The British Empire - A Modded CK2 AAR

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

The 810 General Election was held while many people in the Empire were growing concerned at the strength the Imperialists were showing and the total collapse of collaboration amongst the ruling coalition. Joseph Westfield gave speeches to his constituents stating that he believed he would be Prime Minister after the election. Bernard Strong had lost the confidence of the Imperial Party, but managed to stay on as the party couldn't convince Sir Roger Aster to come out of retirement. The Catholic Party dissolved as Father Aethelwulf Ossing acknowledged that he had no chance of retaining his seat. The nationalist parties struggled to retain voters after aligning themselves with the Imperial Party after the previous election.

The 810 General Election (115 MPs for a majority):

Party	Leader	Number of MPs	Outcome
Imperial Party	Bernard Strong (English, Anglican, 53)	64	Opposition in a Hung Parliament
Imperialist Party	Joseph Westfield (English, Anglican, 41, Bedford)	94	Leads a Hung Parliament
Irish Party	Enri Ui Donaill (Irish, Catholic, 45, Cork)	40	Opposition in a Hung Parliament
Welsh Party	Gruffyd ap Hywel (Welsh, Catholic, 22, Pembroke)	13	Opposition in a Hung Parliament
Breton Party	Konan Kernev (Breton, Catholic, 72, Quimperle)	15	Opposition in a Hung Parliament

Hung Parliament, no majority formed.

As the Imperialist Party was the largest in the Parliament, Joseph Westfield was appointed as the 3rd Prime Minister of the British Empire. The Hung Parliament meant that the 'Abstinence Clause' was likely to be factored in when passing laws. This clause states that abstained votes are treated as if they never existed to begin with, for example, if 27 MPs were to abstain in a vote, the majority required to pass would be reduced from 115 (out of 229) to 102 (out of 202). Westfield knew that he would have to take advantage of the division amongst the opposition, as to ensure his party could pass laws, he would need a minimum of 42 MPs to abstain.

The House of Lords:
The first competitive Presidential Election in British history was held in 810. President Swithelm of Tottenham decided against running again due to his youth and the projected Imperialist domination of England. As a result, there were four eligible candidates, the Dukes of Norfolk, Winchester, Gloucester and Warwick. Edmund, Duke of Winchester, decided not to run and instead endorsed his brother Duke Ralph of Gloucester. Gloucester was supported by a new political movement that decided only to contest in Presidential elections for the time being, the Liberal Party. The other two Fortune brothers, Norfolk and Warwick, competed for the nomination of the new Conservative Party.

Conservative Primaries (Norfolk v Warwick):
Norfolk (180): Norfolk (6 electors), Ulster (8 electors), Man (1 elector), Connacht (7 electors), Meath (7 electors), Munster (8 electors), Leinster (6 electors), Albany (8 electors), Galloway (6 electors), Lothian (6 electors), Northumberland (8 electors), Cumbria (6 electors), Lancaster (9 electors), York (12 electors), Gwynedd (9 electors), Powys (5 electors), Gower (7 electors), Glamorgan (8 electors), Bedford (13 electors), Kent (10 electors), Winchester (8 electors), Gloucester (10 electors), Somerset (6 electors), Cornwall (6 electors)
Warwick (46): Warwick (17* electors), Moray (8 electors), The Hebrides (6 electors), Brittany (10 electors), Penthievre (5 electors)

Henry II Fortune, 1st Duke of Norfolk, becomes the Conservative candidate for President.

810 Presidential Election (Norfolk v Gloucester) (114 electors to win):
Norfolk (80): Norfolk (6), Warwick (17), Bedford (13), Kent (10), Somerset (6), Cornwall (6), Lancaster (9), York (12), Man (1)
Gloucester (146): Gloucester (10), Winchester (8), Cumbria (6), Northumberland (8), Lothian (6), Galloway (6), Albany (8), The Hebrides (6), Moray (8), Ulster (8), Connacht (7), Meath (7), Munster (8), Leinster (6), Powys (5), Gwynedd (9), Gower (7), Glamorgan (8), Penthievre (5), Brittany (10)

Ralph Fortune-Gloucester, 1st Duke of Gloucester, became the 4th President. The Liberal victory over the Conservatives was caused by the Conservatives aligning with Westfield and the Imperialists, while the Liberals became a unifying presence for the divided coalition. If the coalition had remained united in Parliament, they would have crushed the Imperialists. Gloucester's victory emphasised the fragility of Westfield's hold on power.

President Ralph Fortune-Gloucester and Prime Minister Joseph Westfield were appointed by Emperor Henry I in the shed at Westminster. The Sixth Parliament began....

*Warwick gained 4 electors from Powys after restructuring when Duke Laurence was appointed.

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

Henry I was in ill health, there was no secret about it. It was just a case of how long did he have left to live. While stationed in the pestilence riddled north, Henry caught a fever. Then he felt unable to stay awake, and had no energy when he was. His physician was convinced he had caught Consumption. Henry complimented his grandson Hugh Worthington on his accomplishments as a father. Henry started to feel chest pains. More great-grandchildren were born. Henry was officially diagnosed with Consumption on April 25th 810. Prince Henry convinced his mentor Sir Roger Aster to come out of retirement for a plan he had formulated. Westfield, having caught wind of this plan, tried unsuccessfully to pass an Amendment that would effectively disenfranchise the Celtic people. With an election inevitable, Aster challenged Westfield to a debate. Henry asked his elderly and depressed physician to perform an experimental treatment. This treatment was a resounding success. The Emperor's grandson Reginald Tall was appointed as the 1st Duke of Lancaster. Henry announced a royal decree, creating the Archbishopric of Canterbury and the Republic of Bristol. Henry's health started to recover. The unrest in China subsided, incase anyone in Britain asked. Pharamond Karling, a son of Charlemagne, formed the Empire of Germania. Conflict was likely to ensue as there can only be one Emperor in the West. On January 17th 811, the War of the Two Empires began. In February, Gerald Tall, Lancaster's younger brother, was appointed as the 1st Duke of York, forming the cadet branch of Tall-York. Prince Simon died of poor health a few days later.

