Luthori

[Ligbruderkrieg]

Imperial Family to attend Hutorian King and Queen's funeral amid unfortunate demise; Government announces half-mast flags on funeral day.
November 5651 (backdated)

Fort William - The Imperial Household Ministry has today announced that the Emperor, Empress and rest of the Luthorian imperial family "stood in solidarity" with the Hutorian royal family and the Hutorian people amid reports stating that the plane of King Alexander III and Queen Madeline had crashed in the Hutorian mountains in the Province of Lagard. The Emperor-King and Empress-Queen having reportedly sent a letter directly to the new Hutorian Queen, Arianna, expressing theirs and the Luthorian people's condolences to the Hutorian royal family and people, and offering their support in this difficult phase for the Hutorian royals.

The Luthorian Prime Minister, Lord Windbury also expressed his condolences to the Hutorian royals through a statement to the press and his signing of the Book of Condolences in the Hutorian High Commission in Fort William. He also met with the Hutorian High Commissioner in Fort William during his visit of the High Commission. During this meeting, he confirmed that officials from the Luthorian Government would be present at the funeral, alongside members of the Imperial family.

The Emperor and Empress, alongside their three children will attend the funeral of King Alexander and Queen Madeline, alongside other members of the imperial family and members of the government. The funeral will be the first external engagement of both Prince William (11), Princess Sarah and Prince Andrew (2) and the first time where the imperial couple will take their children in a foreign visit ever since the birth of their eldest son. Alongside the monarch and consort, the Princess Royal and Duke of Swanbord, respectively the Emperor's mother and father will also travel alongside their children at the funeral, marking the first major royal engagement from the Princess Royal ever since her announcement that she wouldn't take the Crown.

The monarch's brother and sister, the Grand Duke of Northriding and the Duchess of Tideshall and their respective families have been announced as being a part of the family's travel, in order to express their condolences and deep respect for the Hutorian people by attending the funeral ceremony. The Imperial Household also hinted at a potential presence of the Luthorian imperial family at the Queen's coronation in some months, but refused to comment publicly on this matter, stating that the "time wasn't for this".

Officials from the Luthorian Government are also expected to be coming, with the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Luthorian High Commissioner to the Kingdom of Hutori and other officials attending. The Prime Minister's Office also announced that flags of the Luthorian Empire were to be held at half-mast during the day of the funeral in every public spaces across the Realm.

[Ligbruderkrieg]

Banned Communist Party sends "congratulatory" letter to Bae socialists after successful overthrow of monarchy.
August 5648 (backdated - thanks to Iltam)



The Communist Party of Luthori, normally illegal under the provisions of the Democratic Process Stabilization Act, has once again succeded at making itself heard even with the heavy restrictions being imposed on it. While no Communist party leader tried to talk on national media, it was an action from the party that raised eyebrows or concern. As many of you would know, the Kingdom of Great Bae, also known as Baeguk internationally, has seen its internationally-recognised royalist government being overthrown from power by communist and socialist forces, who then promptly proclaimed the formation of the "Democratic People's Republic of Drania", under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Drania, a socialist-aligned organisation.

In Luthori, while trade with Baeguk declined over recent years amid economic hardships and uncertainty surrounding the nation, the news still was received with panic in financial markets, the Fort William Stock Exchange recording net losses for corporations index such as Ward Financial Holdings and the Martwick-Alchester Banking Corporation, among others. The instability and uncertainty in the markets has only been made worse by the Luthorian Government's overall unwillingness to react to the events in Western Dovani, as, as shown numerous times before, the Cabinet is split between a hawkish line and a moderate line, with the Prime Minister, although leaning on the moderate side, seemingly unwilling to act.

The Communist Party recently sent a letter signed by most members of its "Politburo", the highest-ranking members of the Communist Party of Luthori, with the General-Secretary, Deputy General Secretary and other high figures within the party signing this letter. In this, the high-ranking members of the Communist Party extended their "warmest" congratulations to the "proletariat of Baeguk" to have "broke the chains of reaction and repression", stating that the "overthrow of all tyrants should be the highest priority of all communist movements around the world". Moreover, the letter included qualifications of the Kingdom of Great Bae's government as being "authoritarian" and "tyrannical". These qualifications, while being true for the recent decades of the Kingdom, which have been marked by severe economic decline and democratic backsliding, aren't holding on for most of the Kingdom's existence, where an genuine democratic state existed until recent events.

