The Kingdom of Great Britain || Ceasefire and Memes

[Armaros]

Can we see the evidence?
Of course not. Blah blah blah, OpSec stuff, too long to redact, innocent people are named, etc... Trust us, it's real solid.

I'll wait for the info to come out before rendering an opinion. This simply does not sound like the Khanter I know well.

This. I've seen the evidence and I still have my doubts. This really just does not sound like Khanter, nor could I begin to guess at his motives if it would be him.

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

>>or he was being very precisely imitated, down to the purchase of a separate phone.

...or just another android device with a similar aspect ratio, and the top bar pasted over. Or the language and timezone changed in system settings.

This is a good jumping point for an investigation. This is where you start using, say, a canary trap, once you’ve narrowed it down to a few options. Seed some false info to one person only, see if it goes anywhere. This is what gets you in the home stretch of the counterespionage game. But you’re not across the plate yet

I can see where this seems strongly circumstantial, and how Khanter’s years-old tendency to tell very obviously “tall” or outright false stories doesn’t help, but this in and of itself is not fully conclusive. Of course, by blowing wide open, you’ve also made it all that much harder to finish properly.

[Honeydewistania]

It's easy to put down the region as a whole over the past (and understandably so), but doing so and having respectable community pillars like Badger joking about the old king being in the region is extremely unhelpful and unfair to those of us who weren't here during the Shadow Wars who have been working to improve its foreign affairs and internal accountability laws; that kind of talk has also alarmed and scared some into becoming paranoid that he actually is in the region.

I wasn't joking. I think that it is just as likely that it is Don than Khanter. I think that Khanter's good name is being besmirched by KGB and the Antifa crowd for a presently unknown reason. Neither organization has a great track record, in my opinion when it comes to things. One is led by a bloodthirsty group of zealots and the other is led by incompetents.

Which one is antifa?

Edit:

There aren't 2.3 billion people in the relevant channel of our discord. At the time there was twenty. And of those twenty, only Khanter fits the bill. Only Khanter's phone could have taken that screencap. Only Khanter is in that area. Only Khanter talks like this. Only Khanter claimed to have somehow gotten the developers of Discord to unilaterally delete the spy's Discord account.

It's a reasonable inference based on the evidence. We were dealing with a short list of suspects, and of that list only Khanter fits the bill.

I wouldn't anyone to turn out to be a spy, but I really wish it hadn't been him. I really did like him a lot. :/

And has your organisation stopped being leaky?

Also, if you've got nothing good to say, can stop pouting your irrelevant comments. They are extremely uneeded. Also time will tell if we were wrong.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

I wasn't joking. I think that it is just as likely that it is Don than Khanter. I think that Khanter's good name is being besmirched by KGB and the Antifa crowd for a presently unknown reason. Neither organization has a great track record, in my opinion when it comes to things. One is led by a bloodthirsty group of zealots and the other is led by incompetents.

Which one is antifa?

Edit:

And has your organisation stopped being leaky?

Also, if you've got nothing good to say, can stop pouting your irrelevant comments. They are extremely uneeded. Also time will tell if we were wrong.

Time is telling that you were wrong, because the answer to my question is no, isn't it? No Antifa has not stopped being leaky.

[Honeydewistania]

Which one is antifa?

Edit:
Also, if you've got nothing good to say, can stop pouting your irrelevant comments. They are extremely uneeded. Also time will tell if we were wrong.

Time is telling that you were wrong, because the answer to my question is no, isn't it? No Antifa has not stopped being leaky.

Excuse me? No leaks have occurred since Khanter got the boot. Provide examples or stop talking out of your ass.

[Lord Dominator]

Khanter got the boot what, a week ago? Hardly enough time to showcase a lack of leaks, particularly if the leaker is smart.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

Time is telling that you were wrong, because the answer to my question is no, isn't it? No Antifa has not stopped being leaky.

Excuse me? No leaks have occurred since Khanter got the boot. Provide examples or stop talking out of your ass.

What you mean is 'show us your sources,' isn't it?

[HM Department of Education]

Another Speaker Resigns After Showdown with CA Chair
Written by Edward Stuart

(LONDON- 14 MAY 2019) - Speaker Aelita Venzalor (IND- Carlow-Kilkenny) has resigned from the Speaker’s Chair and her Irish seat, citing her acceptance of “the office of the Stewardship of the Manor of Northstead” and that she “no longer has the passion for the work that [she] did when [she] came in” to the region. The resignation was announced after a series of controversy between her and the Assembly Chairwoman and her allies in the House of Commons.
The conflict began after two separate proposals related to the Mock Parliament Act were drafted in the Commons and Assembly. The House shortly issued a summons to allow the Chairwoman to discuss the legislation with the rest of the MPs to build a proposal, but the summons was rejected. After the Crown Delegate and Assembly Chairwoman refused to comply with the summons issued by the Speaker on behalf of the Commons, believing the summons to be “unnecessary”. In response to the refusal, Venzalor and Deputy Speaker Arthur Grey (FEP-Grey) issued a joint statement expressing concern over the constitutionality of the Mock Parliament Act with the popular initiative clause of the Constitution, and stated that all proposals will be ignored. Venzalor was later overheard saying to a colleague that “the Chair refusing a summons of the Commons on matters related to the Assembly serious flouts our authority” and that she “will not present any governance law passed by the CA given the circumstances”.
During a press conference with Prime Minister Henry Norfolk, the BBC asked about his views on the joint statement:
”I was extremely disappointed in the statement released by the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House. There are various ways to handle disagreements and squabbles and that statement was in my view clearly not the proper one. As the regional Parliament, it is our duty to work with the Citizen’s Assembly on matters that affect it, after all, it is composed of our regional citizens, the people who we answer to and are held accountable to. In regards to the statement by the Father of the House, I believe he laid out the perfect way forward. Together as MPs we must listen to those who post comments in the Strangers Gallery and work together as one region to create the progress we wish to see.”
Frustrated with the conflict between the lower House of Commons and Citizens’ Assembly, a resolution of intent to block all legislation related to the CA from the two bodies was proposed by Lord Carlisle, who is Speaker Venzalor’s predecessor. The resolution expressed discouragement and concern over the impasse between the Speaker and Chairwoman and recognized that Parliament can make changes to the Mock Parliament Act “as it sees fit”, but emphasized that the propriety of making changes with the consultation of the Assembly must be regulated by “social convention”. The resolution would have forced the Commons and Chairwoman to work together by blocking legislation related to the assembly until a consensus proposal was made between the entities, and there was even consideration to block any legislation altogether until the issue of the CA was resolved. During the discussion, the Marquess of Westminster and Lord Advocate Juris Lancaster reviewed and corrected the constitutional concerns from the joint statement. The resolution would have likely passed, but Lord Carlisle withdrew the resolution for the time being.

After the release of the joint statement, Alistair Stuart (FEP-Paris), who is considered one of Chairwoman Norfolk’s allies in the Commons, released his own statement lamenting that the Commons “has been a state of rapid decline” since the rise of Venzalor after resignation of former Speaker Edward Stuart; and bemoaned the “lack of legal understanding” from the Speaker, and that the Lords had “lost faith” through its proposed resolution in the “laughing stock” Commons to perform well for its constituents.
“The MP for Paris seems to be trying to imply that we lost faith in the Commons solely because of the Speaker,” one anonymous Lord told the BBC, “The conflict is shared with the Chairwoman and other MPs including himself, so Alistair has no room to blame the Speaker. He doesn’t speak for us.”
The BBC was also able to reach out to the Speaker and her Deputy. Deputy Speaker Grey told the BBC that the entire situation has been “overblown and overstated from the beginning”. When the BBC reached out to the Speaker about the statement and its timing, she told us that her and the Deputy Speaker “took the best action we could with the information we had” and that the step was necessary after the Chairwoman “refused to come to the table”; the BBC has also verified that the statement was the Deputy Speaker’s idea.

Before Venzalor’s resignation, the Assembly passed a repeal and replace bill to the Speaker’s Office, in which the Chairwoman thanked the MPs of Paris and Grey for assisting in the discussions. With the Irish seat now filled by Reece Saint-Pierre and the Chairwoman now having an ally in Alistair Stuart as the new Speaker, the Citizens’ Assembly Act is seen as a consensus proposal between the Chair and the Commons and is set to pass the House. However, after the discussions of repealing the Citizens’ Mock Parliament Act altogether, some Lords are expected to amend the legislation to remove Governance Laws from the Assembly’s purview when it reaches the upper House.

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The Royals' Busy Easter Weekend
Written by Edward Stuart

(EDINBURGH- 22 APRIL 2019) - This weekend was a busy one for the King and members of the Royal Family. The aging King Henry IX made a rare public appearance Saturday for a visit to the Ministry for Culture, Media, and Sport in London, where he was greeted by Culture Secretary Arthur Grey, MP for Grey. His Majesty did not make any remarks to the media waiting outside per royal protocol, but a spokesperson for the Culture Secretary told the BBC "His Majesty was very interested in the operations of the Regional Roleplay Committee and the Easter festival planning with the NS United Kingdom and congratulated the Secretary for his excellent work so far."

On Sunday, His Majesty was joined by various members of the Royal Family for the Easter Service at St. Margaret's Chapel in Edinburgh. The Prince of Wales, Prince Royal, Duke of Clarence and Aquitaine, Marquess of Westminster, and Earl of Carlisle were able to get away from the House of Lords business in London to join the King in listening to the Easter message of Archbishop of Canterbury Albert Stuart. The Royal Regiment of Scotland and a Celtic singer treated the royals and the waiting crowd to a rendition of Mo Ghile Mear and Auld Lang Syne outside of the chapel. Built under the reign of King David I of Scotland in the 12th century, the tiny chapel is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Edinburgh on the site of the Castle. The Royal Family recently committed £1.2 million to its renovation after it fell to disuse, and they intend to use the chapel during their visits to Scotland in recognition of the historic Scottish roots of the Royal House of Stuart.

The royals spent their Easter holiday in the historic Edinburgh Castle, some of which had to leave late Sunday evening after the family dinner in order to make it back to London for official business.

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Mock Parliament News
Written by Madeline Norfolk

After the election of Madeline Norfolk as Assembly Chair, we experienced different energy coming from the Assembly. This energy resulted in 10 bills being discussed in the Assembly. Within those 10 bills, some received assent, others were denied assent, and others failed at the vote. We averaged between 5 and 10 people voting on the proposals, which is the highest average we have seen at least within the last year.
The Assembly, however, was not without controversy as disagreement regarding the Assembly ensued between the Chair and the then Speaker of the House of Commons.
In the end, Commons worked with the Assembly in pushing a governance bill to Commons, which has since been waiting for deliberation by the House of Lords.
The most anticipated assented bills include the bills on residencies and businesses. Another highly anticipated bill included a shoe-throwing budget for the Chair, which was denied assent due to the Crown Delegate not receiving funds in said bill.
With elections at a close and a new chair chosen, only time will tell if the Assembly will continue with activity and bills.

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Less Aggressive Pacts
Written by Crushita Telcontar Stuart

On March 21st, 2019, King Henry signed into law the Pact of Non-Aggression between The Kingdom of Great Britain and United Kingdom, starting a new era for foreign relations in the KGB. This Pact, which is the first agreement to be signed between KoGB and another British region since over a year ago when a treaty with The Britannian Kingdom was signed into law. Further relations between the UK and KoGB are projected to occur within the next few months as both regions prepare for their respective new governments.

The Pact was quickly followed up an Easter Festival which brought much merriment and joy to both sides. With our outgoing PM, Henry Norfolk now serving as the PM of United Kingdom there is sure to be more cooperation in the future. A toast to our friends in UK!

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This concludes the Kingdom of Great Britain's belated May update, stay tuned for the post election update with details on our new Government, new Parliament, and new citizenship opportunities!

