Premiership of the Baroness Wilton

This article is about the events of Lady Wilton's Premiership. For the cabinet of her tenure, see Wilton Ministry.

Premiership of the Baroness Wilton 1 July 2024 – 2 August 2024
Monarch	Charles III
Cabinet	Wilton Ministry
Party	The Unionist Party
Seat	10 Downing Street
Coat of Arms of HM Government under Charles III

Josephine Carew-Grey, The Baroness Wilton's tenure as Prime Minister of Great Britain started on 1 July 2024 when she accepted King Charles III's invitation to form a government in his name, following the July 2024 General Election. She succeeded Thomas Carew, The Viscount Sidmouth, and ended following her resignation on the 2 August 2024, citing ill health. During this time, she served as First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the Unionist Party. Lady Wilton was the third Prime Minister of Charles III and the second elected during his reign. She led a coalition of the Unionist Party and British Workers' Party to secure a majority in the 33rd Parliament of Great Britain.

One of the founders of the Unionist Party, Lady Wilton served as its first Chairwoman. During the Premiership of the Baron Knightstone, she served as Secretary of State for the Home Office in the First Knightstone Ministry and continued that role alongside Deputy Prime Minister during the Second Knightstone Ministry. After ultimately serving 119 days in 10 Downing Street, Lord Knightstone decided to step down from the Office of Prime Minister. Lady Wilton was elected unanimously as Leader during May 2024 Unionist Party Conference at Brighton Hotel, during which her predecessor had announced his intention to step down. Her party lost its majority during the General Election due to the record-breaking number of candidates standing; however, it maintained its plurality. In order to secure the confidence of the House of Commons, she negotiated an agreement with the British Workers' Party and formed a coalition.

The beginning of the Wilton Premiership was characterised by the "Darkness Period", a period of around the first two weeks of the term where there was exceptional political drama and fighting between His Majesty's Government and His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition. However, despite this, the Wilton Ministry was able to accomplish significant portions of the Unionist Party Platform and carry on with the duties and responsibilities of government. The Darkness Period ended when Lady Wilton drew a line in the sand with a statement from 10 Downing Street and called for a Motion of Confidence in the government. The motion passed with the unanimous and complete support of the House of Commons. It was the first Motion of Confidence to be proposed to floor that was not attached to the Address in Reply.

A turning point came on 20 July 2024, when Lady Wilton informed the Imperial Family on matters pertaining to New United Kingdom. After being informed of serious and concerning matters within the region, she approached the leadership of New United Kingdom and issued a formal complaint which was duly received. After a favourable outcome to resolve the dispute, Lady Wilton decided not to have the region proscribed by the Empire of Great Britain. While this move was supported but disagreed with by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Lord Knightstone, it was lauded by the Leader of the Opposition who submitted a bill to the Clerk's Office of the House of Commons to commend His Majesty's Government on their handling of the situation. With this turn of events, the Darkness Period was officially ended and the relationship between the government and the opposition was normalised.

Unionist Party Leadership

First Leadership Bid

Background

The Unionist Party hosted its first conference at the Brighton Hotel in Sussex, lasting from 26 May 2024 to 11 June 2024 , though most discussion had finished by 9 June 2024. During the conference, Lord Sidmouth (then Lord Knightstone) had announced his decision to step down as Party Leader in the lead up to the next election, stating, "It's been a pleasure to be in such a position and to, in the second term of my Premiership, lead this party, I feel the time is right for me to move on and for us to welcome a new leader."

First Leadership Election

As the co-founder, it had been rumoured that Lady Wilton (then Lady Knightstone) would succeed her husband as Leader of the Unionist Party. However, as late as 19 May 2024, in private discussions with Lord Knightstone, she was content to be a backbencher. It would be five days before the leadership election that she decided to make a bid for party leader. On 27 May 2024, Lord Knightstone nominated her for the role in resignation speech, with the nomination being seconded by Lord Calder. She quickly unanimously elected as the Leader of the Party. In her acceptance of the role, she said, " humbly and gladly accept Thomas’s nomination and I hope with your vote, I will continue the hard work that was started this past March. Together, under the unity of this party, we have the privilege of being one of the most consequential teams in this Empire’s history."