In March, Henry's depressed physician died aged 71. 403 Germans tried to seize the shed in Westminster, but they were told they needed to have 1000 more troops. They were able to reinforce to 800 soldiers, but that still wasn't enough. Henry had 32 prisoners executed. More Germans arrived in Westminster to siege the shed. One of Henry's great-grandsons died. The siege of the shed began as 5000 Germans had now gathered in Westminster. After a month, there were now over 10000 Germans besieging the shed. Within a few months, 15000 were laying siege to the shed. In November, the Germans started their attempt to assault the shed. Ben summoned 40000 Anglican warriors to defend the shed. A fierce battle was fought. During the battle, Henry received news that China had convinced the Maldives to pay tribute. The Battle of London was a success, but the Emperor was fatally wounded.

As Henry lay dying on the battlefield, he finally accepted Pharamond's unconditional surrender, which was first offered months earlier. His living sons, his living concubines, the Prime Minister Joseph Westfield, the President Ralph Fortune-Gloucester and the Men of the Shed, Ben, Jeff and Fred, all gathered before him. With his dying breath, he asked his sons to obey the terms of the Constitution and apologised to Westfield and Fortune-Gloucester for causing an early election. Emperor Henry I Worthington died from his wounds on November 25th 811, which would be remembered as Founder's Day from that point forward (November 16th was Unification Day, Foundation Day was September 4th). The peace treaty negotiated between the two Empires granted Britain everything west of the Rhine and the Alps, as well as the Spanish exclaves.

The electoral cycle was to be brought forward as a mark of respect for Henry I and to allow Henry II to formally appoint his own Prime Minister and President. The Sixth Parliament was dissolved. The new conquests meant that the political make-up of the Empire was bound to change...

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

November 26th 811:
Following the death of Emperor Henry I and the accession of Henry II, a General Election was to be held on December 1st. The week before would be utilised to allow the candidates to introduce themselves to the constituents, and for party leaders to reach a wider audience. Henry II indicated that a General Election debate would be held and attended by all party leaders on November 28th. If a party leader refused to attend and did not send a suitable replacement (i.e a deputy leader), the entire party would be disqualified from the election. Prime Minister Joseph Westfield accused the Emperor of "unconstitutional overreach", whatever that meant. But he still agreed to attend the debate. The former coalition had learned from their mistakes in the last election and, with the support of the Liberal Party, rallied around former Prime Minister Sir Roger Aster. What was supposed to be a disorganised mess of a debate now was to be a three-way, between Aster (Liberal-Coalition), Westfield (Imperialist) and Conservative Party leader Mark Milkman.

November 27th 811 (From this point on until the end of British Empire II, the pov is from Emperor Henry II (unless specified otherwise)):
One day left. Tomorrow is the debate which should expose Westfield for what he is; a delusional demagogue. Roger has this in the bag, Milkman and the Conservatives will likely siphon votes from the Imperialists. My Empress indicates to me that she hopes Westfield is defeated, for the good of peace in the Empire. "After all", she says, "We're a minority within our own Empire, our rule is based on the compliance of the majority, antagonising them as Westfield does isn't sustainable." I reply "Of course, which is why Aster and myself have always supported devolution and home rule for the Celtic peoples, and we will support it for the Frankish peoples as well." We finish our conversation, and I get to setting up the shed for tomorrow's debate.

November 28th 811:
Today's the big day. Well, to be more accurate, the big day a few days before the big day. Aster, Westfield and Milkman have arrived and are positioned in the shed, ready for me to start the debate. I enter the room, tell them the ground rules and finish with; "Let the debate begin". Then I watch the whole thing.

