Hopefully we'll still see the 3rd Best Prime Minister of the 20th Century take the reins ITTL. Though without the Falklands she'll likely be a single ministry premier.
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I wonder ... will there be a Callaghan or will Heath or someone else do a break the union attempt in the 70s.
I suggest a pre-emptive atomic strike on the strikers. They are but a step away from Mosleyism!
What do you mean "3rd best"?
She will be making a more centre-stage appearance though, don't worry. Although bear in mind most of what's happening in this time is influenced by me and I'm a massive leftie, so she probably won't last long.
Besides, I doubt that Argentina (or La Plata) would be foolish enough to attempt to reclaim the Falklands from a healthy British Empire.
What do you mean "3rd best"?
She will be making a more centre-stage appearance though, don't worry. Although bear in mind most of what's happening in this time is influenced by me and I'm a massive leftie, so she probably won't last long.
Uuuugh Wilson? D.i.s.g.u.s.t.i.n.g!
Wilson tbf was very similar to Thatcher in terms of how the ministry went in terms of "pretty good times leading to slow decline due to over success of policies* leading to ouster."
I'd rate it somewhere with like Churchill, Atlee and Thatcher to me personally. Honourable mentions to Wilson, MacMillan and DLG and to some extent Baldwin.
*Here I'm referring to the crash caused by the fall in value of the private former council estates,
Epilogue IV: 1975-1979
Music:
1975
Britain entered 1975 still in a state of paralysis due to the ongoing strikes. By January the miners were demanding pay increases of as much as 45%, and claimed that their trade had been neglected ever since 1937 because of government suspicion of the unions. After all, the mines had long been a stronghold of socialism in Britain, with their workers often forming the hard core of organisations like the NUM and the Labour Party. Ted Heath refused to give in to what he referred to in a televised broadcast on the 4th of January as "selfishness and single mindedness".
A miners' picket in Bolsover; one placard bemoans the wage difference between the miners and "Part-time Ted"
By early February it seemed that the miners would have to back down. Public support for their cause was waning as the harsh winter showed little sign of alleviating, and the country had been at a near standstill now for some months. Apparently, however, the government had misjudged this. Heath had been receiving reports of violence between strikers and the police, and, in one case, a picket singing "the Internationale" in north Wales. Unbeknownst to Heath and the government, factions in the NUM were now calling for an end to the striking, but the former were getting tired as well. Labour's forty four MPs, as well as a faction of left-leaning Liberal Party members, were frequently and loudly denouncing the government in the House of Commons, and Heath himself was getting tired. On the 28th of February 1975, Ted Heath caved in. A wage increase of 40% was agreed to, and the miners went back to work. Similar concessions were made to the dockers and transport workers.
The reaction from within the Conservative Party was, to put it mildly, negative. In fact, it was one of fury and outrage. How dare the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, a Conservative Prime Minister, submit to the demands of these godless syndicalists, these rebels, these traitors? Reginald Maudling, the Foreign Secretary, refused to rule out the possibility of a leadership challenge when ambushed by journalists on the way of Parliament. Enoch Powell was observed to have gone "absolutely fucking mental", as one anonymous civil servant described it. It seemed Heath was on shaky ground.
Indeed he was on shaky ground. On the 8th of March 1975 Enoch Powell announced in a speech his anger at Heath and his intention to stage a leadership challenge. He was easily able to gather the required Parliamentary support, and the leadership election went ahead. Heath stated his intention to make a bid for a continuation of his tenure, but initial reception was lukewarm at best. Two other cabinet ministers made a run for the leadership; Reginald Maudling, and Keith Joseph, the Secretary of State for Transport. In the end, Heath only pulled 20% of the party's vote in the first round. Powell, however, managed only 21%. Joseph took 24% of the vote, while Maudling gained 35%. With Heath knocked out, the second round saw Powell take 23% of the vote, Joseph 30% and Maudling 47%. In the final round Maudling beat Joseph, polling some 59% of the Conservative Party's vote. On the 10th Ted Heath resigned as Prime Minister, and Reginald Maudling drove to the Palace, where Her Majesty the Queen invited him to form a government.
The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon Reginald Maudling MP, PC
May 1975 saw the latest expansion of the Entente, the so-called "Mediterranean Expansion". Five new member states were accepted into the Entente; the Republic of Italy, the Spanish Republic, Montenegro, Slovenia and the Republic of Syria. The Syrian accession to the Entente was particularly controversial, as Russia still blamed them for last year's Iraqi Rebellion.