"...The assassination of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, turned regent, assumption of emergency powers, coupled with a genuine distrust of the imperial family in Baeguk after years of scandals and with an economy in freefall, basically created the seeds for a republican revolution and assumption of power, but that said republican assumption of power has been more radical could have first thought...", stated foreign political and historical professor, Dr. Oliver Cramm, officiating at the University of Fort William. Furthermore, he stated, that the "collapse in such a bloodless fashion of the Kingdom was [...] the least likely outcome, most indicator either pointed towards a military takeover of the government or, in a far worse case scenario, the outbreak of an all-out civil war..."

The CPL's General Secretary, Peter Duce, stated that the Communist Party "only recognised the struggle against a tyrannical regime" and moreover, hadn't made any implications hinting towards the Luthorian situation, stating that the Communist Party "hoped" to be "finally allowed" to represent the "voices of millions of Luthorians who aren't heard" in the ballot box. Dr. Cramm for his part, stated that the Communist Party of Luthori's reaction was "merely normal", as the Home Secretary's condemnation of the Democratic Process Stabilization Act earlier this year opened debate about the potential repeal of the law, and that "letting know vocally that what happened in Baeguk should happen is just going to phase studies of the Bill for the foreseeable future, harming and crippling the Communist Party's chances at legalisation..."

In reaction to the events in Baeguk, a Conservative peer, Lord James Brooke, pushed forward a motion to suspend the Committee tasked with the repeal of the Democratic Process Stabilization Act, at least, according to him, "until the international and domestic political situation allows for such a move", the motion has been defeated in the upper house, with most Conservatives even voting against.

[Ligbruderkrieg]

Empress gives birth to false twins, Prince and Princess are born, Imperial Household says.
March 5650



The Imperial Household Ministry today confirmed that Her Imperial and Royal Majesty, Empress-Queen Valeria had given birth to false twins, one boy and a girl. The Emperor and Empress decided that the birth of the two princes was to be held in a private manner, in stark contrast to the pomp and ceremony surrounding the birth of Prince William, back in 5640. The Empress, due to the pregnancy, scaled back her official engagements to a minimum to "preserve her health", according to a statement from the Imperial Household Ministry, missing out on key events such as Tropping the Colour (celebrating Emperor Richard's Official Birthday) and the 5649 and 5650 State Openings of Parliament, the Empress will also miss Remembrance Day on April 1st. 

With these new royal babies, the Imperial Family grew from 3 members to five, with the Emperor and Empress at its core, Prince William and the two new prince and princess. Even though the Empress' physicians discouraged her from going to give birth at the Imperial Elizabeth Medical Center, so as to avoid "complications related to Her Majesty's health" according a trustworthy source within the Imperial Household. The Empress nevertheless took time to present her new babies to the press, as is Luthorian tradition, the Imperial Household also communicated on the twins' name, the boy was named Andrew, while the girl was named Sarah. Prince William has a 10-year gap with his little brother and sister, yet, when asked about how he felt about his mother's pregnancy in March, he stated in a jovial tone that he was "super excited to see [his] siblings". 

The birth of the two royal babies was held in strict intimacy at Stretton Castle, the monarch's official residence in the Grand Duchy of Erneshire, occupying that official spot with Rottingham Palace, which holds the nonetheless prestigious title of the monarch's summer holiday palace. Due to concern from doctors over Her Imperial Majesty's health, it was decided that taking on the long journey towards the Imperial Elizabeth Medical Center was not worth it, and other options such as Martyn Luthor's Hospital in Alchester were rejected. It was decided that like the birth of then Prince Richard to his mother, the Princess Royal, that the Empress-Queen would give birth in the Castle itself and that a specialised medical center would be set up within the Castle to help with the delivery.

Both babies were born relatively at the same hour, with Prince Andrew being the firstborn nonetheless, being born at 5:27 pm, according to the statement from the Imperial Household, while Princess Sarah was born at 5:51 pm. The Imperial Household also stated that the Empress was in "good health yet nonetheless under supervision" from her physicians in the aftermath of this double delivery, the two newborns were stated to be in "good health" by the Household. Emperor Richard II and the rest of the imperial family privately visited the newborn babies and their mother, with the Emperor being, according to sources within the Palace "overjoyed" and "likely wept" upon seeing his two children. 

The Imperial Household also stated that as of now, except if an imperial proclamation was decreed upon the styles and titles of the two newborn royals, they would, as of now, not hold any titles, at the difference of the Prince William, who as the eldest child of the Sovereign, automatically became Prince of Orange, Duke of Armstead and Porsley. Princess Sarah seems likely, upon the death of her grandmother, the Princess Royal, to succeed her title if the Sovereign wishes for it. Prince Andrew, for his part, might see yet another creation of a Peerage for him, most likely, the Duchy of Alchester.