The next day, on 28 May 2024, Lord Knightstone publicly announced his intention to step down and the successful bid for leadership by Lady Knightstone. He said of his wife, "Winning the Leadership Contest by acclamation, I know that she will serve this party and this region with humility, grace, and strength, continuing the good work that we have begun and taking us to the next level." Shortly after, Lady Knightstone made her own statement, saying, "The hallmarks of steadiness, activity, and general command Lord Knightstone has been able to engender has simply been a wonderful thing to be a part of. It is my sincere hope to continue that legacy for another term, as we contest the next General Election."

July 2024 General Election

See also: July 2024 General Election

Lord Knightstone's public announcement of his upcoming resignation caused a flurry of activity during the Prorogation of the 32nd Parliament of Great Britain. With nothing else to do with their time, citizens flocked to publishing media via articles and polls. The same day, the British Federation of Labour reformed and excitement was the hallmark of the Pre-Election Period. Matters ramped up when, on 17 June 2024, King Charles III announced the date of the election as 1 July 2024. The British Federation of Labour reformed into the Liberal-Progressive Action Party after being called "socialist" by Lord Plymouth (now Nicholas Burke). By the time registration closed on 29 June 2024, there were fourteen certified candidates, a previously unseen number. While polling numbers had previously given the Unionists a solid majority, the sheer number of candidates caused anxiety and concern over any party to command the confidence of the House of Commons.

Despite successfully returning five Members of Parliament, the same amount as the previous election, the Unionists did not win an outright majority. Soon after the polls closed, Lady Wilton's party would form a coalition with the British Workers' Party of whom two were on the proposed Unionist Cabinet and had already publicly expressed support for.

Second Leadership Bid

Background

On 25 July 2024, Lady Wilton, as Leader of the Unionist Party, announced that her party in a tweet would host its second conference at Grand Brighton Hotel in East Sussex, England from 1 August 2024 to 4 August 2024.

Premiership

Appointment as Prime Minister

On 1 July 2024 at 7:00 pm GMT, just one hour after the polling closed on the General Election, Lady Wilton was summoned to Buckingham Palace by King Charles III. 17 minutes later, after departing from Party Headquarters, the Leader of the Unionist Party arrived at the palace and accepted the King's invitation to form a government in his name. Later that evening, she was ceremonially sworn into office upon which she was given a copy of her Crown Commission.

Renovation of Whitehall

Upon departing Buckingham Palace and seeing to parliamentary business in the House of Commons, Lady Wilton entered 10 Downing Street for the first time as Prime Minister of Great Britain. From there, as celebrations and commiserations over the General Election roared in the streets, Whitehall was quiet. In the intervening hours, contractors rolled up and began work by the order of the new Prime Minister. With the larger Cabinet and its different duties and responsibilities, the various governmental buildings were refurbished and fit for purpose, both on the Regional Forums and Governmental Discord Server. While the renovations were happening, the new Ministers of the Crown and State were welcomed in the Cabinet Room of 10 Downing Street.

Opening Address

On 2 July 2024, in her first statement from 10 Downing Street, Lady Wilton addressed the British people, seemingly having had a makeover herself. She detailed what she had been up to since before the polls closed on the General Election and thanked her supporters for providing "the continuation of a strong, steady, and measured leadership for the Empire." Wilton also expressed gratitude to her party, her husband, Lord Sidmouth, and the British Workers' Party for agreeing to form a coalition, to which she said, "I hope that our partnership demonstrates that while we can disagree on some matters, there is a lot more we can agree on when it comes to the care of the British people."