Aster: "People of Britain, I implore you to reject the hatred and division spouted by the incumbent Prime Minister. I encourage you to choose love and unity, and a platform that fights for that."
Milkman: "Joseph Westfield is a fearmonger and serial liar who openly seeks to divide people based on their values and their culture. As Prime Minister, I will criminalise his actions and bring him to justice."
Westfield: "Making everything about me, are you? These inept fools can't think of anything to promote themselves but to bring me down. The Celts are in their ears, telling them that English people are bad. Aster is 70000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 years old and Milkman needs to sell more milk. CELTS SHOULD NOT HAVE THE VOTE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. They plot against the good English people, they sacrifice our people to their heathen God. I made Britain great, and I will keep Britain great. DisAster and NoMilkman will destroy our great country with their alliance with the Celts. LAWS SHOULD BE PASSED TO MAKE CELTS DIE. This election is a corrupt sham. It should not be held. I was elected to a 5-year term last year, yet we are having another election already. DisAster didn't have early elections when he was Prime Minister, so why should I? DisAster wasn't even supposed to be eligible to run, but the corrupt Emperor allowed him to break the law. THE EMPEROR IS A KINSLAYING TYRANT. He murdered his great father Henry I in order to remove me, the rightful Prime Minister from power. If I am re-elected, I will execute Henry II for his treasonous, treacherous, tyrannical, despotic, disloyal treason. THE EMPEROR IS A CELTPHILE. He would have us be outbred by Celts if it were not for my measures as Prime Minister. I will design territories specified for Celts where they will be forced to live and do hard labour for the nation. THE CELTS CAUSED CONSUMPTION BY POISONING THE WELLS. IF WE DO NOT POISON THEM, THEY WILL KILL US ALL. IF YOU LOVE BRITAIN, YOU WILL VOTE IMPERIALIST."
Aster: "I'm only 71, Joseph. I've still got a lot in the tank. To the Celtic, Frankish and Anglo-Saxons of the nation, I must emphasise the urgency with which you need to vote the man who spoke before me out of office. He plans to disenfranchise Celtic people, and it is only a matter of time before he goes after everyone else who aren't, in his words, "good English Anglicans". He has insinuated that Celtic people are heathens when we all worship the same God. He believes he made Britain great. That isn't true. The people of Britain made Britain great, and the people will keep Britain great. He has suggested that he will kill all Celtic people if re-elected. If we let him get away with that, he won't stop until he destroys every non-English person. He recently accused our new Emperor of "unconstitutional overreach", but he seems to forget that this election was mandated by a provision in the Constitution. The Constitution doesn't have term-limits. Theoretically, one could be Prime Minister or President for life, if one kept winning elections. Our late Emperor Henry I died of battle-wounds, he was not murdered by his good son. This man is committing treason right now, it is treasonous to call for the killing of the Emperor. The Prime Minister has openly declared that he will kill all Celtic people if re-elected. If you value freedom and life, you must vote him out."
Milkman: "I only wrote two sentences, and I have nothing else to say. Goodbye, and I wish the two of you luck."
Westfield: "RUAGER DISASTER WISHES FOR MY REMOVAL FROM OFFICE BECAUSE HE REGRETS STEPPING DOWN AND LETTING BRENAWN WEAK TAKE OVER. I BEAT BRENAWN WEAK ONCE, I CAN BEAT HIM AGAIN. I MADE BRITAIN GREAT, AND I WILL KEEP BRITAIN GREAT. RUAGER DISASTER WANTS TO DESTROY BRITAIN BECAUSE HE HATES HIS PEOPLE AND HIS NATION. CELTS DO NOT DESERVE RIGHTS IN OUR GREAT NATION, THEY MUST BE CIVILISED. THE CONSTITUTION HAS TERM LIMITS WHICH FORBID THE PRIME MINISTER FROM SERVING FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS. RUAGER DISASTER SEEKS TO RULE FOR LIFE, HE SAID IT HIMSELF. HE WILL LET THE CELTS REPLACE US AND ERADICATE OUR WAY OF LIFE. HENRY THE FIRST WAS MURDERED BY THE CELTS AND WE MUST AVENGE HIM. RUAGER DISASTER HAS SUGGESTED THAT I, THE MOST LOYAL MAN IN THE NATION, HAS COMMITTED TREASON. I AM NO TREASONER, I NEVER COMMITTED TREASON, IT IS NOT TREASONOUS TO KILL HOEL DE LEON, A RADICAL CELT TERRORIST WHO POISONED THE WELLS AND ASSASSINATED THE EMPEROR. RUAGER DISASTER WOULD OF LET HOEL DE LEON DESTROY THE EMPIRE AND I WOULD NOT ALLOW THAT. THE CELTS ARE NOT WORTHY OF LIFE AS THEY ARE NOT HUMAN, HUMAN PEOPLE DO NOT DO HUMAN SACRIFICE TO HEATHEN GODS. TO MY BELOVED SUPPORTERS, VOTE FOR OUR CAUSE NOW AND YOU WILL NEVER NEED TO VOTE AGAIN BECAUSE WE WILL GO BACK TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS WHEN THERE WAS NO HOUSE OF COMMONERS, INSTEAD THE ENGLISH LORDS OF BRITAIN WILL REIGN SUPREME WHEN I KILL THE EMPEROR. WE SHALL SAVE BRITAIN FROM THE RADICAL CELT TERRORISM THAT THREATENS ITS VERY EXISTANCE."
Aster: "I rest my case."
Westfield: "RUAGER DISASTER IS A COWARD AND A PUPPET OF THE RADICAL CELT TERRORISM. MY GLORIOUS SUPPORTERS, WE MUST KILL RUAGER DISASTER BEFORE HE AND THE RADICAL CELT TERRORISM STEAL THE ELECTION. DO NOT LEAVE THIS ROOM RUAGER DISASTER YOU ARE NOT A PERSON OF EXISTANCE RIGHTS YOU MUST BE JAILED KILLED DISMEMBERED EATEN AND THROWN INTO THE SEA I WILL ENSURE THIS HAPPENS TO YOU RUAGER DISASTER IF YOU DO NOT EXCEPT THAT THE RADICAL CELT TERRORISM IS PLOTTING TO STEAL THE ELECTION.....

He continued to drone on for about three hours, but I had left the room. Hopefully the Imperialist Party would be hampered at the election...

 

[Nikolai]

Someone is throwing a fit.

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

Someone is throwing a fit.

He knows he's losing and needs to (in his mind) scare people into voting for him.

 

[Lord Durham]

A rather wild debate, to be sure. A suggestion. Use line breaks between sentences. It makes it easier on the eyes and easier to read.

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

December 1st 811:
Election day is here. The voters will decide whether Joseph Westfield and the Imperialists will get 5 more years in power, or if Sir Roger Aster and the Liberal-Coalition movement will remove the Imperialists from power. As the Emperor, I am not eligible to vote. This is because I could be accused of influencing the election by promoting the candidate I vote for. My ineligibility won't stop Westfield from claiming a defeat will be because of fraud though. In this election, a whopping 596 MPs (up from 229) will be elected to Parliament. Ben has confirmed that there is room in the shed for all of them. However, if the Empire keeps expanding, we might have to implement a Constitutional Amendment to limit the number of MPs that can be elected. I have an idea that if a kingdom has its own Parliament and a Governor-General, then they elect one MP per province instead of per major settlement. England would retain the one MP per major settlement rule. This could win over the moderate members of the Imperialist Party. I plan to take a nap, and tomorrow, the Parliament will convene, which will indicate the results.

December 2nd 811:
The results are in. The Seventh Parliament will begin shortly. The political make-up is as follows: (297 MPs for a majority)

Party	Leader	Number of MPs	Outcome
Liberal-Coalition	Sir Roger Aster (English, Anglican, 71, Westminster)	436	Form Government
Imperialist	Joseph Westfield (English, Anglican, 42, Bedford)	16	In Opposition
Conservative	Mark Milkman (English, Anglican, 55, Stamford Bridge)	144	In Opposition

"Yes!" I say to my wife Catherine of Lynn. "Aster won, Westfield is finished." Catherine replies "But if you implement devolution, we could be in trouble. The right increased their hold on England, but the Imperialists collapsed after the debate. The Conservatives will support devolution because they know they're going to struggle to win constituencies outside of England, Man, Ulster and parts of Brittany. Westfield won't admit defeat, he will never compromise." Next the Presidential vote was to be done. There were no primaries this time around, it was a straight up repeat of last year, just with more provinces in the Electoral College.