The Imperial Household announced that the christening of the two princes will take place at the St. Peter Chapel at Rottingham Palace, where the monarch and his family will reside during the summer holidays, on July 3rd, 5640.

[Ligbruderkrieg]

Imperial Household announces state visit in Istalia.
November 5656



The Imperial Household Ministry today communicated that the Emperor and Empress would undertake a state visit in the Imperial State of Istalia, where the Imperial Household stated that a Luthorian state visit was already in the works since "some years", the Emperor and Empress, alongside their family will be hosted by the Luthorian Ambassador to the Istalian Empire in the Luthorian Embassy. During this trip, meant to "rekindle the friendship that Luthori and Istalia once shared", the Emperor and Empress will be received by Grand Prince of the Crown Tommaso and his wife, Grand Princess of the Crown Melissa at the Torre Torrida's Military Airport, before setting off towards Romula, where they will be greeted by His Majesty, Emperor Alessandro V and his wife, Empress Claudia.

The Emperor and Empress' arrival would then be celebrated with a State Dinner hosted by Emperor Alessandro and Empress Claudia in honor of their guests, both Emperors would then address their remarks at the State Dinner, Emperor Richard II's address would focus on the "similarities of Luthorians and Istalians alike" concerning issues such as the role of the monarchy and their shared committment to democratic values, alongside their rich cultural and historical heritage. Following this State Dinner, the Emperor and Empress would finish their first day in Istalia by going to the Luthorian Embassy and greeting every single employee working for the Crown through the Foreign Office.

For their second day in Istalia, the Emperor and Empress would undertook numerous visits in Romula's numerous political landmarks, the Emperor and Empress will visit the Amphitheater of Alsemet the Great (IRL: The Coliseum), the Archbasilica of St. Matthias the Baptist to the Walls (IRL: Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran), seat of the Aurorian Church in Istalia, where the Emperor will meet the Patriarch of the Aurorian Church in Istalia, other places visited by the monarch will be the National Museum of Istalian History (IRL: Royal Palace of Madrid) and the National Gallery of Modern Art. It is still unclear whether or not Emperor Richard and Empress Valeria will be accompagnied by Emperor Alessandro and Empress Claudia or Grand Crown Prince Tommaso and Grand Princess Melissa during these tours, the Istalian Imperial Household having been left to decide after the agreement on the state visit was found with the Imperial Household Ministry in Luthori. 

During that same day, the Emperor and Empress will be with their respective Istalian counterpart in various visits, the Imperial Household Ministry having announced that the Empresses, Claudia and Valeria would both visit an association whose goal is to raise awareness and offer support to women in the aftermath of a trumatic event, be it domestic abuse, emotional, rape or others, this visit goes in line with Her Majesty's committment to the care of women around the World and especially in her domains of Luthori and Mordusia, where the Empress, as Honourary President of the Luthorian Women's Organization, has since the beginning of her reign pushed for greater female empowerment and bigger penalities against rapists, domestic abusers and sexists. Meanwhile, Emperor Richard II and Emperor Alessandro would both meet with Veteran organisations, while the Istalian Wars ended in 5620 with the victory of the Imperial government over its rivals, the number of veterans of the war, while shrinking day by day, is still numerous. Emperor Richard is expected to also visit a memorial dedicated to the fallen of the Istalian War of Unification.

Afterwards, the imperial couple is expected to leave for Luthori.

[Ligbruderkrieg]

Luthori and Dundorf signs comprehensive agreement on university and education cooperation.
February 5657



The Luthorian and Dundorfian Governments have collectively announced that the last details of an agreement meant to "lay the groundwork for education cooperation" between both Artanian states. The agreement, speerheaded by the Education Secretary and the Foreign Secretary, aimed at boosting confidence and trust in Dundorfian-Luthorian bilateral relations in the aftermath of the Second Kundrati War. Foreign Secretary Jonathan Powers and Education Secretary Dr. J. B. Custing were present at the ceremony of the treaty's signature. The Education Secretary addressed the audience by delivering his remarks in the aftermath of the signature of this "groundbreaking" bilateral agreement between both nations.

It is an agreement that we [the Luthorian Government] are quite happy with. It allows our and Dundorfian student to freely access both nations' upper education system in an agreement meant to facilitate the bureaucratic process with the aim of facilitate the sharing of knowledge and culture between our nations' future minds. [...] This is an agreement which goes beyond our cultural division, meant at laying the groundwork for a more equal, a more united continent and of course, continuing our work to preserve peace in the continent and ensuring our continuing prosperity.