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who voted in the election, even if they did not vote for me or my party. We had a record-breaking number of candidates, a record-breaking number of votes, a record-breaking number of winners, and a record-breaking turnout. This could not have been possible without every single person participating as they did. Whether by hosting debates, standing for a seat, and ticking a box on a ballot, you all have demonstrated the sheer strength and vitality of our democratic institution. I am so, so proud to have seen this day come to pass and I am as equally humbled to have been chosen to lead this period in our region's history.

— Lady Wilton, "Opening Address of the Prime Minister", 2 July 2024

Wilton stated her support for the candidacy of Llywellyn Evans-Jones, Member of Parliament for Preseli Pembrokeshire to be Speaker of the House of Commons and congratulated him on his election to the Chair. Additionally, she announced the aforementioned renovations and that the First Weekly Cabinet Meeting had already been underway, saying, " A lot of this week will be myself familiarising the department heads on their various duties and responsibilities, as well as the goals that we will be striving toward as outlined in the Unionist Platform."

In the conclusion of her address, she spoke on the relationship between His Majesty's Government and His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition, referring to an incident that occurred shortly after the polls closed between Kathrine Grey, 1st Countess of Argyll, Member of Parliament for Na h-Eileanan an Iar and Charles Wright, 1st Baron Huntingdon, Member of Parliament for Orkney and Shetland. She said, "We may not always agree on the best path forward for the Empire, but we all have the care of the British people in our minds. Let us greet each other respect and a generosity of spirit that the Imperial Family has come to enjoy and expect from its leaders."

Opening Statements from Cabinet

The Deputy Prime Minister, James Forsyte, 1st Duke of Warwick, released an inaugural statement from 11 Downing Street. He stated, "This was a whirlwind election which saw this Government elected on a wide ranging platform. I'm very humbled and grateful to be selected by the Prime Minister as the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice." As Secretary of State for Justice, the Duke addressed the region from 50 Queen Anne's Gate, saying, "Our legal system is the bedrock of our democracy, ensuring fairness, upholding the rule of law, and protecting the rights of all citizens. As we move forward, I am committed to refining and strengthening our legal framework to better serve the British people."

He was followed by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Sirch Somerset, 1st Marquess of Lorne, who address the Empire from 12 Downing Street. He proclaimed that "this term, our mission is clear, comprehensive governmental reform in order to provide a sense of continuity and stability between government." Lord Lorne also mentioned that his ministry was already working on the Westminster Project, "a framework for future governments on how they should run and most importantly be structured."

The same day, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, William Somerset, 2nd Viscount Douglas, made a statement from 1 Horse Guards Road. He announced that his "primary focus as Chancellor of the Exchequer is to promote economic mobility, and to deliver an economy where - whether you like it or not - the interactions are sensible and the system is well utilised." His statement caught the attention of Charles Wright, 1st Baron Huntingdon, Leader of the British Workers' Party and Member of Parliament for Orkney and Shetland, who was concerned over the wording of "There are no plans for wholesale reform, no dramatic introductions of new concepts and mechanics, merely continual development in small and manageable chunks to continue the development of a streamlined and effective process." Lord Huntingdon asked, in Prime Minister's Questions, for "the Right Honourable Prime Minister's reassurance that the reintroduction of the estate development concept as agreed upon shall take place." Lady Wilton responded, saying, "I ensure him and this House that the return of Estate Development is on the cards for this term and I hope to start development on such in conjunction with the proposal of the new budget."

From 2 Marsham Street, Charles Wright, 1st Baron Huntingdon, Secretary of State for the Home Office made an inaugural address, saying, "This marks my first time assuming this office, and while I acknowledge that my experience in this specific role is limited, I am eager to learn and grow in service to our great Empire." He thanked Lady Wilton for the opportunity and also joked about the "modern architecture" of the Home Office's Headquarters.

