Message From The Prime Minister:
“Hello friends and allies of the UK,

I’m Akillian Talleyrand, the Prime Minister of NSUK. It is my pleasure to address you in our foreign update. I assume the office of Prime Minister at an exciting time, as regions far and wide continue to prosper. NSUK has had a fun couple of months, with new cultural activity, fun engagements, and as always, some political competition.
The talented, smart, capable and hardworking members of my Cabinet, plus DPM Henry, are working to create an active and engaging political and cultural scene that is open to all across NationStates! (just kidding Henry ;) )
We continue to be ready to stand with you in military endeavours, work with you in cultural pursuits and continue to progress in other areas of cooperation. We look forward to communicating or working with you over the coming months. Please do feel free to contact His Majesty’s Government should anything arise.”

Election Results are in…Prime Minister
The Prime Minister election took place from September 14th through September 19th where we saw 4 candidates step up and contest the position. Former Prime Minister Lucas Stewart opted out of running again leaving it to be virtually anyone’s game, or so we thought. The four candidates were John Laurens-Wessex, Madeline Norfolk, Akillian Talleyrand, and Desgian Novoselgic. All four candidates shared areas of agreement. They recognized that NSUK itself is in an amazing place but improvements could be made. The candidates all agreed some of the policies implemented under the previous Government would simply not be sustainable. All four candidates also held similar values in wanting to expand our Foreign Relations, simplify the structure of the Government from strict lines to more traditional and reliable collaboration, and most importantly get citizens involved. In an unsurprising turn of events, Akillian Talleyrand wiped the competition clean with 27 votes out of 32 voters in favor of him becoming Prime Minister with Madeline Norfolk at 3 and John Laurens-Wessex at 1 and Desgian Novoselgic at 1. Akillian took the stage on the 20th, making his opening address and announcing his planned cabinet and intentions for the first few days of the term.

Parliamentary Elections
Less than 24 hours after the Prime Minister took office, Parliament was so graciously dissolved to allow for a fresh mandate and allow the Members of the House of Commons who felt the term had gone on long enough to rest and encourage the next round of Members of Parliament to storm the chambers. A total of 8 citizens registered for the Parliamentary election for 5 seats with 7 citizens being deemed legally eligible to remain on the ballot. Many candidates opted for relatively vague but excitable campaign threads indicating their wish to represent their fellow people, ensure laws are well done, and hold the Government to account. It has been a breath of fresh air to see so many citizens not only involved, but to see those citizens elected mostly be those who were not slated to be cabinet ministers under the current Prime Minister.
The results came in as follows:
Valfor Talleyrand (IND) - 19 votes (16.10%)
Crushita Telcontar (IND) - 18 votes (15.25%)
Aaron Reynolds (SF) - 14 votes (11.86%)
Remile Talleyrand (SF) - 23 votes (19.49%)
Richard Wright (GP) - 9 votes (7.63%)
Scott Cahill-Mountbatten (GP) - 16 votes (13.56%)
Philip Ross (IND) - 19 votes (16.10%)

Thus resulting in Valfor Talleyrand, Crushita Telcontar, Remile Talleyrand, Scott Cahil-Mountbatten, and Philip Ross securing their seats!

Following the election, the Speakership contest began with Remile Talleyrand going up against Scott Cahil-Mountbatten. The Members of Parliament asked their questions and ultimately decided upon Remile Talleyrand to become their Speaker with a 4 in favor and 1 abstention. The new Speaker made the following address:

“First, I'd like to thank all my fellow Parliamentarians for electing me and trusting me to serve as your Speaker for this term. I'm honored and I intend to lead our Parliament through conversations and debates that will bring forth legislation that will benefit our region. As mentioned before, I appoint the Honorable Member of Kensington, Mr. Cahill-Mountbatten to be my Deputy Speaker. I had the pleasure of serving with him last term and look forward to working with him and receiving his advice. I also promise to serve as a mediator in my capacity, and willing to create calm and peaceful places of discussion without the worries of persecution. I put my beliefs and opinions under the duty to this noble institution and this great region. We don't have a second to lose and activity is a must. I have already scheduled times for PMQ's and already discussing with the Lords on legislation that will be in the House of Commons by tomorrow.
Now onwards! I encourage all citizens to present their ideas in the citizens platform of the House of Commons. Even if you don't have a fully written piece of legislation, all you need is an idea and Parliament will write it for you and you will receive credit! I am a citizen first before being speaker or member of parliament. Don't hesitate to approach me if you have complaints, suggestions, or advice. Lets make our region proud and the 69th term a success!”

Hit the Ground Running
The House of Commons is currently debating two proposals. The first proposal intends to establish a procedure to recognize distinguished citizens within the region, which was written and passed already by the House of Lords. It already has a large support by both the Government and those who have commented thus far in Parliament. The second proposal is the Charter of Northern Ireland intended to establish their devolved administration much like their sister nations of Scotland, Wales, and England. However, the Charter has attracted concerns due to legality of provisions establishing an internal judiciary in the devolved nation. Meanwhile the House of Lords is currently debating a Constitutional Amendment intended to clarify some language in the Constitution. The Lords are also debating a new proposal intended to better establish the duties of the Government beyond that which is established in the Constitution.

Government at Work
Following the Opening Address made by the Prime Minister, the Government has been hard at work!
The Deputy Prime Minister announced a new Government Minister Programme intended to supply the Government with willing citizens to assist the Government in their various duties within the region. With 11 citizens having already applied and been sorted, it is proving to be a wonderful new program! The Local Government Secretary has taken upon her duties in assisting Northern Ireland in devolving, accepting property applications, assigning new residents, updating the roster, encouraging activity, and welcoming new residents. A legal challenge by two residents of Northern Ireland against the role of HM Government was dismissed by the Crown Court. The Culture Secretary continues his rockstar energy that he held during his time as Forums Secretary last term in attending to hosting various games and activities for citizens to take part in, to not only feel involved, but to bond further with their fellow citizens. The Home Secretary announced changes to citizen of the month, in order to give it more substance and meaning, as well as three new awards intended to not only encourage new citizens to get involved, but also for new citizens to take pride in how involved they have become. The Immigration Secretary has taken a heavy focus on better organizing the Roleplay that occurs on the NS Site. The RP Coordinator position was created and the process for electing the individual is underway. The Foreign Secretary has been the least vocal of all while working behind the scenes to review and reform the Diplomatic Corps, and of course, writing and distributing this foreign update. Reforms underway include updates to the Embassy policy, ensuring that we are in compliance with all of our allied regions, and determining the best route to highlight a region of the week program without letting it lose its sparkle after the third week.

