Post by tvv on Jun 5, 2007 9:22:44 GMT -5
The Foreign Dispatch from Great Britain and Ireland[/font]
June 2007
5th June 2007
Greetings to all the nations, regions, and readers of the world from the desks of the Foreign Office of His Majesty --Great Britain--, King of Great Britain and Ireland and all her Dominions and Colonies. The Foreign Dispatch is written by R3nnaissanc3r and North East Somerset, the Foreign Secretary and First Sea Lord of GB&I respectively, with the assistance of His Majesty's Government, Members of Parliament, distinguished ambassadors and guests, and loyal British Citizens. Please enjoy!
Notification: From hereon, the Foreign Dispatch shall serve as a compilation of all Great Britain and Ireland related news that will be published monthly. For the purposes of the timely briefing of our Embassies, the regular Foreign Office Press Releases shall be used instead.
The 14th General Election
On the 18th May 2007, the General Election for the fourteenth Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland was held. After a relatively calm term politically, and the retirements of prominent members to the House of Lords, many were expecting the elections to be undersubscribed. However after the sign up threads were rapidly filled, with old and new members alike, it became clear the election would again be competitive. After the surprising return of the DART, absent from the Commons for more than a year, the election looked again to be interesting.
After two weeks of intense campaigning, a battle between Windsor-Bainbridge and Posul emerged for the position of Prime Minister. The longest Manifestos were produced by those two candidates, with long discussions and debates on each one of their Manifesto threads, although other candidates also produced shorter Manifestos with discussion ensuing.
The voting also started with surprising vigour, with an astounding 25 citizens voting in the first 2 days of the polls being open. At the time there was widespread speculation the record for votes in an Election would be broken, but when the polls closed another 2 days later, it was a tie with the previous record, at 28 citizens voting, although two more followed after the polls closed.
The votes at the end of the election on the 14th May looked as follows, with North East Somerset and Windsor-Bainbridge gaining the joint highest number of votes, and creating a new GB&I General Election votes record:
British Allies [ 8 ] [5.71%]
donchatryit [ 12 ] [8.57%]
Fenchurch [ 15 ] [10.71%]
Holy Ekaj Monarchy [ 6 ] [4.29%]
Klopstock [ 14 ] [10.00%]
Lethen [ 9 ] [6.43%]
North East Somerset [ 20 ] [14.29%]
NatetheGreat [ 8 ] [5.71%]
Posul [ 10 ] [7.14%]
Riddim [ 10 ] [7.14%]
The DART [ 8 ] [5.71%]
Windsor-Bainbridge [ 20 ] [14.29%]
The final results of the general election meant the following 11 citizens were elected as MPs:
British Allies
donchatryit
Fenchurch
Klopstock
Lethen
North East Somerset
NatetheGreat
Posul
Riddim
The DART
Windsor-Bainbridge
It appeared that Windsor-Bainbridge’s massive victory in the MP polls had sealed his victory as Prime Minister on its own, after he received a huge majority of nominations, 8-1, leading to a MP vote being bypassed by the House. His opposition, Posul, lost by that same amount last term, but he did then manage to make it to the voting stage, due to the failure of either candidate to receive a majority of nominations.
The State Opening of Parliament
After the House recommended to the appointment of Windsor-Bainbridge as Prime Minister to the King, the State Opening of Parliament was completed by His Majesty the King, on the 23rd May 2007, when he made this speech to the region:
“ My Lords, Honourable Members, Subjects of this Great Realm,
Having observed the distribution of votes between candidates and their subsequent distribution of support between the known supporters of the stated Prime Ministerial candidates, I am pleased to be able to invite the independent candidate, Windsor-Bainbridge, to form a Government in this the fourteenth Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland. I believe that he and his supporters currently have the greatest mandate to govern, along with the greatest ability to command support in Parliament.
During the next term, Windsor-Bainbridge will be faced with the perennial tasks of government in this region: improving and sustaining recruitment, encouraging and using acitivity, ensuring that the military remains active, trained and ready for deployment, managing foreign affairs to the benefit of the region and drafting and passing fair and effective legislation for the government of the Region.
Perhaps more importantly, however, he will be faced with the continuing task of shaping a distinctive place for Great Britain and Ireland in the NS world. With our Imperial project more or less abandoned, we still have a great deal to be proud of - our government system, for instance, has inspired those of numerous regions across nationstates, and our citizens are active throughout NS international institutions such as ACCEL. We have already created a region remarkable for its unique culture and structure, but there is always more that can be done.