Willie Whitelaw MP (left, seated) and Alec Douglas-Home, 14th Earl of Home (centre, standing), at negotiations for the Entente's Mediterranean Expansion
In June a milestone in British democracy was reached, as the first ever live broadcast of a Parliamentary debate was carried out. Thereafter many important debates were broadcast live on the BBC's Home Service.
A small explosion in world politics occurred in August 1975. Following massive public protests and some violence in Luxembourg, French troops intervened in the tiny country, toppling the syndicalist government and restoring Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, to the throne. Luxembourg was the last bastion of syndicalism in Western Europe, one that was now finally disestablished. Jean had been leading the Luxembourg government-in-exile since 1964, and his family had not reigned over their rightful country since the end of the Weltkrieg.
Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
October 1975 saw the signing of the "Peking Accord", which officially dissolved the Shangqing Tianguo, recognising the Qing Dynasty as the sole authority in China. It also marked China's move towards constitutional monarchy.
More unrest began in Russia in December 1975, with protests and riots breaking out across the Empire. In what seemed to be a chain reaction, demonstrations and violence sprung up in dozens of cities in the various "occupied" regions of Russia. Helsinki, Kiev, Sevastopol, Odessa, Kharkov, Minsk, Baku, Tbilisi, Nicosia, Yerevan, Krakow, Tallinn, Riga, Kaunas, Tripoli and Tobruk were all affected. In many cases the army was used to put down any particularly violent protests, in other cases riot police and tear gas was used.
Tanks on the streets in Baku, the former capital of Azerbaijan, during the 1975 protests
1976
On the 4th of January 1976 the first commercial flight was made by the new "Arrow" supersonic passenger aircraft. A result of joint cooperation between the British Handley-Page and Avro companies, and the Dutch Fokker firm, the Arrow flew at a speed of just over Mach 2. This first business flight was made between London and Ottawa, taking just under four hours. Scheduled flights were thereafter made from London to New York, Ottawa, Berlin, Delhi, Alexandria, Dar-es-Salaam, and Lagos. Dutch airline KLM operated Arrow flights between Amsterdam and Batavia, Madrid, Tokyo, Rome and Budapest.
The Arrow takes off on the inaugural London-Ottawa flight
In February 1976 the Battle of Tegucigalpa was fought, with Centroamérican rebels, along with British, French and Cuban troops defeating syndicalist forces and capturing the old capital of Honduras. The syndicalists in the Centroamérican War controlled only the Guatemala, El Salvador and some of Belize following this action.
Cuban artillery in action south east of Tegucigalpa
April saw the beginnings of insurgencies in the Portuguese colonies of Angola and Mozambique. The paramilitary organisations there were vying for the independence of those countries, and the outbreak of conflict there resulted in the British goverment stepping up defence commitment to its African colonies, particularly in East and Central Africa.
Angolan separatist fighters training at a clandestine camp
The month after that, May, Harold Wilson resigned as leader of the Labour Party. He had been Labour's leader for nearly fifteen years, and he was succeeded in his post by James Callaghan, a senior party figure who had won in the subsequent leadership contest.
James Callaghan MP, leader of the Labour Party, who here seems to be somewhat amused that he has been seated next to Mrs Thatcher at a Parliamentary function; the latter looks none too happy about it
August saw a particularly hot summer for Britain, with a draught being declared in some places. Draught measures were introduced in Yorkshire on the 11th of August, with water being rationed across the county.
An office worker paddles in the fountains in Trafalgar Square during his lunch break during the 1976 summer heatwave
On the 4th of October 1976 the first Intercity 125 high-speed train made the journey between London and Edinburgh, completing the trip in just over seven hours.
An Intercity train passes through West Yorkshire on the way north
The renowned composer Benjamin Britten passed away at the age of 64 on the 4th of December 1976. His "War Requiem, Op.66" had become particularly popular in Britain following the restoration and the subsequent wars, and parts were often played at memorial services.
(It's an hour long but it's good, trust me)
1977
On the 9th of January 1977 Roy Jenkins, senior Liberal Party MP and former Prime Minister, announced his retirement from the House of Commons, stating that he would not seek re-election at that year's General Election. He later entered the House of Lords as the Lord Jenkins of Hillhead.