811 Presidential Election: Norfolk v Gloucester Round 2: (286 electors to win)

Party	Candidate	Electoral Votes	Total + Outcome
Liberal	Ralph Fortune-Gloucester (English, Anglican, 21, Gloucester)	Gloucester (10), Bedford (13), Cumbria (6), Northumberland (10), Powys (5), Gwynedd (9), Gower (7), Glamorgan (8), Leinster (8), Munster (8), Meath (7), Connacht (7), Ulster (8), Galloway (6), Lothian (6), Albany (8), The Hebrides (6), Moray (8), Brittany (10), Penthievre (5), Upper Brittany (9), Neustria (18), Picardy (12), Flanders (21), Brabant (10), Lower Lorraine (13), Upper Lorraine (12), Alsace (6), Transjurania (12), Savoy (13), Provence (13), Dauphine (13), Toulouse (21), Gascony (12), Galicia (10), Asturias (7), Leon (13), Aquitaine (12), Poitiers (12), Bourbon (10), Auvergne (9), Upper Burgundy (12), Burgundy (18), Berry (9), Anjou (16), Blois (9), Paris (15), Champagne (11)	503 ; becomes President
Conservative	Henry Fortune (English, Anglican, 23, Norfolk)	Norfolk (6), Bath (12), Canterbury (10), Warwick (17), Lancaster (9), Man (1), York (12)	67 ; Does not become President

I have noticed some rather large regions, especially within France, that could prove decisive in a close election. In the battle of my two nephews, Ralph won decisively because he was a popular incumbent and the new regions were suspicious of the Conservatives and their friendlier attitude towards the Imperialists. In a post-Westfield election, I predict that France could become a major battleground in Presidential votes. The Conservatives underperformed compared to the Parliamentary elections due to the winner-takes-all nature of the Electoral College. For example, Conservative candidates polled well amongst the Anglican minority in Wales, but the Catholic majority delivered all the electors to the Liberals. The Seventh Parliament began once I formally appointed President Fortune-Gloucester and Prime Minister Aster.

December 3rd 811:
While more members of the family were having children, something happened that Aster, Catherine and I were expecting. Westfield and his 15 cronies held a 'protest' outside the shed demanding that the election be nullified and his restoration as Prime Minister effective immediately. This protest was put down easily and the Imperialists were put under house arrest, until the Supreme Court could try them. Aster and the Liberal-Coalition prepared for a new Constitutional Amendment...

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

December 11th 811:
It is now time. I have gathered the 10 Justices of the Supreme Court to try Joseph Westfield and the Imperialist Party for treason and attempting to overturn a democratic election. I take my seat that will give me a front row view of the proceedings.

Chief Justice: "We are gathered today to try Mr. Joseph Westfield and the Imperialist Party for the crimes of treason and attempting to overturn a democratic election. How do you plead?"

Westfield: "We plead not guilty. We are the victims of a conspiracy by the Emperor and the Liberal Party to defraud the Constitution."

Associative Justice 1: "A conspiracy? This conspiracy theorist is clearly guilty."

Chief Justice: "Silence!"

Westfield: "The Imperialist Party stands for the good English Anglicans of the Empire. We fight against the discrimination that the radical Celts and Frenchians try to inflict upon us. If you do not acquit us, you will pay for it when we return to power."

Associative Justices 1-9: "Sir, we must convict."

Chief Justice: "Joseph Westfield, you are hereby found guilty of treason and attempting to overturn a democratic election. You will be sentenced to death by hanging on New Year's Day 812. The Imperialist Party is hereby banned by order of the Supreme Court."

I watch as Westfield is taken away screaming obscenities, indicating his belief that "the radical Celt terrorism" was responsible for his defeat and sentencing. New Year's Day awaits.

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

On New Year's Eve, the 580 non-Imperialist MPs held a feast in the shed. The entire royal family, including the children of the women who were not members of the Worthington dynasty, joined the MPs in celebrating the downfall of Joseph Westfield and the Imperialist Party. By-elections were to be held on New Year's Day, however the Conservatives were highly likely to win all 16 seats. At the feast, Sir Roger Aster approached me about implementing the Thirteenth Amendment, which would formalise the outcome of the recent Supreme Court hearing, enabling the court to ban offensive political parties who commit treason. I agreed, and the Liberal MPs passed the Thirteenth Amendment a day before Parliament was supposed to meet for the year. The Fourteenth Amendment was also passed, which meant Parliament would now meet once every month instead of once a year.

While this was going on, I was informed by a Lombard man that my plan to assassinate a Frankish woman named Frolaica Nibelunging was ready to be executed. Frolaica was the Duchess of Berry until the end of the War of the Two Empires, when Berry (like all of Francia west of the Rhine) was annexed. She has been plotting to claim the county of Tours, which de jure is part of Berry but was de facto controlled by the Duchy of Anjou. I decided to have her killed when she refused to stop plotting. This may take a few days.

I went to sleep and woke up the following morning, ready to close the Westfield chapter of British history. The executioner was already waiting for Westfield's arrival. The disgraced former Prime Minister was led out and held in place. The hangman readied his rope and wrapped it around Westfield's neck. After 15 minutes, it was all over.

I returned to the shed and decided that I was going to rest throughout 812....

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

Frolaica was assassinated on January 27th 812. I was happy as it meant her plot ended. My half-brother Prince Geoffrey died after a period of ill health around this time. My sister Juliana was widowed in May and entered a nunnery. My nephew Matthew Worthington was caught being a member of a Satanic cult called Lucifer's Own, he was branded with molten iron. In July, Catherine showed signs of pregnancy with our ninth child, our first in nearly 20 years.