Windsor-Bainbridge is a British citizen and statesman of great experience and intelligence, and I have every confidence in him to execute the tasks which are set before him in a manner worthy of our great tradition. In Cabinet, he has served with distinction, and now governing the region directly, I have no doubt that Great Britain and Ireland shall prosper under his leadership. Running any great region, such as our own, can be a difficult and sometimes unenviable task, but Windsor-Bainbridge has the confidence of myself, and of the region to, do it well, and I am sure that he will leave a lasting legacy of prosperity.
Rule Britannia!”
Windsor-Bainbridge entering 10 Downing Street
The Prime Minister then decided to announce the Cabinet on March 23rd 2007 here.
Foreign Secretary: R3nnaissanc3r
Home Secretary: Fenchurch
Minister of Community: Riddim
First Sea Lord: North East Somerset
The appointment of a First Sea Lord, the first time this is reported in the Dispatch, reflects the introduction of the new Admiralty Act 2007. It is also the first time a Lord has ever been appointed to Cabinet, thereby utilising the Lords in Cabinet Act 2006, to appoint the Duke of Cornwall, R3nnaissanc3r, to Foreign Secretary.
The Ministers have already announced their appointees for the various junior ministerial positions, although certain few of them had yet to be filled at the time this Dispatch was written. Furthermore, the Prime Minister has decided to appoint Riddim as the UN Delegate for another term. You can find a comprehensive list of Great Britain and Ireland's new Government here.
The Prime Minister’s Manifesto can be found here. Great Britain and Ireland looks forwards to another productive and prosperous term.
Capable and Resilient: New era for the Royal Navy
New ships were launched to bolster the capabilities of the Royal Navy
In the legislative chambers of Great Britain and Ireland, the military has once again been in the forefront, with the introduction and enactment of the Admiralty Bill.
When the Military Services Act 2006 was passed by the Parliament in June 2006, it was greeted as panacea to all the problems the Great British and Irish military was facing. The new law provided solid structure and a clear command chain, while it dealt with other related issues, such as ranks and military justice. Long term problems have occurred, though, which eventually made the military extremely inflexible and cumbersome.
Namely, the Act inherently promoted to the top ranks the elder members of the military, with whose the inactivity came the problem of inefficient leadership. Also, the Act created a rather long command chain, from the Cabinet to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, to officers and eventually to the soldiers, something that repeatedly led to belated responses from the armed forces. Last but not least, the structure created by the Act could not be modified easily, if at all, and consequently the options of the Commander on how to lead and organise his force became too restricted.
While these issues had already been identified by September 2006, attempts for amendments to legislation were continuously blocked by the House of Lords, in the fear that such changes would undermine the independence of the military from politicians. During the last three consecutive Governments, new legislation to cope with this issues had been promised, with only the last one though moving into action.
The government supported Admiralty Bill was submitted, in April, in the House of Lords by the Duke of Cornwall, R3naissanc3r. The Bill suggested the abolishment of all the previous staff positions and the bestowal of all the powers related to military issues on the hands of a First Sea Lord. This single officer would be a member of the Cabinet and, therefore, a direct appointee of the Prime Minister. The First Sea Lord would be able to have full oversight over the military, create any structure as he sees fit and delegate his powers to officers at his discretion. The Bill also made changes in the theme of the military, by aboloshing the Armed Forces of Great Britain and Ireland and establishing an official Royal Navy.
The Bill was passed by both the Houses of Parliament without much opposition and was given the Royal Assent on the 4th May 2007. The Right Honourable Killtron CBE MP, experienced member of the military and Captain and second-in-command in the previous staff was appointed as the first First Sea Lord.
The Admiralty is now in duty bound to create a new structure for the Royal Navy and advancements on this issue are expected soon.
In the meantime, from the battlefield
On the 22nd April 2007, after having received a request for aid from her close ally Catlandatopia, Great Britain and Ireland engaged, along with Gatesville and Catlandatopia, in the attack against the region of Lorien. Great Britain and Ireland managed to provide seven units, despite having been informed only hours before the update, and contributed decisively in the seizing of the delegacy by the allied forces. Despite the following ejection of the joint forces after two days, the operation was deemed successful by all the three regions.
A view of the fleet, while approaching the shores of Lorien
Shortly after the incident, and taking occasion from the destruction of the regional forums
of Doomsville which was one of the reasons that prompted the afore-mentioned attack, Great Britain and Ireland signed, as a member of the Congress of Sovereigns, the following statement:
A Joint Statement by the Congress of Sovereigns on Forum Destruction in NationStates
30 April 2007
In meeting to discuss the role and makeup of the Congress of Sovereigns and the affairs and general welfare of the signatory regions, the members of the alliance have heard the news of the recent destruction of the forum of Doomsville. In regards to that incident, as well as forum destruction in general, the Congress of Sovereigns hereby issues the following statement:
1.) The Congress of Sovereigns condemns the practice of forum destruction, specifically defined as the willful and unlawful destruction of off-site regional or organisational forums with malicious intent.