In March Her Majesty the Queen embarked on a tour of the Dominions, making trips to Canada, the Caribbean Federation, India and Australasia. The tour lasted until August, as the Queen visited notable landmarks in each country and made addresses at each national Parliament.
HM the Queen is greeted in Wellington during her 1977 visit to New Zealand
More new states were accepted into the Entente in May 1977, the "European Expansion". Belgium, Norway, Bohemia and the Rhenish Republic were all accepted into the association as members. Small contingents of British troops were soon stationed in those countries as part of defence commitments.
In July the new American science fiction film "Star Wars" was released in British cinemas for the first time. It proved extremely popular with British audiences, and featured several British actors, including Sir Alec Guinness. It was not a hit with everybody, however, and Mary Whitehouse, as expected, complained loudly about it.
A 1977 UK poster for "Star Wars"
Summer 1977 saw the outbreak of violence in London as the National Front clashed with antifascist protestors on the streets. The police were often caught in between as they attempted to break up the fighting, and over August 1977 some 300 people were injured.
Antifascist and anti-racist protestors on the streets of London during 1977
November saw the 1977 General Election, which resulted in a crushing loss for the government. Heath's actions during the 1974/75 strikes were deeply unpopular, and it showed. The Conservatives won 252 seats, while the Liberals came out with 344. Labour took home 47, and other parties 7. David Steel drove to the Palace, where Her Majesty the Queen invited him to form a government.
Labour leader James Callaghan on the campaign trail; his friendly demeanour gave him the nickname of "Gentleman Jim"
Leading Liberal politicians during campaigning for the 1977 election
The 1977 Parliament
David Steel, the Prime Minister, delivers his victory speech to the Liberal Party shortly after the 1977 General Election
Almost immediately after the election loss, Reginald Maudling resigned, triggering a leadership contest.
1978
The 1978 Conservative leadership election was hotly contested, with Enoch Powell, Willie Whitelaw and Geoffrey Howe all vying for a chance at the leadership. The relatively new Howe polled only 12% of the vote. Whitelaw gained 32%, and Powell 56%. On the 4th of February 1978, Enoch Powell became leader of the Conservative Party.
Enoch Powell, leader of the Conservative Party
Almost immediately Powell was surrounded by controversy. In one television interview in April, he described the trade unions and the Labour Party as "a wretched bastion of syndicalism", and he was criticised for his hardline stance on the legacy of syndicalism in Britain.
In June more trouble came for Russia, as the June Rising broke out in Libya. In every major Libyan city, the flag of revolution was hoisted, and freedom fighters began shooting at Russian troops. Apparently supplied by Egypt and Syria, the rebels wanted an independent Libyan Republic, and the Russians were determined to stop it. Special forces were often used to fight back, and in the first month of the rebellion a reported 300 civilians were killed by Russian airstrikes.
Libyan civil guard and Russian troops attempt to confront Libyan revolutionaries on the streets of Tripoli during the 1978 uprising
July saw the first baby conceived by IVF in the world born in Britain. Louise Brown was born to parents John and Lesley, and the family were sent a letter of congratulations by David Steel. Powell, however, remained quiet, well-known for his stances on things like IVF.
The front page of the Evening News shortly after the birth of Louise Brown
Enoch Powell's tenure as Conservative Party leader was short-lived. The straw that broke the camel's back was a fiery speech in which he once again condemned trade unionism the political left, but the coup de grace was the questions afterwards, in which Powell failed to explicitly condemn the National Front, or even the actions of Russia, a popular political punch bag. In August a no-confidence motion was tabled against him, and 201 to 51 of the party's MPs voted to remove Powell from office. On the 14th Enoch Powell stepped down.
In October 1978 a combined British and Polish force, along with rebel troops, defeated the syndicalists at the Battle of San Salvador, consolidating the Centroamérican rebels' hold on El Salvador. The main syndicalist stronghold was now in the mountains of Guatemala.
November saw the Conservative leadership election held, the second one in a year. Willie Whitelaw stood for election again, but the right-wing of the party had no horse in the race after Keith Joseph declined to stand. Eventually a reluctant Margaret Thatcher was persuaded to stand. In the end she won over 70% of the vote, and became Leader of the Opposition and the Conservative Party on the 4th of November 1978.
The Rt. Hon Margaret Thatcher MP, leader of the Conservative Party, attends a press conference with Helmut Schmidt, leader of the opposition in the North German Confederation
1979
In January 1979 the second New Zealand independence referendum was held, and after extensive campaigning, this time 64% voted in favour of independence. New Zealand's independence from Australasia was scheduled to take place within one year, pending negotiations.
