Post by Klopstock on Sept 16, 2006 13:58:32 GMT -5
The Foreign Dispatch from Great Britain and Ireland
Summer Edition!
September 2006
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 Domains and Colonies. The Foreign Dispatch is written by Klopstock, the Prime Minister of GB&I, with the assistance of His Majesty's Government, Members of Parliament, distinguished ambassadors and guests, and loyal British Citizens. Enjoy!
FCS Apologizes, The War is Over!
Despite a lack of protestors, peace in our time came after five months of war
In the course of the long summer and with an update not coming out from the previous government, the Dispatch wants to highlight old news which nonetheless is of considerable importance and likely of great interest to our allies, friends, and relatives abroad. Following a period of prolonged and intensive warfare between the Federal Commonwealth Society and Great Britain and Ireland dating from an invasion of the GB&I dominion The Falkland Islands back around Christmas 2005, an apology was delivered by the Prime Minister of the Federal Commonwealth Treaty Organization, The Planet Federation to the people of Great Britain and Ireland on 11 June 2006:
"Dear GB&I government and members,
It has come to the FCSTO's attention that the denial of the Falkland Islands invasion by FCS was false. We have come to learn in recent days that several parliament and senior members planned and excuted the attack, with Austria-Hungary as pointman. We futher uncovered a coverup by these same members and they almost succeeded.
These attacks were planned and carried out without the knowledge of the FCSTO Prime Minister and the FCSTO cabinet; and without the approval of the FCS or FCSTO Parliament or the prime minister of the FCS.
I and the entire FCSTO on behalf of all FCSTO Protectorates and nations take responsibility for their actions. And we humbly apologise for their actions.
The FCSTO Government will be taking futher actions on the nations who planned the attack.
We would like to request a cease-fire until a peace treaty can be written.
Thank you.
Sincerly
Prime Minister of the FCSTO (The Planet Federation)
Deputy Prime Minister of the FCSTO (Moonseed)
Foreign Minister (Maximum Depreciation)
Defense Minister (B. Murat)
If you have any questions please contact me on here. I do formally apoligize for the actions taken by these members. and am deeply sorry it happened. If i had known i would have come foward sooner.
Thanks.
Lets start peace."
That same day, the GB&I cabinet decided to accept the apology and invited the FCS to draw up a permanent peace treaty, which resulted in the Treaty of The Falkland Islands.
Since then life for GB&I and the FCSTO have moved on, and things have been quite amicable between the two regions. It is hoped by both sides that relations between us can remain peaceful and relatively friendly.
New Government takes the reins of Great Britain and Ireland
After a period of prolonged uncertainty and political crisis stemming from inactivity and political crisis following a double election, a new government was appointed by His Majesty --Great Britain-- on 22 August 2006 under the leadership of the Rt. Honourable Klopstock MP.
Klopstock, upon receiving word of his appointment whilst traveling in Ohio.
Prime Minister: Klopstock
Chancellor of the Exchequer: R3naissanc3r
Home Secretary: Posul
Foreign Secretary: Killtron
Minister of Defence: Trividium
Colonial Secretary: The Venerable Vendetta
Klopstock returns to head the new Government after two months outside of cabinet following his resignation as Foreign Secretary in early June, having been unanimously supported by the House of Commons in the wake of the annulled election and political crisis (see below for the story). R3naissance3r, long standing and hard working member of the region and the government, makes an unannounced but welcomed return to government as Chancellor of the Exchequer, an advisory, non-departmental role. Posul, a staple of the region both at home and abroad, retains a role in government as the new Home Secretary, succeeding the long serving R3nassianc3r. Killtron moves to Foreign Secretary from his previous posting in the Ministry of Defence under Posul where he was an effective MoD. As for new faces, Trividium has returned to cabinet as Minister of Defence following an extensive period of time outside of Cabinet while newcomer The Venerable Vendetta comes on board as Colonial Secretary. The new government hopes that the return of members from their summer activities coupled with a new sense of purpose can return Great Britain and Ireland to prominence and strength!
July/August Double Election Throws GB&I for a Loop
An unidentified citizen in a show of frustration
The events surrounding the General Election and the succession of the premiership were wrought with controversy and seriously hampered the region, leaving GB&I without any effective government for a prolonged period of time on top of a much more extensive period of stagnation that had led up to it over the summer lull. The General Election for the 10th Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland was initially called for 1 August, and the campaigning was relatively moderate. However, the main issue of controversy (which would later prove decisive) was Posul’s announcement that he intended to seek a third consecutive term as Prime Minister, after previously being appointed to a then unprecedented second consecutive term. He was opposed by Bilrow, a relative newcomer to the region and at the time a Democratic Unionist Party member, and following the conclusion of the election the battle moved to the House of Commons where MPs debated the merits of both and their respective cabinets.
