Luthori

[Ligbruderkrieg]

The 5695 Throne Speech has just ended, and numerous things have been reported out of it. The first being the notable absence of both Emperor Richard II (91) and Empress Valeria (93), replaced at this year’s State Opening of Parliament by William, Prince of Orange (55) and his wife, Victoria Mary, Princess of Orange (52). The imperial couple’s absence from the ceremony marks the second time that both the Emperor and Empress have abstained themselves from attending the State Opening of Parliament.

The Orange Palace has stated that the Emperor’s health wasn’t meeting the requirements set by His Majesty and his physicians to allow for his departure for Darlington Palace and his presence at the State Opening. Empress Valeria, for her part, remained close to her husband in their summer home of Hosbury House, in Southern Orange.

The second thing was the Crown Prince’s speech to the Houses of Parliament. While written by the Luthorian government, it is currently dominated by right-wing forces led by the Home Secretary, Margaret Harper and the tone of the address to the assembled Houses. The government laid out its priorities, the first was the passage of an anti-crime bill that would be introduced in the Imperial Diet in the next few days, the second was the passage of a felony act in the Houses of Parliament, its passage being tied to the success of the anticrime bill.

Finally, the Prince of Orange announced that the government would push forward a tax slash in the next budget aimed at "alleviate" the economic and fiscal burden being imposed on “everyday” Luthorians, an objective coupled with enhancing the creation of startups through removing “bureaucratic hurdles” and “anti-business” practices from the government in order to expand the creation of new companies.

This speech was applauded by the Luthorian Employers’ Association (LEA), which applauded the government’s willingness to “tackle the main issues driving businesses backwards nowadays”.

The government also announced its “determination” at “carrying on the military reforms” engaged through the raise of military expenditures engaged 6 years ago and aimed at raising the Luthorian military budget at £192.6 billions by 5700, compared to the figure of £74.5 billions. Nowadays, Luthori’s military budget stands at £112.9 billions for a GDP of around £6,432 billions and the government expressed “solemn resilience” at hitting that figure by 5700.

Reactions to the speech have been mixed, the Labour Party expressed its "condemnation" of the “far-right political program of division of our nation”, the Liberal Party, still a dominant force within the Luthorian government expressed through its Chamber Leader that the issue of crime and penalties bill be discussed beforehand between coalition partners to “build a compromise”, although has expressed initial openness to the aforementioned bills, citing a concern with the “national security apparatus aimed at protecting our people”.

For Home Secretary Harper, the reason of the necessity of increasing the capabilities of the internal security forces comes from the Labour Party’s continued push to defund the National Police Department during their three successive terms in office, which led to “weakening of the National Police as an institution” during these years, forcing the current Tory-led administration to refund the police and internal security forces to provide stability to communities across the Empire.

The Imperial Diet is set to convene tomorrow to begin the debates and proceedings. The Home Ministry has stated that the preliminary version of the Anticrime Bill will be proposed to the Cabinet in September 5695. Harper stated that the Bill will “tackle the worst crimes of human nature” and provide a safe and agreeable community for everyone to live in.

The anti-crime stance of the Home Secretary has been applauded by many, especially in conservative circles, who express happiness that the Conservative Party is no longer " bound by moderation in its coalition”, police unions express “relief” that their situation will be “improved soon” through actions of the government. Minister of State for Crime and Policing, MP Benjamin Hunniford, stated that the anti-crime bill will be one of the “harshest on criminals in the last century”.

Whispers about a potential prison bill, aimed at increasing the spaces available to harbor new prisoners following the passage of both the anti-crime bill and the penalties bill is considered for the next parliamentary session, with Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Mathilde Plundell reportedly pushing for it alongside the Home Secretary, under heavy Liberal opposition.

The Liberal Party has, for its part, begun to distance itself from a government now mostly dominated by conservative interests, Liberals, even though rewarded with important ministerial posts within the second Harper government seems to have lost crucial control over the situation, with their values beginning to clash with the Conservative’s right-flank values which are now becoming policies.

Liberal leader, Robert McArthy is expected to announce his resignation as Leader of the Liberal Party next month, as health issues have caught up to him. What opens next is a new leadership struggle that would define the party as it enters the 58th century.