A similar issue was brought up in the UK in March, as the government introduced a bill on Scottish and Welsh devolution. The new legislation would given Scotland and Wales a devolved assembly each, but it was heavily opposed by the Conservatives. It was also opposed by some in the Liberal Party, resulting in a backbench rebellion in which 97 Liberal MPs abstained from voting on the bill. Even with Labour's support, the bill failed in a humiliating defeat for the government.
Reginald Maudling died at the age of 62 on the 8th of June 1979, just two years after his resignation. His funeral was attended by Margaret Thatcher, Enoch Powell, Ted Heath, and David Steel, among others.
November 1979 saw the first instance on which the Labour Party was represented at the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph. James Callaghan, the Labour leader, represented the party, alongside David Steel and Margaret Thatcher.
The Liberals, Labour and the Conservatives represented by David Steel, James Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher at the 1979 Remembrance Sunday service; also present is Edward Heath
Music:
1975
Britain entered 1975 still in a state of paralysis due to the ongoing strikes. By January the miners were demanding pay increases of as much as 45%, and claimed that their trade had been neglected ever since 1937 because of government suspicion of the unions. After all, the mines had long been a stronghold of socialism in Britain, with their workers often forming the hard core of organisations like the NUM and the Labour Party. Ted Heath refused to give in to what he referred to in a televised broadcast on the 4th of January as "selfishness and single mindedness".
A miners' picket in Bolsover; one placard bemoans the wage difference between the miners and "Part-time Ted"
The reaction from within the Conservative Party was, to put it mildly, negative. In fact, it was one of fury and outrage. How dare the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, a Conservative Prime Minister, submit to the demands of these godless syndicalists, these rebels, these traitors? Reginald Maudling, the Foreign Secretary, refused to rule out the possibility of a leadership challenge when ambushed by journalists on the way of Parliament. Enoch Powell was observed to have gone "absolutely fucking mental", as one anonymous civil servant described it. It seemed Heath was on shaky ground.
Indeed he was on shaky ground. On the 8th of March 1975 Enoch Powell announced in a speech his anger at Heath and his intention to stage a leadership challenge. He was easily able to gather the required Parliamentary support, and the leadership election went ahead. Heath stated his intention to make a bid for a continuation of his tenure, but initial reception was lukewarm at best. Two other cabinet ministers made a run for the leadership; Reginald Maudling, and Keith Joseph, the Secretary of State for Transport. In the end, Heath only pulled 20% of the party's vote in the first round. Powell, however, managed only 21%. Joseph took 24% of the vote, while Maudling gained 35%. With Heath knocked out, the second round saw Powell take 23% of the vote, Joseph 30% and Maudling 47%. In the final round Maudling beat Joseph, polling some 59% of the Conservative Party's vote. On the 10th Ted Heath resigned as Prime Minister, and Reginald Maudling drove to the Palace, where Her Majesty the Queen invited him to form a government.
The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon Reginald Maudling MP, PC
Willie Whitelaw MP (left, seated) and Alec Douglas-Home, 14th Earl of Home (centre, standing), at negotiations for the Entente's Mediterranean Expansion
A small explosion in world politics occurred in August 1975. Following massive public protests and some violence in Luxembourg, French troops intervened in the tiny country, toppling the syndicalist government and restoring Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, to the throne. Luxembourg was the last bastion of syndicalism in Western Europe, one that was now finally disestablished. Jean had been leading the Luxembourg government-in-exile since 1964, and his family had not reigned over their rightful country since the end of the Weltkrieg.
Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
October 1975 saw the signing of the "Peking Accord", which officially dissolved the Shangqing Tianguo, recognising the Qing Dynasty as the sole authority in China. It also marked China's move towards constitutional monarchy.
More unrest began in Russia in December 1975, with protests and riots breaking out across the Empire. In what seemed to be a chain reaction, demonstrations and violence sprung up in dozens of cities in the various "occupied" regions of Russia. Helsinki, Kiev, Sevastopol, Odessa, Kharkov, Minsk, Baku, Tbilisi, Nicosia, Yerevan, Krakow, Tallinn, Riga, Kaunas, Tripoli and Tobruk were all affected. In many cases the army was used to put down any particularly violent protests, in other cases riot police and tear gas was used.