A Man and a Potato
This past weekend, best friends Henry Stewart and Crushita Telcontar finally crossed paths for the last time and got hitched in the Church of England in the United Kingdom. The occasion was nothing short of beautiful and exciting with citizens flocking to see the spectacle that was a member of the royal family marrying a literal potato. This however left many unphased as the very same citizens supported this potato in his successful attempt to become a Member of Parliament in the recent Parliamentary election. The union however has yet to be recognized and blessed by the Holy Spud due to Starchbishop Niko Telcontar working nights, and it is expected to be an even greater celebration upon the conclusion of that ceremony. Congratulations Henry and Crush!

Devolved Nations Continue to Move Forward
The devolved nations of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland continue to make progress. Scotland has seen it all in the past few months. The previous Scottish Government had enacted strict control measures against the religious organisation the Hreater Good, including the establishment of the secret organisation The Civilian Security Agency to monitor the group. The conflict reach its peak when the Crown Court intervened and struck down the measures. At that point a war broke out on the streets of Edinburgh as the CSA attempted to arrest Hreater Good members. Former First Minister Akillian Talleyrand was then revealed to be suffering from the control of a demon possessing him, but an exorcism performed by the leader of the Hreater Good Sacul Astoria brought him back to his former self. New First Minister John Alexander seeks to move on from the conflict, despite being the only MSP to oppose the Hreater Good Compensation Act. Meanwhile, in Wales, a heated clash between Mark Hornsey and Alex Bauheim was launched for Prif Weinidog, following the proposed Vote of No Confidence and subsequent resignation of Madeline Norfolk. During the race, Hornsey launched a stinging attack on the BBC for their coverage, which was defended by other citizens. Bauheim won the race by one vote and has pledged to bring more activity to Wales through reforms to the Welsh Territorial Guard.

England continues under the leadership of interim Lord Lieutenant Henry Norfolk, who is in the process of setting up the basic laws and English Assembly procedures for the devolved nation. Elections for the new Lord Lieutenant are expected to happen afterwards. Northern Ireland, the only constituency nation that has yet to devolve, is in the process of discussing a charter. Tensions have been growing in recent days. Scott Cahill-Mountbatten and John Laurens-Wessex, the main proponents of devolution, attempted to sue the Josephine Hanover, the Local Government Secretary - a newly created position by the incoming Government - for seeking to administer Northern Ireland while they remained a non-devolved constituency nation, a pledge made by the Prime Minister during his campaign for election. The Crown Court dismissed the case by the petitioners for having a lack of grounds in challenging HM Government’s authority. Just as a charter for devolution was passed by the people of Northern Ireland, the House of Commons look set to vote against it following a contentious debate amongst all interested parties , due to a provision setting up the judiciary that is incompatible with the Devolution Act.

That’s it for this update! Thank you for reading and for any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your ambassador, the Foreign Secretary, the Deputy Prime Minister, or the Prime Minister!

Nation Name on NationStates (short): Bingsearching
Region: United Kingdom

Applying as (delete as appropriate): Diplomat

Current alts and participation in other regions (if any): Scotia, Empire of Great Britain
Past participation in other regions (if any): countless, too many to list.

Region Name: United Kingdom
Brief Region Description: A British themed region with active roleplay both onsite and on forum.
Nation and Title of Region's Leader: Current monarch - George Stewart; Elected Prime Minister - Akillian Talleyrand
Region Size: 358 nations
Link to Regional Forums (if you have one): NSUK forum
Any other important details: we hold regular elections and have an active parliament, this is as well as devolved nations (Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland) which provide added areas of activity, we also have an active discord server
Would you like a Ferrero Rocher? why not!

Elections in NSUK

After a long and productive term of Parliament and the Premiership, the King of the United Kingdom, HM George VIII, dissolved Parliament and instructed the Election Commissioner to set up new elections for 5 Members of the House of Commons and the Prime Minister, on November 14, 2020. Almost immediately, incumbents, former MPs, and newcomers casted their names to be on the ballot. Prime Minister Akillian Talleyrand ran for reelection against his former Secretary of State, Aaron Bauheim-Reynolds. Within a matter of hours, a dozen citizens had announced their intentions to run. All in all, 12 candidates ended up on the final ballot, the most of any election in recent years. This election was also quite unique in the involvement of Political parties. All 3 major political parties, Sinn Fein, the Green Party, and the Progressive Unionists, published colorful and elaborate manifestos detailing their legislative agendas, including many new ideas centering reform. While a majority of candidates were aligned with a political party, several independents ran on their own platforms.

The competitive election also consisted of long and creative platforms with incumbents touting the recent legislative achievements and maintaining of activity, while outsiders and newcomers criticized the current House for the lack of activity among many of its members and the inefficiency and inconsistency of the weekly questioning of the Prime Minister. The BBC also hosted 2 debates, one for Parliament candidates, in which most of the candidates participated in, and a Prime Ministerial debate. After a week of grueling campaigning, the vote was open for 24 hours. Many candidates said that despite the results, they were pleased with what they saw as an increase in the amount of activity that this election showed and generated in the region.

Upon the closing of the polls, results for 4 candidates were clear. The Progressive Unionist Party, which was also the party of the Prime Minister, won a majority in the House of Commons, which marked the first time that a party won an outright majority since 2019. The party won 3 seats, all held by veteran members of the House, Ms. Josephine Hanover, Mr. Matthew Hanover, who also served as Speaker in previous terms, and Prime Minister Akillian Talleyrand. The Green Party won one seat held by newcomer Mayim Emanu-El-Bauheim. Ms. Emanu-El-Bauheim has been described by many as a rising figure in our region who has involved herself in many aspects of the region. The Prime Minister won reelection with a sounding victory, and 82% of the vote. A tie occurred between the current Speaker of the House Remile Talleyrand of Sinn Fein, and Mr. John Spencer-Talleyrand of the Progressive Unionist Party, a current judge of the Crown Court, who would be a newcomer to the house. A runoff was conducted and 24 hours later Mr. Remile Talleyrand won the election by a close margin of 2 votes. Talleyrand was the only incumbent to win reelection. Prime Minister Talleyrand later formed his cabinet, which consisted of Members of Parliaments, unsuccessful candidates for Parliament, and others.