2.) The Congress of Sovereigns declares its support for the region of Doomsville in their time of need, and offer them our collective sympathy and solidarity.
3.) The Congress of Sovereigns will, from this point forwards, consider any form of forum destruction committed against a Signatory to be grounds for the implemenation of treaty obligations as specified in Article 5 and Article 7 of the Treaty of the Four Realms.
30 April 2007
In meeting to discuss the role and makeup of the Congress of Sovereigns and the affairs and general welfare of the signatory regions, the members of the alliance have heard the news of the recent destruction of the forum of Doomsville. In regards to that incident, as well as forum destruction in general, the Congress of Sovereigns hereby issues the following statement:
1.) The Congress of Sovereigns condemns the practice of forum destruction, specifically defined as the willful and unlawful destruction of off-site regional or organisational forums with malicious intent.
2.) The Congress of Sovereigns declares its support for the region of Doomsville in their time of need, and offer them our collective sympathy and solidarity.
3.) The Congress of Sovereigns will, from this point forwards, consider any form of forum destruction committed against a Signatory to be grounds for the implemenation of treaty obligations as specified in Article 5 and Article 7 of the Treaty of the Four Realms.
The Royal Navy has also undertaken numerous training exercises in Warzones, achieving at one point to control three of these designated for military operation regions simultaneously. Specifically, successful operations have been organised in Warzone Airspace, Africa, Asia and Europe.
Except for individual exercises, the Navy has successfully taken part in joint exercises of both ACCEL and the Congress of Sovereigns, responding in a timely manner and providing a solid force of of 10 UN nations on the average.
The Citizens' Panel opens
On the 13th April 2007, the Minister of Community Windsor-Bainbridge announced the opening of the Citizens' Panel. Having been one of the main components of the "plan of action" for the Ministry, the purpose of the Citizens' Panel is to constitute an official body comprised of all citizens, where through formal debating and voting official policy on issues that fall out of the Parliament's jurisdiction is formulated.
The proceedings of the Panel are governed by a Constitution, which sets forth the procedures to be followed for the submission of, the discussion and the vote on the various motions. According to the Constitution, the Panel is headed by a Chairman, who is elected after every General Election by a vote of all the citizens. The Constitution of The Citizens' Panel can be found here.
Participants of the Panel relaxing during a recess of its procedures
Currently, NatetheGreat serves as the Chairman, having been elected after the last General Election to suceed Windsor-Bainbridge, who had undertaken the duties of interim Chairman until the election. So far, the following motions have been presented to the Panel (next to each is the result of the vote, where applicable):
- All women should be allowed to receive an abortion - passed.
- Divine Right of Kings - failed.
- Euthanasia
- Recreational Drugs - failed.
- Smoking Ban?
Scholarly activity blooms in the University
The University's badge
The University has continued its astounding work, extending its extensive archives of documents. Focus is currently on the Battle of Palestine, and Great Britain and Ireland’s role in the Allied British Isles (ABI). For this reason, the University distributed a call for papers, asking for all kind of documents related to these two historical periods to be submitted to the Primary Sources by their respective owners.
Documents from various sources have already been gathered, including an archive of ABI's official newspaper, the coverage of the Battle of Palestine by various news agencies and statements regarding the Battle by the main regions and organisations involved. Furthermore, at the petition of the University, a large collection of classified Cabinet documents dating back to early 2005 were released, sheding light on many inscrutable aspects of these incidents. The declassified Cabinet documents can be found here, while you can easily access the other documents of the collection from here and here.
In order to further expand this collection, all interested parties are invited submit their saved material and narrate their experiences from that period of NS history in the University departments.
Regarding other activities, the University recently named Lethen and Zombie Lagoon as fellows of the University, for their significant contributions. An election for the Chancellory has taken place, after R3naissanc3r stepped down, and Imperial British Glory was elected as the new Chancellor of the University.
From the Good Folks at Hansard
The House of Commons in plenum
The last parliamentary term has been one of great activity, with numerous important Bills being introduced to the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
The Parliament continued to work on several of the Bills that were included in the previous Dispatch. The City of London Bill, introduced by the Right Honourable Windsor Bainbridge, after having been passed unanimously by the Commons, was submitted to the House of Lords. The peers introduced several minor amendments, mainly regarding the appointment procedures for the Mayor of the new Protectorate. The Bill was passed by the House of Lords on the 20th April and, in its amended form, by the House of Lords on the 27th April, to be given the Royal Assent on the 4th May 2007.