The agreement states that, through this agreement, a collaborative program would be enacted between select Luthorian and Dundorfian universities, with the ambitions of expanding the program towards the entire network higher educations institutions in either parties. It focus on the construction of long-term working relationships between the two Artanian powers' vast university network, by allowing students from either, regardless of nationalities to benefit from the program, by spending between a semester and a full university year in either Dundorf or Luthori. The Department of Education and the Dundorfian Ministry of Education have agreed at the inclusion of a clause which states that both government will have the responsibility for financially supporting its students abroad, with the Luthorians announcing that a check of £300 to £500 will be given to the Luthorian students studying in Dundorf, with the stated objective being to "bring a economical boost to every students".

The Dundorfian and Luthorian governments have not hidden their commitment and hope that this bilateral agreement gradually transforms into a multilateral agreement with a scope focused around Artania. The Foreign Secretary, Mr. Powers reaffirmed this commitment in his closing remarks related to the signature of this historical agreement.

Artania, poor continent. Our continent has suffered too much under the collective suffering of war. Two wars in less than 20 years rocked the Artanian continent to its core, with millions losing their lifes due to bigoted ideologies and the uncompromising nature of some. Today, this agreement is hopefully the first step in the construction of a more hopeful, respectful and united continent, by allowing our young populations, our futures, to better know and understand each other.

The agreement states that further negociations would need to be held between both governments over the overall structure of the organisations that would be tasked over the overall organisation of the agreement's program, although as of now, an interim organisation, focused around the collaboration between both states' governments has been put in place as a temporary measure.

The changes brought by the signature comes as a ray of hope for many, a step towards the right direction for others, numerous teachers and students organisations and unions, even those normallh critical of the Government have praised the signature of the bilateral Dundorfian-Luthorian agreement, with the United Teachers Union (UTU) which praised the agreement, which also made headways into teachers being transferred for one year, as being "remarkable", praising the signatories into "allow free minds to travel freely and bring their ideals and potential expertise into both nations". 

This agreement comes also in a context where Kundrati-Luthorian relations are at the brink of collapse, with the Luthorian Government reacting firmly to the Kundratijians' accusations. Foreign Office Deputy Spokesperson, Mrs. Catherine Benowitz-Taylor offered the Foreign Office's views on the matter.

When a nation experiences difficulty in the economic level, the first reflex of its government is to accuse foreign actors of having "manipulated its economy".

This is, of course, completely ridiculous and that the Foreign Office once again stresses that the neither the Luthorian Government nor any actors from Luthori contributed in any way to the Kasaema Stock Exchange's collapse some months ago.

His Majesty's Government is, although, concerned about the situation in the nation, where crime becomes rampant and the security of Luthorian citizens is no longer assured. His Majesty's Government will continue to put in a paramount place, the security of Luthorians abroad in its foreign policy. As such, we are considering a potential operation aimed at evacuating Luthorian citizens who are wishing for it.

That would be all that we have to say for now.

[Ligbruderkrieg]

Porchey Administration announces "review" of potential DPSA repeal law by Cabinet.
May 5658

The Porchey Administration's Department of Justice released today a statement confirming that the Political Overture and Fair Competition Act had completed the first part of its journey, the drafting stage, with its contents being transferred to the Cabinet to be reviewed during the next Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, before being brought forward to the Parliamentary Constitutional Review Committee for further scrutiny. The Administration had made the potential repeal of the Democratic Process Stabilization Act one of their "priorities", taking over the work of the Windbury Administration in that field. Prime Minister Porchey, being considered as "generally conservative" has been one of the opponents of repeal within the Windbury Administration, prompting him to resign, citing "hard differences" between his vision of the Empire and of those forming the Windbury Government.

The Prime Minister's administration change of tone while in power, focused on "fixing Luthori's democratic system of government" has of course worried numerous Conservatives in Darlington Palace, who are flooding both the Leader of the House and the Prime Minister for answer about the Conservative Party's position on a potential DPSA repeal bill. The Conservative Party's National Convention which was held from April 7th to April 11th secured an unified position, with the Party agreeing to the implementation of a law aiming at repealing all provisions of the Democratic Process Stabilisation Act, joining the position of the Labour and Liberal parties.