Posul under assault politically and personally.
However, it soon became clear that Posul did not have the support of the House and the region for another term, and coupled with being subjected to blistering personal and political attacks from media sources and distinguished members of the region, he announced his resignation and departure from GB&I and 4 August 2006. While he would return three days later, it appeared that Bilrow had been left as the sole MP ready and able to become Prime Minister. However, in a controversial and far reaching decision by the High Court a petition from Allmark, who had been unable to stand in the election due to the failure of the candidate submissions thread to be properly set up in time, was accepted by Lord Chief Justice King John of Gililand and the election was declared null and void the next day, 5 August. Everything would have to be done all over again.
Allmark carrying his fateful petition to court.
This time however, controversy was not to be found in nearly the same dosage. The new election was held on 15 August, and the period proceeding up to that was relatively uneventful. With Posul back but not seeking to return as Prime Minister newcomers Allmark and The Venerable Vendetta announced their intentions to stand, and in citing the arrival of two candidates and his own relative inexperience Bilrow announced that he would not seek the premiership. With the polls closing and the debate on the composition of the next government moving to the House of Commons, Klopstock announced on the fifteenth that he would seek to become Prime Minister. Allmark and The Venerable Vendetta withdrew their names from consideration, and Klopstock was unanimously endorsed by the House, and appointed on the twenty second.
Results of the August General Election. All candidates who stood were elected.
r3naissanc3r [15]
Bilrow [4]
Klopstock [18]
Zeon-x [9]
Venerable Vendetta [12]
Posul [15]
Allmark [6]
Riddim [7]
Killtron [11]
Trividium [7]
Lucius Magnus Rex [3]
Since the conclusion of the election Bilrow and Lucius Magnus Rex have resigned their seats and left the region, due to time commitments elsewhere and a surprisingly strong dislike for a ‘has been region’, respectively. A by-election for Bilrow’s seat has just been completed on 15 September with the election of Fenchurch to parliament by an overwhelming margin over four other strong candidates. A second by-election to fill Lucius’ seat is rumoured to be approaching in the next week or so.
Military Services Act makes Major Reforms to War Machine[/u][/b]
British soldiers now have a new command structure and law system of their own
After a long and drawn out 3 month debate which saw the nature and organization of the military being debated endlessly and with many changes, comments, and amendments offered by the wide array of constituencies with an interest in matters of war, The Military Services Bill was given the royal assent on 21 June 2006. The bill has been on the statute books for nearly 3 months already, and its most important functions have already been implemented and are beginning to pan out.
The Duke of Northumbria, Westmorlandia was appointed the first Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS), replacing the office of Commander-in-Chief which was the professional head of the military previously, and was replaced, after his resignation, by His Majesty, --Great Britain--. Both appointed their staff consisting of a Quartermaster General and an Adjutant General. The power of the political head of the military, the Minister of Defence, has been significantly curtailed and limited to approving applications and designing metals while also representing the military in cabinet. Additionally, many functions of the force have been moved directly into the control of the military, with the CIGS and QMG holding all power of promotions and ranks, and the professional force retaining all ability of tactical decision making during an operation. Additionally, military law has been introduced to deal with offenders and gives the CIGS powers of discipline, subject to Judicial Review in the High Court of Great Britain and Ireland.
The key word to describe the change in the military has been 'independent': A force free of political interference which can administer the military and conduct operations on its own, and which can become a sort of career of its own in GB&I. Many sponsors and contributors to the debate have stated their hope that the passage of the bill would see the rise of a stronger military with a more defined role in the region, no longer being subordinate to the political path which has been most popular for so long. While such has yet to materialize in full, the beginnings of a successful and efficient military machine have been laid down thanks to the hard work of many MPs, Lords, citizens, and soldiers.
