The Progressive: a newspaper from GB&I

[sirdinglefoot]

Editor: Sir Dingle Foot

[align=center]The Progressive[/color][/b][/i]
Issue No. 9
(1st Special March 2008 Election Issue)[/font][/align]


Returning and New Faces Central in Election Campaign[/b]

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One of the most obvious features of the current general election campaign has been the high number of sitting MPs who are apparently not seeking reelection to the House of Commons. After former Foreign Secretary Klopstock resigned his seat, arguably triggering the early calling of a general election, the current membership of the House of Commons stands at 10 MPs. Of these, both sitting Prime Minister Sir Dingle Foot as well as his deputy and current Foreign Secretary donchatryit have declared that they will not run for a seat in the next Parliament, as has one-term MP Ad Nihilo, while the current Minister of Community, Kingdom of Paquerettes, has not yet made her intentions known.
Therefore, the only sitting Cabinet minister who has announced his plans to return to the House of Commons is the Home Secretary, Flake. He is joined in the race by outgoing MPs King John of Gililand, NatetheGreat, Engul, Fenchurch and Clemantion. The latter two had only been returned to the House of Commons in the most recent by-election which concluded four days before the general election was called.
These six sitting MPs are running for reelection in a field that includes 13 candidates so far. The other candidates are two relative newcomers, Scipion and Trade Wind, and five former MPs: Posul, who renounced his Dukedom to be able to make a bid for the House of Commons again; Zeon-x, who tries to make a return about a month after he resigned; Bilrow; West Antioch, who is resuming his tradition of somewhat light-hearted candidacies, this time for the Lemon Party; and English Sympathizers, who is once more returning to activity in GB&I at election time.
Of the 13 candidates, 6 have published new manifestos and one has added some new points in his old manifesto that he uses as an MP constituency office.



All Candidates so far

Read all the candidates’ manifestos in order of their submission of candidacy for the House of Commons:

Flake: Flake (The Snowflake).
Clemantion: Clemantion Campaign.
Posul: Parliamentary Candidacy of Posul.
English Sympathizers: no manifesto available.
King John of Gililand: Vote Gililand for MP.
Scipion: no manifesto available.
Bilrow: Bilrow MP Manifesto.
Trade Wind: Trade Wind’s Manifesto.
Engul: no manifesto available.
NatetheGreat: no manifesto available.
Zeon-x: no manifesto available.
West Antioch: West Antioch: Change for the Future.
Fenchurch: no manifesto available.


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[sirdinglefoot]

[align=center]The Progressive[/color][/font][/b][/i]
Issue No. 10
(2nd Special March 2008 Election Issue)
Editor: Sir Dingle Foot[/font][/align]

[align=center]Fourteen Candidates in General Election So Far[/b][/align]

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Former MP British Allies yesterday became the fourteenth person to declare their candidacy for the next House of Commons, thereby marking yet another return of a formerly active politician to the electoral scene, following a spate of other returns of former politicians of varying prominence and stature.

[align=center]Unity and Change Buzzwords in Election Campaign[/b][/align]

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Although the campaigns of the various parliamentary candidates do all have their own distinctive features, most of the candidates seem to be united in a desire to put the divisive atmosphere of discussion of the current term behind them and start into the next Parliament in a climate that puts more stress on unity in the region.
Not everyone uses the exactly same words, and the ideas what form the unity envisaged should take are far from uniform: some people still seem to follow the time-hallowed maxim that the best form of compromise is where you yourself get everything you want and your opponent gets nothing, and suggest the very topics that were so divisive in the past as rallying points for unity.
Others seem to think that everything that is possibly controversial should be avoided and that politicians in the near future should concentrate on the safe subjects, where only minor administrative differences of opinion will develop, but any ideological disagreements are unlikely to appear.
Others again would like to follow a more active course of conflict management, trying to identify the ideological common ground where the different sides could meet.

But what is the kind of unity this region really needs?
Does it really need the bland ideological middle ground where all original ideas are pruned and crossed with each other until each one of them is unrecognisable?
Does it need papering-over all signs of dissension?
Does it need unity by winning over the other side?