A day later, on 3 July 2024, Noel de Carteret, Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport, took to 100 Parliament Street, stating, "It is with a profound sense of  the weight of history that I assume my office. This term the goal of my office shall be clear; the preservation of the history and culture of our beautiful Empire." He followed by Thomas Carew, 1st Viscount Sidmouth from the Cabinet Office in 11 Downing Street, who had returned from holiday attending an AC/DC concert. In describing his role, he said, "my plan is to be a helpful hand of support to the Prime Minister and to Government in general, serving as another arm to broaden the advice recieved. Furthermore, I hope to be of use to any and all ministries that require an extra set of hands, wherever that may be."

On 6 July 2024, from 12 Downing Street, the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Air, August Carew-Grey, 1st Baron Calder issued an opening statement. In it, he stated that his "office has been chugging along quite nicely".

The next day, from King Charles Street, Owain Carew-Grey, Lord Knightstone, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs made an opening statement, his third since becoming Foreign Secretary during the First Knightstone Ministry. He thanked Lady Wilton for appointing him again to this office and assured "the Foreign Office is back to work and back to work with vigour!"

The Burke Affair

Background

Public discourse over the political affiliation provisions of the Representation of the People Act 2024 started in the 32nd Parliament of Great Britain when Kathrine Grey, 1st Countess of Argyll wrote a bill which would lighten the restrictions upon Members of Parliament from changing their political affiliation in certain circumstances during the parliamentary term. Debate opened on the bill in the House of Commons on 9 June 2024. It was unanimously supported by the House of Commons and passed quickly after the Prorogation of Parliament.

This move was criticised by Charles Wright, 1st Baron Huntingdon (then Sir Charles Wright) as not going far enough. He believed that "our current voting method allows grants citizens a individual mandate, regardless of political party affiliation. As such, a citizen should be free to move from one fraction to another, at their own discretion." Lady Argyll responded and stated her agreement with Sir Charles, but that this bill represented a compromise on unrestricted party switching, which had been a problem in the past. Sir Charles remained active in the Strangers' Gallery will little response to him, but he mentioned his support for the bill because it improved on the more restrictive status quo.

When the bill passed to the House of Lords, Sir Charles continued his efforts in the Strangers' Gallery, asking the Lords to amend the bill despite previously supporting it. None of the Lords of Parliament responded to his entreaties, but Lady Wilton (then Lady Knightstone) responded to him saying, "This is not a matter of theory, but rather legislation that has been enacted in response to the actions of individuals in the past. These provisions do not bring stability only to government but to parliament as well."

By 13 June 2024, Sir Charles Wright had successfully petitioned the Royal Court of Justice after the bill received Royal Assent and Ex parte Charles Wright, re: Changing Political Affiliation commenced. Lady Wilton (then Lady Knightstone) failed to argue for a motion to dismiss and a motion to change venue. First, Lady Knightstone argued that Sir Charles did not have standing for the legal question and then argued that the Legal Question should be a Judicial Review. Importantly, she stated, "I believe this would provide a better course in the interest of justice, as a decision in favour of the Petitioner would make this section of the law unsafe and there would be a general confusion on its status." In the end, the Court found in favour of Sir Charles's arguments, both in the initial judgement and upon appeal.

Emboldened by the favourable court decision, Lord Huntingdon campaigned to each candidate in Hustings, specifically that of the General Election Platform of the Unionist Party, asking them to support the striking of the political affiliation provisions. Lady Wilton responded, "It is not my intention to make this a matter of His Majesty's Government if I am elected, nor would I instruct the Chief Whip to enforce a party line vote on this matter. It is a matter of my personal beliefs to maintain this as law, as I disagree with the interpretation of the Royal Court of Justice. However, I will not stand in the way of a repeal beyond my personal vote as a Member of Parliament." While initially a supporter of the compromise proposed in the 32nd Parliament, Nicholas Burke changed his mind and, in response to Lord Huntingdon's campaigning, said, " I believe the Parliament now has a duty repeal the unconstitutional provisions of the law, and I will fight to see that it happens, one way or another."

