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Callan's Graphics and Things

"Kieran polls well-"

"With women." Nadiya was excited to spell this out- confirming her long-held political instinct with actual data. "Women like your brother. They see him as trustworthy, sensitive, and the fact that he's handsome doesn't hurt either. Men don't like him- because he's trustworthy, sensitive and good-looking. He's too good. He's better than them and they know it. They're threatened by him- almost as much as by actual women. He reminds them of the pretty boy their high school crush dated. He reminds them that their girlfriend cheated on them and that their wife probably will."

Jacob sat back, vaguely impressed. "You got all this from the focus group?"

"Not in so few words, but yeah. But we can make this work for us. The average Radical voter, the average Kendrick voter, is a 38 year-old working mum. Someone else's research, actually. But if we can hold on to most of those, that's gets us very far."
 
Ajay Mittal is a British lawyer, politician and diplomat who served as Commonwealth Ambassador to China, as well as multiple senior positions in Unionist governments over the 1990s and 2000s. Mittal was born into an Indian-Catholic family in Coventry; his parents were low-ranking bureaucrats who fled India following the collapse of the British colonial regime and the civil war that followed. He gained a scholarship place to the London School of Economics and qualified as a barrister, practising intellectual property law.

He was conscripted into the Army as a Second Lieutenant during the Second Great War and served on the Persian fronts, where he commanded three firing squads and received a Mentioned in Dispatches for his service.

After the war, Mittal was a founding member of League of Marginalised Servicemen (a veteran's group for ethnic minority groups which were often marginalised within larger post-Great War Veteran's Organisations), and gained prominence as a spokesperson and legal representative of the group in their postwar legal battles with the Taggart and Holland governments. He was personally recruited as a candidate for the Unionist Party by Thomas Caro was elected to the seat of Sutton Coldfield in 1994. In his first term he was one of only six MPs of South Asian background in the House of Commons, and the only one to sit on the government benches.

In parliament, he quickly gained a reputation as a political "fixer", promoted to troubled ministerial positions and improve their credibility. These posts included a stint as Minister for Hygiene after his predecessor was convicted of embezzlement, overseeing the government's successful response to the 2002 General Strike as Labour Secretary, and rebuilding the credibility of the Department of Health in the aftermath of the Devonport Scandal. In the aftermath of Caro’s abrupt resignation and the Unionists' landslide defeat the following year, Mittal was frequently mentioned as a potential Unionist leader and challenger to Leo Gardner, although he constantly refused to declare his candidacy. His resignation from the Shadow Cabinet was a catalyst for Gardner's temporary defenestration, although he declined to serve under the 13 month leadership of Frances Clifford and was not offered a place in Gardner's second government.

His diplomatic appointment was controversial; critics alleged it was a "quid-pro-quo" in exchange for Mittal's handling of investigations of several high-profile Unionist scandals as Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, including a favourable report the aftermath of the Devonport Scandal which was heavily criticised by campaigning groups. Nevertheless, he was kept on as Ambassador to China after the Unionist Government was defeated the next year.

In this role, he gained international attention for his handling of the Chen Wenhe incidencent, when Mittal allowed the former Chinese Presidential candidate to seek refuge in the British Embassy after escaping from House Arrest on what were widely considered to be trumped-up charges of corruption. After negotiations with the Chinese government, Chen left the embassy for medical treatment in 2016, and was ultimately granted an American Visa. While gaining international plaudits for his role in the negotiations, his hardline stance in favour of Chen was widely seen to have cost him goodwill in Peking and he was ultimately dismissed by Kendrick in mid-2017. Returning home, he was widely speculated to as a potential star candidate for the Unionist Party and a potential future leader, but he ruled out a return to frontline politics.

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Secretaries of State for War and National Defence, 1936-2007

1936-1939: Eustace Percy (Unionist)
1939-1944: Lesie Hore-Belisha (Unionist)
1944-1946: Oliver Stanley (Unionist)
1946-1951: Anthony Eden (Unionist)
1951-1955: Rab Butler (Unionist)
1955-1958: Selwyn Lloyd (Unionist)
1958-1959: Patrick Gordon Walker (Radical)
1959-1962: Melford Stevenson (Unionist)
1962-1968: Bill Deedes (Unionist)
1968-1968: Unity Mitford Amery (Unionist)
1968-1970: Duncan Sandys (Unionist)
1970-1974: Douglas Jay (Radical)
1974-1977: John Mason (Radical)
1977-1978: Charles Crosland (Radical)
1978-1981: Stanley Davis (Radical)
1981-1983: Jim Gilbert (Radical)
1983-1986: Liam Cosgrave (Irish Reform)
1985-1989: Thomas Caro (Unionist)
1989-1991: Roy Gibbs (Radical)
1991-1993: Ben Griffin (Radical)
1993-1998: Julian Chandler (Unionist)
1998-2000: Keith Gilley (Unionist)
2000-2006: Michael Dill (Unionist)
2006-2007: Ajay Mittal (Unionist)

Ministers of Defence, 2007-


2007-2011: Will Charles (Radical)
2011-2013: Liz Wolmar (Unionist)
2013-2015: Tim Purcell (Radical)
2014-2017: Ben Griffin (Radical)
2017-2021: Meg Redford (Radical)
2021-:
 
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Tsongas (2003, dir. Oliver Stone)

Paul Tsongas: Sean Penn
Nikki Tsongas: Judy Davis
Tak Takvrian: Paul Giammatti
Dennis Kanin: Tommy Lee Jones
Bob Graham: Anthony Hopkins
Trent Lott: Richard Gere
Warren Christopher: James Cromwell
Demetri Boutris: David Paymer
Bernadine Healy: Mary McDonnell

(With thanks to @Beata Beatrix)
 
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The 2016 Belfast Mayoral Election was held on 5 May 2016. Lucas Nye, on the ballot as an independent, became the first non-Unionist to be elected Mayor in twenty years and third Ecologist Mayor anywhere in the Commonwealth.