I was informed in October that the Emperor of China had died. The new guy likes Manicheans and dislikes Finns and Magyars. I ended 812 by banishing 25 people who had been imprisoned for over 20 years each. At the start of 813, Parliament and I agreed to invade the Umayyad Sultanate of Maghreb. In February, my newest son Randolph was born. Captured prisoners were executed. On October 3rd 813, the war ended with the regent of the child Sultan agreeing to give up all of the Umayyad's Iberian territory. A meeting between the Emperors of Britain, Germania, and Byzantium was scheduled for later in October. I was to meet with my father's old foe, Emperor Pharamond Karling, and Basileus Kosmas Monotes.

At the meeting, we agreed to recognise each other as Emperors of the West, Centre and East respectively. However, nothing else came of it. There was no alliance or agreement about land in this meeting. In 814, I was informed that a mixture of Irish and English settlers were converging in the north, intermarrying with the local Picts and becoming Scottish. The northern Kingdom officially changed from Pictland to Scotland in my list of titles. Catherine got pregnant again. My nephew Reginald, 1st Duke of Lancaster, died of dysentery. His son, Reginald II, was anointed as the 2nd Duke. His younger son Laurence became the 1st Earl of Chester. My 10th child Cecilia was born in April 815. Andrew, the Archbishop of Canterbury, died and was replaced by Archbishop Eustace.

By the time 816, arrived, I began preparing for the next election. The Seventh Parliament was to be dissolved on December 1st, and the election would be held on the same day. I became known as Henry 'the Confessor'.

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

I knew that 816 was going to be unpredictable. Sir Roger Aster was retiring again aged 76, leaving the Liberal Party with a decision to make as to who would be the next leader. They decided to pick Nathan Long, a 38 year old English, Anglican MP for Colchester. The Conservatives consolidated under Mark Milkman. The Imperialists were no more, meaning the Conservatives were going to dominate England according to the polls. Once again, I could not vote, but there was no Westfield to accuse me of fraud for existing. The conquest of Iberia meant there were now 777 MPs and the Electoral College would have 761 electors.

The 816 General Election (389 MPs for a majority):

Party	Leader	Number of MPs	Outcome
Liberal	Nathan Long (English, Anglican, 38, Colchester)	630	Form Government
Conservative	Mark Milkman (English, Anglican, 60, Stamford Bridge)	147	In Opposition

The Liberals made gains thanks to the Iberian conquests, and the Conservatives actually declined when you factor in the now non-existent Imperialists. Milkman's future as Conservative Party leader was under threat after another humiliating election result. The Conservatives began to worry about the Presidential election.

The 816 Presidential Election: Gloucester v Norfolk Round 3 (381 electors to win):

Party	Candidate	Electoral Votes	Total Votes + Outcome
Liberal	Gloucester	Gloucester (10), Bedford (13), Moray (8), Albany (8), The Hebrides (6), Galloway (6), Connacht (7), Meath (7), Leinster (8), Munster (8), etc. (all the continental regions)	621 ; becomes President
Conservative	Norfolk	Norfolk (6), Canterbury (10), Winchester (8), Bath (12), Warwick (17), Lancaster (9), York (12), Northumberland (8), Cumbria (6), Man (1), Lothian (6), Ulster (8), Gower (7), Glamorgan (8), Powys (5), Gwynedd (9)	140 ; not President

The Presidential Election reflected the Parliamentary Election. The Conservatives only gained a couple of seats in Bedford, Gloucester, Brabant and a few non-electoral provinces. The Liberals held on to Gloucester and Bedford comfortably, but lost ground in Wales, Scotland and Ulster.

I appointed President Gloucester and Prime Minister Long. The Eighth Parliament began...

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

The Eighth Parliament was a particularly dull one, as in the first few years, nothing of note happened. In June 817, I noticed my great-nephew Albert of St Brigit trying to read my letters. I decided to teach him how to read. In October, Reginald died of natural causes aged 47. In January 818, my granddaughter Catherine of Lichfield sneaks up on me and sees the broach I had bought her, ruining the surprise.

On the 2nd of April, I am meeting with Sir Roger Aster when a servant enters the room. "My Emperor, there is important news from Parliament." "Go on" I say to the servant. "Mark Milkman has been ousted by the Conservative Party." Milkman's ousting was no real surprise to me, he was always a weak leader who existed solely to be the leader that people who couldn't stand Westfield could turn to. I inquire as to the identity of the new Conservative Party leader, and the servant replies "Oliver Mitchell, MP for Dover." This is shocking to me, as Mitchell is only 29 and was only elected at the most recent General Election. Aster says "I've heard of Mitchell, he's the leader of a young faction within the Conservative Party advocating for what he calls 'the Continental Strategy', believing that focusing on policy, and painting the Liberals as a party of identity politics, will help them win over voters in France and Iberia. I fear a blue wave is coming, my Emperor, and I don't think Prime Minister Long is going to survive amongst the Liberals if it comes."

I noticed that Prince Henry was a devoted father to his children. I decided that I wished to see the Empire prosper, instead of being consumed by war. My nephew, Gerald I, 1st Duke of York, was assassinated on November 5th 818, while investigating a conspiracy led by a man named Guy Fawkes. Fawkes was arrested, tortured and executed. During the torture, he revealed his connections to Liberal Prime Minister Nathan Long. Oliver Mitchell accused Long of having knowledge of the conspiracy, which was intended to kill me, and Catherine said to me that she believes this incident will win the next election for the Conservatives, as they were already on the rise under Mitchell. I officially appointed my great-nephew Gerald II as the 2nd Duke of York. Gerald I's younger sons, Edmund and Stephen, became the 1st Earls of Hull and Leeds respectively. Catherine asked to take over Gerald's duties as spymaster, to which I reluctantly agreed. She is an amazing woman, but I don't want to lose her.