[HM Department of Education]

Norfolk-Stuart and the BRP Take the Main Stage
Written by K. Mikaelson

Norfolk-Stuart Address supporters of the British Royalist Party following the Election

With a mixture of old and new members, the British Royalist Party was able to appeal to a wide base of support, in part thanks to their multi-party coalition that now holds a majority of seats within the House of Commons. Prime Minister Norfolk-Stuart is no stranger to holding high office, and after being nominated several times for the position in the previous term, she now finally enters 10 Downing Street ready and willing to get to work for the betterment of her people and region. Before the election, Norfolk-Stuart announced the proposed cabinet members that she would invite to join her government if she were to be elected.


His Majesty's Government now looks like this:

Deputy Prime Minister: Arthur Hanover-Stuart
Home Secretary: Ralph Norfolk-Westfalen
Foreign Secretary: Klaus Mikaelson
Culture Secretary: William Rhys Lancaster-Stuart
Roleplay Secretary: Artimedias Norfolk-Wesfalen
Attorney General: Alistair Stuart

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While some questioned a few of the nominees who were newer to the region, Norfolk-Stuart heartily endorsed all proposed cabinet as being a good mixture of people well known in the region and people that while newer, had worked with Norfolk-Stuart before.

The citizens of the region now eagerly wait to see just how successful Norfolk-Stuart's government is during this much-anticipated term.
*Author's Note: Since the time that this article was first written, one of the BRP MP's has stepped down and has been replaced by Cameron Romefeller of the NLP.

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The Assembly is Working
Written by Alec Norfolk-Stuart, Chairman of the Citizens’ Assembly

The purpose of the inclusion of legislative theme events in the Citizens' Assembly is to encourage participation in the CA. The First Theme, Defense, encouraged members to draft and discuss pieces of legislation that fell under the category of Defense. While I do not have an exact number for the individuals who participated in the discussions (which is awesome because a lot of people participated!), we did have three bills submitted and discussed in the CA.The goal is to "institutionalize" these themed events- by that I mean, I hope that my successor in the role of CA Chair will continue the events, and the placement of past Chairs and their terms in the Hall of Chairpeople.Another major goal is the purpose of the events- the aforementioned encouragement of participation in the CA- and to continue to see them increase. We are almost finished with the second theme, Education, and discussion and debate has been going on for quite some time- especially pertaining to one piece of Education-themed legislation. While I cannot share the next theme at this time (I want to keep it a surprise), I do hope that it will be even more active than the previous two, which are increasing in activity and participation already. The BBC and private medias have been covering this wildly successful initiative!

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Parliament Parliament Parliament
Written by Arthur Hanover-Norfolk-Stuart, MP for Grey

The House of Commons this past month has seen discussion close on 4 bills and there’s one still on the floor. Though the Speaker has been noted to have concern over activity, the People’s House has been ultimately productive having passed 3 of those 4 bills on to the House of Lords.

First, the Freedom of Information Act, proposed in the previous term, was tabled following the proposal from the Hon. Member for Grey (Australia) that would, rather than create a whole new act, amend a standing one to ensure that the law already on the books was compliant with other laws that it was contradicting.

The Military Intelligence Reform Act (MIRA) Freedom of Information Amendment, as previously discussed, would amend the act to be compliant and expounding by other laws already enacted. It was passed on July 25th.

The Prime Minister’s Succession Act, which would make sweeping changes to the way that Prime Ministers would be succeeded in the event of a resignation, passed the House of Commons on July 29th. It has yet to be passed within the House of Lords but has experienced some amendments already. The bill still being debated was put to the House floor on July 25th and would set ethical standards for official domestic media sources in the region such as out of context quotations and the punishments for breaking those ethics. The bill was proposed by the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister and Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Wales) at the request of a citizen (Mr. Eli Hesial) in her office on July 22nd. Mr. Hesial also wrote the bill.

On July 19th, the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, Madeline Norfolk-Stuart opened the first session of Prime Minister’s Questions. There, while answering questions, also made promises towards guides for the Master Citizenship Maintenance, appointment of a chief mouser at 10 Downing, among other things.

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Deputy PM Takes Mental Holiday
Written by Eliza Poppyseed, BBC News

Recent speculation suggestions that the Deputy PM has been refusing to take his medication since taking office

Prime Minister Norfolk, now in her 4th term and just days into it, has already experienced a few hiccups in her administration, namely, her Deputy Prime Minister entering Parliamentary chambers to report on his duties, but not on the duties one would think.

In a heated conversation and many coming to an agreement that the Speaker of the House of Commons Alistair Stuart was on the right track in rectifying the concern of setting a minimum and rather extreme sentencing, Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Grey, Arthur Norfolk-Hanover-Stuart entered the chambers to report that he had spoken to all the Ministers regarding their Civil Service applications.

Confused and concerned for his well being, the Prime Minister and Speaker pulled the Deputy Prime Minister aside to ensure he was well. The Deputy blinked and realized in horror that he was in fact not in the Prime Minister’s office and was instead in the Commons chambers. “I am so sorry, I thought this was 10 Downing, my driver must have taken me to the wrong address…” to which the Deputy was reminded he drove himself. In a dignified tone, the Deputy exclaimed “I have just finished traveling and I’ve had 2 really productive days I’m entitled to a stupid day”. The Prime Minister and Speaker were seen by a House recordkeeper cracking up as the Speaker adjourned today’s Commons session for Lunch. This event was quickly struck from the record in chambers, but not before this reporter got her hands on it!

During lunch, the Speaker had indicated he “took that drill like a man” as he explained his horrors at the dentist earlier in the morning while the Deputy Prime Minister commented on the Speaker’s behavior must be drug-related. Sources say that the Speaker does not have a drug issue, just a caffeine dependency. The Culture Secretary reminded the Speaker to brush his teeth, but not go too far and floss.

After hearing of what occurred within Commons, the Foreign Secretary smirked “Deputy PM? Mr. Bean? You decide!” to which the Speaker and Deputy Prime Minister began a heated argument over the use of uwu. By-standers at the lunch have indicated that Mr. Hanover-Stuart intends to resurrect the zombie of Andrew Jackson to siege Mr. Stuart’s city. Whatever this means is only known between the two as the rest during the lunch stared blankly at the two.

Upon meeting after lunch concluded, all Secretaries reported that their applications have been updated, and the launch for the new and improved Civil Service is to be announced sometime later this week prior to the first round of Prime Minister’s Questions.

The ambassador and diplomat list has finally received the TLC is needed for organization and an update is set to have finish the drafting stages by the end of the first session of PMQs. The Roleplay Secretary, after making faces towards the Home Secretary, explained that she has been hard at work for a new update within the roleplay, likely military-related as the guide for the roleplay is reaching the end of the drafting stages. The Attorney General happily reported that the Bar Exam is continuing to be improved, when asked about what is next for his staff, he simply stared at the Prime Minister in response, only she knew what that meant. After he insinuated that the Prime Minister was distributing weed to foreign nationals, she concluded it was better to simply allow his shenanigans during meetings and in private, handling business.

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Thank you for reading our July 2019 Update! As always, we invite you to come and visit us in our many outlets where the activities never stop!

[Captain General Norfolk]

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08.08.2019
Operation || Rule Britannia: SUCCESS!!!
Announcement From the Office of the Captain General

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Tonight the Kingdom of Great Britain, along with our friends in The North Pacific, joined forces in an attempt for some good old raiding fun with a small hidden goal (can you figure it out?), which would have made more sense if all targets were hit. We hit 10/13 targets (though point forgot to RO properly on two), jumped 11/13 times, and had a lot of fun!

Regions Under Fire:
Real brgs Bois - Hit
Union de Paises Internacionales – Hit
Land of the Undying Fire – Hit (Forgot RO)
Euernithe – Hit

Boon Lay – Miss (no jump)
RLX World Conquest – Hit (Forgot RO)
I guess it will work – Hit
The United Tacos of El Paso – Hit
Annex of Allied Federation of Nations – Hit
New Khanate of Sudiky – Hit
Neanderthal – Miss (no jump)
ItBeLikeThatSometimes – Hit
Allied States of the New Europe Union – Miss

We are extremely thankful for the NPA joining us on our little operation and look forward to future operations!

Busting British Tea Sippers of the Marine Corps:
Captain General Madeline Norfolk (Trigger)
Colonel Alistair Stuart (Point)
Ensign Zengel Pigwig (Point)
Lance Corporal John Laurens

Proud Planting Cookie Snackers of the NPA:
General QuietDad (Point)
General Zazumo
Captain. Robespierre
Colonel Blue
Sergeant Trondstorm
Lieutenant Queen Yuno
Corporal Rom

GOD SAVE THE KING!

RULE BRITANNIA!

DAD, POINT!

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Signed,
Madeline Norfolk
Captain General of His Majesty’s Marine Corps

[HM Department of Education]

The Kingdom of Great Britain humbly invites you to the Kingdom's Anniversary festival!

Please join us for games and fun as well as a Royal Ball!

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Speech from the Culture Secretary:

"Beautiful People of Britain and friends of KGB welcome to our Anniversary Celebration here in gorgeous Kingston upon Thames as I am the humble Cultural Secretary it gives me great honour to welcome you to our little event, but before I let you party animals loose to partake in our games and merriment, I would be remiss if I didn't talk a little about why my staff has out so much effort into preparing games and other fun goodies for y'all

As we all know KoGB is fantastic place full that has been home to good times. KGB long history dating back to August 13 2013 and it is that long history that makes KGB such a special place that's I ask you now to come join me in celebrating the KGB's birthday where we plan to bring history to life. Look around the festival grounds for games, interviews with members of the Old Guard of the region and some newer members. Thank you!"

Join us in the fun on our forum and discord!

Discord Link: https://discord.gg/vDDWku5

Forum Link: http://kogb.freeforums.net

[George Mountbatten VI]

Do you truly have any friends though?? Or is it a bit of desperation hoping to climb out of that pit I let you all fall in to??

GREAT BRITAIN I'M YOUR ONLY FRIEND, never forget that.

[Captain General Norfolk]

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Office of The Prime Minister
Statement on Attempted Coup in TEP
14.10.2019

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This afternoon, the Prime Minister, Captain General, and Sovereign attended an emergency meeting with the British Council of Wilton Park to discuss the situation in The East Pacific.

The government of The Kingdom of Great Britain vehemently opposes the illegal coup in The East Pacific orchestrated by former Delegate Fedele and his accomplices.
In addition, we condemn in the strongest possible terms his outright refusal to withdraw from the delegacy of The East Pacific, and to allow the legitimately elected Delegate of The East Pacific, Marrabuk, to take their rightful place as the head of their region.
The Kingdom of Great Britain fully support the actions taken by the interregional community to aid the resistance against Fedele and his co-conspirators, and has lately deployed members of His Majesty’s Royal Corps of Marines to assist in this endeavor.

Signed,
King Henry XI
Prime Minister Edward Stuart
Captain General Madeline Norfolk

[HM Department of Education]

Come one, come all!

The Kingdom of Great Britain invites you to join us for a spectacular Masquerade Ball!

Join us on our Forum the weekend of October 26th, 2019!

Citizens and Ambassadors are welcome, as well as guests, who may apply for a Cultural Visa from now until the conclusion of the event to participate in the celebration.

[HM Department of Education]

House of Commons Election Results!

The hustings are over, the ballots are counted, and the results are in. The General Election of February 2020 has been decided, and the following are the winners making up our next House of Commons.

William Rhys Lancaster-Stuart- 23 votes.

Arthur Lancaster-Stuart- 23 votes.

Josephine Lancaster-Stuart- 22 votes.

Alec Norfolk-Stuart - 21 votes.

Zel Norfolk- 18 votes.

Chloe von Westfalen- 15 votes.

Alistair Lancaster-Stuart - 15 votes.

