First Among Equals

[sirbenjamin]

If you haven't read the novel by Jeffrey Archer, it details the intertwined lives and careers of four politicians between the 1964 GE and the early 1990s.

However, it was written shortly after the 1983 GE, which obviously means an alternative 'future', now very much in the past was created.

For the first 20 years of the book, politics takes places exactly as it actually did apart from a small number of fictional people and fictional seats - global events and overall election results occur exactly as they happened. But after that things get interesting.

There is no 1987 GE, but there is one in 1988, which results in a hung parliament with the Tories the largest party. Thatcher hangs on as PM with Leon Brittan as Chancellor and there is another election within 18 months.

Gary Hart becomes POTUS, Kinnock is deposed as Labour leader by either Hattersley or Smith (deliberately unspecified) and there is a bigger SDP advance than ever happened in real life.

Labour edge the 1989 election with their leader becoming PM but the rise of the SDP (lead by one of the four main characters) means that parliaments are hopelessly hung and the future uncertain. By this point the other characters are leading the Tory and Labour parties and the other one is Speaker.

Around 1990 the Queen abdicates and the book ends with the new King Charles asking someone to form a government.

[greenchristian]

Jul 27, 2022 22:19:37 GMT sirbenjamin said:

Around 1990 the Queen abdicates

That is the least believable part of the entire synopsis.

[johnloony]

Jul 27, 2022 22:19:37 GMT sirbenjamin said:

If you haven't read the novel by Jeffrey Archer, it details the intertwined lives and careers of four politicians between the 1964 GE and the early 1990s.

However, it was written shortly after the 1983 GE, which obviously means an alternative 'future', now very much in the past was created.

For the first 20 years of the book, politics takes places exactly as it actually did apart from a small number of fictional people and fictional seats - global events and overall election results occur exactly as they happened. But after that things get interesting.

There is no 1987 GE, but there is one in 1988, which results in a hung parliament with the Tories the largest party. Thatcher hangs on as PM with Leon Brittan as Chancellor and there is another election within 18 months.

Gary Hart becomes POTUS, Kinnock is deposed as Labour leader by either Hattersley or Smith (deliberately unspecified) and there is a bigger SDP advance than ever happened in real life.

Labour edge the 1989 election with their leader becoming PM but the rise of the SDP (lead by one of the four main characters) means that parliaments are hopelessly hung and the future uncertain. By this point the other characters are leading the Tory and Labour parties and the other one is Speaker.

Around 1990 the Queen abdicates and the book ends with the new King Charles asking someone to form a government.

I remember being confused when I read the book about whether the Labour leader was Smith or Hattersley; I kept thinking that I had missed something and I’ve never understood why it wasn’t specified.

The abdication of the Queen in 1991 was weird, because it was just an ad-hoc decision which was made by Her Majesty and imposed on the party leaders by surprise. They just vaguely acquiesced to her decision, and somehow it didn’t need legislation to enact it. And of course the abdication happened in the middle of the negotiations immediately after the general election. In real life, even if it were possible for the Queen to abdicate on a whim without legislation, there is no way it would be done at a time of political uncertainty.

[timrollpickering]

Jul 27, 2022 22:28:05 GMT greenchristian said:

Jul 27, 2022 22:19:37 GMT sirbenjamin said:

Around 1990 the Queen abdicates

That is the least believable part of the entire synopsis.

Jeffrey Archer novels often contain unbelievable stuff.

I had the interesting experience of receiving Willy Visits the Square World as a childhood Christmas present.

It is one of the best examples as to why adult authors should never be allowed to write for children.