With the support of the "Big Three" of Luthorian politics, it seems that the fate of such an important part of Luthorian constitutional law is already sealed, with moves to formally repeal the bill being brought forward to Parliament by these parties' parliamentary parties. The Tories, with the announcement of such a move on their part, seems hell-bent on capturing the public's overall support for such an action with an objective of it being enough for them to secure yet another electoral victory. The Prime Minister also made clear the fact that he would "ask" the Emperor to formally dissolve the Chamber of Representatives and have fresh general elections if the bill came to pass both Houses of Parliament. This promise made the premise of a repeal, under any form, highly appealing to all parties within Luthori's political sphere, with both Labour and the Tories likely to score victories by remaining steadfast with the repeal movement.

Voices within the Government also looked towards a potential repeal of the Representation of the People Act, aiming at restoring the old FPTP electoral system to "defang" the potential rise of "radical" political parties in the Chamber of Representatives, opposition parties are likely to oppose this, with the biggest proponents of a return to the FPTP being some branches of the Labour Party and the establishment within the Liberal Party, furthermore, it's stated that more members of both the Conservative and Labour Party are favourable to the retaining of the MMP electoral system, with reforms being implemented to the system to increased representation into government.

Lord Chancellor Howard predicted that the presentation of the Bill in Parliament and to the Privy Council will be in a "short timeframe", stating that merely 2 weeks can be enough before this bill is tabled for debate in the lower house, before being voted on and if passed, brought forward to the upper house before the final vote and the sending of the Bill to the monarch for accent.

[Ligbruderkrieg]

Foreign Office confirms "total" withdrawal from Kundrati by end of month as Hutorians announce full retreat.
February 5657 (backdated)



"At the end, we don't even know why we are still here at this point.", these were the words from Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when asked to describe the Luthorian diplomatic retreat from Kundrati. After the military withdrawal of the last occupying troops from Kundrati and the ultimate Hutorian withdrawal from Kundrati, the Luthorian Government also announced its intention of conducting a "diplomatic withdrawal from the Kundrati state", with the Luthorian Embassy in Kundrati effectively shutting down operations in the nation and with Luthorians in the area advised to leave with the Embassy, except if wished to be left behind by the Government. The Foreign Office announcement comes in the aftermath of a similar announcement from Bekenial, announcing its withdrawal of its citizens and embassy staff from Kundrati, alongside major financial assets being withdrawn from the country, effectively sending their economy in yet another downturn, continuing their downhill trajectory engaged since suspicious activities in the stock exchange. The Department of Foreign Affairs reportedly took the decision to withdraw some years ago, with communications between Bekenial and Fort William leaking to the press, where Luthori expressed its interest to the Hutorians towards a withdrawal. 

The operation, code named as "Flying Dragon" by the Defence Staff, has the objective of evacuating Luthorian citizens in a short timeframe and evacuate Luthorian government employees operating in Kundrati within that same short timeframe. The Citadel stated that the Operation was done "in concord" with Hutorian forces present in the area, with Luthorian planes operating from either the Kasaema International Airport for civilian planes or from Hutorian bases for military convoys. This operation is separated in two distinct parts, the first, code named "Bluesky", focused around the evacuation of Luthorian citizens from Kundrati, the Luthorian Embassy will send a message urging Luthorians to either go to the Hutorian military bases in Kundrati, where representatives of the Luthorian Government would greet them and help them or towards Kasaema's international airport, where the national air carrier, Luthorian Airways would operate more than 6 planes a day between Fort William and Kasaema to allow for the evacuation to be done in "swift motion", some planes aren't going to go towards Luthori directly, with some Luthorian planes going towards Bekenial instead, where Luthorian citizens in transit would ve hosted by the Hutorian Government before the next plane towards Fort William will be scheduled. The decision of allowing planes towards Bekenial was done to also take Hutorian citizens towards their homeland if needed.

Foreign Secretary Powers nonetheless expressed a feeling of "saltiness" about the whole withdrawal operation, stating that the Luthorians "had failed" to "prevent a second rise of authoritarian ideals in Kundrati", leading to a far more dangerous situation for Luthori's overall security and the stability of the Artanian Sea. The Chief of the Naval Staff's Office also released a paper detailing what a lack of cooperation or rather, the lack of a working relationship with Kundrati will bring to the overall security of the Artanian Sea, warning that such lack of a relationship will merely bring more instability and prevent an effective response to future threats by nations bordering the Sea. Professor Arthur Winderberg of the University of Fort William stated in a report detailing his view on the government's announcement, that "the total collapse of any form of relations between Luthori and Kundrati means the end of the peaceful Artanian continental scene that we all dreamed of, as the two nations are likely to remain as 'rivals', although, for now, this rivalry is more one-sided than anything.", he continued, stating that "the security of the Artanian Sea and the fate of such an important passage for international commerce is now in jeopardy, as, even though, the Luthorians have been conducting patrols of the Sea every now and then, the main focus was hoping that a "responsible" government in Kundrati would return, something that was not the case."