Tanks on the streets in Baku, the former capital of Azerbaijan, during the 1975 protests
On the 4th of January 1976 the first commercial flight was made by the new "Arrow" supersonic passenger aircraft. A result of joint cooperation between the British Handley-Page and Avro companies, and the Dutch Fokker firm, the Arrow flew at a speed of just over Mach 2. This first business flight was made between London and Ottawa, taking just under four hours. Scheduled flights were thereafter made from London to New York, Ottawa, Berlin, Delhi, Alexandria, Dar-es-Salaam, and Lagos. Dutch airline KLM operated Arrow flights between Amsterdam and Batavia, Madrid, Tokyo, Rome and Budapest.
The Arrow takes off on the inaugural London-Ottawa flight
In February 1976 the Battle of Tegucigalpa was fought, with Centroamérican rebels, along with British, French and Cuban troops defeating syndicalist forces and capturing the old capital of Honduras. The syndicalists in the Centroamérican War controlled only the Guatemala, El Salvador and some of Belize following this action.
Cuban artillery in action south east of Tegucigalpa
Angolan separatist fighters training at a clandestine camp
James Callaghan MP, leader of the Labour Party, who here seems to be somewhat amused that he has been seated next to Mrs Thatcher at a Parliamentary function; the latter looks none too happy about it
An office worker paddles in the fountains in Trafalgar Square during his lunch break during the 1976 summer heatwave
An Intercity train passes through West Yorkshire on the way north
On the 9th of January 1977 Roy Jenkins, senior Liberal Party MP and former Prime Minister, announced his retirement from the House of Commons, stating that he would not seek re-election at that year's General Election. He later entered the House of Lords as the Lord Jenkins of Hillhead.
In March Her Majesty the Queen embarked on a tour of the Dominions, making trips to Canada, the Caribbean Federation, India and Australasia. The tour lasted until August, as the Queen visited notable landmarks in each country and made addresses at each national Parliament.
HM the Queen is greeted in Wellington during her 1977 visit to New Zealand
In July the new American science fiction film "Star Wars" was released in British cinemas for the first time. It proved extremely popular with British audiences, and featured several British actors, including Sir Alec Guinness. It was not a hit with everybody, however, and Mary Whitehouse, as expected, complained loudly about it.
A 1977 UK poster for "Star Wars"
Summer 1977 saw the outbreak of violence in London as the National Front clashed with antifascist protestors on the streets. The police were often caught in between as they attempted to break up the fighting, and over August 1977 some 300 people were injured.
Antifascist and anti-racist protestors on the streets of London during 1977
Labour leader James Callaghan on the campaign trail; his friendly demeanour gave him the nickname of "Gentleman Jim"
Leading Liberal politicians during campaigning for the 1977 election
The 1977 Parliament
David Steel, the Prime Minister, delivers his victory speech to the Liberal Party shortly after the 1977 General Election
Almost immediately after the election loss, Reginald Maudling resigned, triggering a leadership contest.
1978
The 1978 Conservative leadership election was hotly contested, with Enoch Powell, Willie Whitelaw and Geoffrey Howe all vying for a chance at the leadership. The relatively new Howe polled only 12% of the vote. Whitelaw gained 32%, and Powell 56%. On the 4th of February 1978, Enoch Powell became leader of the Conservative Party.
Enoch Powell, leader of the Conservative Party
In June more trouble came for Russia, as the June Rising broke out in Libya. In every major Libyan city, the flag of revolution was hoisted, and freedom fighters began shooting at Russian troops. Apparently supplied by Egypt and Syria, the rebels wanted an independent Libyan Republic, and the Russians were determined to stop it. Special forces were often used to fight back, and in the first month of the rebellion a reported 300 civilians were killed by Russian airstrikes.
Libyan civil guard and Russian troops attempt to confront Libyan revolutionaries on the streets of Tripoli during the 1978 uprising
July saw the first baby conceived by IVF in the world born in Britain. Louise Brown was born to parents John and Lesley, and the family were sent a letter of congratulations by David Steel. Powell, however, remained quiet, well-known for his stances on things like IVF.
The front page of the Evening News shortly after the birth of Louise Brown
Enoch Powell's tenure as Conservative Party leader was short-lived. The straw that broke the camel's back was a fiery speech in which he once again condemned trade unionism the political left, but the coup de grace was the questions afterwards, in which Powell failed to explicitly condemn the National Front, or even the actions of Russia, a popular political punch bag. In August a no-confidence motion was tabled against him, and 201 to 51 of the party's MPs voted to remove Powell from office. On the 14th Enoch Powell stepped down.