People who missed out were Albert Philip Lancaster-Stuart (BRP) 11 votes, Eli Hesial Rothschild (TPP) 13 votes, Edmund Arthur de Vitre (BRP) 13 votes, John Laurens-Wessex (IND) 11 votes, and John Donald (IND) 8 votes.
The British Royalist Party which faced some criticism during the campaign is vindicated at the ballot box trusted with the voters with six out of the seven seats taking the marginal seat of Scotland from the incumbent Sir Eli of TPP.
The Potato Party lost its only seat and the SDLP did not put forth any candidates during the election leaving the Commons with no organised opposition.
William Rhys’ win sets him up for a strong shot at becoming Prime Minister this term, likely to be confirmed in the House of Commons with the BRP majority but the real test as always will be can he convince the House of Lords.

The Eternal Speaker Gets Dethroned!

The BRP-majority House of Commons has voted to elect BRP’s Josephine Lancaster-Stuart (MP of Wrexham) as the 42nd Session’s Speaker of the House of Commons, ousting the independent Alistair Lancaster-Stuart, who has served during four sessions of Parliament.


Speaker Alistair’s performance in the February 2020 General Election declined sharply from his popular support in the December General Election, in which he went from 20 votes to just 15 votes (7.77%) this time. By contrast, Josephine Lancaster-Stuart earned the highest support in the February Election under the incoming and former Prime Ministers, and is relatively new to the political scene after first being elected in December with 18 votes. It’s likely that she earned the support and trust of her colleagues after a stellar performance in churning out numerous bills and amendments during the 41st Session. After concerns of Speaker Alistair’s temperament last session from anonymous MPs and his poor election performance, the independent Speaker ended up losing the support of his colleagues this time.
We reached out to Speaker Alistair for a comment on his loss, to which he said, “Well, loss as a general concept is a frustrating thing so I guess I'm a bit frustrated over a loss. But I'm not even close to being as upset to this loss as my first one in Session 37. In retrospect I'm kinda happy that it was a loss to such a respectable candidate. As far as the now Rt. Hon. Member for Wrexham's abilities I don't have much doubt. My only advice is to listen to everyone's thoughts and don't rush. A good Speaker is not remembered for how many bills they passed during their tenure, ya know?”


However, there are concerns that the new Speaker will be unable to remain impartial and independent due to her membership in the British Royalist Party, which commands a majority. When asked about the concern by a citizen from the Strangers’ Gallery, Lady Josephine responded, “I often have independent and impartial views in concern to party politics. I vote in what I believe personally and I do not agree with a party line. Last term, every vote I cast was one of independence and I can answer why I voted the way I did on every single one. None of those answers include because I am involved in a party.”


Responding to the same question, Speaker Alistair stated that “a Speaker that belongs to a party will not have the same level of certainty and will not bring the same level of comfort as a Speaker who is politically independent”, and referred to past Sessions in which party-aligned Speakers made such Sessions “erratic”.


One anonymous former MP told the BBC that they were “disappointed” and explained what likely led to his ouster, “I think it’s part of two things. The first was Alistair probably wasn’t supposed to run for Commons this term, and the second is that the BRP is probably struggling organizationally. Despite Alistair being the more preferred option by the citizenry over the inexperienced and at times more combative alternative Josephine, at the end of the day, party lines probably played the biggest part. It is disappointing but could be seen from kilometers away. Alistair didn’t stand a chance simply because their minds were made up before the initial election even started.”


The former MP went on to say about the new Speaker, “I don’t think she can handle it. It was made pretty clear in the Speakership election that she wasn’t interested in being an independent Speaker. Had Edward not spoken up in the Stranger’s Gallery, we wouldn’t have seen any questions despite Alistair nearly begging the House to ask questions, sure Josephine complied to ask, but even her answers show she isn’t ready and won’t be able to be independent or impartial for that matter.”


Another anonymous citizen, on the other hand, praised Speaker Josephine, “I believe the new Speaker will be a breath of fresh air and more pleasant. She has a bright future ahead of her and if her record in the previous term is any indication, she will remain as an active and vital leader for the House and the region as a whole. She may not have intended to run as Speaker since that wasn’t made clear in her campaign, but I trust that she will know how to lead as Speaker while remaining fair between BRP and the independent minority in all rulings.”


With Alistair Lancaster-Stuart on his way out as Attorney General and now being ousted as Speaker by his colleagues, it’s not clear what is next for his future. As the only independent and non-BRP Member of Parliament, he will hopefully keep the British Royalist super-majority accountable.

The House of Commons Pick their Candidate

It was nighttime, a long day of deliberating over the Election of the Speaker of the House of Commons had worn the Members of Parliament thin. However, the government needed a new Prime Minister. The House took a short evening break, eating sandwiches provided by the Westminster Cafeteria. The Members gathered again, and at 11:47 p.m. GMT, the newly-elected Speaker, Rt Hon Josephine Lancaster-Stuart, the Member for Wrexham, opened the nominations for Prime Minister.


Quickly, the popularly-elected and former Prime Minister, Rt Hon Arthur Lancaster-Stuart, nominated former Deputy Prime Minister and former Culture Secretary, Hon William Rhys Lancaster-Stuart, the Member for Bath. The nominee accepted the nomination.


The Speaker started questions by asking about his qualifications to be Prime Minister. Former Speaker, Rt Hon Alistair Lancaster-Stuart, Member for Waterford, followed up by asking about departmental restructuring. Later on, the candidate clarified that Lady Artimedias, would serve both as Deputy Prime Minister and Roleplay Secretary. What followed was a repartee between the candidate and first-term parliamentarian, Hon Chloe von Westfalen, Member for Orkney and Shetland. The MP was concerned that the candidate was not clearly answering her questions. While, the candidate stipulated that he was answering to his ability.


At 6:30 p.m. GMT, Culture Secretary, Hon Member for Quebec, Alec Norfolk-Stuart, motioned to vote on the nominee. It was seconded by the Rt Hon Member for Waterford. The Speaker then opened the vote, and the MP’s voted as follows:

Hon Member for Bath: AYE.

Hon Member for Quebec: AYE.

Hon Member for Orkney and Shetland: AYE.

Hon Member for Paris: AYE.

Rt Hon Member for Waterford: AYE.

Rt Hon Member for Grey: AYE.

Rt Hon Member for Wrexham: AYE.

The nominee then moved to the House of Lords for confirmation.

The Lords Deliberate

His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, opened debate on 10 February 2020, at 10:07 p.m. GMT. Her Highness, Viscountess Flitwick, motioned to summon the candidate to the floor, and it was seconded by Her Lordship, the Lord Lomond. Subsequently, the Prince of Wales ordered the Hon Member for Bath to the floor.


Viscountess Flitwick started questions asking about non-cabinet ministers and foreign relations. Then, His Royal Highness, the Duke of Somerset, orated a number of questions, all of which originated from the Carlisle Test, of his own devising. What followed was a lengthy and thorough questioning led by the Duke of Somerset and Viscountess Flitwick. In the end, the Duke of Somerset motioned to vote, seconded by Viscountess Flitwick, and thirded by the Earl of Peel. The vote was opened by the Prince of Wales. The Lords voted as follows:

Viscountess Flitwick: CONTENT.

Viscount Charlemont: CONTENT.

Earl of Peel: CONTENT.

Lord Lomond: CONTENT.

Viscountess Adderley: CONTENT.

Duke of Somerset: CONTENT.

With his vote, the Duke wrote a speech about the candidate, praising him, “...the nominee that stands before us is a strong one whose party commands a super-majority of the lower House, and is one of the strongest nominees that stand before us to face the Carlisle Test.”

The Prince of Wales: CONTENT.

King's Speech, What to Expect

The King's Speech was delivered on an unusually sunny day, in between winter storms and apocalyptic rains. It doesn't tell us much that hasn't already been said during the campaign or the questioning in Parliament. For me, it simply reinforces the intention of the Prime Minister to do what he set out to do. The reforms to the legal and judicial systems supported by the PM and the BRP will also be a big part of what the government will do this term. I do think that these changes are mostly for the best. However, legalese reforms aren't exactly all that interesting for a lot of people. What will really affect most citizens will be the other two main promises from the government. I expect that the focus on culture and external affairs will lead to renewed activity within the region. I am particularly looking forward to the development of the estates and businesses system as well as the new events in the RP. I believe that those will encourage more people to join the region and more importantly, stay active. All in all, this seems like a solid government agenda which has great potential for our region. It remains to be seen whether the government will live up to our expectations.

The Assembly saw itself with another low maintenance contest with Chloe von Westfalen going up against Edmund Arthur de Vitre. Both ran on similar platforms of continuing the work of the Assembly and encouraging more to become involved as the Assembly continues to evolve from the "Mock Parliament" of its past. At the end of the election, Edmund Arthur de Vitre rose to the top, beating Chloe von Westfalen 13 votes to 12 votes. Following this victory, Mr. de Vitre quickly started his confirmation of his deputy, Miss von Westfalen. Unfortunately, luck was on her side, and she lost the confirmation 5 in favor to 8 against. Mr. de Vitre quickly put forth Arthur Lancaster-Stuart for confirmation, who received 10 in favor and 6 against. Chairman de Vitre is currently on a leave of absence until the 28th.

First Week(s) of Government!

It was the first real week of the William Rhys premiership, and so far things look ok, with William Rhys taking many actions in his first week.



It started with a opening address outside Downing Street, doing the rounds of thank you’s and his first week plans.



The Prime Minister's PMQs went from easy to straight into pressing questions. In his first round, it was easy which makes sense because it was his first, and not much can really be asked. Lord Arthur asking him about his plans which he detailed, and how his day was which was rather standard, Lady Sarah asking about the economy which he said he was paying close attention to, and Rt. Hon. Josephine asking him on his opinion regarding the proposal by one MP to repeal the PMQ’s Act which he didn’t unless a credible alternative was proposed. His second week was slightly more difficult with specified questions on Government activity. Giggles could be heard from the Stranger's Gallery as the Prime Minister reminded Parliament that the Government is in fact not in charge of the University and questions regarding if his government is going to be more active on the forum is unnecessary, especially when the thread that won't go away, the constituency battle sign ups, makes it clear the Government's initiatives to push for more forum activity.


The Prime Minister has issued 3 different persona non grata announcements regarding individuals proven to be dangerous or harmful to the community at large.


Deputy positions, as well as undersecretaries were filled, and opening announcements by departments made. The Foreign Office announced the most changes with the single department splitting into three sub departments under the Foreign Office, each with their own focus to improve the ambassador system, interregional activities, and general upkeep of the Office as a whole.


Home continues to tick along, and the Culture Department has closed sign ups for constituency battles, with an announcement on who is where to be announced by the end of the week.

What's New For Updates?

This term we are trying a few new things!
First, we are going to do our best to distribute updates every two weeks! Why? Because we want our allies and friends to know what we're up to! The government this term has a huge emphasis on cultural events, and we want to do our best to encourage our friends in other regions to join us in the fun!
Second, we've tried to increase our dedication to consistency across platforms! Be it a google doc, a dispatch, a pdf, or even a forum post, we do our best to ensure what you get is consistent across everything!

That does it for this update! For any questions, please reach out to Madeline Norfolk or Reece Lancaster-Stuart for more information!

