The Hand of History

If circumstances had been different, each of these people could, at some point, have become Prime Minister.

Enoch Powell (1912-1998)



Remembered now, of course, for his speech against the 1968 Race Relations Act, nicknamed the 'Rivers of Blood' speech. A fascinating alternate history can be found here, portraying a Britain in which Powell's career was rather more illustrious - and the likely consequences.

Michael Portillo (born 1953)



Seen as a likely candidate on three occasions at least. First, it was thought he'd stand against John Major when the latter embarked on his 'put up or shut up resignation' in 1995. Portillo even got as far as setting up a campaign HQ equipped with telephone lines. Secondly, of course, he was scuppered from standing in 1997 after the one moment everyone remembers from that General Election - losing his seat to Stephen Twigg. And then again in 2001, with Portillo back in Parliament and back in the Cabinet, he was knocked out of the leadership contest leaving the party members a choice between Kenneth Clarke and Iain Duncan Smith - ultimately won, of course, by the latter.

Again, the possibility is seen as so interesting that an entire alternate history has been written on the subject.

John Smith (1938-1994)



One of those rare politicians seen as an honourable man even by his enemies, Labour leader John Smith was widely considered as the man to defeat the Tories in the 1990s. Few doubt that, had he lived, he would have gone on to become Prime Minister. His death in May 1994 prompted sombre tributes on all sides of the House.

Neil Kinnock (born 1942)



Famously lost two General Elections (1987 and 1992) before throwing in the towel. His defeat in 1992 came as something of a shock - the cringeworthy Sheffield Rally was thought to be instrumental in his downfall, and that infamous Sun headline can't have helped much...