Burke Makes His Move

On 1 July 2024, Charles Wright, 1st Baron Huntingdon, newly elected Member of Parliament for Orkney and Shetland, submitted the Restoration of Liberty Amendment Act 2024 to the Clerk's Office of the House of Commons. Debate on it was started the next day. Lady Wilton, newly elected Member of Parliament for Tavistock, stated that she disagreed with the decision of the Royal Court of Justice, but that she would not stand in the way of the bill since the provisions is repealed would likely be struck by a court case if it failed. Mr Burke and Lady Wilton had a disagreement with how quickly he sought to move the bill to a vote, saying, "I recommend to the Honourable Member for County Galway to dismount the high horse, as the steed of zealotry is an untameable stallion and will only buck one off its back in due time."

On 3 July 2024, from his Constituency Office, Nicholas Burke, Member of Parliament for County Galway "after careful consideration, [he] decided that [he] must take a stand for what [he] believe[s] in." He departed from His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition and the Purple-Red-Grey Coalition, thereby triggering the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 2024 which forbade Members of Parliament from changing their political affiliation under certain circumstances for the first two weeks of a parliament's term. He did this despite the bill he wanted so adamantly to pass was on its way to pass the House of Commons. Mr Burke believed this was the right course to take because he believed that the Prime Minister did not respect the decision of the Court and that the spirit of enacting a law was just as important as the law itself. By triggering the law, he immediately vacated his seat as a Member of Parliament.

The move was largely condemned by the House of Commons with a Motion to Expel being proposed by Lady Wilton before being withdrawn as a matter of procedure. However, the Resolution to Censure Nicholas Burke 2024 was passed on 4 July 2024. His actions caused a great disturbance within the House of Commons, the Crown, and the Strangers' Gallery on the Regional Discord Server.

Judicial Review

Ex parte Nicholas Burke, re: Removal as a Member of Parliament started from a successful petition by Nicholas Burke to challenge the relevant provisions of the law and reverse his removal from his seat in the House of Commons. The judicial review challenged the publication of a Writ of By Election by King Charles III. Prince Matthew, Duke of Somerset, as a barrister, represented Mr Burke and William Somerset, 2nd Viscount Douglas, as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain and Lord President of the Council, represented the Crown. The two parties came to an agreement which agreed on the unconstitutionality of the law, but that the Crown followed the law that had been enacted. In a decision by the court, on 5 July 2024, Reginald Carmichael, 1st Duke of Westminster, Master of the Rolls, approved of the agreement and ordered the return of Mr Burke to his seat and the cancellation of the by election.

An Address from 10 Downing Street

In an address from 10 Downing Street, on 4 July 2024, the Prime Minister, Lady Wilton, recounted the events of the Burke Affair and but wanted to expressed her dissatisfaction, "What concerns me the most throughout all of this is the intense desire of actors to pull the government into this matter, while I had specifically said during the campaign period that I would not involve His Majesty's Government and the Unionist Party. I believed strongly that every Member of Parliament should be able to decide on this matter without interference on either side from the government." She closed the statement by declaring, "I would like to remind everyone of His Majesty's Government position on all matters: As the efficient executor of the law and internal policy and the spearhead of significant change, the Government shall endeavour to be fair and just to all members of the Imperial Family regardless of their beliefs and who they support."

The Darkness Period

Background

The Darkness Period refers to a period in the Empire of Great Britain's history where there existed a general discontent, a series of interpersonal dramas, and disagreements between members of the region. A series of twenty events and related instances from mid-late February 2024 to early July, mostly focused around the July 2024 General Election and the two weeks following.