While the editors of [/color]The Progressive[/b][/i] does not propose to direct the voters who they should elect to the next House of Commons, we would like to pose the following questions to the public:

Do we need a common 'project' around which the region could unite and which is usually suggested one form of either Empire or Commonwealth?
Or shouldn't we rather start working on the common project that we already have, the operation of a political system along British lines, and should rather concentrate to make the necessary reforms (or tweaks, if the 'r' words already seems too revolutionary for you) that serve to make the system more effective and efficient?

Shouldn't we have discussions about which different directions the region could take under different political majorities?

Shouldn't those who are temporarily in a minority accept just that, that it is temporary, and try to overturn decisions they don't support at the next opportunity, rather than running off in a huff and accusing their opponents of being undemocratic and spoiling the game just because they happen to make use of the political majorities that exist at the time?



All Candidates so far

Read all the candidates' manifestos in order of their submission of candidacy for the House of Commons:

Flake: Flake (The Snowflake).
Clemantion: Clemantion Campaign.
Posul: Parliamentary Candidacy of Posul.
English Sympathizers: no manifesto available.
King John of Gililand: Vote Gililand for MP.
Scipion: no manifesto available.
Bilrow: Bilrow MP Manifesto.
Trade Wind: Trade Wind's Manifesto.
Engul: no manifesto available.
NatetheGreat: ab imo pectore.
Zeon-x: no manifesto available.
West Antioch: West Antioch: Change for the Future.
Fenchurch: no manifesto available.
British Allies: no manifesto available.

[sirdinglefoot]

[align=center]The Progressive[/color][/font][/b][/i]
Issue No. 11
(3rd Special March 2008 Election Issue)
Editor: Sir Dingle Foot[/font][/align]

[align=center]The Times Are Changin' Back:
Posul Likely to become Prime Minister[/b][/align]

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After the conclusion of the March 28 general election (results see below), the new Members of Parliament lost little time before they commenced trying to determine the next Prime Minister.
The nominations and debate thread for the Premiership was opened by Posul half an hour after the polls closed, and the former Duke of Cambridge immediately proceeded to put himself forward for the office of Prime Minister, a move that has failed to surprise anyone, as he was the only parliamentary candidate who had already declared his intention to seek the position during the election campaign. Posul's candidacy has so far gathered the support of Fenchurch, Engul, Bilrow and Clemantion.
In the light of the lack any other candidate, the current Home Secretary, Flake, has also declared his interest in becoming Prime Minister, but he has so far failed to find a seconder, and, was in fact criticised for putting himself forward, because he did not indicate his interest during the election campaign.
Some of this criticism seems to stem from the misconception that the is an obligation to declare one's candidacy in a special thread in the Hustings. This is, however, not the case, and the very good reasonFlake has given for his surprise candidacy (the apparent lack of any alternative to Posul, and the desire to provide the House with a choice) is a motivation wholly consistent with upholding the values of a parliamentary democracy.
However, unless Flake manages to find a seconder, the situation means that Posul will likely remain the uncontested nomination of the House of Commons for leading the next government. In the light of the frequently professed desire to have a less divisive government during the next term than currently, the choice of the former Duke of Cambridge is, to say the least, intriguing, as he has been one of the most controversial political personalities of Great Britain and Ireland for much of his career. After all, his brief elevation to monarch last year has caused several members to resign their positions and made one person temporarily leave GB&I, while several others declared, after the end of that episode, that they had been considering the same move.
One should not forget either that the "divisive" nature of the last government is at least partly also mirrored in and mirroring the reactions of the opposition to the governments actions, and that Posul has played a significant role in creating the atmosphere that made the exchanges between government and opposition so heated and occasionally over-the-top during the last term. While he has tempered his imperialist and anti-reform rhetoric somewhat ever since he renounced his title, and has declared his preference for an "across-the-board" cabinet, the election of Posul to the Premiership is a daring and possibly risky choice when the priority should be on healing the divisions that exist in the region.