UN Delegacy Debate, Change[/u][/b]
Following a period of prolonged inactivity by UN Delegate Los Cielos during the latter part of July and much of August , a controversy began to arise on GB&I’s Regional Message Board due to a campaign by Charlotenberg to become UN Delegate. Under the law of Great Britain and Ireland the UN Delegate is appointed by the Prime Minister, and in that way accountable to Parliament and the Government. Additionally, it is a criminal offence for any UN nation to have a number of endorsements equal to or greater than two-thirds of the legitimate delegate. However, Charlotenberg and his supporters began an endorsement swap/gathering campaign seeking to topple Los Cielos illegally, and for a while events moved on the RMB faster than they had ever moved in a very long time. On 30 August Charlotenberg reached 17 endorsements to Los Cielos’ 24, and in exceeding the allowed threshold Prime Minister Klopstock ordered his ejection from the region, which was executed by His Majesty --Great Britain-- (the regional founder) that same day.
However that was not the end. Charlotenberg had been ejected but not banned, and he returned hours later and continued to gain endorsements, reaching 20 at one point. With things progressively worsening for the government and the campaigners gaining in strength, it was only through personal conversations between Klopstock and Charlotenberg that the issue was resolved, in which the latter agreed to voluntarily leave the region for a few days to clear his endorsements. Soon after on 5 September a new replacement UN Delegate was announced in the form of Riddim, a newly elected MP and vigilant presence on the NationStates site, and she was installed to office on 9 September. Riddim’s activity thus far has been a welcome change from the period under Los Cielos, with polls on UN resolutions returning to GB&I’s forums and with the World Factbook Entry being updated for the first time in a long time.
From the good folks at Hansard
The sitting of the 10th Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland has seen the revival of a previously deserted House of Commons, with a number of new bills being introduced.
The Ambassadorial Affairs Amendment Bill was introduced by Rt. Honourable R3naissanc3r on 19 August in an attempt to codify existing practices of the GB&I's foreign affairs, and was passed by the Commons. However, the bill met some opposition from the Lords over the matter of creating two classes of diplomatic missions to GB&I, namely from the Duke of Northumbria, Westmorlandia, and it has been held up in the upper Chamber awaiting changes.
Following the Ambassadorial Affairs Bill the Rt. Honourable Posul introduced his proposed The Civil Service Bill on 25 August, which sought to create an extensive civil service system for GB&I and the government, headed by a politically independent and ‘life term’ serving Cabinet Secretary. Posul’s justification for his bill was the need to offer newer members a change to get involved in regional governmental affairs before entering parliament, and also allowing other citizens to serve without entering elective politics. The bill was met with strong opposition however, with opponents citing concern over the creation of another layer of bureaucracy based on regional manpower and the role of such a service being detached from the direction of relevant ministers in each department. However, with Posul going on holiday for two weeks it has languished in the Commons, while a new bill has been introduced and is being debated.
That piece of legislation is The Empire Bill, introduced by R3naissanc3r on 8 September. It seeks to modify the manner and rules governing the admission of pre-existing regions to the empire in the form of Commonwealth Realms, with the aim of attracting new regions to join by providing a more acceptable framework in which to do so, including more regional autonomy over foreign policy, internal affairs, and to have their own military forces and conduct operations. Additionally such Commonwealth Realms, under the bill, would have assured representation in Parliament. The bill has received a warm welcome and growing support in the Commons and is heading towards a vote in the next four or five days.
In Other Regional News...
GB&I has seen a lot of holidays and period of prolonged absences of late. Posul recently went on a two week holiday to Cyprus in September, while Prime Minister Klopstock recently drove across the U.S. to return to University. Former UN Delegate Los Cielos began his long absence and period of inactivity with a trip to Spain. Other members of the region have traveled around Britain, Europe, and elsewhere over the course of the summer months as well. Hopefully they will all settle in once their sunburn and souvenirs have been remedied and stored, respectively.
The population of Great Britain and Ireland passed the 200 nations milestone in June 2006 for the first time in the region's history. After reaching an all-time high of 239 nations, population dipped back into 180 nations. However, Great Britain and Ireland was 'Today's Featured Region' on the NationStates site for 16 August 2006 and publicity from that incident brought the region up to 200 member nations once more.
The following Britons have recently become Citizens since the last issue of the Dispatch, and when considering that that was at the end of May the list is quite considerable:
Colour Bearded Pirates
Black Castle
Schnecke
Charlotenberg
Office Shredder
Fenchurch
Leelotech
lethen
Allmark
Bilrow
BleuMonday
Cupidinia
Empire of Decna
evil and all bad doing
Hobgoblin
Junior Vegas
Lucius Magnus Rex
Most Great Britannia
Nuveria
ostroeuropa
Rasoni
Rovrith
Shubertala
Swathington
The republic of Nawrot
The Venerable Vendetta
Thomas More
All have contributed to the region already by posting frequently and have not gone unnoticed. The future of GB&I continues to be planted with good seed, and the hopes of a good harvest of their talent to come are high.
