WI: Mosley becomes mainstream earlier , and wins the 1935 election?

[ProbitasVirtuouso]

What would the likely repercussions be if Oswald Mosley became a mainstream political candidate outside of the realm of fascist supporters , dragging in voters from Labour and other radical parties? Personally I think his revolutionary ideas would be popular with more syndicalist-leaning spheres , and would obtain support from key industrial areas with working class people who are likely to be pro-welfare state.
Secondly , what would foreign policy be like? Mosley was fond of Mussolini , but depending on if we follow OTL or not , opposition to Hitler by the British public would pose a threat to a Mosley chancellery.
What do you think would happen?

 

[Jape]

You might be interested in this TL by EdT: A Greater Britain

A Greater Britain, Mk2

Oswald Mosley is back! Or at least he will be rather soon...

www.alternatehistory.com

 

[Mynock]

What would the likely repercussions be if Oswald Mosley became a mainstream political candidate outside of the realm of fascist supporters , dragging in voters from Labour and other radical parties? Personally I think his revolutionary ideas would be popular with more syndicalist-leaning spheres , and would obtain support from key industrial areas with working class people who are likely to be pro-welfare state.
Secondly , what would foreign policy be like? Mosley was fond of Mussolini , but depending on if we follow OTL or not , opposition to Hitler by the British public would pose a threat to a Mosley chancellery.
What do you think would happen?

You need to elaborate, you don't just elect a man as PM you elect a party. How do you mean he becomes more mainstream, as in takes over a mainstream party i.e. becomes Labour leader? Somehow his own party surpasses the Tories, Labour and the Liberals to win a majority?

 

[Enigmajones]

You need to elaborate, you don't just elect a man as PM you elect a party. How do you mean he becomes more mainstream, as in takes over a mainstream party i.e. becomes Labour leader? Somehow his own party surpasses the Tories, Labour and the Liberals to win a majority?

Maybe a more successful New Party? It was the predecessor of the BUF.

 

[CaptainCalvert]

OTL he'd been under observation from 1934 because of concerns he could motivate people to fund and support British Union of Fascists, but was tolerated until 1940.
If ITTL he's seen to be more successful, it's likely he'd be called in for questioning and banned or imprisoned much sooner.
Before 1934, he might be given a bit more leeway but (again) only until he started to look like he might threaten the establishment.

The 1934 date is partly based on historic surveillance, but also because there was a lot of turmoil in Europe, not least the Night of the Long Knives, which showed unambiguously that the Nazis were willing to go to any lengths (including against their own) to take and hold power, but also major upheavals in Austria and France.

 

[Discernible]

Wouldn't the easiest route to make Moseley PM is that he doesn't leave the Tories or Labour?

 

[ProbitasVirtuouso]

You need to elaborate, you don't just elect a man as PM you elect a party. How do you mean he becomes more mainstream, as in takes over a mainstream party i.e. becomes Labour leader? Somehow his own party surpasses the Tories, Labour and the Liberals to win a majority?

Yeah , I should have been more clear. I meant that somehow (I don't know how) the BUF becomes a primary election candidate on par with Labour and the Tories etc.

 

[Garrison]

Yeah , I should have been more clear. I meant that somehow (I don't know how) the BUF becomes a primary election candidate on par with Labour and the Tories etc.

I do not see how that is going to happen. Britain is a pretty stable democracy and fascism is committed to destroying democracy. Also if people are fed up with the status quo they are going to vote Labour, not fascist. Fascism was able to succeed where the existing institutions were weak and discredited, neither of those was the case in Britain.