Lady Wilton Draws A Line in the Sand

The Darkness Period came to a point on 11 July 2024, when an argument in HM Treasury, an argument in private Parliament channels in the Regional Discord Server between Lord Huntingdon and Reginald Carmichael, 1st Duke of Westminster, Lord Speaker of the House of Lords, and exhaustion from the atmosphere of the region starting two weeks prior, caused Lady Wilton to consider resigning as Prime Minister. After a meeting with the Cabinet and King Charles III, she decided not to issue her resignation.

At 15:15 GMT the same day, Lady Wilton addressed the Empire of Great Britain from 10 Downing Street. She looked notably tired and lacking her usual composure in the face of adversity. She stated, "Before, during, and after the General Election there has been a patina of darkness swirling around the Empire of Great Britain, shadows of hurt and anger swirling and inciting to people to hostility."

There are grudges and wounds unhealed, and I feel as though a Muse ready to recite the rage of Achilles as the battle lines are drawn up between the Achaeans and the Trojans before the city of Ilion. As the Prime Minister, so far, I have been witness to more fell words and deeds than I would have imagined or expected, but as I have feared and considered before I decided to contest the Leadership of the Unionist Party.

— Lady Wilton, "A Vote of Confidence", 11 July 2024

Lady Wilton recounted a series of challenges faced in recent months: convincing Lady Argyll to support Lord Knightstone's Premiership, the dissolution of the Concorde Coalition, forming the Unionist Party, dealing with hostilities and complaints within the political landscape, the formation of new parties, and numerous confrontations and arguments within the region. These events weighed heavily on her, contributing to her weariness. The Prime Minister emphasized her desire to foster mutual respect, grace, and dignity among British citizens, stating, " I plead to everyone, every British Citizen to treat each other with grace and dignity and compassion." She called for the Speaker of the House of Commons to present a Motion of Confidence to restore stability and confidence in the government. Additionally, she announced her temporary leave of absence to recover from the intense stress of recent events, seeking solace and time to regroup at Chequers Court.

Motion of Confidence

The Motion of Confidence in His Majesty's Government was placed on the floor of the House of Commons by the Speaker, Llywellyn Evans-Jones at 16:13 GMT the same day. He strongly urged and reminded Members of Parliament to "be respectful to one another, be kind to one another, be polite to one another". Confidence was expressed by The Duke of Warwick, Lords Sidmouth, Huntingdon, and Calder, Mr Maniar-Wright, and Mr Stephenson. Lady Argyll intimated her intention to abstain from the vote as "she cannot, however, issue full confidence in this Government due to the actions of one minister [Lord Huntingdon] in particular." This decision was met with pushback and disappointment within and without the House of Commons.

Lady Wilton addressed the House of Commons in a short statement, "I hope that this [the Motion of Confidence] marks a line in the sand that the Empire of Great Britain turns away from and that we will return to the region we all know and love." Additionally, she informed her colleagues that she reconciled with The Duke of Westminster, saying that she had "nothing but admiration and respect" for him. Despite her original intention for the Motion of Confidence, some have considered it an action where, in a "badass" manner, Lady Wilton threw down a gauntlet for her opponents.

The Motion of Confidence moved to a vote on 12 July 2024 and ended the next day with complete and unanimous support of the House of Commons.

Parliamentary Majority Widens

See also: July 2024 By-Election

On 11 July 2024, Nicholas Burke, Member of Parliament for County Galway, resigned his seat within the House of Commons. He did not state a reason why and he resigned his citizenship privately not long after. This action came the same day Lady Wilton addressed the Empire of Great Britain from 10 Downing Street regarding the Darkness Period. That same day, King Charles III issued a Writ of By-Election for the vacant seat.

Registration opened for the by-election the same day at the appointed time. With Noel de Carteret being the only one standing for St Albans-Welwyn-Hatfield. A member of the Unionist Party, his campaign focused "on restoring reason and respect to the Commons." With the first by-election under the new provisions established by Parliament Amendment (Writ Timeframe) Act 2024, de Carteret was required to run against the option of "Content with the Current House". When polling closed on 14 July 2024, de Carteret was duly elected with 61.9% of the vote. This widened the parliamentary majority of the government to 64% from 55%.