Summer Edition!
September 2006
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 Domains and Colonies. The Foreign Dispatch is written by Klopstock, the Prime Minister of GB&I, with the assistance of His Majesty's Government, Members of Parliament, distinguished ambassadors and guests, and loyal British Citizens. Enjoy!
FCS Apologizes, The War is Over!
Despite a lack of protestors, peace in our time came after five months of war
In the course of the long summer and with an update not coming out from the previous government, the Dispatch wants to highlight old news which nonetheless is of considerable importance and likely of great interest to our allies, friends, and relatives abroad. Following a period of prolonged and intensive warfare between the Federal Commonwealth Society and Great Britain and Ireland dating from an invasion of the GB&I dominion The Falkland Islands back around Christmas 2005, an apology was delivered by the Prime Minister of the Federal Commonwealth Treaty Organization, The Planet Federation to the people of Great Britain and Ireland on 11 June 2006:
"Dear GB&I government and members,
It has come to the FCSTO's attention that the denial of the Falkland Islands invasion by FCS was false. We have come to learn in recent days that several parliament and senior members planned and excuted the attack, with Austria-Hungary as pointman. We futher uncovered a coverup by these same members and they almost succeeded.
These attacks were planned and carried out without the knowledge of the FCSTO Prime Minister and the FCSTO cabinet; and without the approval of the FCS or FCSTO Parliament or the prime minister of the FCS.
I and the entire FCSTO on behalf of all FCSTO Protectorates and nations take responsibility for their actions. And we humbly apologise for their actions.
The FCSTO Government will be taking futher actions on the nations who planned the attack.
We would like to request a cease-fire until a peace treaty can be written.
Thank you.
Sincerly
Prime Minister of the FCSTO (The Planet Federation)
Deputy Prime Minister of the FCSTO (Moonseed)
Foreign Minister (Maximum Depreciation)
Defense Minister (B. Murat)
If you have any questions please contact me on here. I do formally apoligize for the actions taken by these members. and am deeply sorry it happened. If i had known i would have come foward sooner.
Thanks.
Lets start peace."
That same day, the GB&I cabinet decided to accept the apology and invited the FCS to draw up a permanent peace treaty, which resulted in the Treaty of The Falkland Islands.
Since then life for GB&I and the FCSTO have moved on, and things have been quite amicable between the two regions. It is hoped by both sides that relations between us can remain peaceful and relatively friendly.
New Government takes the reins of Great Britain and Ireland
After a period of prolonged uncertainty and political crisis stemming from inactivity and political crisis following a double election, a new government was appointed by His Majesty --Great Britain-- on 22 August 2006 under the leadership of the Rt. Honourable Klopstock MP.
Klopstock, upon receiving word of his appointment whilst traveling in Ohio.
Prime Minister: Klopstock
Chancellor of the Exchequer: R3naissanc3r
Home Secretary: Posul
Foreign Secretary: Killtron
Minister of Defence: Trividium
Colonial Secretary: The Venerable Vendetta
Klopstock returns to head the new Government after two months outside of cabinet following his resignation as Foreign Secretary in early June, having been unanimously supported by the House of Commons in the wake of the annulled election and political crisis (see below for the story). R3naissance3r, long standing and hard working member of the region and the government, makes an unannounced but welcomed return to government as Chancellor of the Exchequer, an advisory, non-departmental role. Posul, a staple of the region both at home and abroad, retains a role in government as the new Home Secretary, succeeding the long serving R3nassianc3r. Killtron moves to Foreign Secretary from his previous posting in the Ministry of Defence under Posul where he was an effective MoD. As for new faces, Trividium has returned to cabinet as Minister of Defence following an extensive period of time outside of Cabinet while newcomer The Venerable Vendetta comes on board as Colonial Secretary. The new government hopes that the return of members from their summer activities coupled with a new sense of purpose can return Great Britain and Ireland to prominence and strength!
July/August Double Election Throws GB&I for a Loop
An unidentified citizen in a show of frustration
The events surrounding the General Election and the succession of the premiership were wrought with controversy and seriously hampered the region, leaving GB&I without any effective government for a prolonged period of time on top of a much more extensive period of stagnation that had led up to it over the summer lull. The General Election for the 10th Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland was initially called for 1 August, and the campaigning was relatively moderate. However, the main issue of controversy (which would later prove decisive) was Posul’s announcement that he intended to seek a third consecutive term as Prime Minister, after previously being appointed to a then unprecedented second consecutive term. He was opposed by Bilrow, a relative newcomer to the region and at the time a Democratic Unionist Party member, and following the conclusion of the election the battle moved to the House of Commons where MPs debated the merits of both and their respective cabinets.