The Naval Staff announced that it was "studying" pathways for Luthori and other nations in the Area to engage in diplomatic cooperation to provide a "much-needed sentiment of security" in the Artanian Sea, while also assuring that the Empire would play a "significant role" in "preserving the current status quo" in the Sea, before an alternative shows itself, focused around international cooperation on this difficult matter. The Secretary of State for Defence also stressed the "necessity" of cooperation between nations bordering the Artanian Sea, although for most, this statement from the Defence Secretary is merely meant at pushing through reforms for the military and its de facto role in politics, the first step was the renaming of the Army Ministry, Navy Ministry and Air Force Ministry into the Department of Territorial Defence (Army), the Department of Maritime Defence (Navy) and the Department of Air Defence (Air Force), in an effort to permanently sever the last remaining ties between the civilian and military affairs.

[Ligbruderkrieg]

Labour leadership rallies behind Government's DPSA repeal proposal - along Senate's 40-60 amendment.
August 5659



In an expected yet still surprising move, it has been stated by whistleblowers inside Parliament that a "satisfactory" agreement had been found between the Imperial Government and the leading opposition party, the National Labour Party. Rumours has it that negotiations, handled by the Opposition Senate Leader, Phoebe Griffiths and Government Senate Leader, Sir Patrick Gephred, have culminated in an agreement being successfully reached between both political parties, and that agreement came with the “40-60” Senate amendment, proposed by Conservative peer, Sir Leonard Wood, aiming at increasing the number of seats elected through a direct election in the Chamber of Representatives, from 217 today to 260. 

Adding to this, the Senators' amendment on the implementation of an electoral threshold has been agreed to by the two political forces as part of this compromise, with a proposal being set at 2.25%, the Tories proposing the official implementation of a 3% electoral threshold and Labour only agreeing to a 1.5% electoral threshold.

In exchange, it seems that the Labour Party received the confirmation of the dissolution of Lord Porchey’s government and the dissolution of Parliament by Emperor Richard II.

This agreement came as being welcomed by high-ranking government officials, who now see a clear chance for the amended text to pass through the Chamber of Representatives with the support of both the Conservative and Labour parties, alongside other political parties in the Second Chamber who expressed favourable views at the repeal of the Democratic Process Stabilization Act.

It should be noted, however, that the Radical Democratic Party has expressed displeasure at the agreement and has withheld its previous agreement to the aforementioned Bill, stating that a 2.25% electoral threshold would be “completely undemocratic” and would“refuse to numerous Luthorians, the right to representation”. 

In the same direction, but in a different manner, the Hosian Democrats have reached out to the Conservatives in both Chambers in order to build a compromise over the proposed electoral threshold, for now, neither the Tories in the First or Second Chambers have answered to this proposal to negotiate.

The reaction from the coalition partners to the aforementioned agreement between both major political parties has, for now, been muted, with neither the Liberal Party and the Moderates officially responding to the deal, although it should be noted that such an agreement might be at the advantage of both political parties, as more constituencies being drawn up will likely see the election of an “establishment” candidate, although, it should be stated that both political parties could also be disadvantaged due to the lowering of seats elected through proportional representation, as a part of their influence comes from the seats they got through this electoral method. 

Regardless, even though they would be, somehow, opposed to this compromise, a combined majority of both the Tories and Labour could force the Bill’s passage, it might, though, significantly decrease the overall opinion of political parties about one another and their future capacity to compromise within a future government.

The compromised version of the Act is expected to pass in the Senate without much difficulty, after all, it was in the Senate that the agreement was first found, the biggest pickle for the Government will be whether or not the Chamber of Representatives would agree to vote for the Senate’s version of the Political Overture and Fair Competition Act. Although, it is expected that the National Labour Party will remain united behind the party’s lines and that huge backbencher revolts against the Act aren’t to be expected.

Critics argue that the 'new' law has 'nothing of a compromise', arguing that the Tories' version of the Bill might have made the same changes for the aforementioned Public Bill and still go ahead with their plans of dissolving the First Chamber, as the Prime Minister confirmed some weeks ago. These critics mostly come from the left-wing of the Labour Party, who argued that proportional representation in the Chamber of Representatives should have been "strengthened instead of weakened", Chamber Leader Raphael Winshock argued with Senate Opposition Leader Griffiths over the nature of the compromise, arguing that Labour Senators should have been "more dedicated" in the enforcement of party line. 