[HM Department of Education]

Foreign Update || May 2020


King: Henry IX

Prince of Wales: Charles Lancaster-Stuart


Prime Minister: William Rhys Lancaster

Deputy Prime Minister: Crushita T. Telcontar

Internal Affairs Secretary: Madeline Norfolk

Foreign Secretary: Zel Norfolk

Roleplay Secretary: William Rhys Lancaster

Attorney General: Alistair Brandon



World Assembly Delegate: Charles Lancaster-Stuart

Captain General: Madeline Norfolk

A Brief Recap of the House of Commons


At the end of the election, we had the following folks elected:

Arthur E. Somerset (BRP) MP for Grey (Australia)

Crushita Telcontar (LIB) MP for Sault Ste. Marie (Canada)

William Rhys Lancaster-Stuart (BRP) MP for Bath (England)

Peter John de Vitre (BRP) MP for Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (France)

Bailian Lucullus Somerset (BRP) MP for Lagan Valley (Ireland)

Theodore Bedford (BRP) MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Scotland)

Josephine Telcontar (LIB) MP for Wrexham (Wales)


Arthur is arguably the longest serving Member of Parliament. He started back when he won his first election in January of 2019 and since then has made a name for himself in the House as the father of the House, taking over that position shortly after Alistair Brandon took a holiday in the House of Lords before returning to Commons once again. Arthur has written many proposals and has also served as Deputy Speaker a few times before finally taking the mantle this term as Speaker of the House of Commons. He has become a model for the House on how to act and how not to act, avoiding some controversies that have plagued the House of Commons over the last year.

Crushita is one of the oldest members of the Kingdom of Great Britain and with that, can be trusted to know what he is talking about. Crushita has also become the region’s resident grammar fixer because grammatically correct legislation is better legislation! Known by many for the reason why Larry is enshrined by Executive Order and threatening to marry a barrel of cream cheese, Crushita is a breath of fresh and new air for the House of Commons and is projected to do quite well this term as the unofficial leader of the Opposition.

William Rhys or Reece is our current Prime Minister, securing his ballot for a second term, many know Reece as a people person and a people’s compromiser. If you ever wanted to know what people think about you, you can ask Reece and he will tell you, within reason. This skill of his has transferred well into his Premiership but not without some hiccups. Balancing the job as the people’s compromise and Prime Minister has put a toll on his delivering of legislation. In his interview with the BBC, Reece indicated that he didn’t really have any plans for legislation, and preferred working with others to make their legislative ideas a reality. Reece’s hopeful big legislation accomplishment will be the implementation of the Economy, if the Lords ever get around to passing that item, but more on that later.

Peter has been our on again off again Member of Parliament that for a long time we would only see often for a month and then not see him again until six months later. This unfortunate circumstance is attributed mostly to IRL coming to him like a sack of potatoes and knocking him out, but happily returning to welcoming and open arms every time. Since his most recent term, Peter has been an active contributor to the region through many of his comments and ideas made known within the Citizens’ Assembly. With Parliament beginning to dabble in an area that was originally seen as just an Assembly thing, Peter will be able to provide much insight and improvements to whatever proposals come through the House of Commons!

Bailian or Bailey is a returned Member of Parliament and another long time citizen of the region like the previously mentioned Members of Parliament. Known for being Deputy Prime Minister under his father, Edward Somerset, and Home Secretary under his mother, Madeline Norfolk, Bailey provides important insight into the best ways to protect our citizens as well as support the government without agreeing with everything that is done having already shown he will put his ideals first before falling into line with the party.

Theodore is also a returned Member of Parliament, having taken a break from all things politics after failing to be reelected for the 38th term of Parliament. Theodore then took an interest in the church and assisted in setting up the internal legislature within there. With his return, there is excitement as to what he shall be bringing to the table. Theodore will be able to provide perhaps a more moral point of view as well as another new perspective to break up the current mindset in the House of Commons.

Josephine is the last Member of Parliament to be mentioned here and is also a returned Member of Parliament. Josephine has been serving in the House of Commons for a while now as well as in the government until the decision was made to allow for her to focus on Parliament as well as Deputy Chairperson of the Assembly. Josephine has also seemingly switched political parties, which should provide an interesting perspective in the mix of the House of Commons.


Plans for the House of Commons this term includes more laws about Criminal and Civil Offenses, Committees, Constitutional Reform, and much more!


Overall, the House of Commons has been a spitfire of interest and with MidTerm Polls fastly approaching, we at the BBC are excited to see what the citizens have to say about their elected officials.




Government in a Snapshot


The Government so far has been one of the most successful governments this region has seen in a long time.

Between the State Opening of Parliament and the Prime Minister’s first address, a dilemma was hit within cabinet when it was discovered the planned Culture Secretary would be unable to fulfil their duties in the upcoming term. This led Prime Minister Reece to call a cabinet meeting to discuss the options and potential replacements. The idea was then brought forth to combine the two offices into the Office of Internal Affairs which, while not very British in name, has stood out within the region through creating Minister positions below the Secretary and bringing some life back into the Home and Culture Office as a whole. Meanwhile in the Foreign Affairs Office, there is a revitalization in the usage of the World Assembly and further changes to the diplomatic corps to make it more than simply citizens who post updates for the government.

The Attorney General has been hard at work with his Constitutional Committee in revitalizing the Constitution to bring more clarity as well as cut out some of the fat that simply doesn’t need to be Constitutionally enshrined.

A few weeks into the term, it was announced that the Roleplay Secretary would be stepping down to learn more about the office, and the Prime Minister then took over the office. For the first time since the inception we have seen another roleplay be created under this department, and a forum roleplay at that! The theme around this surrounds the events starting in 1947.

The Internal Affairs Office also recently announced the Residency Program, aimed to entice new and returning arrivals of KoGB to get involved in the non political side of the region before committing to citizenship, while also ensuring that citizens who prefer roleplaying can maintain citizenship without necessarily meeting the forum requirement that has led to some citizens losing their spots on the roleplay in the main discord server.

The Residency Program allows for members of the region to participate in Societies, the University, Constituency Battles and soon the roleplays offered by the Government. Over the next week and into MidTerms, we should see more progress made and more integration methods implemented to get citizens and residents in all the knowledge needed for being the best they can be!


Cabinet is Currently:


Crushita Telcontar as Deputy Prime Minister;


Madeline Norfolk as Internal Affairs Secretary ;


Zel Norfolk as Foreign Secretary;


William Rhys Lancaster as Roleplay Secretary;


Alistair Brandon as Attorney General;




Another Round of Name Changing, Let’s Hope It Sticks?


A Royal Decree was passed by the King to hopefully better clarify who is where in the ever growing House of Stuart as well as add some needed class and stature to the name. The Royal Family was split up into five sub groups, which are NOT to be confused as branch houses. Each group is still required to follow the rules of the family and receive permission from the Patriarch for any and all marriages and adoptions.

Edward, and his spawns are known from here forward as the Somersets. With Edward taking a leave from the region, his son, Alec Norfolk-Stuart, assumed the position as first heir, with his brothers Bailey Somerset and Albert Philip Somerset as well as his nephew Arthur Somerset following suit. William Rhys or Reece, and his spawns are known from here forward as the Lancasters, with his only child and beloved son Elisha Lancaster following suit. Crushita and his spawns are known from here forward as the Telcontars, with his eldest son Gatto Telcontar and his daughter Josephine Telcontar following suit. Alistair and his spawns are known from here forward as the Brandons, with his son Philip Brandon following suit. Finally, Juris and his spawns are known from here forward as the Bedfords with his son Theodore Bedford following suit. In addition, Juris’ wife and daughter of Edward Somerset is known as Sarah Bedford. The Prince of Wales and nephew to the King remains known as Charles Lancaster-Stuart, and the other members of the family who hold an HRH or higher are given the allowance to use the name of Lancaster-Stuart at the discretion of the Crown.

If you are still with us, let’s do a quick explanation for why this happened.

It is no secret that NS families tend to grow like weeds in regions, especially when families make friends with other people and like the idea of everyone sharing names. The unfortunate consequence of this is that the House of Lancaster-Stuart also holds some of the most active citizens in the region, with the recent adoption of Theodore Bedford being no exception to this. As a result the header on the forum was plastered with over 20 entries of “Lancaster-Stuart”, this forms a perspective as a citizen can be off putting and make one believe that to be relevant, they must be a part of the family, which is simply not true. The other issue that arises from this is the idea that the Crown is ultimately not as impartial as they may appear to be, which can lead to further issues within the community and in politics in general. As a result of this name changing Decree, the header itself has become one that is more inclusive and hopes to allow for citizens as well as members of the Royal Family to feel more free to be involved without whatever implications one acting under the name “Lancaster-Stuart” can indicate.

We look forward to what the future will bring, and pray to the great Potato that we see no more name changes! We’re still recovering from the Arche to Roth to Kensington move.


MidTerms is approaching next week, which means post MidTerms the government should have a more clear path for the remainder of the term, we ever so look forward to showing you more that we have to offer!


Question for our Friends Abroad:


If you could eat a potato product of your choice (potato bread, baked potato, mashed, fries, etc etc) to eat for the rest of Quarantine, what would it be and why? Bonus if you provide a picture! The citizen tasked to provide this update should have provided their answer below this post!

[HM Department of Education]

BBC News
August 6, 2020
By Elections, Events, and Abdication

By Elections Submitted

Following the resignation from the House of Commons and the Assembly by Theo Theseus to attend to his IRL without the worry of NationStates, a by election was called for the vacant Irish seat in Commons. John “By-Election” Wessex and Eli Hesial both put their names on the ballots and pushed campaigns unique to the current needs of the region. Eli Hesial ran on a campaign to get Commons more efficient as well as holding the Government more accountable while John Laurens-Wessex ran on a campaign on Parliament working better and reform to the Citizens’ Assembly.
John Laurens-Wessex secured a victory once again at the by-election ballot box with 11 votes to Eli Hesial’s 8 votes.

Following the failed confirmation vote of Acting Chair Dewey Norfolk-Stuart, a by election was called to fill the position properly. Madeline Norfolk was the only citizen to put her name on the ballot. She ran on a campaign to make the mock legislature of the Assembly more like a mock legislature, with plans to hold a Charter convention that would establish the internal workings of the Assembly, similar to that of Parliament holding a Constitutional convention, as well as doing a full repeal of all old laws within the Assembly to start “fresh”.
Former Chairs of the Assembly Alec Norfolk-Stuart, Philip Brandon, and Peter John de Vitre all expressed their support in her campaign and it is projected she will obtain the favor of the citizenry to lead the Assembly in whichever way is planned.
The election concluded and while the Assembly awaits the REC to verify the results, Chairwoman Madeline Norfolk has begun discussions in the Assembly.

MidTerm Polls Spark Conversations

The MidTerm Polls this time around have been perceived as more tame than the previous term with only a few individuals being called out unnecessarily and a couple citizens continuing their obsession of simply wanting to burn the Assembly to the ground.
The MidTerm Polls held a special section regarding the at times controversial position of the Roleplay Secretary. More citizens are in agreement that the Secretary position should no longer be cabinet level and the Dev Team itself needing change, but are divided on what change would be the best.
This sparked a response from the Government to share a google poll for citizens to fill out their interest in a character roleplay which would be separate from the State Roleplay. Further responses from the Government will likely occur following the MidTerm Poll results being officialized and condensed into a more readable format. The results from the BBC side including the panel commentary should be posted this upcoming weekend.

His Majesty Announces His Abdication

On Tuesday Afternoon/Evening, King Henry addressed the region in discord regarding the future of the Kingdom and later posted the address on the forum.
On September 4th, the King will abdicate and Charles will assume the duties as King. Having served the Kingdom for many years, King Henry has accomplished a lot for us all since taking the throne unwillingly in 2017.
The BBC will be doing various spotlights to highlight the region’s accomplishments since that point and time, as well as celebrating the community built by our King and the strong and stable hands he is handing the community off to, that being Charles Lancaster the Prince of Wales.
The BBC would like to clarify that King Henry’s abdication is not an indication that he is leaving the region. This will not be a goodbye, this will be the beginning of the next chapter with the community built, and we are so blessed and so thankful that this time, our Monarch is beloved and plans to stay with us after he abdicates.