Posul under assault politically and personally.
However, it soon became clear that Posul did not have the support of the House and the region for another term, and coupled with being subjected to blistering personal and political attacks from media sources and distinguished members of the region, he announced his resignation and departure from GB&I and 4 August 2006. While he would return three days later, it appeared that Bilrow had been left as the sole MP ready and able to become Prime Minister. However, in a controversial and far reaching decision by the High Court a petition from Allmark, who had been unable to stand in the election due to the failure of the candidate submissions thread to be properly set up in time, was accepted by Lord Chief Justice King John of Gililand and the election was declared null and void the next day, 5 August. Everything would have to be done all over again.
Allmark carrying his fateful petition to court.
This time however, controversy was not to be found in nearly the same dosage. The new election was held on 15 August, and the period proceeding up to that was relatively uneventful. With Posul back but not seeking to return as Prime Minister newcomers Allmark and The Venerable Vendetta announced their intentions to stand, and in citing the arrival of two candidates and his own relative inexperience Bilrow announced that he would not seek the premiership. With the polls closing and the debate on the composition of the next government moving to the House of Commons, Klopstock announced on the fifteenth that he would seek to become Prime Minister. Allmark and The Venerable Vendetta withdrew their names from consideration, and Klopstock was unanimously endorsed by the House, and appointed on the twenty second.
Results of the August General Election. All candidates who stood were elected.
r3naissanc3r [15]
Bilrow [4]
Klopstock [18]
Zeon-x [9]
Venerable Vendetta [12]
Posul [15]
Allmark [6]
Riddim [7]
Killtron [11]
Trividium [7]
Lucius Magnus Rex [3]
Since the conclusion of the election Bilrow and Lucius Magnus Rex have resigned their seats and left the region, due to time commitments elsewhere and a surprisingly strong dislike for a ‘has been region’, respectively. A by-election for Bilrow’s seat has just been completed on 15 September with the election of Fenchurch to parliament by an overwhelming margin over four other strong candidates. A second by-election to fill Lucius’ seat is rumoured to be approaching in the next week or so.
Military Services Act makes Major Reforms to War Machine[/u][/b]
British soldiers now have a new command structure and law system of their own
After a long and drawn out 3 month debate which saw the nature and organization of the military being debated endlessly and with many changes, comments, and amendments offered by the wide array of constituencies with an interest in matters of war, The Military Services Bill was given the royal assent on 21 June 2006. The bill has been on the statute books for nearly 3 months already, and its most important functions have already been implemented and are beginning to pan out.
The Duke of Northumbria, Westmorlandia was appointed the first Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS), replacing the office of Commander-in-Chief which was the professional head of the military previously, and was replaced, after his resignation, by His Majesty, --Great Britain--. Both appointed their staff consisting of a Quartermaster General and an Adjutant General. The power of the political head of the military, the Minister of Defence, has been significantly curtailed and limited to approving applications and designing metals while also representing the military in cabinet. Additionally, many functions of the force have been moved directly into the control of the military, with the CIGS and QMG holding all power of promotions and ranks, and the professional force retaining all ability of tactical decision making during an operation. Additionally, military law has been introduced to deal with offenders and gives the CIGS powers of discipline, subject to Judicial Review in the High Court of Great Britain and Ireland.
The key word to describe the change in the military has been 'independent': A force free of political interference which can administer the military and conduct operations on its own, and which can become a sort of career of its own in GB&I. Many sponsors and contributors to the debate have stated their hope that the passage of the bill would see the rise of a stronger military with a more defined role in the region, no longer being subordinate to the political path which has been most popular for so long. While such has yet to materialize in full, the beginnings of a successful and efficient military machine have been laid down thanks to the hard work of many MPs, Lords, citizens, and soldiers.
UN Delegacy Debate, Change[/u][/b]
Following a period of prolonged inactivity by UN Delegate Los Cielos during the latter part of July and much of August , a controversy began to arise on GB&I’s Regional Message Board due to a campaign by Charlotenberg to become UN Delegate. Under the law of Great Britain and Ireland the UN Delegate is appointed by the Prime Minister, and in that way accountable to Parliament and the Government. Additionally, it is a criminal offence for any UN nation to have a number of endorsements equal to or greater than two-thirds of the legitimate delegate. However, Charlotenberg and his supporters began an endorsement swap/gathering campaign seeking to topple Los Cielos illegally, and for a while events moved on the RMB faster than they had ever moved in a very long time. On 30 August Charlotenberg reached 17 endorsements to Los Cielos’ 24, and in exceeding the allowed threshold Prime Minister Klopstock ordered his ejection from the region, which was executed by His Majesty --Great Britain-- (the regional founder) that same day.