Reforms Aplenty

The Parliament this term hit the ground running with three separate reform packages to consider. The first and most significant point of contention for the election period is that of Electoral Reform, with multiple candidates being elected on platforms to integrate constituency nations in the House of Commons. The majority of this process has been lead by Member of Parliament Emanu-el-Bauheim, who campaigned heavily on electoral reform during the election period and continues to maintain the momentum for electoral reform into the term period. The current proposal was tabled in light of opposition to its format and a desire to collect further data for reforming the seating of the House of Commons and the conduct of elections themselves.

The second piece of reform that has dominated the current conversation is the issue of a Joint National Court. This project has been spearheaded by Prime Minister Talleyrand, who wishes to establish a single court to manage all matters of judicial contention arising from Constituency nations. The reform has seen a lot of opposition, primarily from the First Minister of Scotland and the former Prif Weinidog of Wales. The reform stands defeated after a debate in the House of Lords, but it is likely the push for reform will continue.

The final point of reform for the term is the issue of the administration of Discord. A recent Court Case, Wright v. Talleyrand et al. determined that the administration team does not have the authority to take unilateral action against citizens who reside within the Discord. This was met with some unease amongst people who wish to see the Discord protected, and an alternative was proposed by Constance St. James, the same person who presided over the case in question. However, the debate has fallen off on the issue as other reforms have begun to take precedence.

Where’d my Partner Go?

After a month of failing to log on, the United Kingdom stripped citizenship from Samuel Clarent. Normally, this would be rather routine, but Samuel Clarent was a Judge of the Crown Court before his forced removal for inactivity. Prior to his loss of citizenship, questions had already been rising about his capacity to execute his duties. Unfortunately, Mr. Clarent has fallen on tough times and we hope for his recovery from whatever may ail him.

Sadly, the business of the Court cannot stop for a vacancy. In the Judge’s absence, the Crown Court heard another Legal Question on the Crown rescinding writs of election. The question was brought following an amendment to the previous writ issued by the Crown. The Court determined that the Crown was authorized to withdraw writs where the writ had not already been executed and withdrawing the writ would not have cause it to become unlawful.

However the vacancy could not stand forever, so the Prime Minister appointed two people to replace the vacancy. The first was Michael Stewart, the Prince of Wales and a Magistrate Judge to the Crown Court. The second was John Spencer-Talleyrand, who similarly serves as Magistrate Judge to the Crown Court. Both were nominated with the highest confidence from the Prime Minister and share the confidence of the Chief Judge.

Show me the Money!!

While Parliament is busy with its multiple reforms, the Executive is undergoing some changes of its own. At the onset of the term, Prime Minister Talleyrand appointed Mithrandir Olorin as the first Chancellor of the Exchequer to begin the process of starting an economy in the United Kingdom. While the decision to focus on an economy was met with some hostility, the feedback has been primarily positive as the current Chancellor has worked hard to establish a working economy on the forum. While the project is still in its infancy, it was shown the promise of having a strong enough structure to be continued by future administrations.

That’s it for this update! Thank you for reading and for any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your ambassador, the Foreign Secretary, the Deputy Prime Minister, or the Prime Minister!

Vol. 1 Iss. 1
15th February 2021

Britons Head To The Polls!
After a productive session of Parliament, the King of the United Kingdom, HM George VIII, signed a Writ of General Election to allow for a new election for the Office of Prime Minister as well as seven members of parliament, to be held on January 23rd 2021. The incumbent Prime Minister, Akillian Talleyrand, announced that he was standing down as leader of his party, the Progressive Unionist Party, and would not be seeking reelection. This led to an open race for Prime Minister, which quickly filled up with candidates from four parties. From the beginning, the main point of contention in this election cycle of military policy and advocating for changes to the Defence Act.

The first of these candidates was Josephine Stewart, the deputy PM to Akillian, who was the PUP candidate running on a campaign focusing on foreign relations and the creation of a World Assembly Affairs department. The second candidate in this election was Klaus Mikaelson, the candidate for Sinn Fein, the longest standing PM in the region's history. His campaign was focusing on offering a candidate that would not be divisive and would offer change where he deemed it necessary. The Independent Group, a new party in this election cycle, put forward Scott Cahill-Mountbatten. Scott’s campaign was set around policies that they believed were devised on common-sense and backed on evidence, with a focus on a strong economy and robust military. Duncan A. Bracey-Bauheim stood as the Labour candidate but withdrew before voting started. Josephine Stewart won the election with 53% of the vote and was therefore elected as Prime Minister for the first time.

Looking at the elections for the House of Commons, this was the first election of 7 MPs, 4 of them directly elected, and the other 3 coming from an at-large election. Seat one had the least number of candidates of all of the seats, contested between Akillian Talleyrand of PUP and Henry Stewart of Sinn Fein. Both members ran very successful campaigns, however Akillian was elected after voting closed with 68% of the vote. Moving on to look at seat 2 there were four candidates, one from each of the main parties. These were: Duncan A. Bracey-Bauheim (Labour), Matthew Stewart (PUP), Richard Wright (TIG), and Anish Reddy (SF). After voting ended, Matthew Stuart was the clear winner, being elected with 55% of the vote.

Seats 3 and 4 of the election were both closer than the previous two and both went to runoffs. Seat 3 was contested between Angus Baker-Mountbatten (PUP), Klaus Mikaelson (SF), and Scott Cahill-Mountbatten (PUP). This election was very tight and went to a runoff between Angus and Klaus. However, in the runoff, Angus was elected with 57% of the vote. Finally, seat 4 was contested between Remile Talleyrand (SF), Aaron Reynolds-Bauheim (TIG), and Victor Stewart (PUP). Since none of the candidates won over 50% of the vote, it went to a runoff between the PUP and SF candidate. After the runoff Remille was elected with 66% of the vote.