[HM Department of Education]

The Abdication of HRBM King Henry IX

On August 4th 2020, His Royal Britannic Majesty the King, in a shocking letter, announced that he would be stepping down from duties as Sovereign of the Kingdom of Great Britain. Henry IX ascended the Throne during a time of great strife and uproar, and through it all he stood strong through it all. Much like the in-real-life King George VI, His Majesty never intended to have served as monarch. Yet, he took upon the burden and has served this great region with wisdom, care, and most of all trust. The same day, His Majesty’s Abdication Act (2020) was proposed in the House of Lords. Therein, passionate and grateful speeches echoed in hall of red seats. When it was passed, and sent to the House of Commons, there grew a hush in the normal loud and rowdy chamber of green. And, then, with great somberness, the Members of Parliament followed suit of their counterparts, and gave long speeches thanking the King for his service and dedication.

Originally, His Majesty was to officially abdicate on September 4th; however, due to Hurricane Laura that was extended to the 15th of September, in an emergency amendment in Parliament. The King wrote a letter of thanks in the Joint Session for everyone’s kind words and sentiments. His Royal Highness, Prince Charles Lancaster-Stuart, the Prince of Wales and the King’s nephew, will succeed the Throne. Please, stay posted for Succession and Coronation Announcements, including what the future King will use for his regnal name.

In honor of His Royal Britannic Majesty, here is one of his favorite poems by Dylan Thomas:

“Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,

Because their words had forked no lightning they

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright

Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,

And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

The Previous Parliament - 44th Session

So, what happened last session? Who was involved and what did they do? The Staff Writers of the Foreign Office fill you in now.

The 44th Session brought to us a new Prime Minister but with a familiar face, or is it spud? Crushita Telcontar, the Marquess of Montreal, was the first Prime Minister to be a potato. He ran a diligent campaign that was considered to be rather moderate which comprised on most, if not all, the big issues of the day. The 41st Prime Minister’s tenure began with a bang, having several citizens complaining about his new roleplay policy which was supposed to bring it autonomy from the government. Like his predecessor, he assumed the responsibilities of the Roleplay Secretary. As of yet, the Regional Roleplay remains in flux and citizens still debate on the best approach to its governance. Telcontar’s Government lasted 60 days and was ended under an early dissolution of Parliament. His government strived to keep the peace and made headway on furthering relations with the United Kingdom (NSUK).

The Kingdom of Great Britain’s 44th Parliament, specifically its House of Commons, can be said to have started off with a bang but over time has just seared down to embers. Many bills were proposed at the start of term at a breakneck pace, but now the proposals have somewhat stagnated. At one point, seven bills were open for discussion, but eventually, they were either passed on to the House of Lords or tabled.

As a result of the impending introduction of the economy, several MPs have taken to proposing certain economic legislation before the House. One bill, the Labour and Employment Code was passed to the House of Lords where its confirmation vote failed to pass. Now, however, the Commons debates a bill that will amend the Bank of England Omnibus Acts, the collection of acts which establish the ground rules for the region’s economy, in order to ensure that the Bank of England has the sufficient amount of flexibility to actually establish the economy. The bill, entitled the Economic Reform Amendment Act, was spurred by the publishing of a letter from the Director of the Bank of England which outlined the amendments they wished to see.

The House of Lords has also been quite busy this term. Their first priorities were to deal with legislation passed to them last term without having a final action on them. These included the Commonwealth Regulation Act which was a bill that would have outlined the process for the Kingdom of Great Britain to integrate willing regions or to create regions to become part of their Commonwealth. It was rejected however with the Marquess of Sligo arguing that the treaty making power granted to the executive by the Constitution already provided for the ability for regions to be integrated into a Commonwealth if they were indeed willing to be. There was also an amendment to the Statutory Interpretations and Procedures Act, the act which governs universal language and interpretation of laws within the region, to simplify the definitions in the act. It was amended and returned to the House of Commons where it passed handily.

More recently, the House of Lords passed an act which outlines the powers of the Prime Minister after a new constitution was passed last term of Parliament. Now it’s being hotly debated by the House of Commons along with the Economic Reform Act. One Act, however, has managed to pass both Houses thus far this term: the Amendment to the Popular Parliamentary Proposals Organic Act which, now that it has been passed, has enacted necessary updates to the rather old PPPOA, most importantly bringing it more in line with the new constitution of the region. The Act, which governs procedure and definitions for petitions to members of parliament as well as popular initiatives which require citizen signatures, used to include several provisions related to outdated enactments in the region’s legal codex, but also utilized constitutional citations that no longer exist. With its passage, the Act is now greatly improved and brought into the modern day with its amendment.

The Current Session - 45th

The most recent parliament, the 45th Parliament, was elected on August 14.

Peter John de Vitre was selected as Speaker of the House of Commons, and Theodore Bedford was confirmed as Prime Minister. Sinn Fein has become the opposition party, but not taken steps to formalize this position under the Commons Standing Orders for the Opposition.

The 45th Parliament has already gotten off to a quick start, with many amendments and bills being passed, such as the Civil Code Act, which sets out procedures for Civil Trials within the Kingdom. It has passed out of the Commons and made it to the Lords. An amendment to the Constitution which would further define statutory law vs. Ordinary Law was introduced and is soon to be voted on in the Commons; and the Prime Minister’s Powers Organic Act, which better defines the powers of the Prime Minister passed out of the Commons amended and was sent to the Lords who look poised to amend it further. Other bills which have been introduced included one that would have limited military activity, but this failed in the Commons, and a Joint Resolution that would create a Joint Standing committee on Finance for the purpose of oversight and cross chamber dialog.
The people of the region are now waiting to see what comes next from this Parliament as the term continues on.

Treaty of Britons

A monumental step in Foreign Affairs, the Treaty of Britons formalizes the relationship between The Kingdom of Great Britain and United Kingdom by instating a full treaty between the two regions. In the works for some months it was written by Madeline Norfolk, Crushita Telcontar, Lucas Stewart, Theodore Bedford, and Zel Norfolk; the treaty has passed the House of Commons and proceeded to Lords in the Kingdom of Great Britain, and has been introduced to the House of Commons in United Kingdom.

In bringing it to the floor, the Prime Minister, Theodore Bedford, thanked the previous government for their work in crafting the treaty, and thanked the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of United Kingdom for their hard work. Lucas Stewart, Prime Minister of United Kingdom, expressed the importance of the culture and tradition that the two regions share. We fully expect the treaty to pass with due haste and formalize the great friendship and alliance between these two regions.

An Insight Into Peerages

An Interview with HM the King about Peerages and the expectations that come with them, hosted by Madeline Norfolk.
As many have taken notice to, our region has quite a few peers! But what is a peer? What expectations come with it? How does one become a Peer? We have those answers for you with an exclusive interview with HM the King on it! Without further ado, let’s get started.

Greetings Your Majesty and thank you for joining us this evening. The first thing the people want to know is the following: we’ve noticed that sometimes people will jump from Baron to Earl or receive a Viscount right out the bat, what kind of process do you go through in elevating someone either for the first time or upgrading them to a higher tier?

So, for a first time elevation to the Peerage I don't like giving anybody anything much higher than Earl. There are some special circumstances. But those are special circumstances for a reason. I mean, look at Crush, Edward, and Alistair. All are my sons, but none of them started out with great fancy titles. They earned them over time for hard work.

So, for the regular person, it's usually a choice between Baron and Viscount. I take a long hard look at that person's merits, their actions, how hard they work, this sort of thing. Eventually I seek out Charles' opinion, and other peoples, and after considering it a while more, I select. For an upgrade, that depends. If someone has been doing a kick ass job at being a baron and has gone really well and above the call of duty rather than begging me for a job every two months, I don't mind giving the bump to earl. If not, usually I'll upgrade them to just one tier, because they still do good work, you know? It's all about what you put in.

Love it! Next round is going to be about expectations. Do you hold any expectations for those who are given peerages? And are expectations higher when the peerage is higher?

Yes to both. Service, honor, and loyalty. They've got to serve the region, they've got to be honorable, and they have to be loyal to the crown and to the people. This is especially for the family. Family members with peerages have to pull their own weight. I expect service, I expect time in government, assisting the government, time in parliament, passing and writing good bills, I expect military service where possible, and I expect them to conduct themselves in a manner befitting their station.

Has there ever been a time where a peer has let you down or you have had to go so far as to rescind their titles as a consequence?

There have been times where a peer has let me down, but it is not appropriate to discuss that here. As for rescinding titles, there was a time, which you were privy to, where the situation did get far enough that it was necessary and it was done then and there. In difficult times, I think it is okay to push harder than I originally intend to do.

King giveth, so King can taketh away!

For Peers who skip a level in elevations, would there ever be times where you would bestow a lower peerage to them? For example Bailey was elevated from Baron to Earl, would he ever get a Viscounty?

Probably not. Another thing that goes into me picking peerages, especially if they are extant peerages(ones that actually exist, not ones that I make up as I so often do), I look at a person's family. Do they have heirs? KoGB is rather unique in that our titles are, in large part, inheritable by the legal heirs under KoGB law of their recipients. So, I consider subsidiary titles.

Bailey, for instance. He's Earl of Dunedin, but he also holds the style "Baron Dunedin" and in IRL rules it's not done, and I would give him a viscountcy if this was a real monarchy. But I don't think people will be confused that there is a Baron Dunedin and an Earl. We're pretty clever folks I think. Though, that brings up something even more interesting. I have a habit of also enobling people who marry into the royal family. The Royal Family has a habit of marrying the younger children of peers, the most recent of course being Richard de Vitre and his marriage to Josephine when she was a Lancaster-Stuart.

Well, to give him an even footing, I made him a baronet upon his marriage. But then he left, and that baronetcy reverted to his younger brother Peter John, who he declared to me privately was his legal heir before he departed. Which is another difference, our peers keep their lesser titles, even if it's the same territorial designation, as courtesy titles. Just something I prefer. Charles may not continue it of course, but that's up to him and his heirs and successors.

Last question, and a fan favorite! How do you decide the names?

So, for the lesser titles, barons, viscounts and such I typically find a small village somewhere relatively rural. I will usually speak to the recipient beforehand and get an idea of where they would like the title to be, where their estate is, things like that. Once I've got it, I say different combinations over and over again until I find one I think works out. So, for instance, Madeline, you're the Duchess of York, and I had plans for a Marquessate for you. That was hard, and I hadn't decided by the time you inherited the duchy from Old Henry. But when I made you a countess, that was very fun. You were the Welsh MP for forever, I myself was Welsh MP in British Isles for six consecutive terms. I have a fondness for that country. So, I thought of where your parliamentary constituency was, and then I looked into old governmental subdivisions, the ceremonial counties. And happened upon Denbighshire. The pronunciation was nice. Countess of Denbighshire, Lady Denbighshire, Lady Denbigh for short.

Now, for Earls, I look for large regional cities, for instance, Bath in Somerset for Prince Reece. Or, in Asce's case, the Isle of Mann, with which he has some sort of odd affection that I don't really get. But, whatever floats his boats, right, so long as he sells them to the navy.

For Marquesses, which are a fair bit more exotic sounding, I look for place-names that don't sound particularly English. Marquess of Ellesmere, for instance. Ellesmere is a really small village in Shropshire on the Welsh borders. I have a friend who lived there for a time, and I love the way it sounded. And for Prince Alistair, the Marquess of Sligo.

Now, with Duchies it's a bit different. When I think of making someone a duke, which you'll note I haven't actually done for someone who is here since Edward was made Duke of Somerset, I have to be careful. I try to limit duchies to the Royal Family. It isn't always possible, but that's how I prefer it done, and so when I create a duke I have to think of someplace with Royal interest. For instance, the Duchy of Norfolk. It's my retirement plan with Charles, you see, and the first title I ever held in a British region was Duke of Norfolk. I like the way it sounds, I like the sort of East Anglian quaintness about the place names there. However, the next dukes I will create(and there will be three more in particular) have to be chosen not just because I like the names or whatever, but because they are sufficiently unique to the individual, they have gravitas, ambiance.

