp divide in British society, as half and half split between those who welcome the rise of Germany and those who see them as a threat - which cuts across class boundaries. The Conservatives are used to prop up Simon's government, and Labour becomes the official Opposition alongside the rump Liberals.
[13] As the British political 'right' continued to reform around the Unionists, the Conservative Party receded into a clear third place in the 1944 election. Held in the closing days of the European revolutions - defeated by German and covert British aid - the result would be the victory of the first Labour government in the nation's history. Sackville, the first hereditary peer to join the Labour Party, had been seen as a suitable moderate to appeal to the fracturing spheres of the traditional parties and this allowed Labour to repel Unionist propaganda which claimed they were "undemocratic Revolutionaries." (In 1946, a Chamberlain was elected, once again, as leader of the Unionists...)
[14] Francis Chamberlain would go down in history as the only Chamberlain leader of the Unionists to fail to win an election on his first try. Labour gained twelve seats at this election.
[15] Following Francis Chamberlain's inability to win the election of 1948, which should have been an easy win, Austen Chamberlain III decided to challenge his half-brother for control of the Liberal Unionists. Austen Chamberlain III was only 35 when elected leader of the Opposition, he was, however, the charismatic and handsome young mayor of York. Soon after his elections, he began the process of offering easy asylum for immigrants from Europe.
[16] Austen Chamberlain III brings the Liberal Unionist to a victory in the 1957 elections, albeit losing his party's majority in the Commons.
[17] Labour had had an argumentative few years after the death of former leader Hugh Gaitskell in 1959, and the party had been fractured by numerous factions. Crossman had been propelled to government after a fierce leadership contest with Anthony Greenwood resulted in his narrow victory - he represented the leftist wing of the party, and after defeating the Liberal Unionists by a narrow majority in 1963 represented the first major (truly) leftist government in Britain since Labour's rise. In Europe, the result of the Third Franco-German War was a steady peace, and in the Low Countries proposals of a North Sea trading sphere were voiced - leading to qualms within Labour and the L. Unionists on their respective stances on Europe.