Honoured Citizen Nomination

During the opening ceremony of the 6th Unification Day Celebration, on 24 July 2024, Lady Wilton announced that she would nominate Prince Victor, Duke of York as the first Honoured Citizen, saying, "His joviality and commitment to not taking things too seriously have imbued the Imperial Family with an appreciation for good humour and good spirits." Shortly after, she submitted The Duke of York (Honoured Citizen) Act 2024 to the floor of Westminster Hall in a Joint Session of Parliament.

Cabinet Office

Lady Wilton and Lord Sidmouth, the Prime Minister's husband, most trusted confidante and adviser. He also served as Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office, her de facto Chief of Staff.

Reforming the Government

Following the resignation of Lord Lorne, the directives, responsibilities, and duties of the Levelling Up Ministry were transferred to the Cabinet Office. On 27 July 2024, the Governance bill finished review and was submitted to the Clerk's Office of the House of Commons.

Levelling Up Ministry

Resignation of Lord Lorne

Throughout the first half of the 33rd Parliament's term, Sirch Somerset, The Marquess of Lorne as the Secretary of State for Levelling Up was granted various directives as noted in the Weekly Addresses of the Prime Minister. However, it was often remarked that Lord Lorne was unavailable due to travelling. Eventually, as it came to the midterm, the Prime Minister decided that his resignation was necessary. In an announcement from 10 Downing Street, on 27 July 2024, Lady Wilton announced his resignation. She stated, "I am extremely grateful to Lord Lorne's long service within His Majesty's Government throughout his career and I very much hope that his in real life will one day soon allow for his greater involvement." After a private conversation between the two, it was discovered that Lord Lorne had meant to resign two days earlier but the messaging service used by government officials had failed to send it.

In that same announcement, the directives, responsibilities, and duties of the Levelling Up Ministry was transferred to the Cabinet Office and the ministry was abolished.

His Majesty's Treasury

July 2024 Budget

The new budget was the most-awaited bill from His Majesty's Government with His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition pushing hard against the Wilton Ministry before the Prime Minister had even been invited to Buckingham Palace for the Kissing of the Hands Ceremony with King Charles III. Before the budget was proposed, the first question submitted during Question Time was about the economy and on the second day of the term. Work on the budget was started on 5 July 2024 and it was submitted to a Joint Session of Parliament on 19 July 2024.

The July 2024 Budget introduced significant changes compared to the May 2024 Budget. It implemented a progressive personal income tax system with rates ranging from 0% to 17.5%, replacing the previous flat rate of 15%. The allocation of funds to institutions saw notable changes, such as increased funding for the BBC and the introduction of funding for the Ministry of Justice, while the Royal Courts of Justice and the Royal Air Force no longer received specified allocations. Salaries for various positions were adjusted and detailed more comprehensively. The new budget also included higher fees for the creation of forum boards and a revised progressive property tax system. Additionally, subsidies for private newspapers were doubled. The central interest rate was reduced to 0.0125%, and specific exemptions for donations and prize money were explicitly defined.

The budget was largely well-received; however, there was great disagreement with the interest rate being lowered to 0% from 0.5%, some questions about the changes regarding the calculation of salaries, and provisions over donations. Sir James Stephenson, Member of Parliament for Brecon, Radnor, and Cwm Tawe, issued concerns over the provisions regarding donations, believing "that this is potentially open to abuse by those who have personal income above £5,000 and a business under their name." As well as defining "charitable purpose". This was quickly rectified by an amendment put forward by Lady Wilton, who sits in the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Tavistock. Both Frederick A. Carandini Wright, Member of Parliament for New Forest East and Reginald Carmichael, The Duke of Westminster, Lord Speaker, had questions regarding the new mode of salary calculation.