However that was not the end. Charlotenberg had been ejected but not banned, and he returned hours later and continued to gain endorsements, reaching 20 at one point. With things progressively worsening for the government and the campaigners gaining in strength, it was only through personal conversations between Klopstock and Charlotenberg that the issue was resolved, in which the latter agreed to voluntarily leave the region for a few days to clear his endorsements. Soon after on 5 September a new replacement UN Delegate was announced in the form of Riddim, a newly elected MP and vigilant presence on the NationStates site, and she was installed to office on 9 September. Riddim’s activity thus far has been a welcome change from the period under Los Cielos, with polls on UN resolutions returning to GB&I’s forums and with the World Factbook Entry being updated for the first time in a long time.
From the good folks at Hansard
The sitting of the 10th Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland has seen the revival of a previously deserted House of Commons, with a number of new bills being introduced.
The Ambassadorial Affairs Amendment Bill was introduced by Rt. Honourable R3naissanc3r on 19 August in an attempt to codify existing practices of the GB&I's foreign affairs, and was passed by the Commons. However, the bill met some opposition from the Lords over the matter of creating two classes of diplomatic missions to GB&I, namely from the Duke of Northumbria, Westmorlandia, and it has been held up in the upper Chamber awaiting changes.
Following the Ambassadorial Affairs Bill the Rt. Honourable Posul introduced his proposed The Civil Service Bill on 25 August, which sought to create an extensive civil service system for GB&I and the government, headed by a politically independent and ‘life term’ serving Cabinet Secretary. Posul’s justification for his bill was the need to offer newer members a change to get involved in regional governmental affairs before entering parliament, and also allowing other citizens to serve without entering elective politics. The bill was met with strong opposition however, with opponents citing concern over the creation of another layer of bureaucracy based on regional manpower and the role of such a service being detached from the direction of relevant ministers in each department. However, with Posul going on holiday for two weeks it has languished in the Commons, while a new bill has been introduced and is being debated.
That piece of legislation is The Empire Bill, introduced by R3naissanc3r on 8 September. It seeks to modify the manner and rules governing the admission of pre-existing regions to the empire in the form of Commonwealth Realms, with the aim of attracting new regions to join by providing a more acceptable framework in which to do so, including more regional autonomy over foreign policy, internal affairs, and to have their own military forces and conduct operations. Additionally such Commonwealth Realms, under the bill, would have assured representation in Parliament. The bill has received a warm welcome and growing support in the Commons and is heading towards a vote in the next four or five days.
In Other Regional News...
GB&I has seen a lot of holidays and period of prolonged absences of late. Posul recently went on a two week holiday to Cyprus in September, while Prime Minister Klopstock recently drove across the U.S. to return to University. Former UN Delegate Los Cielos began his long absence and period of inactivity with a trip to Spain. Other members of the region have traveled around Britain, Europe, and elsewhere over the course of the summer months as well. Hopefully they will all settle in once their sunburn and souvenirs have been remedied and stored, respectively.
The population of Great Britain and Ireland passed the 200 nations milestone in June 2006 for the first time in the region's history. After reaching an all-time high of 239 nations, population dipped back into 180 nations. However, Great Britain and Ireland was 'Today's Featured Region' on the NationStates site for 16 August 2006 and publicity from that incident brought the region up to 200 member nations once more.
The following Britons have recently become Citizens since the last issue of the Dispatch, and when considering that that was at the end of May the list is quite considerable:
Colour Bearded Pirates
Black Castle
Schnecke
Charlotenberg
Office Shredder
Fenchurch
Leelotech
lethen
Allmark
Bilrow
BleuMonday
Cupidinia
Empire of Decna
evil and all bad doing
Hobgoblin
Junior Vegas
Lucius Magnus Rex
Most Great Britannia
Nuveria
ostroeuropa
Rasoni
Rovrith
Shubertala
Swathington
The republic of Nawrot
The Venerable Vendetta
Thomas More
All have contributed to the region already by posting frequently and have not gone unnoticed. The future of GB&I continues to be planted with good seed, and the hopes of a good harvest of their talent to come are high.