The Parliamentary Seat Reduction Bill, submitted by the Right Honourable Windsor Bainbridge, was finally passed by the House of Commons. In its final form, it provided that a runoff election would be held, in situations when ties occured in elections for Parliament, replacing the practice of having all of the tied candidates elected. The Bill was then submitted for consideration to the House of Lords. The Duke of Cornwall, R3naissanc3r, presented an amended version of the Bill, in which the provisions for runoff elections were replaced by clauses which excluded all the tied candidates from Parliament, while also allowing the Prime Minister to call, at his discretion, a by-election for the vacancies to be filled. The Bill in this final form, and with the new title Electoral Reform Amendment Bill, met the support of both the Houses and was given the Royal Assent on the 4th May 2007.
The Lords Amendment Bill was introduced to the House of Commons by the Right Honourable Klopstock. Along with several other minor provisions about procedural issues, the Bill suggested the creation of the rank of Marquess for the peerage and, most importantly, it advocated allowing members of the House of Lords to be elected as the Prime Minister. The Bill was passed without objections by the Lower House, to meet though significant opposition in the House of Lords. Both the Duke of Nortumbria, Westmorlandia and the Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford, Gililand were expressed against the Bill, while only the Duke of Cornwall, R3naissanc3r, supported it. In the end, the Bill was defeated in the House of Lords. The same Bill, but without the provision for the election of the Prime Minister, was quickly passed by the Commons and, when resubmitted to the Upped House, the Duke of Cornwall inserted numerous other amendment to it, attempting to fix inconsistencies and loopholes in Great Britain and Ireland Statute. This omnibus Bill was, finally, passed by both Houses, to be given the Royal Assent on the 18th May 2007.
Last, the Awarding of Honours Amendment Bill was presented to the House of Commons by the Right Honourable Windsor Bainbridge, to prevent members of the Cabinet from voting on awards related to themselves. Many MPs opposed the Bill, on the grounds that convention was already preventing Ministers from abusing their power to vote on honours nominations, the Bill, though, was passed by the House of Commons by a narrow majority. In the House of Lords, controversy over the Bill continued, with the Duke of Nortumbria, Westmorlandia and the Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford, Gililand being the main proponents and the Duke of Cornwall, R3naissanc3r, Baron Zeon-x and Baron Trividium the opponents of it. In the end, the Bill was defeated in the House of Lords.
Since the new session of the Parliament began, no new Bills have been introduced to either of the two Houses. However, legislation to reform the intelligence services is expected in the near future.
Other Regional News
The forums are past the 127,500 post mark after a term of steady activity levels. The regional population has seen a surge after newly appointed Home Secretary Riddim organised the Recruitment Day, which saw a population increase of 30, from 145 to 175 in one day. Following the Recruitment Day, the appointment of Fenchurch to Immigration Director, also ensured regional population broke, to much jubilance, 200 nations before the end of term. The new Home Secretary has already announced that another Recruitment Day will be organised in early May.
Activity in the media has improved recently with several papers bringing out regular editions. Fleet Street is well worth a visit to catch up on the latest GB&I and International NS news, it can be accessed from here.
The following Britons have recently became Citizens:
Carter
Fairy-Killers
ENGUL
American
Diazonium
Banana Republic
Magnificient Britannia
HMS Saltash Castle
House of Walker
Onderkelkia
Southern Britain
Southern Ulster
West Antioch
The following regions or organisations have recently had embassies opened in GB&I:
Amor Fati Anagenesis
England
Liberty Alliance
Nova Atlantica
The Equatorial Alliance
Wall Street
Riddim continues as UN Delegate for GB&I, with Natethegreat as UN Affairs Director. Interest was constant, and although there were no large debates, almost every resolution had a few comments. Interest was largest in the Forest Management, Repeal Metric System and UN Funding Act resolutions. The resolutions votes held since the last Dispatch are listed below:
Against (5-0) International Trade Currency
Against (10-0) UN Funding Act
Against (7-2) Establishment of ICPIN
Against (7-1) Forest Management
For (6-2) Repeal Banning Whaling
For (5-4) Repeal Metric System
Against (4-1) Maritime Neutrality Convention
Against (5-2) Cultural Heritage in War
For (4-1) Repeal Mutual Recognition of Borders
The future of GB&I remains bright.
Goodbye from the Foreign Dispatch Team till the next update in July 2007.
God Save the King![/SIZE]