The greatest debate was over the interest rate, with concerns starting from Prince Miann, Duke of Edinburgh. However, despite the arguments of Lady Wilton and William Somerset, The Earl of Durham, Chancellor of the Exchequer, the government decided to compromise with an interest rate of 0.0125%. That amendment also included salaries for the Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Secretary of State. The last hurdle was a concern from Tobias, Prince Royal, sitting in the House of Lords as the Duke of Connaught, over the government's ability to afford the budget. Lady Wilton was able to assuage his concerns, saying, "It is hard to predict exactly what will happen, but I do believe we are prepared for a deficit of some kind. We have upwards of £13,500,000 in reserve and after this fiscal cycle we will be able to determine if this a manageable deficit or not."

Voting started on 22 July 2024 and ended the next day with the budget passing unanimously by the Joint Session of Parliament. It granted Royal Assent later that day by King Charles III.

The Foreign Office

Repealing the Balmoral and Sydney Treaties

The Two Treaties (Repeal) Act 2024 was submitted to the Clerk's Office of the House of Commons on 5 July 2024 by Lady Wilton. The bill sought to repeal the Treaty of Balmoral and the Treaty of Sydney. Debate on the bill opened ten days later, on 15 July 2024, and was introduced by Lady Wilton. She believed that the treaties were outdated, as well as incompatible with the legal system, stating, "While I do not disagree with the actions that were taken I do not believe Parliament should get in the habit of directing the Sovereign to act in such a way."

New United Kingdom

On 20 July 2024, in a surprise announcement from 10 Downing Street, Lady Wilton informed the region about "concerns regarding bigoted comments of Callum, the Deputy Chief Administrator of New United Kingdom, as well as a bill which was proposed to their House of Commons by their Prime Minister, Delen, which sought to make his region "neutral" on LGBTQIA+ issues." She brought the matter to the Whitehall Foreign Affairs Council and they were ready to pursue a proscription against the region. However, the Prime Minister negotiated with their leaders and was able to find an amicable solution. For their involvement in this, Lady Wilton, The Duke of Warwick, Lord Knightstone, and Lord Lorne, His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition submitted a bill to commend them for their efforts.

Sir James Stephenson, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer and Member of Parliament for Brecon, Radnor, and Cwm Tawe, said, "As a man within the LGBTQIA+ community I support this motion to recognise the efforts of the current government. Any ally of the community who takes steps to defend the community has my utmost respect. I believe this description is true of all those listed in this motion."

The Home Office

Citizenship and Residency Reform

Lady Wilton and Lord Huntingdon, Secretary of State for the Home Office. Leader of the British Workers' Party, he provided the numbers for the Prime Minister to form a government.

The British Nationality and Residency Act 2024 was submitted to the Clerk's Office of the House of Commons by Lord Huntingdon on 3 July 2024. It was opened by James Forsyte, The Duke of Warwick, Deputy Speaker, on 7 July 2024. Lady Wilton introduced the bill, stating, "I believe the region needs to adapt and change if we are going to survive, especially with the advent of the Stronghold-Frontier system." The bill implemented several legal definitions, provided provisions for residency, and, critically, transferring citizenship requirements to voter registration and making it harder to lose citizenship. While Llywellyn Evans-Jones stated "This seem[s] to me a lot more bureaucratic work for very little gain, A change for the sake of a change" and Nicholas Burke was worried over constitutionality, Lady Wilton was able to assuage their concerns.

The bill came to a vote on 10 July 2024 with it passing the House of Commons with near unanimous support. Lady Argyll was the only Member of Parliament who voted against it, stating, "My reasoning for voting Nay is the requirement to continue registering to vote. To me, it is a barrier to enter the political realm."

The Ministry of Justice

Lady Wilton and The Duke of Warwick, the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice. Warwick was close confidante, adviser, and ally of the Prime Minister.