Name: Bruce Watson
Position: MP for Dominion of Australia, Unionist
Age: 29
Bio: N/A
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Name: Bruce Watson
Position: MP for Dominion of Australia, Unionist
Age: 29
Bio: N/A
((@Ab Ovo you need to convert the svg to png for them to not vanish. Tools to do this can be found online for free.))
Margaret Hilda Thatcher
Prime Minister of the Imperial Federation (1979- )
When Britain first, at Heaven's command
Arose from out the azure main;
This was the charter of the land,
And guardian angels sang this strain:
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
The nations, not so blest as thee,
Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall;
While thou shalt flourish great and free,
The dread and envy of them all.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall;
While thou shalt flourish great and free,
The dread and envy of them all.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
Still more majestic shalt thou rise,
More dreadful, from each foreign stroke;
As the loud blast that tears the skies,
Serves but to root thy native oak.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
More dreadful, from each foreign stroke;
As the loud blast that tears the skies,
Serves but to root thy native oak.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame:
All their attempts to bend thee down,
Will but arouse thy generous flame;
But work their woe, and thy renown.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
All their attempts to bend thee down,
Will but arouse thy generous flame;
But work their woe, and thy renown.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
To thee belongs the rural reign;
Thy cities shall with commerce shine:
All thine shall be the subject main,
And every shore it circles thine.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
Thy cities shall with commerce shine:
All thine shall be the subject main,
And every shore it circles thine.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
The Muses, still with freedom found,
Shall to thy happy coast repair;
Blest Isle! With matchless beauty crown'd,
And manly hearts to guard the fair.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
((The channel of the Conservative and Unionist Party, and her affiliates, is #CUP))
Shall to thy happy coast repair;
Blest Isle! With matchless beauty crown'd,
And manly hearts to guard the fair.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
((The channel of the Conservative and Unionist Party, and her affiliates, is #CUP))
Name: Ian Douglas Smith
Position: First Minister of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Leader of the Rhodesia and Nyasaland Front.
Age: 71 (April 8th 1919)
Bio: A bit of a rebel
Last edited:
The Lady's Not For Turning
The (presumed) fall of Thatcher
The Iron Lady, in a rare moment of not scaring children and kicking the poor
The Labour Party had rather had enough of the Prime Minister, if you asked them. Margaret Thatcher had secured her premiership as the result of electoral scheming in Parliament and riding a wave of public malaise towards the nationalising economic policies which had become the signature of the Labour Party and her platform for the British isles. Since Thatcher had kissed hands with The Queen, her tenure as Prime Minister went on to become "one of the most definitive, and divisive, in British history" according to later contemporary historians; and with good reason. In Britain her greatest legacy was economic: her liberalising, free market reforms are credited by her supporters as having saved the Federation from a socialist welfare state; and are denounced by her detractors as the primary cause of skyrocketing unemployment and as a legendary assault on the poor. Whether both were right to some degree, or neither of hem, Labour's proficient propagandists saw to it that her support with the working class in Birmingham and London plummeted. The (presumed) fall of Thatcher
The Iron Lady, in a rare moment of not scaring children and kicking the poor
Meanwhile, abroad she wasn't loved either. While Northern Ireland only truly started to go to hell during the tenure of her predecessor, under her administration it went from a festering ulcer to a deep and blackened rot. Thatcher refused to pussyfoot around with the Irish nationalists, and refused to lift the suspension of civilian rule which had been imposed after the explosion of violence in 1970-1972. While the Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act of 1972 had basically suspended the functions of Northern Irish government in favour of direct rule from London, it was assumed after the attempted Sunningdale Agreement of late 1973 that successive governments would begin to normalise the status of Northern Ireland. Under the premiership of the later Lord Callaghan, the government did indeed attempt to restore some sense of normalcy to Ulster; attempting negotiation, pulling some troops from the area, and revoking the "political" status of arrested paramilitaries. This went poorly in the face of a series of hunger strikes, and by the time Callaghan's government fell Northern Ireland faced a resurgence of violence. Upon her assuming office, Prime Minister Thatcher curtly informed a reporter that her approach to continuing hunger strikes would be "to let them starve", and she immediately ended efforts to normalise Nireland; claiming that "open rebellion is not normal."
The Prime Minister and her husband visiting a police station in Northern Ireland
The Northern Irish Provisions Act of 1984 instituted direct military rule in Northern Ireland in the aftermath of the Brighton Hotel Bombing; and polls indicated a huge upswing in support for Thatcher's hardliner stance as the British populace began to adopt a 'war mentality' of national pride; even Labour. After the 1988 Corporals killings, which resulted in the famous photograph of Father Alec Reid administering the last rites to Corporal David Howes, troops were immediately further dispatched to keep order and root out the nationalists. Since then, Northern Ireland completely degenerated into a bloody war zone; and a war zone it remained after the Irish government was found to have been tacitly supplying the IRA and assorted other terrorist groups. Over two thousand civilians had been killed since the start of what was euphemistically termed "the Troubles" in the late 60s, and Thatcher's policies of late began to draw serious criticism; as she seemed to in the words of prominent Labour politician Gordon Brown "have no policy in Northern Ireland beyond 'shoot the nationalists, and behead them when you run out of bullets'".
