Tumbra 2-2 Baker Park
TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - Scott; 2 - Boullogne (18 - Tate, 62'), 4 - Sears (14 - Connolly, 75'), 20 - Edmonds, 3 - McReary; 6 - Hovhannisyan (16 - Searle, 62'), 8 - Makeba, 10 - de Vries (25 - Sváfnisson, 75'); 7 - Frecklington, 9 - Hoffman; 11 - Starling (26 - Elliot, 82')
TMB scorers: Lynette Frecklington (18'), Jean Starling (39')
Player of the Match: Angela Makeba [TMB]
largely follows the structure of this rp because i am creatively bankrupt
THE BIG PICTURE
. LNP LAB ALL MOD SDP CON TOT
North-East 68 99 22 3 192
North-West 80 49 4 3 1 137
Central 72 51 18 1 142
South-East 42 45 7 2 3 1 100
South-West 56 14 6 3 79
Totals 318 258 57 12 3 2 650
THE HEADLINES
Broadsheets
The Couno Herald: Six-Month Stalemate Broken As Liberals Eke Out Victory
Williams to form government with Moderate support ◆ Alliance break through but held back by electoral system ◆ Kirkland to resign as Labour leader
The Serrapince Post: "Now Is The Time For Decisive Action" Says Prime-Minister Elect
Boyd confirms Moderate support for Williams ◉ Victory to end six months of government inaction ◉ Alliance achieve best result for third-party since 1906
The Straton Times: Williams Brings End To Decade-Long Labour Government; Promises "Decisive Action"
International Dev't ministry may survive ✦ Andrews, Campbell seen as possible Labour leadership contenders ✦ Alliance flip Roncaster in surprise victory
The Kingsbury Tribune: "No Time To Waste" On Issues of Economy, Northlands, Jabal Akhdar
87% turnout marks lowest since compulsory voting introduced ✯ Moderates likely to be given Cabinet position ✯ Williams to name Cabinet on Monday
The Millsburgh Chronicle: The West Stays Blue
Comment: With power comes a responsibility to deliver for the West ⬤ Williams, Cabinet likely to be sworn in Tuesday ⬤ Moderates regain Ridgewell Woodleigh in shock victory
The Bencoolen Globe: Bencoolen Goes Green
Alliance sweep all six Bencoolen seats ▣ Granger calls for electoral reform in victory speech ▣ Questions remain over whether Alliance obstinacy led to Liberal government
Tabloids
The National Enquirer: WE ARE DOOMED
Eight Seats Flip; Enough To Give Libs Majority ◆ Here's What Will Happen To Tumbra ◆ Alliance To Blame For This
The Hawk: CELEBRATE! THE LIGHTS ARE TO STAY ON
TUMBRA SAVED AT LAST ∎ VOTERS REJECT SOCIALISTS, EMBRACE FREEDOM ∎ NOW THINGS WILL FINALLY WORK AGAIN
The Daily Star: "I DIDN'T CHEAT ON SAM" SAYS LUCY BRIGHAM
BingBong Star Starts Racy XclusivMe Account ★ Finney On Verge Of Huge Transfer To Serrapince ★ Hertel Seen Partying In Couno ★ Yoko Asamiya To Tour Tumbra; Really Means Couno, Straton And Lakewood
THE BIG STORY
From the Tumbran Broadcasting Corporation
STRATON — IT may have taken two elections, and he still finds himself without a majority in Parliament; but Stephen Williams will become the 32nd Prime Minister of Tumbra after the Liberal/National coalition won 318 seats on Saturday. With support from the centrist Moderate Party confirmed a few hours after the result became apparent, Williams proclaimed victory to a packed crowd in Millsburgh.
"After six months of politicking and twelve years under a Labour government, Tumbra will finally be able to move again," said the Prime Minister-elect. "Now is the time for decisive action; we have no time to waste on the issues of the day that confront us." Williams is expected to be sworn into office on Tuesday after a parliamentary vote of confidence. His government will have to battle inflation, which has put a brake on continued economic growth; as well as continuing the program to expand Tumbra's borders in the Northlands. Geopolitically, he will have to balance ties between Atlantian Oceania and Rushmori power Graentfjall; with the latter nation having embarked on a bombing campaign in the desert nation of Jabal Akhdar. Williams is, however, widely expected to declare support for the Pavloan nation, which might ruffle feathers both in Oceania and closer to home.
His opposite number, Prime Minister Michael Kirkland, conceded defeat early in the night when it became clear that Labour had no path to a majority. In his concession speech, he thanked the party faithful for their support; and announced his intention to step down as Labour leader with immediate effect. The current deputy leader of the Labour Party, Bertram Andrews, will take over as interim leader; and speculation that he will run for the leadership is rife. Other contenders include the Minister for Commerce and youngest-ever full Minister, Sandra Campbell; and the former Home Affairs Minister, Hugh Whittaker, who was defeated in his constituency of Strand in April but re-entered Parliament as the MP for Franport Lusidel.
The biggest winner of the night, however, turned out to be the Progressive-Green Alliance; which gained seventeen seats, most of them from Labour, and won a fifth of the popular vote. Cressida Granger, the leader of the Alliance, spoke in Bencoolen; proclaiming that this was "the first step in the road to Straton," and that this result set a "firm benchmark" for future performances by the Alliance. In a campaign that was more low-key than April's and had much less attention paid to it, Granger's calls for an end to the hostilities in the Northlands drew attention to the party amongst young people; and in exit polls, 33% of voters aged 18-24 said they had voted for the Alliance.
Yet there were also calls for reform; Granger in particular called for electoral reform after her party won a fifth of the vote and only a tenth of the seats available in Parliament. Electoral reform is set to become a topic of discussion in the 50th Parliament, thanks to the furore over the Conservative Party; and she pledged that reforming the voting system in the House of Representatives would be the Alliance's top priority in those discussions over the Constitution.
In what was possibly a matter of concern for some, voting turnout dipped by five points to just 87%; the lowest since compulsory voting was introduced in 1906. Professor Martin Richardson of the National University of Tumbra, speaking during the Tumbran Broadcasting Corporation's election coverage, however, stated that this was no cause for worry. "I think that given four years, those that stayed home today will return to the polls. What we're seeing tonight is more people being burned out by the constant noise of politics; and they've chosen to tune out entirely by not voting. I am fairly confident, given that this Parliament serves its full four-year term, that turnout will increase again next election."
One thing that stayed constant throughout, however, was the number of community events at polling booths; the hashtag #PetsAtPollingPlaces was trending on twii.tur throughout Polling Day, while each of the major party leaders were spotted enjoying food at community-run stalls selling food and drinks.
"Regardless of who wins, at least I'll always have my dog and democracy sausage," said twii.tur user @kevjones05.
THE MAPS