[align=center]Your New MPs[/align]

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The following people have been elected Members of Parliament for the new term:

Flake (Independent)
Clemantion (Independent)
Posul (Independent)
King John of Gililand (Independent)
Bilrow (Independent)
Trade Wind (Independent)
Engul (Independent)
Zeon-x (Funk-filled Loyal Communist League)
West Antioch (The Lemon Party)
Fenchurch (Kenethlegek Kernewek)
The Kingdom of Paquerettes (Independent)

The poll was topped jointly by Posul and Flake with 15 votes each, closely followed by King John of Gililand, who managed to collect 14 votes.
While there are several new MPs who return to the House of Commons after an absence, the only absolutely new Member is Trade Wind, who has proven himself against a strong competition.
The most significant casualty of the contest is former Home Secretary NatetheGreat who, despite strong opposition work in the last Parliament has failed to be returned.
The good results for the current Home Secretary, Flake and the Minister for Community, The Kingdom of Pâquerettes, show them unscathed by the alleged unpopularity of the government, but there are probably no conclusions to be drawn for the whole Cabinet, as these two were among the less controversial ministers and were almost universially praised for their work in their positions, and none of the other Cabinet members has decided to seek reelection. [/color]

[priii]

The Progressive

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Issue No. 12
April 2, 2008
Editor: Sir Dingle Foot[/font][/center]

No Surprises:
New Cabinet Announced

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Soon after His Majesty invited Posul to form the new government of Great Britain and Ireland, the new Prime Minister announced his Cabinet to the public. The final list presents no surprises, but the appointments could provide the region with a more stable Cabinet than the last one.
Posul retained two ministers from the previous Cabinet, among them the Home Secretary, Flake, who has been widely praised for his dedication and activity in this position and now has a chance to continue his exemplary work during the new parliamentary term. How his political positions, which in many cases seem to be diametrically opposed to those put forward by the new Prime Minister will affect their working relationship remains to be seen, but the old and new Home Secretary does profess his willingness to work constructively for the benefit of the region and to reach compromises where they are possible and feasible and seems to be enthusiastic about the air of activity with which this government is starting into its term.
The other Cabinet member who is staying on from Sir Dingle Foot's government is The Kingdom of Paquerettes, who keeps her position in the Community portfolio, where she has been acknowledged as a very active and dedicated minister. The title of the position seems to have been quietly changed from 'Minister of Community' to 'Secretary of State for Community Affairs'. a change which has not yet been reflected in the title of her department.
For the remaining two positions, the Prime Minister has chosen two old hands who have held their respective portfolios before and who are likely to work along the lines of the more aggressive foreign and military policies that Posul wishes to follow.
Fenchurch returns to the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary, a position which she has held before during the early days of the Gililand government, and King John of Gililand is First Sea Lord once more and will repeat his efforts from July to November last year to revive the Royal Navy.
The full Cabinet list as published by the Prime Minister in 10 Downing Street reads as follows:

Prime Minister: Posul
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs: Fenchurch
Secretary of State for Home Affairs: Flake
Secretary of State for Community Affairs: The Kingdom of Paquerettes
First Sea Lord: Gililand

Additionally, Posul has created the new position of Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister to which he has appointed Clemantion. While some cynics may see this as dishing out another political appointment to secure the continued support of a majority of the House of Commons without being accused of bloating the Cabinet, the job description gives the PPSPM a role in making the workings of the government more efficient. Posul has promised to be a Prime Minister who involves himself in all aspects of his government and plays an active role in each department, and with the help of the PPSPM he will be able to make these activities better co-ordinated and more efficient.

Good Start for New Government

The new government has managed to make an impression of great activity during its first two days in office, honouring the new PM's commitment to action over talk of diplomacy and reform.
In a speech to the House of Commons, PM Posul announced that within its first 24 hours the government has managed to organise a summit with The New Inquisition about the future of the dormant Congress of Sovereigns alliance. This achievement was doubtlessly helped by the new Foreign Secretary's close connections to TNI and her declared commitment to revive the CoS. Whether this summit will really serve make the moribund Congress come alive again remains to be seen
Unsurprisingly for anyone, the Home Secretary and the Community Affairs Secretary have continued their activities in their respective departments without so much as taking a break, and a mentoring programme, an idea that has already been developed by Engul when he was Minister of Community and that has been taken up by the new government, is now under way under the guidance of the Naturalisation department.
If the government really manages to keep up this level of activity and continues to handle public relations in a manner that is bound to enhance the impression of activity the PM wants to project, Posul's third term as Prime Minister could possibly become his most successful.
Let us just hope that all the talking about 'less talk, more action' does not keep the Prime Minister and his Cabinet from reflecting about the consequences of any decisions they may make before they are actually implemented.
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