While the wider Federation more or less supported Thatcher in regards to Northern Ireland -- in that the Anglo dominions actually supported her, and the rest regarded it as not their problem -- her actions in response to the various burning insurgencies throughout the Federation were much less popular. In Rhodesia and Nyasaland the ZANU and ZAPU both staged terrorist attacks against the white-minority government, while in India Chinese-funded Maoists conducted a jungle insurgency against the Indian government. With the backing of the Imperial Parliament -- almost unanimously by British IMPs, who were sick and tired of rebellion across party lines, and enough Tory IMPs to give her motion a majority -- Thatcher deployed Imperial troops to both Rhodesia and India without bothering to ask their respective governments or inform them in any way. While this was technically her right, as she 'outranked' both of them, it was a serious faux pas and wounded the pride of Smith and the Rhodesians; whilst smacking of bygone colonialism to the Indians. This laid the brickwork for a series of misunderstandings and overrides on Thatcher's part, underlined by growing distrust in the Asian and African dominions, which would last the entirety of her premiership. After the Indian Prime Minister denounced Thatcherism as "a new Imperialism, reminiscent of the Raj rather than a free India" in a speech before the Lok Sabha in 1986, this sealed the rift between 1 Downing Street and the developing dominions.
It was in June 1990 that Labour finally decided to put the old bird out of her misery. On the 3rd, IMP Kinnock, leader of the Labour Party, formally called for a motion of no confidence in the government of Margaret Thatcher. It absolutely sailed through Parliament given the hefty majority of Labour and her allies; and Lord Tonypandy officially advised Her Majesty to dissolve the parliaments of the Federation the following day; on the 4th. She did so on the 8th, setting the stage for elections across the entirety of the Imperial Federation. Margaret Thatcher, for her part, was confident that a surge in Tory seats would carry her again to the premier post of the Federation, but others were obviously not so sure. It remained to be seen in what way the winds would blow...
((Alright-y then. Maxwell, consort with your fellow Tories and tell me how you want to handle this campaign. Sealy and co, you do the same. Prime Ministers should PM me their campaign strategies to remain in office; leaders of the Opposition in dominions should PM me about who they wish to unseat and how. Go.))
Name: Pieter Willem Botha aka Die Groot Krokodil
Position: Prime Minister of the South African Dominion
Party: National Party of South Africa / Nasionale Party van Suid-Afrika
Age: 74
Bio: TBA
GM note: I am overjoyed at the amount of IC coming in 
Labour and the Tories have sent me their orders, and one or two Prime Ministers as well. Rolls and update/event later today
Labour and the Tories have sent me their orders, and one or two Prime Ministers as well. Rolls and update/event later today
Defeat? I Do Not Know the Meaning of the Word
Thatcher, the Unionists, and India
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher after her re-election by the Imperial Parliament
Quite possibly the only person on the eve of Imperial and Federal elections who thought Margaret Thatcher would be re-elected was Thatcher herself. Luckily for her, she wasn't wrong. Labour fought a hard campaign focused mostly in Great Britain and Africa, promising renewed funding for the NHS and increased autonomy to the respective constituencies. Unfortunately for Kinnock and company, however, it wasn't enough. Although the Labour Party ended up with a majority of the British-allocated seats, as they had possessed before, it was reduced by a handful of seats and the Tories picked up the difference; in addition to seats lost by their allies in the Liberal Democratic Party. Their comparatively poor performance was credited to Kinnock's proposed constitutional reform to the House of Lords and the House of Commons, which was denigrated as unpatriotic and out of touch. It was the dominions which would prove to be the pivotal game-changer, however. A renewed push by native conservative and religious elements lead the Tories to form new governments in Ghana, Uganda, and... India.Thatcher, the Unionists, and India
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher after her re-election by the Imperial Parliament
India's fall to the Unionist Party was unexpected by almost everyone. Although the Labour government hadn't done poorly per se -- their initiative to expand the Indian border police played well in opinion polls -- the resurgence by the Indian People's Party, which caucused with the CUP, was the result of a push by dissatisfied Hindus who felt that Labour's secularism was unbecoming of the Indian people. The Pakistani Unionist Party put up a good fight in India's long-time foe, and the Islamic-oriented campaign put a shiver down the spine of fearful Indian conservatives. Labour's weak defense of their position, influenced by their seeming security as the party of power, contributed directly to their downfall. Those extra 170 seats now given to the Tories proved the defining factor in Thatcher's re-election.