With regards to the at-large election, SF, TIG, and Labour all gained an MP in Henry Stewart, Scott Cahill-Mountbatten, and Duncan A. Bracey-Bauheim. Therefore, the new House of Commons is composed of three members of the Progressive Unionist Party, two members of Sinn Fein, and one member from both The Independent Group and Labour meaning that no party had an overall majority.

Election Analysis - BBC News

Voters clearly expressed great support for the PUP agenda once again as they acclaimed Josephine Stewart for executive office. Although her position as the successor to the highly-popular Akillian Talleyrand likely helped her campaign to some degree, the approval of her work in Cabinet last term was likely a bigger factor in making her a popular choice among voters. The contentiousness surrounding the opposition candidates in the campaign, with issues such as TIG's ill-fated line of attack over the Operation Boom Beach and the fallout from the failed Labour-Sinn Féin coalition, also likely provided Stewart with a boost, particularly once Labour candidate Duncan A. Bracey-Bauheim dropped out of the Prime Ministerial race to endorse Stewart.

Repeating her intention to "unite instead of divide", Stewart was swift at work on Sunday, announcing her Cabinet before Parliamentary runoffs had even concluded. In particular, she announced a focus on the Foreign Office for her term, appointing Talleyrand as her Foreign Secretary. Half of her appointees come from PUP and a majority of them have been elected to Parliament, drawing ire from Mikaelson in an editorial for The Advocate, in which he criticized the lack of "diversity" in her Cabinet picks. Nevertheless, her non-PUP picks are all notable; independent Longdendale, the undisputed Spam King, received a well-earned spot as Culture Secretary, while Sinn Féin's own Remile Talleyrand and ex-PUP defector Henry Stewart both received nominations.

It is worth noting that Stewart is the first female Prime Minister in eight years, the last being Constance St. James, and the fourth female Prime Minister in the United Kingdom's entire history.

Stewart's agenda-setting powers in the House of Commons, despite the clear majority for her executive mandate, are nevertheless still up in the air. Under the new mixed-member proportional representation system proposed by Talleyrand and former MP for Belfast North Mayim Emanu-El—Bauheim, the regional election resulted in a hung Parliament after runoffs. PUP won three constituency seats out of four with Akillian Talleyrand, Matthew Stewart, and Angus Baker-Mountbatten, while Remile Talleyrand won the last constituency seat for Sinn Féin. With party list apportionment, this resulted in one at-large seat for Sinn Féin (Henry Stewart), one for the Independent Group (Scott Cahill-Mountbatten), and one for Labour (Duncan A. Bracey-Bauheim).

It is currently unclear who will enter opposition against PUP. However, Sinn Féin and The Independent Group's notoriously chilly relations with PUP make it unlikely that either will prop up Stewart's party to make for a parliamentary majority. Although Labour's Bracey-Bauheim also has had numerous bones to pick with PUP's governance over the past term, his relations with Sinn Féin and TIG are arguably just as bad, as evidenced by numerous Discord battles during the electoral campaign between Bracey-Bauheim and figures such as Klaus Mikaelson and Mithrandir Olórin-Mountbatten. It is thus not outside the realm of possibility that Labour, the fourth-placed party, will nevertheless hold the balance of power. Speaking in #regional-politics on Sunday, Bracey-Bauheim stated his belief that the lack of parliamentary majority would make this Parliament "very effective at promoting cooperation".

Government Gets To Business
After the elections had concluded in the United Kingdom, the Rt. Honourable Josephine Stewart was sworn in as the Prime Minister of The United Kingdom by His Majesty the King. The Prime Minister then travelled to 10 Downing Street and appointed the Cabinet. The Hon. Victor Stewart, having previously served as the Local Government Secretary was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister. The Hon. Angus Baker-Mountbatten was reappointed as the Home Secretary of The United Kingdom. The Hon. Akillian Talleyrand, who had served as the Prime Minister last term was appointed as the Foreign Secretary. The Hon. Remile Talleyrand, one of the most active citizens and incumbent BBC Director-General, was named as The Local Government Secretary. An active spammer, the Hon. Longdendale was named as the the Culture Secretary for this term, a role he has served several terms previously. The Hon. Henry Stewart who had recently led his company Cloud 9 to success in the regions new economy has been named The Chancellor Of Exchequer.

The Prime Minister has started work as soon as she entered into office, announcing a few executive orders and also re-starting the junior ministry programme. A new office for the World Assembly has been established and economic reforms announced. Not long into the term, Deputy Prime Minister Victor Stewart announced his intention to leave NationStates. He was replaced as Deputy Prime Minister by Home Secretary Angus Baker-Mountbatten, who was replaced as Home Secretary by Vlaska.

Within Parliament, the first piece of business for the House of Commons was the election of a Speaker for the new session of Parliament. Incumbent Matthew Stewart sought re-election and was challenged by Henry Stewart. Both members ran solid campaigns and after a vote of all MPs, Henry Stewart was elected as Speaker of the House of Commons. Member of Parliament have debated several pieces of legislation so far into the term, including new laws relating to the creation of political parties and standards of activity for businesses. Members of Parliament have also been debating legislation relating to Freedom of Information, economic crimes, and changes to legislation governing the University of the United Kingdom.

Constituency Battle Concludes
After the success of the Constituency Battle in past premierships, former Prime Minister Akillian Talleyrand made it a priority revamp and restart the cultural activity game for the previous term, making it an even playing field by resetting the scores. As the battle got under way Northern Ireland took an early and dominant lead thanks to the spamming prowess of Longdendale and Mayim. Despite some spamming by Scottish players and wins in the Cultural games, including the Music Quizzes by Sacul Astoria, Scotland could only finish in second place. England finished in third and Wales rounded up the pack in fourth.

Activity soared in the battle to be the best constituency with posts topping 1700 post in a day thanks to the posting activity of Constituency Battle players. The next competition between the four Constituency Nations will take off soon and we will see if Northern Ireland can maintain their crown.

Thanks for reading!

I'm back, but this time from a different region!