In opposition, the Senate Minority Leader argued that a "watered-down" compromise going in the interest of the party was "better than nothing", as the original text planned for the full restoration of the pre-Representation of the People Act electoral system.

[Ligbruderkrieg]

MPs have voted to abolish all provisions related to political persecution of extremist ideologies within the Realm. The Government’s Political Openness and Overture Bill has passed both chambers of Parliament with large majorities of MPs voting in favor. 

The Bill, proposed by the Home Secretary, was a promise of both former Prime Minister Reginald Weston and of current Prime Minister Richard Taylor, both aiming at winning points before an election in which all forms of political ideology would be allowed to compete. 

The Bill was first introduced in the Chamber of Representatives as a Public Bill, after the Chamber approved the Government’s text without modification during the Bill’s third reading in the First Chamber. In the Senate, Labour senators blocked the passage of the Bill before a compromise agreement could have been found with the Senate Conservatives.

That compromise became the Bill that was read before the Senate in its third reading and approved by the Lords in a 354-129-106 vote, with a large majority of Conservative and Labour peers voting in favour of the Bill as proposed by the Senate. It was then brought back to the Chamber of Representatives, where insurgent Labour MPs threatened to vote against the Bill as proposed by the Senate’s compromise. House MPs have been reportedly “frustrated” with the Senate’s Bill, with Senate Minority Leader Griffiths and House Minority Leader Winshock arguing over the nature of the compromise, with the latter arguing that the compromise version was “better than no deal” and the former arguing that the National Labour Party left the Tories “off the hook” with a seemingly “easy” compromise.

To avoid the complete ‘implosion” of the National Labour Party, the Leader of the Opposition asked the Chamber Minority Whip to “restore order” within its ranks, enforcing party positions to the rebellious MPs, moreover, the Opposition Leader stated that “anyone who vote against the party’s line will be suspended from the Labour Party until further notice”, these surprise announcements of these hard measures from the party’s leadership culminated in the rebellious MP movement to die down quietly in the First Chamber, although, even with these threats, 4 Labour MPs continued to voice their “total opposition” to the aforementioned Bill.

The vote’s results in the Chamber of Representatives showed that every single Conservative and Moderates MPs voted in favour of the Bill, with the Liberal Party instructing its MPs to abstain from voting, the party’s leadership expressing “reservations” as to the nature of the Bill’s compromise. The National Labour Party remained united on this matter with all but six MPs voting in favour of the proposed Bill, 3 MPs abstained from voting and 3 other MPs voted against the Bill. These latter were expelled from the Labour Parliamentary Party and are now sitting in the First Chamber as political independents.

The Green caucus was even more split, with a majority opposing the Government’s agreement and a significant minority (46% of all Green MPs in the First Chamber) voting in favour of the bipartisan Senate bill. The Green Party of Luthori had during the voting stage expected its MPs to vote “according to their conscience” and while a majority opposed due to the implementation of the “40-60” ratio for House elections, the supportive minority of Green MPs voted in favour due to their supposed wish for an early general election, as was promised numerous times by high-ranking government leaders as well as by the Prime Minister himself.

Radical parties in the Chamber both voted overwhelmingly against the agreement, both the RDP and HDA expressed “deep concerns for democratic integrity” with this Bill, although political columnist Stephen Harvey agrees that the threat of the legalisation of the Communist Party of Luthori and the creation of a much more hard right political movement are both being considered threats that the Radical Democrats and Hosian Democrats respectfully might not survive during this election, already, the Communists are polling at 4.2% of voting intentions and are expected to win between 5 to 10 seats in the Chamber of Representatives out of 434. The RadDems are already feeling that effect, only polling at 3.5% and projected to win between 2 to 6 seats.

The final results were a vote of 260-54-120, with a sizeable majority of Members of Parliament voting in favor of the bill. Home Secretary Douglas expressed “visible satisfaction” after the results and the Prime Minister has seemingly already expressed wishes for a “rapid” dissolution of Parliament, having already spoken to both the Liberal leader and the Moderates leader for a quick notification of the ongoing dissolution of the governing coalition and the upcoming resignation of the Prime Minister and of Parliament.