Results:
Australia (Unionist government) -- 15 seats
South Africa (National Front government) -- 15 seats
Rhodesia and Nyasaland (Unionist government) -- 15 seats
Fiji (Unionist government) - 3 seats
Guyana (Unionist government) -- 5 seats
Malta (Liberal Democratic government) -- 2 seats
Nigeria (Unionist government) -- 25 seats
New Zealand (Unionist government) -- 5 seats
Belize (Unionist government) -- 5 seats
Papua New Guinea (People's National Congress government) -- 5 seats
Jamaica (Unionist government) -- 5 seats
India (Unionist government) -- 170 seats
Uganda (Unionist government) -- 10 seats
Ghana (Unionist government) -- 10 seats
Newfoundland (Unionist government) -- 5 seats
Malta (Liberal Democratic government) -- 2 seats
Dominion Tory (278) + National Front (15) + Liberal Democratic (2) = 295 seats
Canada (Labour government) -- 20 seats
Pakistan (Labour government) -- 65 seats
Sri Lanka (Labour government) -- 5 seats
The Gambia (Labour government) -- 3 seats
Kenya (Socialist government) -- 12 seats
Dominion Labour (93) + Socialist (12) = 105 seats
Great Britain:
204 seats to Labour
190 seats to the Tories
6 seats to the Liberal Democrats
Nationwide total:
Tory: 491 seats
Labour: 308 seats
Bourassa itched his nose.
"Tabarnac! Stupid Brits don't know Canadian politics."
The subject of Bourassa's ire, the British Times, held on the third page an article. 'CANADIAN PUBLIC VOTE IN LABOUR, GIVES TORIES THE BOOT'.
Bourassa proceeded to crumble the paper and throw it at the dustbin in the corner of the room.
"Seriously, do the writers not know what the New Labour Party of Canada is, incompetents. At least the Imperial Parliament will be surprised when 20 liberal IMPs enter the room instead of Labourites.
Honestly, it's like they can't think outside of binary politics."
"Tabarnac! Stupid Brits don't know Canadian politics."
The subject of Bourassa's ire, the British Times, held on the third page an article. 'CANADIAN PUBLIC VOTE IN LABOUR, GIVES TORIES THE BOOT'.
Bourassa proceeded to crumble the paper and throw it at the dustbin in the corner of the room.
"Seriously, do the writers not know what the New Labour Party of Canada is, incompetents. At least the Imperial Parliament will be surprised when 20 liberal IMPs enter the room instead of Labourites.
Honestly, it's like they can't think outside of binary politics."
Julius Chelanga pounded his fist in the air inside the the Imperial Parliament in extreme anger. For once his outburst was not directed at the governing Conservatives seated across from him but at his allies, the Labour Party.
"My friends in the Labour Party, it was with prodding from my party and from my good allies in the Labour Party that we introduced the vote of no confidence in the government. We were ready to rest the government from the hands of the witch that had held it for far too long. And then, you lost India!" At this Chelanga shook his head and sighed. "How in the name of whatever God you pray to, did you loose India!? This defeat is catastrophic and laughable. All of you should be ashamed of yourselves!"
Chelanga looked around at his fellow Socialist Party members and rallied them up, "I call for the Honorable Member from Islwyn to resign as Leader of the Labour Party as an abject failure or the Socialist Party of Kenya to withdraw from its alliance with the Labour Party. For your own good, Labour men, follow our lead!"
Chelanga sat down and waited for his words to take full effect.
"My friends in the Labour Party, it was with prodding from my party and from my good allies in the Labour Party that we introduced the vote of no confidence in the government. We were ready to rest the government from the hands of the witch that had held it for far too long. And then, you lost India!" At this Chelanga shook his head and sighed. "How in the name of whatever God you pray to, did you loose India!? This defeat is catastrophic and laughable. All of you should be ashamed of yourselves!"
Chelanga looked around at his fellow Socialist Party members and rallied them up, "I call for the Honorable Member from Islwyn to resign as Leader of the Labour Party as an abject failure or the Socialist Party of Kenya to withdraw from its alliance with the Labour Party. For your own good, Labour men, follow our lead!"
Chelanga sat down and waited for his words to take full effect.
THATCHER EXPOSED?
ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD EMERGE IN INDIA
On an Ontarian bench, two men chatted.
"So, what do you think of that new boardgame that came out developed by 2Egg? The one where you take the place of a modern state in a scifi Imperium and try to win by gaining the most power within the institution?"
"It'd be good if the damn company did their job. They didn't even send event cards, it's almost like they wanted the players to jump right in without any prompting into the universe they were set in."
"Why even play than?" asked the other man, "why buy into a game if you weren't going to play without prompting?"
The former man pondered for a moment.
