Heron Party

Heron Party
Chair	Llywellyn Evans-Jones, The Baron St Brides
Designate	None
Founder	William Somerset, 2nd Viscount Douglas August Carew-Grey
Founded	11 August 2023, 1 year, 132 days ago then 11 August 2024, 132 days ago
Dissolved	1 May 2024, 234 days ago
Headquarters	Heron Party Headquarters Blenheim Palace
Ideology	Classical Liberalism, Liberal Conservativism
Political position	Centre
Colours	Dark Blue
Slogan	"Vote security. Vote success. Vote Heron." "Fly High with a Party you can trust."
House of Lords	2 / 4
House of Commons	2 / 7

The Heron Party, also sometimes referred to as just the Herons, is one of the main political parties in the Empire of Great Britain, along with the British Liberal Party. It was the current governing party at the time of its first dissolution, having won the March 2024 General Election. The party is on the Centre to Centre Right of the political spectrum. It currently has 5 Members of the House of Commons following the August 2024 General Election. The party holds its conference every Midterm.

The Heron Party was founded on the 11th August 2023, by the two main members of the prior Independent Slate: William Somerset, 2nd Viscount Douglas, and August Lleyton, 1st Earl of Stirling. Following their decision to leave the British Constitutionalist Party, they unsuccessfully ran as Candidates in the July 2023 General Election.

The September 2023 General Election was an uncontested ballot, since only five members put themselves forward. The Herons secured a majority of three, having secured the membership of the former Independent Candidate and a former BCP Member themselves, Thomas H. Wright, with the Earl of Stirling as Prime Minister. The Herons were in control of Government for much of the Session. However, the Earl of Stirling decided not to re-run as the Prime Minister-designate, and so the 2nd Viscount Douglas ultimately became the Candidate for the next General Election.

In the November 2023 General Election, Wright and Somerset were both successfully re-elected, though required the support of the independent candidate Llywellyn Lleyton, to remain in Government for a second successive term, and with the Viscount Douglas as Prime Minister. He was elected with the aim of economic consultation via the "great freeze", as well as his landmark Executive Act, both of which passed through the Houses, though not without opposition. Meanwhile, Wright continued his promise of overseeing the Mousing Department and other key initiatives. Despite this, the Party was under pressure from HM Loyal Opposition.

Following the Duke of Warwick Affair on the 3rd January 2024, the Viscount Douglas advised the King to dissolve Parliament early and called a General Election. Wright, now known as Thomas H. Carew, would stand for a third consecutive term in the Commons, alongside Lord Douglas who was aiming for a second term as Prime Minister. Former Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Owain W.G. Grey, joined the Herons on the 3rd due to the collapse of the Opposition, and subsequently ran for the Party upon the opening of Election Registration on the 5th January 2024. Furthermore, the Herons announced a coalition deal with British Constitutionalist & Unionist Party, led by Josephine Grey. Within minutes of the closure of registration, the former Prime Minister August Lleyton, 1st Earl of Stirling, announced he was once again running for Parliament, bringing the total number of Herons on the Ballot to four. Furthermore, the Heron Coalition was expanded with an agreement to partner with Miann Somerset-Grey, 2nd Duke of Edinburgh's British Renewal Party, effectively ensuring an election Victory for the Herons. Following the closing of the Polls on the 8th January, all four Candidates had been elected, as had all Members of the Wider Heron Coalition. Lord Douglas was invited to form a second successive Government by the King shortly after, at Buckingham Palace.

The Earl of Stirling resigned from Parliament on the 24th January, citing a lack of patience and motivation.

During both by-elections of the 30th Session, the Herons did not field a candidate, but did support the Independent Elio Somerset, 1st Viscount Salisbury in his bid to be voted in as an MP.

On the 17th February, the Viscount Douglas announced from Blenheim Palace that he was stepping away as Designate as the Heron Party, though he would remain as Chair. On the 19th, it was announced that Thomas Carew would be the new Designate, and that he would run for the position of Prime Minister in the presumed March General Election. Soon after came an announcement of a multi-term coalition agreement with the BLP, the Concorde Agreement.

Carew was elected Prime Minister in the March 2024 General Election, making him the third Heron Prime Minister in a row. He was invited to form a Government on the 5 March 2024. Following the collapse of the Concorde Agreement, the party dissolved on the 1st May, with many members joining the recently formed Unionist Party.

The party reformed ahead of the August 2024 General Election to combat the monopoly of the Unionist Party, and quickly grew in popularity. Despite winning the popular vote in the August 2024 GE, the candidate number remained even and the Unionist Party Leader James Forsyte, The Duke of Warwick refused to concede the election to William Somerset, the Heron Leader, despite having less votes than any single Heron Party member himself. The resultant compromise was the appointment of Thomas Carew, The Viscount Sidmouth as Prime Minister and William's DPM pick Llywellyn Evans-Jones, The Baron St Brides as Deputy Prime Minister - although William described that he had been "bullied" into accepting this as the outcome.

Ideological Stance

The Herons are seen as the centrist party of the region, stradling the left (represented by the Labour and British Workers' Parties) and the right (formed by the Conservative and Unionist Parties). They represent classical Liberal ideas, with some factions of the party leaning towards Liberal Conservatism.

Ideologically they are most similar to the Unionist Party, with many Unionist members starting their careers in the Herons, such as celebrated Prime Minister Thomas Carew, The Viscount Sidmouth.

Electoral Performance

Election	Designate	Seats	+/–	Position	Government
September 2023 By-Election	August Lleyton	1	3rd	1 / 7	Balloch Premiership
September 2023 General Election		2	1st	3 / 5	Stirling Premiership
November 2023 General Election	William Somerset	1	1st	2 / 5	Douglas Premiership
January 2024 General Election		2	1st	4 / 8	Douglas Premiership
March 2024 General Election	Thomas Carew	2	2nd	2 / 7	Knightstone Premiership
August 2024 General Election	William Somerset	4	1st	4 / 10	Sidmouth Premiership
October 2024 General Election	No Elected Leader	1	2nd	1 / 5	Calder Premiership