Luthori

[Ligbruderkrieg]

Howe lose majority as government collapses; as election set for April 8th, a breakdown of Labour's policies.
March 17th, 5673



Following the collapse of the Howe government - caused by an extraordinary budget crisis between coalition partners, leading to the Radical Liberal Party to leave the government in an uproar, causing the former Prime Minister to lose his majority in the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate. While the Howe cabinet was one that passed numerous piece of legislation - such as the Judiciary (Reorganisation) Act, 5671, speerheaded by former Justice Sec. Olympia Stanley in the Chamber of Representatives. 

This bill reformed the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court, dismantling both institutions and creating a new, supreme law court, the High Court of the Holy Luthori Empire, this body, composed of 9 judges, will be acting the supreme appeal court for all criminal, civil and constitutionally-related subjects, the Court will be acting as an independent and specialised "review" court, rather than a guarantor of the respect of Luthorian constitutional law. Mrs. Stanley's bill also re-introduced the concept of "parliamentary sovereignty", in which no courts could potentially strike down a law passed by both Houses of Parliament, as Acts of Parliaments are the highest source of law. 

The bill also changed the nomination process of the highest court in the land, as an independent commission will be tasked with advising the Justice Secretary to appoint new justices, as the old appointment method where both the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and an independent commission would get to appoint new justices was deemed "too politically-minded" and a potential "great risk" towards Luthorian democratic integrity and judicial independence, as the Court's role as a guarantor of Luthorian constitutional integrity could be persuaded by political factors to tilt the Court's decision towards one political side or another, for that same reason, the Court's term limits were outright dismantled by the Act, instead leaving judges appointed permantely - but also according to the law, judges are required to resign at 75.

Another law passed during this 3 years was the Human Rights Protection and Representation Act, 5672, a landmark bill aimed at codifying basic human rights into Luthorian law, as per with the Justice Secretary's humanitarian beliefs, this law's remarkable passage - with near total unanimity in the Chamber of Representatives (except from rebelling Tories, Communists, Nationalists and some HDA MPs) and with the then-Leader of the Opposition, Mr. J. Brooke, helping in passing the bill in due process. This piece of constitutional law was aimed at ending an issue created by the lack of a codified constitution, the preservation of human rights, while the Luthorian people undeniably possess individual and collective rights - there was no document officially detailing the collective rights enjoyed by Luthorians. The bill passed was detailing numerous rights such as the right to a fair trial, the right to life (except in case of self-defence and lawful execution), the right to property, the right to free and fair democratic process, the right to free speech, the freedom of thought and others.

Former Justice Secretary Stanley described the 50-page document as the "most important document" in Luthorian constititional law, the Leader of the Opposition Brooke, meanwhile described it as being "the most consequential event in recent Luthorian history" and mostly speerheaded alongside both the Justice Secretary and the Prime Minister, the passage of the Bill. Other minor bills, such as the Independent Budget Review Authority Act, 5672, establishing the Budget Review Authority (BRA), an independent body meant to provide impartial budget overview of the Luthorian Government, this Bill, speerheaded jointly by Chancellor of the Exchequer, Roger Matthews (Labour) and Shadow Chancellor Rick Sandstorm (Tories), was pushed forward after complaints that the Luthorian government's reports were "too political" and "aimed at helping a political agenda".

The Prime Minister and the Government also pushed their last major legislative act, the Minimum Wage Expansion Act, 5672, expanding the National Minimum Wage from £10.50 per hour towards expansion to £13.27 per hour. These modifications were promised by both Prime Minister Miles and Prime Minister Howe's Labour. The increase to £13.27 was considered to be one of the key reasons that encouraged the Radical Liberals to leave the Coalition in 5673, as they favoured, not an immediate reform and expansion of the minimum wage - but a gradual expansion of the minimum wage to £12.72 per hour - through 5 years (on average the MW rising 3.91% per year). The Bank of Luthori reported that it was "likely" that inflation would rise from this high increase, which was criticised by business leaders - and the Opposition alike, but increased the Government's popularity, at least for a time.

The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary also managed to pass the Online Safety and Security Act. 5671, opposed by both the Radical Liberals and Radical Democrats as an infringment on free speech and the internet's right to anoynmity - the Government having empowered both the Home Ministry's newly formed Online Safety Team (OST) and the National Communications Agency (NCA) as having the right and prerogative to investigate online data and accounts (provided with an account) - the Luthorian government also notified to online services that it was now mandatory to coerce the user into giving mandatory identity proof before an account's creation - although that amendment was repealed by the Online Anonymity Act, 5672, proposed to water down some provisions of the aforementioned bill.

With the failure of the Finance Bill, 5673 and the aforementioned resignation of all Radical Liberal members of government, Prime Minister Howe, unable to carry on the duties of the Prime Minister's Office while at the same time unable to secure the confidence of the Chamber of Representatives led him to ask Emperor Richard II to dissolve Parliament and set election for April 8th, 5673. The Bill failed to pass due to the opposition of the Radical Liberals, who opposed an tax hike for corporations (at about 30% [+2.5% the current level]) and increases on gambling and alcohol taxes, which have been massively unpopular as well. With his coalition imploding and general election incoming, PM Howe's unpopularity for trying to raise taxes is a very present issue for the Labour Party, as the Tories under Joseph Brooke seems to be closer at snatching the Premiership to the Labour Party. Anticipated at 121 to 143 seats, it is still enough to get proppled to the first place and overall, deal a negotiated settlement with other political formations to form a coalition government.