"Because the box said that there would be a ton of events, and I as a player assumed there would be a set amount of cards to kickstart the game rather than simply throw the players into the fire so to speak."
The later man nodded, which prompted the former man to continue.
"Really, I'm not surprised. 2Egg makes exciting little failures of games, but it is more due to their dedication to manufacturing the game than the playerbase itself."
The later man shrugged.
"It depends, can't blame the company for a failure of the community to support it."
The former man nods.
"Fair enough."
They then continued about how Robert Bourassa, the recently elected PM of Canada, was still called labour by the British Press.
"So, what do you think of that new boardgame that came out developed by 2Egg? The one where you take the place of a modern state in a scifi Imperium and try to win by gaining the most power within the institution?"
"It'd be good if the damn company did their job. They didn't even send event cards, it's almost like they wanted the players to jump right in without any prompting into the universe they were set in."
"Why even play than?" asked the other man, "why buy into a game if you weren't going to play without prompting?"
The former man pondered for a moment.
"Because the box said that there would be a ton of events, and I as a player assumed there would be a set amount of cards to kickstart the game rather than simply throw the players into the fire so to speak."
The later man nodded, which prompted the former man to continue.
"Really, I'm not surprised. 2Egg makes exciting little failures of games, but it is more due to their dedication to manufacturing the game than the playerbase itself."
The later man shrugged.
"It depends, can't blame the company for a failure of the community to support it."
The former man nods.
"Fair enough."
They then continued about how Robert Bourassa, the recently elected PM of Canada, was still called labour by the British Press.
A joint statement released, which was picked up by the BBC and other Imperial and British news outfits:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --
The Labour Party of the Imperial Federation, and the Liberal Party of Canada, wish to make it clear that contrary to the popular sentiment expressed by news outlets across the Federation; they are not formally affiliated; and are entirely separate political organisations. Although the Liberal Party does caucus with Labour when in Imperial Parliament; any impression that the two organisations are one and the same is an erroneous lie which serves only to confuse the voters and perpetuate the Tory establishment. Although Labour and the Liberals will continue to work together on a variety of issues, they are independent in their entirety.
-- Neil Kinnock for Labour
-- Robert Bourassa for the Liberal Party
The Labour Party of the Imperial Federation, and the Liberal Party of Canada, wish to make it clear that contrary to the popular sentiment expressed by news outlets across the Federation; they are not formally affiliated; and are entirely separate political organisations. Although the Liberal Party does caucus with Labour when in Imperial Parliament; any impression that the two organisations are one and the same is an erroneous lie which serves only to confuse the voters and perpetuate the Tory establishment. Although Labour and the Liberals will continue to work together on a variety of issues, they are independent in their entirety.
-- Neil Kinnock for Labour
-- Robert Bourassa for the Liberal Party
Out of 21 players, 10 people have voted to end the game. I find that to be fairly conclusive, if not an outright majority. So, to my great sadness...
"...the true aim and object whereof shall be for the extension of British rule throughout the world, the perfecting of a system of emigration from the United Kingdom, and of colonisation by British subjects of all lands where the means of livelihood are attainable by energy, labour and enterprise, and especially the occupation by British settlers of the entire Continent of Africa, the Holy Land, the Valley of the Euphrates, the Islands of Cyprus and Candia, the whole of South America, the Islands of the Pacific not heretofore possessed by Great Britain, the whole of the Malay Archipelago, the seaboard of China and Japan, the ultimate recovery of the United States of America as an integral part of the British Empire, the inauguration of a system of Colonial representation in the Imperial Parliament which may tend to weld together the disjointed members of the Empire and, finally, the foundation of so great a Power as to render wars impossible, and promote the best interests of humanity."
-- Cecil Rhodes, Last Will and Testament
Thanks for playing, folks!
"...the true aim and object whereof shall be for the extension of British rule throughout the world, the perfecting of a system of emigration from the United Kingdom, and of colonisation by British subjects of all lands where the means of livelihood are attainable by energy, labour and enterprise, and especially the occupation by British settlers of the entire Continent of Africa, the Holy Land, the Valley of the Euphrates, the Islands of Cyprus and Candia, the whole of South America, the Islands of the Pacific not heretofore possessed by Great Britain, the whole of the Malay Archipelago, the seaboard of China and Japan, the ultimate recovery of the United States of America as an integral part of the British Empire, the inauguration of a system of Colonial representation in the Imperial Parliament which may tend to weld together the disjointed members of the Empire and, finally, the foundation of so great a Power as to render wars impossible, and promote the best interests of humanity."
-- Cecil Rhodes, Last Will and Testament
Thanks for playing, folks!
And so the search for a sustainable political RPG continues. Maybe one day we'll actually finish one of these things, eh?
Thanks for doing what you did whilst it lasted, Ab!
Thanks for doing what you did whilst it lasted, Ab!