My niece Maud became known as 'the Scholar' after a debate during Christmas dinner where she recited all of the Constitution in one go. Pharamond Karling converted Denmark to Catholicism. The Bohemian cultured, Slavic Pagan Karling King of Bavaria requested that my grandson Henry marry his sister Marie matrilineally when they both came of age. I told the child's ambassador where to go. Parliament intervened in a dispute between the Church and the merchant class, stating that their laws were to be equal in authority, and below that of Parliament and the Emperor. My nephew, Henry II, 1st Duke of Norfolk, died in a hunting accident, and was succeeded by his only son, Matthew. Some conspiracy theorists within the Conservative Party suspected Norfolk's younger brother, Liberal President Ralph, 1st Duke of Gloucester, however Ralph is a kind and just man who believed killing was wrong. Still, it appeared to have damaged the Liberal Party's reputation and further bolstered the Conservative Party's election chances.

The widows of Norfolk and York were sent to China by their sons to be concubines of the Emperor. I became a better commander after years of intense study and practice. The Grand Mayor of Bristol obtained some artifacts, such as a Crown of Lillies, a Scepter and an Engraved Sword. Reginald II, the 9 year old 2nd Duke of Lancaster, burnt the Mayor of Preston at the stake. Catherine revealed that my half-brothers were fighting amongst each other. Prince Fulk was scheming to have Prince Paul killed. I ordered that he stop if he valued his freedom. I was informed that the Lord Mayor of Noli, a city in Germania-controlled Italy, was raiding Nice. I ordered a unit stationed in Iberia to go to Nice as quickly as they possibly could. My Steward and nephew-in-law, Andrew of Lichfield, proposed creating a cultural monument. I agreed, and Parliament did not object, so construction began. Prince Lionel died in April 820. In June, 9 months after Fulk was exposed, Prince Godfrey, my youngest half-brother, was exposed for trying to skip the queue. The army arrived in Nice, but the Lord Mayor of Noli and his troops had long fled back home.

In July, we received news from a one-province minor in India. Thakur Krishna Guhilot, the 39 year old Rajput Jain ruler, had noticed a terrifying disease was spreading in his demesne. This disease was said to be incurable, with victims being covered in buboes. I took notes, and decided to start constructing hospitals along the Imperial borders and expand the one in Middlesex. Former President Swithelm of Tottenham, 3rd Baron Tottenham, died after a long period of poor health in September. He was succeeded by his son Baron Eadfrith II, 4th Baron Tottenham. On January 1st 821, with an election coming up, the Liberal Party, perhaps knowing that defeat in December seemed inevitable, passed the Fifteenth Amendment (the Kingdom of Man Act), which elevated the Isle of Man to a Kingdom in its own right, and stipulated that my maternal grandson Walter of St Albans would be appointed as its first Governor-General when he came of age on January 9th.

January 9th arrived, and it was a day of great pride for me. Walter was like a son to me, as his mother, my eldest daughter Hawise, died when he was just a few months old, and his father, Walter Sr. left court to join the clergy. The young man was a prodigy in martial matters, brave but also a bit stubborn. I placed the Viceregal crown on Walter's head, indicating that he was now my Supreme Representative in Man. The Conservative Party tried to convince Walter to join their ranks, but he refused and indicated he would be a bipartisan Governor-General. Walter decreed that the Parliament of Man would elect 5 representatives per constituency (there was 1 at the moment). He indicated that his demesne would follow the Imperial succession law of House Seniority. We received news that China wanted to subjugate a Indian lord.

The statue Andrew started construction of was finished in February. He revealed it to be a statue of me, which I was immensely grateful for. On October 1st, the Liberal Party passed the Sixteenth Amendment (the Kingdom of Northern Ireland Act), which created a Kingdom of Northern Ireland for the English Anglican population of the island. Humphrey of St Brigit, a maternal grandson of my half-brother Prince Paul, was to be appointed as Governor-General on his 16th birthday on October 17th. After his investment, he decided that his Parliament would elect 6 representatives per constituency. The creation of Northern Ireland will reduce the number of MPs by 3. Just like with Man and Walter, Humphrey agreed that his demesne would be ruled by House Seniority, meaning his younger brothers David, Matthew and Albert were all in line before any potential children.

In November, a month before the election, there was an outbreak of camp fever in Suffolk. Prime Minister Nathan Long decided to do nothing. The election would take place as normal, despite the spread of disease...

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

I had a sense of dread for the state of politics in the British Empire. We were going to go from one extreme to the other, from a near 500 MP Liberal majority to a near 500 MP Conservative majority, if the polls were to be believed. As Northern Ireland has 3 provinces, it will now only elect 3 MPs instead of the previous 6. This meant we now had 774 MPs and retained 761 electors in the Electoral College. Sir Roger Aster resisted calls to return to politics and oust Nathan Long, citing the fact that he was now 81 years old. Oliver Mitchell, at the age of just 32, rejected the idea that he was too young to be Prime Minister, citing the fact that my father started ruling at 16 and that we had a child President in Mitchell's lifetime.

The 821 General Election (388 MPs for a majority):

Party	Leader	Number of MPs	Outcome
Liberal Party	Nathan Long (English, Anglican, 43)	93	In Opposition
Conservative Party	Oliver Mitchell (English, Anglican, 32, Dover)	681	Form Government

The election was nothing short of a disaster for the Liberal Party. Nathan Long became the second successor of Sir Roger Aster as Prime Minister to lose his seat at a General Election while being the incumbent (Bernard Strong lost his seat in 810 while he was the serving Prime Minister). Oliver Mitchell had managed to shake off the reputation of being 'Imperialist Lite' the Conservative Party had garnered under Mark Milkman and had also built a new reputation for the party as 'the party of policy'. Immediately after losing his seat, Nathan Long resigned as Liberal Party leader, but I expect the party to fracture after a catastrophic defeat which made 810 look narrow.

The Presidential Non-Election (381 Electors to win):
Incumbent President Ralph, 1st Duke of Gloucester saw the writing on the wall and declined to run for re-election. The Liberal Party could not convince anyone else to run, so the Conservative primary became the de facto election.