Region Name: Éire Nua
Brief Region Description: A region based off of a united and republican Ireland, with all positions elected.
Nation and Title of Region's Leader: (President, head of state) Uachtarán na hÉireann: Francis
(Prime Minister, head of government) Taoiseach: Selwyn Wellesley
Exterior Minister: Mark Hornsey (me)
Region Size: 26 Nations
Link to Regional Forums (if you have one): Éire Nua Forum
Any other important details: Only founded a matter of weeks ago and growing strongly!
Would you like a Ferrero Rocher? Yes Please!

Vol. 1 Iss. 1
15th February 2021

Britons Head To The Polls!
After a productive session of Parliament, the King of the United Kingdom, HM George VIII, signed a Writ of General Election to allow for a new election for the Office of Prime Minister as well as seven members of parliament, to be held on January 23rd 2021. The incumbent Prime Minister, Akillian Talleyrand, announced that he was standing down as leader of his party, the Progressive Unionist Party, and would not be seeking reelection. This led to an open race for Prime Minister, which quickly filled up with candidates from four parties. From the beginning, the main point of contention in this election cycle of military policy and advocating for changes to the Defence Act.

The first of these candidates was Josephine Stewart, the deputy PM to Akillian, who was the PUP candidate running on a campaign focusing on foreign relations and the creation of a World Assembly Affairs department. The second candidate in this election was Klaus Mikaelson, the candidate for Sinn Fein, the longest standing PM in the region's history. His campaign was focusing on offering a candidate that would not be divisive and would offer change where he deemed it necessary. The Independent Group, a new party in this election cycle, put forward Scott Cahill-Mountbatten. Scott’s campaign was set around policies that they believed were devised on common-sense and backed on evidence, with a focus on a strong economy and robust military. Duncan A. Bracey-Bauheim stood as the Labour candidate but withdrew before voting started. Josephine Stewart won the election with 53% of the vote and was therefore elected as Prime Minister for the first time.

Looking at the elections for the House of Commons, this was the first election of 7 MPs, 4 of them directly elected, and the other 3 coming from an at-large election. Seat one had the least number of candidates of all of the seats, contested between Akillian Talleyrand of PUP and Henry Stewart of Sinn Fein. Both members ran very successful campaigns, however Akillian was elected after voting closed with 68% of the vote. Moving on to look at seat 2 there were four candidates, one from each of the main parties. These were: Duncan A. Bracey-Bauheim (Labour), Matthew Stewart (PUP), Richard Wright (TIG), and Anish Reddy (SF). After voting ended, Matthew Stuart was the clear winner, being elected with 55% of the vote.

Seats 3 and 4 of the election were both closer than the previous two and both went to runoffs. Seat 3 was contested between Angus Baker-Mountbatten (PUP), Klaus Mikaelson (SF), and Scott Cahill-Mountbatten (PUP). This election was very tight and went to a runoff between Angus and Klaus. However, in the runoff, Angus was elected with 57% of the vote. Finally, seat 4 was contested between Remile Talleyrand (SF), Aaron Reynolds-Bauheim (TIG), and Victor Stewart (PUP). Since none of the candidates won over 50% of the vote, it went to a runoff between the PUP and SF candidate. After the runoff Remille was elected with 66% of the vote.

With regards to the at-large election, SF, TIG, and Labour all gained an MP in Henry Stewart, Scott Cahill-Mountbatten, and Duncan A. Bracey-Bauheim. Therefore, the new House of Commons is composed of three members of the Progressive Unionist Party, two members of Sinn Fein, and one member from both The Independent Group and Labour meaning that no party had an overall majority.

Election Analysis - BBC News

Voters clearly expressed great support for the PUP agenda once again as they acclaimed Josephine Stewart for executive office. Although her position as the successor to the highly-popular Akillian Talleyrand likely helped her campaign to some degree, the approval of her work in Cabinet last term was likely a bigger factor in making her a popular choice among voters. The contentiousness surrounding the opposition candidates in the campaign, with issues such as TIG's ill-fated line of attack over the Operation Boom Beach and the fallout from the failed Labour-Sinn Féin coalition, also likely provided Stewart with a boost, particularly once Labour candidate Duncan A. Bracey-Bauheim dropped out of the Prime Ministerial race to endorse Stewart.

Repeating her intention to "unite instead of divide", Stewart was swift at work on Sunday, announcing her Cabinet before Parliamentary runoffs had even concluded. In particular, she announced a focus on the Foreign Office for her term, appointing Talleyrand as her Foreign Secretary. Half of her appointees come from PUP and a majority of them have been elected to Parliament, drawing ire from Mikaelson in an editorial for The Advocate, in which he criticized the lack of "diversity" in her Cabinet picks. Nevertheless, her non-PUP picks are all notable; independent Longdendale, the undisputed Spam King, received a well-earned spot as Culture Secretary, while Sinn Féin's own Remile Talleyrand and ex-PUP defector Henry Stewart both received nominations.

It is worth noting that Stewart is the first female Prime Minister in eight years, the last being Constance St. James, and the fourth female Prime Minister in the United Kingdom's entire history.

Stewart's agenda-setting powers in the House of Commons, despite the clear majority for her executive mandate, are nevertheless still up in the air. Under the new mixed-member proportional representation system proposed by Talleyrand and former MP for Belfast North Mayim Emanu-El—Bauheim, the regional election resulted in a hung Parliament after runoffs. PUP won three constituency seats out of four with Akillian Talleyrand, Matthew Stewart, and Angus Baker-Mountbatten, while Remile Talleyrand won the last constituency seat for Sinn Féin. With party list apportionment, this resulted in one at-large seat for Sinn Féin (Henry Stewart), one for the Independent Group (Scott Cahill-Mountbatten), and one for Labour (Duncan A. Bracey-Bauheim).

It is currently unclear who will enter opposition against PUP. However, Sinn Féin and The Independent Group's notoriously chilly relations with PUP make it unlikely that either will prop up Stewart's party to make for a parliamentary majority. Although Labour's Bracey-Bauheim also has had numerous bones to pick with PUP's governance over the past term, his relations with Sinn Féin and TIG are arguably just as bad, as evidenced by numerous Discord battles during the electoral campaign between Bracey-Bauheim and figures such as Klaus Mikaelson and Mithrandir Olórin-Mountbatten. It is thus not outside the realm of possibility that Labour, the fourth-placed party, will nevertheless hold the balance of power. Speaking in #regional-politics on Sunday, Bracey-Bauheim stated his belief that the lack of parliamentary majority would make this Parliament "very effective at promoting cooperation".