Polling before an hypothetical general election generally places the Labour Party at first place, with projection stating the Labour Party might win between 32 and 34% of the vote, winning between 135 and 147 seats in the Chamber of Representatives, the Conservatives after nearly 20 years in government are currently facing an uphill battle against their main rival, only gathering between 24 and 28% of the popular vote, and worst-case projections project the Tories settling as low as 80 seats, but more trustworthy projections states that the Conservatives have a chance at winning between 90 and 117 seats in the First Chamber. The Liberals are expected to secure between 13 and 15% of the vote, benefiting from the Tories’ demise, according to recent polling, the Liberals might gain seats, and win between 40 to 72 seats in the Chamber of Representatives, having the potential to score their best result ever.

With these voting results, it seems that a page of Luthorian constitutional history has been turned, with the Democratic Process Stabilisation Act being hereby abolished by the Political Openness and Fair Competition Act. “For better or worse, a page of Luthorian history has been turned, there is merely the hope that this era’s relative political stability might be reenacted in this new political, more uncertain era”, said political columnist at the Times, Gerard Pearl in his editorial about the DPSA’s final demise.

[Ligbruderkrieg]

Parliament dissolved as Porchey's Tories appears weak in major polls ahead of snap elections.
January 5660



A statement from the Orange Palace confirmed that Emperor Richard II had dissolved the Chamber of Representatives at the request of Prime Minister Porchey.

The Prime Minister, after waiting 2 months to allow for a general election to happen, amid worries due to the disastrous polling situation of the Conservatives has finally stood down in face of immense public and parliamentary backlash of his decision to not directly hold a general election, as promised.

The next Luthorian general election will be held on Friday, 14th February 5660, with political parties expected to make their manifestos known during the second week of the campaign. Parliament will continue to sit until Monday, 15th January, where all parliamentary business will be swiftly handled or delegated to the next Parliament. The lower house will then be prorogued (meaning the current session of the Chamber will be dissolved). This “recess period” of 3 days will be where Parliament will either pass new Bills to be added to the Statute Law, or carried over to the next session of Parliament or, finally, leave these Bills dying.

The campaign season is expected to be “enticing” with all three major political parties warming up their forces in preparation of the coming fight for control over the Chamber of Representatives and while none of them have a chance of winning an outright majority in the First Chamber, due to Luthori’s MMP electoral system, a sizeable plurality of seats under one party’s command will be instrumental in hoping to form the next administration.

The National Labour Party starts the campaign with a sizeable advantage over its main rival, the Conservative Party, with the left-wing political force projected to win between 34 and 36% of the national popular vote, projected to secure between 143 and 172 seats out of 434, catapulting themselves as the frontrunners of the race for the keys of Number 10. Disaffection with years of continued Tory rule and a continued economic decline, combined with a more difficult financial situation for many Luthorian households have pushed many to vote for the Labour Party, even though its reputation had been tainted with the Hall Administration’s failures in Kundrati and the bloodbath that the Second Kundrati War had been for Luthorian forces.

Meanwhile, the Conservative Party is currently going through a rough period, with the dominant right-wing political force placing itself at the second place in recent polling, with the Tories projected to win between 22 and 24% of the national popular vote. As such, the party is currently projected to secure between 93 and 121 seats in the Chamber of Representatives, the lowest results for the party in its history. These projections can be explained by the fact that 20 years of continued Conservative domination of the government have left voters yearning for change, young voters especially, who have lived their entire lives under the Tories are now mobilizing in droves to vote them out of government. 

The main complaints that the electorate has against the Conservatives is mostly the continued decline in the economic situation and living standards. The Bank of Luthori has reported that more than 10% of Luthorians are currently living below the poverty line, citing continued decline in their purchasing power caused, in part, to the overall economic decline of the nation. The Prime Minister is accused of not having taken the proper steps to alleviate the current situation, mostly continuing to lead a market-friendly administration and letting the situation unfold.

The Tories are currently battling out their survival in crucial seats which are currently being considered as “battleground seats” by the main polling networks, meaning that either the Tories, National Labour or Liberals have a decent chance at winning said seat.

Speaking of the Liberal Party, even though they were a part of Porchey’s outgoing administration, they skillfully avoided getting most of the blame for the failures of the current administration. The Liberal Party is currently settling on a 13 to 15% voting intention and, according to projections, winning between 55 and 77 seats in the Chamber of Representatives, proving themselves, once again, essential for forming a coalition government, as without them, it’s likely that either the Tories or Labour would have to run a minority government, more exposed to no-confidence motion and weaker legislatively compared to a majority government.

This Luthorian election is expected to be one of the most competitive elections in this century, with no one, yet knowing for sure, who will secure a robust plurality of seats and win the Premiership.