Conservative Primary: Warwick v Norfolk (381 to win):

Candidate	Regions Carried	Total Primary Votes	Outcome
Warwick	Warwick, Lancaster, York, Cumbria, Northumberland, Powys, Gwynedd, Scotland (all of it), Northern Ireland, Connacht, Meath, Man	120	Not nominated
Norfolk	Norfolk, Gloucester, Bedford, Canterbury, Winchester, Bath, Gower, Glamorgan, Leinster, Munster, France (all of it), Iberia (all of it)	641	Nominated, becomes President by default

I consider the 821 Presidential Election as a Non-Election because first of all, the Conservative Primary decided the President, and secondly, neither candidate ran serious campaigns, knowing that one of them was guaranteed the Presidency and not wanting to damage their professional and familial relationship with each other. Laurence, 1st Duke of Warwick, is Matthew, 2nd Duke of Norfolk's uncle after all. Laurence accepted that he had lost his final chance to become President, and became his nephew's most loyal supporter. I appointed President Norfolk and Prime Minister Mitchell and the Ninth Parliament began...

 

[Midnite Duke]

Go, Gloucester, Go! With infant Presidents, one need not be able to speak or read to hold office. Thanks

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

With infant Presidents, one need not be able to speak or read to hold office.

That was the (successful) argument of one party, with the other party arguing (unsuccessfully) against it.

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

December 2nd 821:
Things are getting ugly in Parliament. While Prime Minister Oliver Mitchell was speaking about his plans to implement a nation-wide lockdown if the rumoured plague in India reached British territory, Snedgus Ui Diarmait, the 57 year old Irish Catholic Liberal MP for Cork, threw a loaf of bread at the Prime Minister. The Liberal Party has not yet selected their new leader, and the MPs are being unruly as a result. However it seems there is one consensus within the party, there will be no support for lockdowns. The Conservative Party also presented their new plan to construct upgrades in all constituencies in England over the next 5 years. It was not said how much money this would cost, but Jeff offered to loan the nation any required funds. Mitchell appointed James Rack, MP for Westminster, as Minister for Constructions, which was the head of the new Department of Construction, the department with the authority to order new constructions in constituencies and holdings (in regions with Governors-General). Rack confirmed that this plan was a general trial for the new department, and that if it was successful, the next Conservative government would focus on improving the rest of the Empire. Prior to this establishment, it was the responsibility of myself, the lords and the Governors-General to construct upgrades. We still can, but it comes from our own coffers rather than the government's treasury.

I was notified of the election results in Man and Northern Ireland. In Man, all 5 MLPs were Conservatives, meaning their local leader became First Minister of Man. In Northern Ireland, the 36 MLPs were split 31-5 in favour of the Conservatives against the Liberals. The Governors-General arrived in the House of Lords to accept President Norfolk.

December 4th 821:
And the Liberal Party will not be winning an election anytime soon. During last night's leadership election, Ui Diarmait threw more bread at the other candidates because they did not agree with his policy of throwing bread at people. After this, he was thrown out of the Liberal Party, literally. I mean it, they literally threw him out of the room where the leadership election was taking place. A few other Irish Catholic MPs left in protest, and then everyone started to leave. Eventually, Beorn Southpot, MP for Preston, was selected as Liberal Party leader. However, there were now only 5 Liberal MPs left in Parliament, with the other 4 being in Brittany (1), Wales (1) and Scotland (2). The Irish Catholic MPs formed the Irish Nationalist Party (INP), which campaigns for the dissolution of Northern Ireland and return of the 3 provinces to a unified and devolved Ireland. The French MPs formed the Parti National Francais (PNF), which campaigns for French devolution, and the Iberian MPs formed the Iberian United Front (IUF), which was more of a union of parties rather than one party on its own, as it combined Visigoths, Suebians and Muslims into one group. The other MPs simply joined the Conservative Party. The PNF and the IUF both have 35 MPs, while the INP has 10, so 9 MPs defected to the Conservatives, giving them a new total of 690 MPs.

December 5th 821:
Oliver Mitchell formally welcomed the Conservative Party's 9 new MPs and stated that "together, we will build a better future across the Empire." Snedgus Ui Diarmait and the INP threw bread at everyone to signal their presence. I thought to myself "Ui Diarmait and the INP are my bet for the next party brought before the Supreme Court." Roger wrote to me, informing me that Father Aethelwulf Ossing, the final leader of the defunct Catholic Party, had died in his sleep last night at the age of 74. A small funeral was to be organised. I agreed to attend.

December 7th 821:
The funeral of Father Aethelwulf Ossing was a quiet affair, which was quite settling after a week of chaos at Parliament. At the funeral, Roger gave a speech about how Ossing was a "shining example of the good in politics", which was likely a dig at the late Joseph Westfield. Many of Ossing's former constituents in Crowland attended and paid tribute to the man who represented them in Parliament from 790 to 810. After the funeral, I returned to the shed and went to sleep, and would prepare my plans for the next couple of years in the morning...

 

[Midnite Duke]

Thanks, if they are throwing bread, are they eating cake?

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

if they are throwing bread, are they eating cake?

No, they are eating grapes and olives grown in the magical shed (I arbitrarily decided at the start of the AAR that the shed has the power to contain anything, the only narrative requirement I'm having is that we control territory it is native to (clearly the Chaplain that was killed by a tiger was travelling in India or Siberia)).

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

As Parliament began calculating the cost of the Conservative Party's construction project, I ordered a grand mass wedding, where many of my relatives got married simultaneously (no polygamy though). I appointed two great-nephews, Guy of Burnham (a grandson of Prince Geoffrey) and Alfred of Southampton (a grandson of Princess Hawise), as the 1st Dukes of Cumberland and Northumberland respectively.

The budget was sent to me for review. The Conservative Party were proposing to spend 9,400 gold coins on their construction project in England. Decades of Imperial and Liberal misery meant that the treasury had over 80,000 coins in reserve. I approved the measure, and construction began on December 16th 821. I announced further upgrades to the Hospital of Middlesex.