Government Gets To Business
After the elections had concluded in the United Kingdom, the Rt. Honourable Josephine Stewart was sworn in as the Prime Minister of The United Kingdom by His Majesty the King. The Prime Minister then travelled to 10 Downing Street and appointed the Cabinet. The Hon. Victor Stewart, having previously served as the Local Government Secretary was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister. The Hon. Angus Baker-Mountbatten was reappointed as the Home Secretary of The United Kingdom. The Hon. Akillian Talleyrand, who had served as the Prime Minister last term was appointed as the Foreign Secretary. The Hon. Remile Talleyrand, one of the most active citizens and incumbent BBC Director-General, was named as The Local Government Secretary. An active spammer, the Hon. Longdendale was named as the the Culture Secretary for this term, a role he has served several terms previously. The Hon. Henry Stewart who had recently led his company Cloud 9 to success in the regions new economy has been named The Chancellor Of Exchequer.

The Prime Minister has started work as soon as she entered into office, announcing a few executive orders and also re-starting the junior ministry programme. A new office for the World Assembly has been established and economic reforms announced. Not long into the term, Deputy Prime Minister Victor Stewart announced his intention to leave NationStates. He was replaced as Deputy Prime Minister by Home Secretary Angus Baker-Mountbatten, who was replaced as Home Secretary by Vlaska.

Within Parliament, the first piece of business for the House of Commons was the election of a Speaker for the new session of Parliament. Incumbent Matthew Stewart sought re-election and was challenged by Henry Stewart. Both members ran solid campaigns and after a vote of all MPs, Henry Stewart was elected as Speaker of the House of Commons. Member of Parliament have debated several pieces of legislation so far into the term, including new laws relating to the creation of political parties and standards of activity for businesses. Members of Parliament have also been debating legislation relating to Freedom of Information, economic crimes, and changes to legislation governing the University of the United Kingdom.

Constituency Battle Concludes
After the success of the Constituency Battle in past premierships, former Prime Minister Akillian Talleyrand made it a priority revamp and restart the cultural activity game for the previous term, making it an even playing field by resetting the scores. As the battle got under way Northern Ireland took an early and dominant lead thanks to the spamming prowess of Longdendale and Mayim. Despite some spamming by Scottish players and wins in the Cultural games, including the Music Quizzes by Sacul Astoria, Scotland could only finish in second place. England finished in third and Wales rounded up the pack in fourth.

Activity soared in the battle to be the best constituency with posts topping 1700 post in a day thanks to the posting activity of Constituency Battle players. The next competition between the four Constituency Nations will take off soon and we will see if Northern Ireland can maintain their crown.

Thanks for reading!

Elections in NSUK

After a long and productive term of Parliament and the Premiership, the King of the United Kingdom, HM George VIII, dissolved Parliament and instructed the Election Commissioner to set up new elections for 5 Members of the House of Commons and the Prime Minister, on November 14, 2020. Almost immediately, incumbents, former MPs, and newcomers casted their names to be on the ballot. Prime Minister Akillian Talleyrand ran for reelection against his former Secretary of State, Aaron Bauheim-Reynolds. Within a matter of hours, a dozen citizens had announced their intentions to run. All in all, 12 candidates ended up on the final ballot, the most of any election in recent years. This election was also quite unique in the involvement of Political parties. All 3 major political parties, Sinn Fein, the Green Party, and the Progressive Unionists, published colorful and elaborate manifestos detailing their legislative agendas, including many new ideas centering reform. While a majority of candidates were aligned with a political party, several independents ran on their own platforms.

The competitive election also consisted of long and creative platforms with incumbents touting the recent legislative achievements and maintaining of activity, while outsiders and newcomers criticized the current House for the lack of activity among many of its members and the inefficiency and inconsistency of the weekly questioning of the Prime Minister. The BBC also hosted 2 debates, one for Parliament candidates, in which most of the candidates participated in, and a Prime Ministerial debate. After a week of grueling campaigning, the vote was open for 24 hours. Many candidates said that despite the results, they were pleased with what they saw as an increase in the amount of activity that this election showed and generated in the region.

Upon the closing of the polls, results for 4 candidates were clear. The Progressive Unionist Party, which was also the party of the Prime Minister, won a majority in the House of Commons, which marked the first time that a party won an outright majority since 2019. The party won 3 seats, all held by veteran members of the House, Ms. Josephine Hanover, Mr. Matthew Hanover, who also served as Speaker in previous terms, and Prime Minister Akillian Talleyrand. The Green Party won one seat held by newcomer Mayim Emanu-El-Bauheim. Ms. Emanu-El-Bauheim has been described by many as a rising figure in our region who has involved herself in many aspects of the region. The Prime Minister won reelection with a sounding victory, and 82% of the vote. A tie occurred between the current Speaker of the House Remile Talleyrand of Sinn Fein, and Mr. John Spencer-Talleyrand of the Progressive Unionist Party, a current judge of the Crown Court, who would be a newcomer to the house. A runoff was conducted and 24 hours later Mr. Remile Talleyrand won the election by a close margin of 2 votes. Talleyrand was the only incumbent to win reelection. Prime Minister Talleyrand later formed his cabinet, which consisted of Members of Parliaments, unsuccessful candidates for Parliament, and others.

Reforms Aplenty

The Parliament this term hit the ground running with three separate reform packages to consider. The first and most significant point of contention for the election period is that of Electoral Reform, with multiple candidates being elected on platforms to integrate constituency nations in the House of Commons. The majority of this process has been lead by Member of Parliament Emanu-el-Bauheim, who campaigned heavily on electoral reform during the election period and continues to maintain the momentum for electoral reform into the term period. The current proposal was tabled in light of opposition to its format and a desire to collect further data for reforming the seating of the House of Commons and the conduct of elections themselves.

The second piece of reform that has dominated the current conversation is the issue of a Joint National Court. This project has been spearheaded by Prime Minister Talleyrand, who wishes to establish a single court to manage all matters of judicial contention arising from Constituency nations. The reform has seen a lot of opposition, primarily from the First Minister of Scotland and the former Prif Weinidog of Wales. The reform stands defeated after a debate in the House of Lords, but it is likely the push for reform will continue.