That does it for the interview! What are your thoughts on this spotlight? What should we interview the King on next?

Mental Health Is Important, Check Up

With Corona still wrecking havoc upon the world, many of our citizens have been negatively either directly or indirectly affected because of it. Outside of Corona, many of our citizens have been facing hardships with family members. We at the BBC encourage everyone to take a look at what’s going on and decide if this is the right time for you to be as invested, or uninvested, in the region as you are right now.

NationStates will always be here, we promise the region isn’t going anywhere. We want you to be okay, to be safe, and most of all, to be in a good physical and mental headspace. We don’t all have the luxury to have these things, and many of us are having it a lot harsher than we let on in the game, because many of us do not want to intertwine our IRL with NS (and those that succeed are honestly some of the best people I’ve ever met).

Please remember to be more patient with your fellow citizen or friend on the internet during this time. Summer slump aside, we don’t know what situation people are in, and all we can and really should do is our best not to add anymore burdens than what someone is already carrying. If someone hasn’t been online in awhile, aren’t doing their usual thing on the forum, discord, or onsite, try to reach out to them and make sure they’re okay.

Offer help, offer advice. Please do not feel that you need to be in whatever position you have or hold in this region, or any region for that matter, for people to care about you. NationStates should be fun. NationStates should not stress you out.

If NationStates for you has not been fun or has been stressing you out, it might be time to review why you are still in NationStates, and what steps you want to take to prevent further stress or further feelings of unfun. The internet is a magical place, let’s make sure that this community and any community we are in on the internet stays that way.

Check on your people, Check on your not people, Reach out to your people, Reach out to someone you trust. Whatever you decide, remember that this community will always be here, if you need a break, take it. If you need more distractions, ask for it. We are here for you, and that’s a guarantee.

Message from the Prime Minister

“I am deeply humbled to have been appointed as Prime Minister of KoGB, and I look forward to serving in that capacity to the best of my ability. I intend to make sure that Foreign Affairs is not neglected during my time in office. Further if you need any assistance, comments, questions, concerns then please feel free to reach out to your ambassador or ours and we will do the best that we can. I look forward to working with you all in the future. Thank you.”

- Theodore Bedford, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

[HM Department of Education]

With one King stepping down and another taking his place, we invite you to join us in celebrating!

Join us at 12 o’clock PM GMT on the KoGB forum for the coronation!

Then join us afterwards on the KoGB discord for small celebrations!

[HM Department of Education]

HMG Foreign Update

Mid-November 2020

Britons Head to the Polls

Great Britain had a tough General Election to ring in the month of October. The following candidates were elected to the House of Commons:

Frederick Aster (BRP): 21 votes (12.88%)

JayDee Bonaparte (IND): 21 votes (12.88%)

John Laurens-Wessex (IND): 22 votes (13.5%)

Madeline Norfolk (SF): 20 votes (12.27%)

Meritorious J. Tudor (IND): 22 votes (13.5%)

Peter Grey (SF): 23 votes (14.11%)

Theodore Bedford (BRP): 17 votes (10.43%)

Madeline Norfolk of Sinn Fein and JayDee Bonaparte (Independent) joined forces to form the Jaylicious Coalition as the Governing Majority.

A promising newcomer, Frederick Aster won in his first election, and ran on forming a Joint Committee for constitutional revisions, a committee to reform the economy and for parliamentary reforms to require the Speaker of the Commons to be nonpartisan.

JayDee Bonaparte was a Supreme Court Justice at the time of his election, and has previously served as a Prime Minister, Member of Parliament, Lord of Parliament, and Foreign Secretary. He ran on a campaign to protect the “independence of the Prime Minister from the sticky fingers of Parliament”, to take part in the newly formed Joint Law Lords Committee, and to work against the HM Loyal Opposition Act. Bonaparte resigned from the Court on the 29th as per his campaign promise to step down at the two year anniversary of his confirmation as Justice.

John Laurens-Wessex has previously served as Foreign Secretary last term and has been Speaker of the Commons before. He campaigned this term to enact the Incorporated Municipalities Act to further develop the region’s roleplay government with the Citizens’ Assembly, and once again successfully ran for Speaker of the Commons.

Madeline Norfolk needs no introduction, as she has previously served as a Supreme Court Justice, Member of Parliament, Lord of Parliament, and the region’s longest serving Prime Minister over the disgraced former Prime Minister Vac Mercer. She formed a new party called Sinn Fein and decided to once again run for Prime Minister this term. She developed her campaign by describing how she would structure her Cabinet and how her leadership style (which has come under fire in the past) might differ this term, and what would remain the same. Legislatively, she pushed for a newly reformed Criminal and Civil Code, a Naturalization and Visa Act to codify citizenship applications and visas, a new Prime Ministers’ Questions Act, and development of Freedom of Information procedures for declassification of classified information.

Meritorious Tudor served as a Member of Parliament last term, but focused his campaign heavily on economic legislation to supplement the regional economy. He pushed ideas such as an Inheritance and Value Added Tax (VAT), enacting government intervention policy, and a new law to “kickstart” the economy.

Peter Grey is also a promising newcomer who has won his first election this term. He ran in opposition to the HM Loyal Opposition Act’s necessity and for amendments to the British Nationality Act to “enable more freedom for the government to create, control and improve the ability to moderate citizenship and forum access”.

Last but not least, Theodore Bedford, who served as Prime Minister last term, stood for re-election and ran to continue the progress his Government had made with developing ties with the Consortium and United Kingdom, further development of the regional roleplay, and boasted the 131 questions he had answered at Prime Ministers’ Questions, the most in the region’s history. Mr. Bedford suffered a humiliating setback in the General Election with the lowest share of the vote tied with former Speaker Peter John de Vitre. This tie would have triggered a runoff but de Vitre notified the Royal Electoral Commission of his intention to withdraw from the race, ensuring that Bedford would remain in Parliament for the next term.

Following the Election of Commons, the Election of the Prime Minister ensued with Madeline Norfolk and Theodore Bedford going head to head. Questions were asked and answered. Conflict arose as candidate Madeline Norfolk refused to reveal her cabinet picks to Commons, claiming that she wanted to be elected because of her abilities and the Commons trust in her, rather than judging her already known to be less than popular cabinet. Following further debate, the House of Commons elected Madeline Norfolk as their candidate. She then moved to face the House of Lords. The House of Lords brought forth questions regarding the candidate's ability to unify as well as minimize conflict within the region. Having been known in the region for causing conflict, Madeline issued a plea and promise to the House and Parliament as a whole that her intentions are to ensure the future of the region is bright with a fresh cabinet of citizens with potential and the support of the Jaylicious Coalition. She then relayed her cabinet and after further statements made, the Duke of Norfolk, John Lancaster-Stuart, indicated his support for the candidate and the vote then followed. Madeline Norfolk received the approval from the House of Lords and became the Prime Minister. Madeline's opening speech revolved around retention, while her Deputy Prime Minister, JayDee Bonaparte, issued his opening speech revolving around trust.

King Charles III Coronated

On the fourth of October, His Majesty King Charles III was officially coronated at Westminster Abbey by the Archbishop of Canterbury Peter John de Vitre.

The procession of the King and members of the Royal Family departed from Clarence House down The Mall, proceeded through the Household Cavalry Museum and by the Houses of Parliament, and arrived at the Abbey at 7:00am. The ceremonies began at 7:12 as the King entered through the West Door as the choir sang the hymn “I Was Glad” by Francis Pigott and Hubert Parry. After His Majesty took his oath and was enthroned, the church and nobles of the realm paid homage. Leading them, the Archbishop, Duke of Norfolk, Duke of Westmorland, Duke of Somerset, Duchess of York, Marquess of Sligo, Earl of Wellington, Viscountess Eythorne, Baron Vaudemont, and Baronet of Bevis Marks knelt and pronounced their words of Homage. Donning the Imperial Crown and robes, and bearing the Sceptre and Orb, His Majesty made his way to the West Door of the Abbey as the choir and socially distanced audience within the church sang “God Save the King”.

The Royal Procession made its way through the packed streets of London and its cheering crowds to the Palace, where the King and members of the Royal Family appeared on the Balcony to wave to the jovial crowds outside of the gates.

The Legislative Term So Far

The 46th Parliament started off quickly, as proposals from the previous term were sorted, mainly the Gender Protection Amendment, which would have changed the location of a clause prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity, and His Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition Act, which would have formalized the status of an Opposition to the government within Commons. Both items were tabled at the start of the term. The first new proposal of the term was the Speaker Political Neutrality Act, proposed by Frederick Acker, the Member of Parliament for Paris and the Deputy Speaker, which would ban the Speaker from being a member of a party or participating in the events of a Party. The vote failed with 5 nays, 1 aye, and the Speaker abstaining from the vote.

The next bill introduced was the Opposition Standing Orders Repeal Act, which repealed the Standing Orders for His Majesty’s Opposition after it was found to be unconstitutional in the court case Leader of the Opposition v. The House of Commons. The repeal passed without much hassle. At the current debate, the Deputy Prime Minister, Jay Dee Bonaparte proposed an amendment to the standing orders which formalized procedures for referencing members on the House Floor. The Speaker, John Laurens-Wessex, proposed a resolution to create a Joint Ways and Means Committee with the House of Lords to make reforms to the Bank of England Omnibus Act. The Speaker also proposed an amendment to formalize the Opposition within the standing orders. Meritorious Tudor proposed an Income Tax Act which would generate revenue for the Bank of England, and last but not least, a resolution to create a committee to reform the constitution is still being debated. Other items have been proposed since, and with MidTerm Polls rearing its exciting head, it will be exciting to see what comes next!

Cultural Endeavors

Starting on the All Hallows Eve, Culture Secretary Richard de Vitre and the Culture Team organized Great Britain’s annual Halloween Festival for the British people! Citizens took part in an avatar contest, party games such as Scribbl.io and Among Us, Spooky Story time, and an estate Halloween Party!

A special congratulations to His Majesty the King and Mr. Theodore Bedford for winning the avatar contest!

Remembrance Day was quietly celebrated throughout the region with members of Government announcing the recognition of the day, the Church holding a special service, and the Gibraltar Assembly passing a resolution Honouring those who had fallen.

The Kingdom of Great Britain this past week celebrated being the Region of the Week over in Europeia! The week was spent by avoiding international incidents, assassinating the KoGB Prime Minister in Among Us, British Trivia, and Scribbl! Further, a fun radio show was held where Prime Minister Madeline Norfolk and Deputy Prime Minister JayDee Bonaparte met with Pichto and talked about KoGB and Euro. This was an exciting time, especially for KoGB and with that coming to an end, we hope to do more fun things with Euro as well as our other friends abroad!

The Kingdom of Great Britain is also taking part in the UCR Con this year. So far it has been an absolute blast and we look forward to meeting new people, new regions, and making all sorts of new connections!

Prince of Wales Engaged

Clarence House announced that His Royal Highness, Prince William Rhys of Wales is engaged to Ms. Rhea Amburg. Prince William introduced his Ms. Amburg to His Majesty the King before King Henry IX stepped down. Charles, the Prince of Wales at the time, was said to be enchanted by Ms. Amburg and granted the couple his blessing to wed.

The Prince of Wales and Ms. Amburg will be wed at the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris on Christmas Day.

Thank you for reading our Update! As always, we invite you to come to us in our discord or on our forum where the activities never stop!