In October 1978 a combined British and Polish force, along with rebel troops, defeated the syndicalists at the Battle of San Salvador, consolidating the Centroamérican rebels' hold on El Salvador. The main syndicalist stronghold was now in the mountains of Guatemala.
November saw the Conservative leadership election held, the second one in a year. Willie Whitelaw stood for election again, but the right-wing of the party had no horse in the race after Keith Joseph declined to stand. Eventually a reluctant Margaret Thatcher was persuaded to stand. In the end she won over 70% of the vote, and became Leader of the Opposition and the Conservative Party on the 4th of November 1978.
The Rt. Hon Margaret Thatcher MP, leader of the Conservative Party, attends a press conference with Helmut Schmidt, leader of the opposition in the North German Confederation
1979
In January 1979 the second New Zealand independence referendum was held, and after extensive campaigning, this time 64% voted in favour of independence. New Zealand's independence from Australasia was scheduled to take place within one year, pending negotiations.
A similar issue was brought up in the UK in March, as the government introduced a bill on Scottish and Welsh devolution. The new legislation would given Scotland and Wales a devolved assembly each, but it was heavily opposed by the Conservatives. It was also opposed by some in the Liberal Party, resulting in a backbench rebellion in which 97 Liberal MPs abstained from voting on the bill. Even with Labour's support, the bill failed in a humiliating defeat for the government.
Reginald Maudling died at the age of 62 on the 8th of June 1979, just two years after his resignation. His funeral was attended by Margaret Thatcher, Enoch Powell, Ted Heath, and David Steel, among others.
November 1979 saw the first instance on which the Labour Party was represented at the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph. James Callaghan, the Labour leader, represented the party, alongside David Steel and Margaret Thatcher.
The Liberals, Labour and the Conservatives represented by David Steel, James Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher at the 1979 Remembrance Sunday service; also present is Edward Heath
Syndicalism may have been beaten in warfare but there is still an internal struggle. I doubt it has fully played out either.
Poor Enoch, he never gets to be a good guy. Even in "A Greater Britain" that's all about lots of WW2 villains getting a bit of redemption and brighter paths, he ends up being more fascist somehow. Really my biggest problem with that AH actually, aside from some of the oddities of the end.
I always wish people would let him use his oratory skills for good and have him moderate or be completely different.
I always wish people would let him use his oratory skills for good and have him moderate or be completely different.
David Steel, the Prime Minister, delivers his victory speech to the Liberal Party shortly after the 1977 General Election
The prospect of David Steel as Prime Minister is so hilarious that even Judy is on the floor laughing.
That is kind of accurate to OTL. Once Heath stepped down she didn't really jump at the opportunity, rather she had entered the race out of a mixture of the fact that she really hated Heath and because no one else of her ideology (laissez-faire capitalism etc) was running for it. Eventually that ideology, more or less classical liberalism on steroids, influenced by Keith Joseph and Friedrich Hayek, morphed into the Thatcherism that we know and love (or don't love, depending how far north of Watford Gap you live) today.
Don't worry, I won't keep him around for long. Although what you think of the *other* David will probably determine how pleased you'll be with that. Which reminds me, I need to think of a reason to get rid of Steel by the early 80s.
I'm mostly trying to keep people's political allegiances the same as they were OTL, but I'll admit that my own ideologies show through from time to time when it comes to certain characters, which probably explains why Powell didn't last very long.
Just use the Thorpe scandal, or invent something similar. Jeremy is already a leading Liberal politician, no? Have Steel appoint him to cabinet rank, then have him try to cover it up. If the PM was caught up in a conspiracy like that he'd be hounded out of office when the scandal came to light.
Very.
Nothing wrong with how you presented him, it's accurate and for the type of person was atleast he was a short party leader and not even a short PM.
Honestly, the biggest flaw with Powell's presentation is the fact that he is a British politician at all. His original motivation for entering politics in OTL was as a stepping stone to becoming Viceroy of India: I doubt he would have entered the Commons at all in a world where the Raj (arguably) still exists.
That or joined up a militia in the UK during liberation if we assume we was "born" with his views and due to the circumstances was able to serve and correct what was his OTL "biggest mistake".