The final point of reform for the term is the issue of the administration of Discord. A recent Court Case, Wright v. Talleyrand et al. determined that the administration team does not have the authority to take unilateral action against citizens who reside within the Discord. This was met with some unease amongst people who wish to see the Discord protected, and an alternative was proposed by Constance St. James, the same person who presided over the case in question. However, the debate has fallen off on the issue as other reforms have begun to take precedence.

Where’d my Partner Go?

After a month of failing to log on, the United Kingdom stripped citizenship from Samuel Clarent. Normally, this would be rather routine, but Samuel Clarent was a Judge of the Crown Court before his forced removal for inactivity. Prior to his loss of citizenship, questions had already been rising about his capacity to execute his duties. Unfortunately, Mr. Clarent has fallen on tough times and we hope for his recovery from whatever may ail him.

Sadly, the business of the Court cannot stop for a vacancy. In the Judge’s absence, the Crown Court heard another Legal Question on the Crown rescinding writs of election. The question was brought following an amendment to the previous writ issued by the Crown. The Court determined that the Crown was authorized to withdraw writs where the writ had not already been executed and withdrawing the writ would not have cause it to become unlawful.

However the vacancy could not stand forever, so the Prime Minister appointed two people to replace the vacancy. The first was Michael Stewart, the Prince of Wales and a Magistrate Judge to the Crown Court. The second was John Spencer-Talleyrand, who similarly serves as Magistrate Judge to the Crown Court. Both were nominated with the highest confidence from the Prime Minister and share the confidence of the Chief Judge.

Show me the Money!!

While Parliament is busy with its multiple reforms, the Executive is undergoing some changes of its own. At the onset of the term, Prime Minister Talleyrand appointed Mithrandir Olorin as the first Chancellor of the Exchequer to begin the process of starting an economy in the United Kingdom. While the decision to focus on an economy was met with some hostility, the feedback has been primarily positive as the current Chancellor has worked hard to establish a working economy on the forum. While the project is still in its infancy, it was shown the promise of having a strong enough structure to be continued by future administrations.

That’s it for this update! Thank you for reading and for any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your ambassador, the Foreign Secretary, the Deputy Prime Minister, or the Prime Minister!

Message From The Prime Minister:
“Hello friends and allies of the UK,

I’m Akillian Talleyrand, the Prime Minister of NSUK. It is my pleasure to address you in our foreign update. I assume the office of Prime Minister at an exciting time, as regions far and wide continue to prosper. NSUK has had a fun couple of months, with new cultural activity, fun engagements, and as always, some political competition.
The talented, smart, capable and hardworking members of my Cabinet, plus DPM Henry, are working to create an active and engaging political and cultural scene that is open to all across NationStates! (just kidding Henry ;) )
We continue to be ready to stand with you in military endeavours, work with you in cultural pursuits and continue to progress in other areas of cooperation. We look forward to communicating or working with you over the coming months. Please do feel free to contact His Majesty’s Government should anything arise.”

Election Results are in…Prime Minister
The Prime Minister election took place from September 14th through September 19th where we saw 4 candidates step up and contest the position. Former Prime Minister Lucas Stewart opted out of running again leaving it to be virtually anyone’s game, or so we thought. The four candidates were John Laurens-Wessex, Madeline Norfolk, Akillian Talleyrand, and Desgian Novoselgic. All four candidates shared areas of agreement. They recognized that NSUK itself is in an amazing place but improvements could be made. The candidates all agreed some of the policies implemented under the previous Government would simply not be sustainable. All four candidates also held similar values in wanting to expand our Foreign Relations, simplify the structure of the Government from strict lines to more traditional and reliable collaboration, and most importantly get citizens involved. In an unsurprising turn of events, Akillian Talleyrand wiped the competition clean with 27 votes out of 32 voters in favor of him becoming Prime Minister with Madeline Norfolk at 3 and John Laurens-Wessex at 1 and Desgian Novoselgic at 1. Akillian took the stage on the 20th, making his opening address and announcing his planned cabinet and intentions for the first few days of the term.

Parliamentary Elections
Less than 24 hours after the Prime Minister took office, Parliament was so graciously dissolved to allow for a fresh mandate and allow the Members of the House of Commons who felt the term had gone on long enough to rest and encourage the next round of Members of Parliament to storm the chambers. A total of 8 citizens registered for the Parliamentary election for 5 seats with 7 citizens being deemed legally eligible to remain on the ballot. Many candidates opted for relatively vague but excitable campaign threads indicating their wish to represent their fellow people, ensure laws are well done, and hold the Government to account. It has been a breath of fresh air to see so many citizens not only involved, but to see those citizens elected mostly be those who were not slated to be cabinet ministers under the current Prime Minister.
The results came in as follows:
Valfor Talleyrand (IND) - 19 votes (16.10%)
Crushita Telcontar (IND) - 18 votes (15.25%)
Aaron Reynolds (SF) - 14 votes (11.86%)
Remile Talleyrand (SF) - 23 votes (19.49%)
Richard Wright (GP) - 9 votes (7.63%)
Scott Cahill-Mountbatten (GP) - 16 votes (13.56%)
Philip Ross (IND) - 19 votes (16.10%)

Thus resulting in Valfor Talleyrand, Crushita Telcontar, Remile Talleyrand, Scott Cahil-Mountbatten, and Philip Ross securing their seats!

Following the election, the Speakership contest began with Remile Talleyrand going up against Scott Cahil-Mountbatten. The Members of Parliament asked their questions and ultimately decided upon Remile Talleyrand to become their Speaker with a 4 in favor and 1 abstention. The new Speaker made the following address:

“First, I'd like to thank all my fellow Parliamentarians for electing me and trusting me to serve as your Speaker for this term. I'm honored and I intend to lead our Parliament through conversations and debates that will bring forth legislation that will benefit our region. As mentioned before, I appoint the Honorable Member of Kensington, Mr. Cahill-Mountbatten to be my Deputy Speaker. I had the pleasure of serving with him last term and look forward to working with him and receiving his advice. I also promise to serve as a mediator in my capacity, and willing to create calm and peaceful places of discussion without the worries of persecution. I put my beliefs and opinions under the duty to this noble institution and this great region. We don't have a second to lose and activity is a must. I have already scheduled times for PMQ's and already discussing with the Lords on legislation that will be in the House of Commons by tomorrow.
Now onwards! I encourage all citizens to present their ideas in the citizens platform of the House of Commons. Even if you don't have a fully written piece of legislation, all you need is an idea and Parliament will write it for you and you will receive credit! I am a citizen first before being speaker or member of parliament. Don't hesitate to approach me if you have complaints, suggestions, or advice. Lets make our region proud and the 69th term a success!”