[HM Department of Education]

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The Change in Parliament by Deputy Prime Minister and Attorney General John Laurens-Wessex

On December 14th, 2020, the Kingdom of Great Britain went to the polls to elect the 47th Imperial Parliament. The candidates were as follows:

Arthur Somerset (IND)
Grey (Australia)
(14.67%)

L. James Shinkle (IND)
Cities of London and Westminster (England)
(14.00%)

Alistair Brandon (IND)
Brandon-Souris (Canada)
(13.33%)

Eli Hesial (Alliance)
Dublin (Ireland)
(12.67%)

Harvey Rudyard (SDP)
La Rochelle (France)
(12.67%)

John Laurens-Wessex (IND)
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth, and Kirkintilloch East (Scotland)
(12.67%)

Theodore Bedford (IND)
Monmouth (Wales)
(11.33%)

For the speakership, John Laurens-Wessex, the incumbent Speaker, stood, along with former Prime Minister Theodore Bedford and former Speaker Alistair Brandon, the longest serving Speaker in regional history. Laurens-Wessex dropped out early, to ensure that the Speaker election would not be deadlocked. Nevertheless, the Speakership election’s first ballot was rendered deadlocked due to an abstention, making the vote 3-3-1. On the second ballot, Theodore Bedford was elected speaker. The subsequent Prime Minister selection was much, much more calm as only one candidate, Former Prime Minister Arthur Somerset was the only candidate to stand, and was swiftly confirmed by both Houses of Parliament. He appointed the following cabinet upon taking office.

Prime Minister: Arthur Somerset
Deputy Prime Minister: John Laurens-Wessex
Foreign Secretary: Edward Somerset
Home Secretary: Sarah Bedford
Culture Secretary: Alec Norfolk-Stuart
Attorney General: John Laurens-Wessex

As of the Writing of this Article, Parliament has gotten to work on Criminal Law reform, electoral reform, and other reforms.

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Gibraltar Assembly by Home Secretary Sarah Bedford

Much activity has been happening in the Gibraltar House of Assembly:

- The Charter of Gibraltar Act is seeing much debate and it creates a Charter for Gibraltar including a Convention on Rights, and an RP Government/Judiciary.
- Royal Gibraltar Police Act creates a police force for Gibraltar and has just had a large amendment added.
- Gibraltarian Electoral Procedures Act is in debate and deals with how elections should be overseen in Gibraltar.
- Clean Land Vehicle Act is at vote and provides for an ordered transition towards a zero-emission including policies suggestions for how to achieve that and safely.
- Vision Zero and Sustainable Safety Act is at debate and deals with the idea that no death or serious injury should be the aim of our streets and roads. It creates the framework towards that objective.
- Gibraltar Armament Act is at debate and was amended in the last session it includes provisions for the defence of Gibraltar.
- The Greater Gibraltar Act which would create a Government for Gibraltar was rejected.
- The Control of Clowns and the Fisheries Act were withdrawn by the proposer for various reasons

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New Year’s Ball by Nosma

In order to cap off the holiday season and send Kingdom of Great Britain into 2021 with a bang, His Royal Britannia Majesty and HM Government hosted a New Years Ball with Conch Kingdom. Remarks were made by the Prime Ministers. It was an overall a fun festivity and KoGB thanks our allies and friends in the Conch Kingdom for helping to make it possible.

[The Moonstar]

Is that where Canton is?

[HM Department of Education]

Early February 2021 Foreign Update

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Royal Marines Conduct First Operations of 2021 to Celebrate Prince’s Upcoming Nuptials
Written by Madeline Norfolk, edited by Edward Somerset

On 3 February, His Majesty's Royal Marine Corps has successfully completed their first operation of 2021.

Following many drinks and pre-gaming at The Banana Box, Marine William Rhys Lancaster suddenly disappeared.

The first bar we hit was The Infinite Dragon, a local dive bar known for their fruity cocktails and lavish hors d'oeuvres. The Marines shared a round of Amaretto Sours and finger sandwiches for fuel.

The next bar the Marines went after was I Don't Even Care Brewery which was unexpectedly closed for the evening. Marine William Rhys Lancaster remained to be unseen. And the Marines began to feel restless, unsure if they will be able to complete the mission without the Guest of Honour in attendance. It was decided to hit the next pub the Prince was known to frequent during his gallivanting days.
The Pietopia Factory, known for their amazing pies and even tastier wines was successfully hit by the Marines where together we cleaned out their supply and took several pies with us onto our next target. Lance Corporal Arthur Elizabeth Somerset was nearly lost after getting into a scuttle with the bouncer who couldn't believe that such a young face could be a simple 40 year old farmer from Ohio. Brigadier Alistair M. Brandon had to step in and distract the bouncer long enough for Lance Corporal Arthur Elizabeth Somerset to get away and join the rest of the groups. Still no sign of Marine William Rhys Lancaster.

It was decided that the Marines would retrace their steps and attempt to locate the missing Marine. Absolutely out of their minds, the company stumbled upon a dark alley where they found themselves in the middle of the Cult of Cthulhu ritual! Captain General Madeline Norfolk took the path in front of her comrades and faithfully exclaimed PRAISE SPUD!!! as she ran through the ritual. To her left she saw none other than Marine William Rhys Lancaster passed out on a couch. After quickly shaking him awake and leading her men through the cult, they settled on their final target for the night.

The Marines ended their evening in a surprisingly empty field where upon looking up at the stars saw none other than the Owohiuchus Star System. Each man took out their flasks, had a few swigs, and finished the pies taken from Pietopia before retiring to the Barracks.

This report is brought to you by:
Captain General Norfolk, Trigger and Party Planner
Brigadier A. Brandon, Point and Bouncer Distractor
Lance Corporal A. Somerset, The One with the Fake
Marine R. Lancaster, Guest of Honour and Best Boi

Hits: 4/5

Targets:
The Infinite Dragon
I Dont Even Care
Pietopia
The Cult of Cthulhu
OwOhiuchus Star System

--------

Night 2 of rounds of tags and the Marines hit 5/5 targets.

Captain General Madeline Norfolk as trigger with Brigadier Alistair M. Brandon and Lance Corporal Arthur Elizabeth Somerset as points.

The Captain General received a vision from the great Grilled Cheesus and Holy Spud informing her of the next mission for the Marines: Finding the Ultimate Meme.

The Marines set forth in search of the Ultimate Meme. Their first stop was at the source of all memes, Meme. The Marines had to battle a group of women doing a revised version of "Gas Peddle" constantly changing "Slow down, grab your bible, pray it like you're trying to make your soul revival". They fought hard and well as one by one the women swooned at the dashingly good looks the Marines had, an Austin Powers type of effect no doubt.
Their second stop Slothland, land of the home, home of the free, and free of the jazzercizes, because they're banned. The Marines had to nearly drag the Captain General out by her ankles after she was found glued to the latest most favored Comfort Food, chicken nuggies. Nonetheless, the Marines pressed forward and hit their next target, Ros Empire, welcomed the Marines with open arms and many... roses.

The Marines nearly abandoned the remainder of their mission until the Lance Corporal began to have an adverse allergic reaction. Following an injection of 3 EpiPens and a brief visit with the travelling physician, the Marines continued forward onto their next target, the Union of Weebs, challenged each of us to our individual dance offs. All it took was an unidentified "Nico Nico Nee" to send most of the weebs swooning and others running in the opposite direction. The Marines shouldered forward to their last target, Yeet.

Horror struck the group when the Brigadier suddenly fell ill, leaving the Lance Corporal in need to lead the final charge and final target. After a grueling fight, the Marines arose victorious.

Flags were placed and Money way won. No sign of the Ultimate Meme... yet

This report is brought to you by:
Captain General Norfolk, Trigger and Resident Karen
Brigadier A. Brandon, Point and Ultimate Gamer Boy
Lance Corporal A. Somerset, 2nd Point and Not the Guy Mentioned in Driver's License

Hits: 5/5

Targets:
Meme
Slothland
Ros Empire
Union of Weebs
Yeet

--------------

Prime Minister Delivers Midterm Address
Written by Edward Somerset

After the release of the midterm polling by the BBC, Prime Minister Arthur Somerset addressed the region in front of 10 Downing Street to lay out the Government’s agenda for the remainder of the term, affirming that he is “quite satisfied” with the progress of his Government so far.

The Prime Minister explained his intention to fulfill his campaign promise to bring the BBC closer to the Ministry of Culture with an executive order with updates, which was subsequently issued the following Monday. With the Electoral Organic Act dealing with Temporary Permits set to pass the House of Commons to the Lords, he also stated that he had an executive order ready to issue upon its passage.

Regarding the Foreign Office and the World Assembly, he set out his intention to have the next foreign update out soon and to set up the responsibilities of the World Assembly Minister. Although some close sources say that there have been internal discussions between 10 Downing Street and the Foreign Secretary on appointing someone to the role, the Prime Minister said he is not seeking to fill the position until the executive order on the WA Minister is issued.

The PM also disclosed that Civil Service Awards have been created with Home Secretary Sarah Bedford, but still need some “refinement”. The Culture Office under Secretary Alec Norfolk-Stuart has been busy with an upcoming WWE event, Movie Night, and spam games. The Home Secretary, who earned the highest marks in the midterm polls, has been hard at work not only with creating the Civil Service Awards, but ensuring that the Master Citizenship and Estates Lists are up to date, Citizen of the Month and Legion of Honor nominations, the executive order on temporary permits, business management, a guide index, RMB activity, and the Home Office’s recent White Paper on strengthening the ministry and its work.

Legislatively, the Prime Minister has set out to prioritize the House of Commons Transition Reform Committee’s work to amend the process of electing a Prime Minister for smoother transitions, as well as amending the Popular Parliamentary Proposals Organic Act, Legal Services Act, and Criminal Code. The Prime Minister has also promised legislation on the floor of the Commons to determine the question on whether to abolish the Commonwealth.

--------------

Supreme Court Rules On Previous Opinion Under New Constitution
Written by Edward Somerset

The Supreme Court on Sunday, 31 January finally ruled in an advisory opinion on the scope of a previous 2019 ruling on administrative and statutory law under the new Constitution passed last year. Lord Advocate Alistair Brandon applied and argued his case before the court in November until early December.

Over the course of the proceedings, the Lord Advocate introduced a new legal doctrine on the limits on what Parliament can and cannot regulate with various types of legislation. Organic laws, or legislation that is classified as constitutional law but serve as a supplement to the written Constitution, did not exist for most of the existence of the previous Constitution- particularly at the time of former Associate Justice JayDee Bonaparte’s landmark advisory opinion in the Administrative v. Statutory Law (2019) case. In Justice Bonaparte’s ruling and under the previous Constitution, Parliament had a more narrow scope from passing legislation that regulated other branches of governance, and all legislation from Parliament aside from constitutional amendments were considered “statutory law”. After last year’s constitutional reforms and with the introduction of organic laws via the new “Necessary and Proper” clauses, the application of this landmark ruling and existing statutes were called into question and regular statutes were classified as “Ordinary Law”. The Lord Advocate thus introduced the Three Regulatory Instances by which a “provision of a law regulates what actions can or cannot be performed and who can or cannot perform actions”: self-regulation, consti-regulation, and orgo-regulation. Self-regulation is when an organ of governance passes a law that regulates its own powers and responsibilities. Consti-regulation is regulation through constitutional amendments. Orgo-regulation is regulation through organic acts of Parliament.

As orgo-regulation, since organic laws are considered constitutional law and given that the previous ruling stated that only constitutional law could regulate other organs of governance, the scope of Parliament’s power to regulate other branches through regular means of passing legislation was expanded whenever Parliament deems it “necessary and proper” to do so. The Supreme Court could be consulted in times of legal controversy to determine if such legislation might be so.

Justice Somerset also asked further questions regarding organic law and his reasoning on how this previous ruling might apply to Royal Decrees under his doctrine and the new Constitution. Although Royal Decrees do indeed mostly have self-regulatory instances as Executive Orders do, the Lord Advocate reasoned, other powers of the Sovereign such as Legislating and amending the Constitution (with the approval of Parliament), suspending the Prime Minister’s authority, and dissolving Parliament are subject to Parliament’s consent or other provisions in the new Constitution. In this, the Lord Advocate stated that certain parts of the previous ruling, particularly where it states that there is “no limit to the scope of Royal Decrees” and have “greater scope”.

