Chapter 43, Chartwell, 8 June 1940
“So let me understand you, Mr Wintringham. You are proposing, if I am correct, to lead an attack upon Parliament.”
Wintringham sighed. “Sir, look at what they’ve done! They’ve joined forces with pure evil!”
Churchill winced. “I have, as you know, tried to tell the world about the folly, nay the madness, of this agreement. But I cannot support an attack upon Parliament.”
“But you must! The plan is simple! Seize Chamberlain and his band of antiquated buffoons and get him to sign over control to you. If we do it now, whilst Halifax and his friends are over in Italy, you could be leader of this country by tonight.”
Churchill, truly looking torn by the weight of this opportunity, stared into the fireplace. This bloody socialist and his madcap scheme, he thought. He turned to Wintringham. “Young man, I have fought for this country for as long as I can remember. I was fighting for the freedoms of England when you were still at your wet-nurse. And I will never, never, see them replaced with tyranny!”
“You’d rather we left it to Lord Halifax,” Wintrigham sneered, “don’t you?”
Churchill was exasperated. “If, one for instant, your little scheme succeeded. What then?” Wintringham shrugged his shoulders. “More schemes, a scheme to unseat you, a scheme for counter-revolution, schemes, plots, lies. This is a long, dark road on which you are setting out.”
“Michael here,” Wintringham pointed to Michael Foot, his subordinate, “is prepared to kill the Prime Minister, a man who has ruined this country.”
“Then Michael is a fool. You cannot trifle with Parliament. Look at Charles the First. No, you and your anarchists can go home, and not forment further rebellion.”
Wintringham, defeated, backed away. “You know, Mr Churchill, that I would have made you leader of the British Empire.”
“That, my dear Mr Wintringham, is for His Majesty the King to decide. Do not add usurping the crown to your list of offences, I pray you.”
As Wintringham and his group left Chartwell, Churchill picked up the phone and called Whitehall. The speaker on the other end was aware of the attempt on Parliament, but was astonished to hear about Churchill’s near part in it.
“I know you dislike me intensely, but we must meet. Show a united face to the world.”
[Game Effect] – And so Churchill, he say ‘no’. This part of the AAR caused me some uncertainty. Whilst a coup with Churchill as its figurehead is incredibly tempting, I don’t think that he would have followed along in someone else’s plot, in a plan that struck against his beloved British parliament. This dooms Wintringham to further exposure.
Michael Foot, later the ineffectual leader of the Labour Party during the Falklands War, was indeed one of Wintringham’s inner cabal. In his diary of spring 1940 he indeed remarked that he would gladly kill Lord Halifax if it would dispel the chances of a peace agreement.
Trekaddict: 
Morsky: Not really, in that the colonial concessions are (arguably) minor. The biggest bombshell is the total selling out of the French.
Kurt_Steiner: I'm afraid, as you can see, Winnie has his own problems.
Trekaddict: I rather liked that idea!
Morsky: There is something quite stuart-esque about Halifax, genuinely not understanding the world in which he found himself, thinking that quiet deals could be done to bolster his position etc.
Trekaddict: Let me guess: Battle of Britain, 633 Sqn, Dambusters etc...
Atlantic Friend: Yep, these are the ramifications on France (I will do a French update soon). As to who's in charge, as I alluded to, at the moment nobody in particular!
Enewald: I'm just not sure how interested in Africa the Fuhrer will be...
Eams: I must admit this is the comment with which I agree the most!
Trekaddict: Oh this will cause fury in the Commonwealth.
Atlantic Friend: There are more daft pics of the PM coming up.