Hit the Ground Running
The House of Commons is currently debating two proposals. The first proposal intends to establish a procedure to recognize distinguished citizens within the region, which was written and passed already by the House of Lords. It already has a large support by both the Government and those who have commented thus far in Parliament. The second proposal is the Charter of Northern Ireland intended to establish their devolved administration much like their sister nations of Scotland, Wales, and England. However, the Charter has attracted concerns due to legality of provisions establishing an internal judiciary in the devolved nation. Meanwhile the House of Lords is currently debating a Constitutional Amendment intended to clarify some language in the Constitution. The Lords are also debating a new proposal intended to better establish the duties of the Government beyond that which is established in the Constitution.

Government at Work
Following the Opening Address made by the Prime Minister, the Government has been hard at work!
The Deputy Prime Minister announced a new Government Minister Programme intended to supply the Government with willing citizens to assist the Government in their various duties within the region. With 11 citizens having already applied and been sorted, it is proving to be a wonderful new program! The Local Government Secretary has taken upon her duties in assisting Northern Ireland in devolving, accepting property applications, assigning new residents, updating the roster, encouraging activity, and welcoming new residents. A legal challenge by two residents of Northern Ireland against the role of HM Government was dismissed by the Crown Court. The Culture Secretary continues his rockstar energy that he held during his time as Forums Secretary last term in attending to hosting various games and activities for citizens to take part in, to not only feel involved, but to bond further with their fellow citizens. The Home Secretary announced changes to citizen of the month, in order to give it more substance and meaning, as well as three new awards intended to not only encourage new citizens to get involved, but also for new citizens to take pride in how involved they have become. The Immigration Secretary has taken a heavy focus on better organizing the Roleplay that occurs on the NS Site. The RP Coordinator position was created and the process for electing the individual is underway. The Foreign Secretary has been the least vocal of all while working behind the scenes to review and reform the Diplomatic Corps, and of course, writing and distributing this foreign update. Reforms underway include updates to the Embassy policy, ensuring that we are in compliance with all of our allied regions, and determining the best route to highlight a region of the week program without letting it lose its sparkle after the third week.

A Man and a Potato
This past weekend, best friends Henry Stewart and Crushita Telcontar finally crossed paths for the last time and got hitched in the Church of England in the United Kingdom. The occasion was nothing short of beautiful and exciting with citizens flocking to see the spectacle that was a member of the royal family marrying a literal potato. This however left many unphased as the very same citizens supported this potato in his successful attempt to become a Member of Parliament in the recent Parliamentary election. The union however has yet to be recognized and blessed by the Holy Spud due to Starchbishop Niko Telcontar working nights, and it is expected to be an even greater celebration upon the conclusion of that ceremony. Congratulations Henry and Crush!

Devolved Nations Continue to Move Forward
The devolved nations of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland continue to make progress. Scotland has seen it all in the past few months. The previous Scottish Government had enacted strict control measures against the religious organisation the Hreater Good, including the establishment of the secret organisation The Civilian Security Agency to monitor the group. The conflict reach its peak when the Crown Court intervened and struck down the measures. At that point a war broke out on the streets of Edinburgh as the CSA attempted to arrest Hreater Good members. Former First Minister Akillian Talleyrand was then revealed to be suffering from the control of a demon possessing him, but an exorcism performed by the leader of the Hreater Good Sacul Astoria brought him back to his former self. New First Minister John Alexander seeks to move on from the conflict, despite being the only MSP to oppose the Hreater Good Compensation Act. Meanwhile, in Wales, a heated clash between Mark Hornsey and Alex Bauheim was launched for Prif Weinidog, following the proposed Vote of No Confidence and subsequent resignation of Madeline Norfolk. During the race, Hornsey launched a stinging attack on the BBC for their coverage, which was defended by other citizens. Bauheim won the race by one vote and has pledged to bring more activity to Wales through reforms to the Welsh Territorial Guard.

England continues under the leadership of interim Lord Lieutenant Henry Norfolk, who is in the process of setting up the basic laws and English Assembly procedures for the devolved nation. Elections for the new Lord Lieutenant are expected to happen afterwards. Northern Ireland, the only constituency nation that has yet to devolve, is in the process of discussing a charter. Tensions have been growing in recent days. Scott Cahill-Mountbatten and John Laurens-Wessex, the main proponents of devolution, attempted to sue the Josephine Hanover, the Local Government Secretary - a newly created position by the incoming Government - for seeking to administer Northern Ireland while they remained a non-devolved constituency nation, a pledge made by the Prime Minister during his campaign for election. The Crown Court dismissed the case by the petitioners for having a lack of grounds in challenging HM Government’s authority. Just as a charter for devolution was passed by the people of Northern Ireland, the House of Commons look set to vote against it following a contentious debate amongst all interested parties , due to a provision setting up the judiciary that is incompatible with the Devolution Act.

That’s it for this update! Thank you for reading and for any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your ambassador, the Foreign Secretary, the Deputy Prime Minister, or the Prime Minister!

Region Name: United Kingdom
Brief Region Description: A British themed region with active roleplay both onsite and on forum.
Nation and Title of Region's Leader: Current monarch - George Stewart; Elected Prime Minister - Akillian Talleyrand
Region Size: 358 nations
Link to Regional Forums (if you have one): NSUK forum
Any other important details: we hold regular elections and have an active parliament, this is as well as devolved nations (Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland) which provide added areas of activity, we also have an active discord server
Would you like a Ferrero Rocher? why not!

Nation Name on NationStates (short): Bingsearching
Region: United Kingdom

Applying as (delete as appropriate): Diplomat

Current alts and participation in other regions (if any): Scotia, Empire of Great Britain
Past participation in other regions (if any): countless, too many to list.