With Camp Fever approaching Middlesex, on January 1st 822, the Conservative government voted overwhelmingly in favour of a national lockdown. A Berber Sheikh started raiding the coast of Iberia, an army was sent from the north to crush them. However, the raiders dispersed days before the British army arrived to engage them in battle. Once the Hospital's upgrades finished, I announced further upgrades. The Sheikh returned in November but would get away again before British soldiers arrived. The Archbishop of Canterbury died of Camp Fever.

In September 823, my Steward Andrew of Lichfield informs me of old tunnels under the shed. He suggests we maintain them. I agree. Days later, Andrew informs me that people are using the tunnels. We are presented with a peasant named Adelaide 'the Recluse'. I decide to interrogate her. According to Adelaide, her lover used to reside at the court, but he died of Camp Fever. Andrew doesn't believe her story, so I send her away. I receive news that the Great Plague in India is currently ravaging Persia. I tell my nephew Andrew Worthington and his wife Joan of Carlisle to be more discreet with their 'conversation'. I appoint Uilliam O'Flaherty, a grandson of my late half-brother Prince Simon, as the 1st Duke of Leinster. In December, the Great Plague arrives in Nice.

In June 824, my daughter Princess Joan asks to leave the shed. I refuse to let her because I don't want her to get sick. On November 15th 825, I received upsetting news. My friend and mentor, former Prime Minister Sir Roger Aster, died of the Great Plague at the age of 85. As there was a lockdown in place, there could not be a funeral to attend. During the lockdown, I have became close with my great-nephew Henry of Iona, and we now consider each other friends. Another Archbishop of Canterbury died in March 826. I noticed that President Norfolk was a cannibal when his plot to kill and eat his sister was discovered. I finished the granting of land to Irish vassals in May 826. The election for Governor-General was set for the same day as the General Election, December 1st. This was set out in the Seventeenth Amendment (the Devolution of Ireland Act). This also meant that Ireland would lose 14 MPs, leaving the nation with 760 MPs and 761 Electors. Snedgus Ui Diarmait threw bread at the Conservative, Liberal and INP MPs who voted in favour of the Amendment. My half-brother Prince Fulk died in July. The Frisian culture on the mouth of the Rhine morphed into a new Dutch culture. I started studying the conquests of Alexander the Great in October. December arrived, and it was election time...

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

As my health was declining, I was aware that this could be the last election with me as Emperor. The Conservative Party remained popular for their economic policy, despite facing a major backlash over the national lockdown, which was still in effect nearly 5 years on. Oliver Mitchell was committed to expanding their construction policy to the rest of the Empire. The other parties campaigned on their usual issues, but also on ending the lockdown. Due to the recent enactment of the Seventeenth Amendment, the Irish election would take place first. It was decided that each constituency in Ireland would elect 4 representatives to the devolved Parliament.

Irish Election of 826 (60 representatives for a majority):

Party	Leader	Number of Representatives	Outcome
Conservative Party	Eamon de Chill Mhantáin (Irish, Anglican, 44, Wexford)	59	Leads Hung Parliament
Liberal Party	Énri Mac Cartaigh (Irish, Anglican, 33, Cork)	15	Opposition in Hung Parliament
INP	Snedgus Óg Ui Diarmait (Irish, Catholic, 22, Cork)	44	Opposition in Hung Parliament

Hung Parliament, Eamon de Cill Mhantain appointed as First Minister by virtue of leading the largest party in the devolved Parliament.

Irish Gubernatorial Election of 826 (16 electors to win)

Party	Candidate	Regions Won	Electoral Votes + Outcome
Conservative Party	Meath (Irish, Catholic, 18, Meath)	Meath, Leinster	13; Not elected as Governor-General
Liberal-INP	Munster (Irish, Catholic, 19, Munster)	Munster, Connacht	17; Elected as Governor-General

Máel-Cianáin, 1st Duke of Munster, was elected as the 1st Governor-General of Ireland. The Gubernatorial Election showed that the Liberal and INP vote were similar, and the split enabled the Conservatives to win the most seats in the Parliamentary Election. Had they worked together like they did in the Gubernatorial Election, the Liberals and the INP could have formed a coalition government.

National Election of 826 (381 MPs for a majority):

Party	Leader	Number of MPs	Outcome
Conservative Party	Oliver Mitchell (English, Anglican, 37, Dover)	555	Form Government
Liberal Party	Beorn Southpot (English, Anglican, 50, Preston)	106	In Opposition
INP	Snedgus Ui Diarmait (Irish, Catholic, 62, Desmond)	9	In Opposition
PNF	Pierre de Main (French, Catholic, 43, Corbeil)	40	In Opposition
IUF	Abdul al-Qurtubah (Bedouin, Sunni, 44, Cordoba)	50	In Opposition

Oliver Mitchell continues as Prime Minister. The Conservative Party's majority was dented at this General Election, which was mainly caused by the backlash to the lockdown, but the other 4 parties couldn't make enough gains to defeat them.

Presidential Election of 826 (381 Electors to win): (There were no Primaries)

Party	Candidate	Regions Won	Outcome
Conservative Party	President Norfolk (English, Anglican, 21, Norfolk)	Norfolk, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Penthievre, Upper Brittany, Man	100; Not President
Liberal Party	Former President Gloucester (English, Anglican, 36, Gloucester)	Rest of the country	631; President
INP	Governor-General Munster (Irish, Catholic, 19, Ireland)	Ireland (all of it)	30; Not President

Ralph, 1st Duke of Gloucester, returns as President, becoming the first to win non-consecutive terms (he first served from 810 to 821). President Norfolk struggled due to the revelation that he was a cannibal and the popularity of his predecessor. Máel-Cianáin, the Governor-General of Ireland, only won in Ireland because nobody else was going to vote for the INP. If the Conservatives had ran a different candidate to the unpopular incumbent, then the INP could have ended up being a spoiler in the election.

I appointed President Gloucester and Prime Minister Mitchell and the Tenth Parliament began...