With Chief Justice Owen Bonaparte concurring, Justice Somerset ruled in favor of most of the Lord Advocate’s rationale; yet he declined to advise the Lord Advocate on whether Parliament should fix Ordinary Laws that might be in violation of the new Constitution and this new ruling, or if a judicial review should be filed. The Court also upheld the rule under the previous opinion that administrative law cannot contradict statutory law, and that the two classifications of law can expand specific powers granted within the Constitution.

This new landmark advisory opinion has put the ball entirely in the Government and Parliament’s courts on whether to file judicial review or amend legislation en masse.

--------------

Legislative Update | 47th Parliament
Written by Arthur E. Somerset and Edward Somerset

The Electoral Organic Act, having been debated for several weeks, came to a vote yesterday before the House of Commons. Much debate had been occurring surrounding election regulations, namely the introduction of regulation on new citizens to ensure that voters could not be imported and therefore cause fraud in the election. Having obtained a majority of votes, it will pass to the House of Lords for deliberation there.

A hefty Criminal Law Omnibus was proposed some time ago containing many acts within the legislative suite, and the Commons is still taking close consideration of each article. The omnibus seeks to reform and overhaul the criminal justice system within the region.

The Prime Minister also introduced organic legislation that would not only erase mentions of Commonwealth in the Constitution and existing laws, but would bar future Governments and Parliaments from subjugating foreign regions under a form of Commonwealth. It is not clear how this legislation would affect regions captured by the regional military.

There has been a lot of news within the House of Lords as well. Lord Somerset introduced a bill last term to put teeth into summons from Parliament for both current and former public officials after two incidents of officials rejecting parliamentary summons; it finally passed both Houses this term and is the only bill of the 47th Parliament so far to have been sent to the King’s desk for Royal Assent. They also agreed to the bill from the Commons to abolish the economy, which has not been functional for some time now. Since the Lords made a minor amendment to the repeal bill, it goes back to the Commons for final approval before being sent to the King for his signature.

The Lords have also reconfirmed Lord Chief Justice Owen Bonaparte to his current post. Since the new Constitution was passed last year, Justices are now subject to reconfirmation hearings in the Lords every six months. Associate Justice Somerset will face reconfirmation in April.

--------------

Despite Less Legislation On His Desk, King Is Hard at Work
Written by Edward Somerset

His Majesty has been very busy lately. The King granted his assent to the Parliamentary Offenses and Summons Act and approved the Prime Minister’s recent executive order related to the BBC. He also issued several royal decrees updating matters related to royal titles, state secrets, and abdication/ascension. The weekly audiences with the Prime Minister continue, and His Majesty held a conference with members of the House of Lords at St. James’ Palace concerning the progress of the House’s legislative business.

Wedding planning with the Prince of Wales and Lady Rhea Amsburg continue. Clarence House has not yet announced a new date for the wedding, but Prince William is said to be focused on business with the House of Lords, according to a palace insider.

--------------

Leftist Parties Emerge
Written by Edward Somerset

Leftism seems to be on the rise here in Great Britain. After the Socialist Democratic Party (recently renamed to the Progressive Democrats Party) gained a seat in the House of Commons in the last election with Mr. Harvey Rudyard, the formerly independent Deputy Prime Minister John Laurens-Wessex recently formed a new party called the Socialist Party of Great Britain. It is not yet clear what leftist policies Mr. Laurens-Wessex will push in Parliament within the setting of NationStates but if the policies of the PDP are any indication, he may push for reform with the House of Lords and changes with the RP-centric Regional Assembly.

Since the Deputy Prime Minister backs the British Royalist Party’s Prime Minister Arthur Somerset, the Socialist Party has entered a coalition with the Royalists. Many political commentators within the Kingdom pointed out the ideological irony of the coalition.

--------------

New Archbishop Inaugurated
Written by Edward Somerset

After the Archbishop of Canterbury Peter de Vitre lost citizenship after his nation ceased to exist, His Majesty the King appointed the Bishop of London Theodore Bedford as his successor. The Bishop had already been standing in during de Vitre’s leave of absence, overseeing a Christmas service and the King’s wedding ceremony. He was formally inaugurated as the ninth Archbishop of Canterbury on the 31st of January.

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In Memoriam: Captain Sir Thomas Moore
Written by Edward Somerset

This week, the world lost a noble soul. On the second of February, Captain Sir Thomas Moore, 100, passed away after contracting pneumonia and COVID-19. Last year, he was known for his campaign to raise money for the Association of NHS Charities, also known as NHS Charities Together. In the run-up to his centennial birthday, the veteran of World War II began walking in his garden to support the charities with the ultimate goal of raising £1,000. In the end, he ended up helping to raise almost £39 Million after vast media attention. He became the oldest man to have a number one single on the UK Charts after he covered “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. Knighted on the seventeenth of July that year and granted the status of Honorary Colonel of the Army Foundation College, a man of exceptional courage and strength in the face of adversity, fear, and enormous public depression, in both Asia during the greatest war in human history and in Europe during the greatest health crisis of the modern era, entered into eternal rest.

With the many battles of his youth and elder years completed with excellence and chivalry, may he rest in peace.

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Thank you for reading our Update! As always, we invite you to come to us in our discord or on our forum where the activities never stop!

[HM Department of Education]

FOREIGN OFFICE DISPATCH 001—September 2, 2021.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Change in Government:

His Majesty, King Charles III, opted to dissolve Parliament to avoid an unfortunate deadlock between the Legislature and Executive Government, on August 20, 2021. In doing so, an election was declared in which nine (9) candidates put themselves forth for consideration by the public. After a televised debate on the BBC and strong campaigning by all parties, the dust settled and when it did, Madeline Norfolk, Xavier J.V. Lee-Ross, Rhea Amsberg, Theodore Bedford, and Klaus Mikaelson were elected to the Commons. His Majesty then called William, the Prince of Wales, John, Duke of Norfolk, Owen, Duke of Westmoreland, Arnold, Duke of Clarence and Aquitaine, Crushita, Marquess of Montreal, and Arthur, Earl of Grey, to serve the Crown in the esteemed House of Lords.

As the 51st Session of Parliament opened, Xavier J.V. Lee-Ross was elected Speaker of the Commons by a 3-2 margin. Madeline Norfolk remained at that time the only candidate for the Premiership, boosting her chances of becoming our next Prime Minister. As the Session continued on, she laid out her nominees for Cabinet offices, including Klaus Mikaelson as Deputy Prime Minister, Elisha Lancaster-Stuart as Foreign Secretary, Arthur Norfolk-Westfalen as Culture Secretary, Jinwoy as World Assembly Secretary, and a vacant (for the moment) Immigration Secretary position. The BBC will remain under the leadership of L. James Shinkle.

At the time of the publication of this report, anything pertaining to inter-regional relations can be directed to the office of the Foreign Secretary, Elisha Lancaster-Stuart.
Opening statements have been issued by most governmental offices. Quotes include:
From 10 Downing Street: “As one of the many candidates for the House of Commons, I strove to keep my campaign straight and to the point to where I find the most issues within our legislation that has contributed to the overall regional activity drought.
As one of the few candidates left standing for the position of Prime Minister, I strove to continue to focus not on fixing everything at once so that we are back and above where we were in the past, but instead to get us on a path that would allow future candidates for the Premiership variety in their campaign promises.”- Prime Minister Madeline Norfolk
From the Culture Office- “…we will start with the citizen of the month competition, after that things such as games, mysteries, fights to the death could occur at any time. Parties, movies, music, wild bonfires at secret locations. Entertainment functions aside, I will be aiming to bring changes to the role play offices, a reduction of topics clutter, one official RP creation application, one topic of requirements and rules for RPing.” – Culture Secretary Arthur
From the Foreign Office: “This term, what I hope to accomplish is an overhaul of the Foreign Office. The FO will be releasing monthly updates to our embassies and consulates, as well as meeting with heads of state and foreign policy officers of other regions to ensure the continuity of our foreign relations. The Foreign Office will also be preparing to host two state visits, including for the signing of a treaty. We look forward to a new era of peace and energy within our foreign relations.” Foreign Secretary Elisha Lancaster-Stuart
Miscellaneous Regional News:

The Kingdom of Great Britain now has an official Minecraft Server! If you wish to participate, stop by the forum for more information!

We want to thank Madeline Norfolk for her work in organizing the recent Extravaganza Festival that has just concluded! Stay tuned for more fun events hosted within the Kingdom of Great Britain!

The region is now hosting a weekly movie night! Every Tuesday this term at 5PM MST in the discord server!

Thank you for reading the August update. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Foreign Office.

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[Miss Madeline]

Good afternoon, morning, evening… whatever time it is for you folks.

As the current Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Great Britain, the longest serving, and most importantly a woman, I represent a lot of what the former King of Irrationality (Don) and former Prime Minister of Gross Incompetence (Vac) distaste.

To add another feather in my hat filled with their hatred of things, I hereby formally announce a CEASEFIRE against The Grey Wardens. It has been 6 years and 10 days since the war was declared, I only heard about it recently, documents were lost when we switched forums, it must have not been that important!

Clearly there was too much testosterone in the room the day it was decided a war was a good idea to begin the process of burning all the bridges.
To allow everyone to just MOVE ON, also so that we can also be potatoes, please let it be known we have no ill will towards the The Grey Wardens, I of course prefer the purple wardens as they have far more stylish outfits but I don’t hold that against the grey wardens, have you seen what Tim wears on a night on the town? Yikes! (Just kidding Tim please don’t ban me ily and you are very stylish.)

The Kingdom of Great Britain hasn’t been Imperial in a long time, nor have we strictly been Raiders… or really anything, call us independents if you really want a label!

As the Captain General of the Corps of Marines, I also understand that the numbers simply aren’t there to really accomplish the wishes of the irrational past, which was to of course take over The Grey Wardens and reinstate them as The Navy Wardens, a new branch of the regional military.
To end this clearly random declaration of peace, please allow me to show you all the upcoming resolution I’ll have Parliament approve with our King’s blessing (which he also said I was allowed to post this don’t sue me)

Long time coming? Always is. But hey Potatoes are cool and The Grey Wardens are almost as cool as Potatoes!

A Royal Resolution to Parliament

WHEREAS, the region and military organization known as The Grey Wardens has for a long time opposed the actions of Imperialism and Raiderism on NationStates,

AND, that they have time and time again interfered with His Majesty's Corps of Royal Marines, that august body which defends the interests of the Kingdom of Great Britain abroad,

AND, that The Grey Wardens have consistently impeded, irritated, and attacked our allies,

UNDERSTANDING that we, the Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain, under Article III, Section E, Subsection 5, have the necessary ability to authorize any Declaration of War made by His Majesty the King,

AND given that His Majesty the King has requested we perform our duty under the Constitution as relayed above,

HEREBY DO DECLARE AND ANNOUNCE THAT a State of War now exists between the Kingdom of Great Britain and The Grey Wardens, and that we do humbly beseech the citizenry of our region to join His Majesty's Royal Corps of Marines in the hopes of ending this conflict in a stunning victory.

A Royal Resolution to Parliament

WHEREAS, the region and military organization known as The Grey Wardens has for a long time continued to ignore the nonsense caused by poor choices of previous of KoGB Leadership,

AND, that they have time and time again purposefully ignored us unless it is to flex their defenderism,

AND, that The Grey Wardens have remain consistent in their stances where we have not

UNDERSTANDING that we, the Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain, under Article III, Section E, have the necessary ability to authorize any Declaration of Peace made by His Majesty the King,

AND given that His Majesty the King has requested we perform our duty under the Constitution as relayed above,

HEREBY DO DECLARE AND ANNOUNCE THAT a State of Peace now exists between the Kingdom of Great Britain and The Grey Wardens, and that we do humbly beseech the citizenry of our region to grab a drink with a Warden some time.