The run-up to the election was marked by high-profile factional infighting by the Ulster Unionist political machine, which had began with the election of former National Unionist leader Frances Clifford to the leadership of the UUP. This culminated in the nomination of the hardline Leslie Moss and the liberal faction of the party breaking away and forming a deal with the Irish Ecologists, who had nominated long-time Belfast Councillor and Ecologist leader at Stormont Lucas Nye. Nye made deals for the support of the Ulster Radicals and Centre Party, and his campaign quickly gained momentum as Unionist infighting and Moss' backwards views on women's rights, Catholics and a whole host of other issues took centre-stage. Compared to Nye, a charismatic figure with a following among young voters, Moss cut a frequently hostile and bitter figure.

Nye won by a landslide, buoyed by the second-preferences of Sinn Fein voters and perennial candidate Pete Durnell's disavowal of his former Unionist colleagues.

However, once in power, both the Radicals and Unionists quickly realised that they'd made a big mistake betting everything on Nye. In the mess of the election his unconventional views on many subjects had taken a back-seat, only to come to the fore after the election. He faced non-stop disputes with city councillors (starting with his failed attempt to renege on a deal to appoint Unionist and Radical figures to important cabinet posts), repeated strikes and general governmental dysfunction.

Nye's defenders (of which there are many) argue that the dysfunction of his time in office was down to the Unionist machine striking back for Nye's refusal to reign in an Ecologist agenda (cancelling the re-opening of Sydenham Airport a typical measure), and his attempts to open investigations into allegations of corruption during the Unionists' long rule of Belfast, investigations that could have potentially implicated the Ulster Unionist Party as a whole. Opponents argue that Nye was more interested in using the Mayoralty as a platform for activist campaigns, most famously attempting to conduct a citizen's arrest on Foreign Secretary Ben Griffin during a visit to Belfast for his role in the Malayan Intervention.

Ultimately, facing charges of misusing city funds, a bipartisan supermajority on the council used a rarely-used provision of the 1975 Local Government Act to remove Nye from office and he was replaced with Edith Moore, Chairman of Belfast City Council.

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The 2019 Belfast Mayoral Election was held on 2 May 2019. Edith Moore had served as Mayor of Belfast for eleven months following the removal of Lucas Nye from office, and the official Unionist campaign cast her term and office and candidacy as a "return to normalcy" following two chaotic years of Nye. Moore's candidacy was also symbolic of the reconciliation and rejuvenation of the Ulster Unionists, who had returned to government in Stormont the previous year. Moore was seen as an acceptable candidate to all wings of the party, and had successfully reversed several key policies of Nye, including putting an end to Nye's attempts to use his Mayoral powers to investigate "conspiracy theories" both further afield and close to home.

The Radicals were badly disorganised following their support for (and eventual part in the defenestration of) Moore's predecessor, and Sinn Fein's Margaret Lynch was seen to a charisma vacuum and a proxy for pro-independence leaders in Dublin. Between that and the near-implosion of the Irish Ecologists over the issue of their Mayor, Moore easily cruised to victory, narrowly clearing the 45% threshold to avoid a second round.

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The 2019 Ecologist Leadership Election was held in August 2019. The party's constitution mandates a leadership election every four years (to be put off for a maximum of six months pending "extraordinary circumstances" such as a snap election). While incumbent leaders seeking re-election rarely face significant challenges, incumbent leader and MP for Bristol West Emmett Butler faced a surprisingly strong challenge from former Belfast Mayor of Lucas Nye.

The race was filled with controversies, starting with whether or not Nye was eligible to stand (his embezzlement charges having been long-dropped) and charges of entryism and voting irregularities by both sides. Nye controversially stood for an ideological sea-change within the Ecologist movement, advocating for European Integration, harder stances on increasing emissions in the developing world and population controls; standing in contrast to what he described as Butler's "urban handwringer" agenda.

In spite of gaining a strong, loyal following, Butler ultimately won a narrow victory. Nye claimed the result was rigged, attempted to take the party to court, and ultimately left the party. Nye has recently announced plans to stand as an independent in the seat of Belfast South at the next General Election.
 
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Chief Ministers of Northern Ireland, 1995-

1995-1999: Roger McCarthy (Radical)
1995 (Coalition with Sinn Féin): Stanley Mair (Unionist), Rupert Long (Ulster Democrats), James Ruane (Sinn Féin)
1999 Irish Independence Referendum (NI): Yes 37% No 63%

1999-2009: Hilary Kearns (Unionist)
1999 (Majority): Roger McCarthy (Radical), James Ruane (Sinn Féin), Norman Dillon (Centre), Rupert Long (Ulster Democrats), Eamon Quinn (Ecology)
2003 (Majority): Jack Dornan (Radical), Tomás Dell (Sinn Féin), Norman Dillon (Centre), Kevin MacDougall (Ulster Democrats)
2007 (Minority): Tomás Dell (Sinn Féin), Kevin MacDougall (Ulster Democrats), Jack Dornan (Radical), Ralph Burnett (Centre)

2009-2015: Gordon Hollingworth (Unionist)
2011 (Coalition with Centre): Tim Conner (Radical), Tomás Dell (Sinn Féin), Anna Carling (Centre), Martin Cafferty (Ecology), Kevin MacDougall (Ulster Democrats)
2015-2018: Tim Conner (Radical)
2015 (Coalition with Sinn Féin): Gordon Hollingworth (Unionist), Niall Ferris (Sinn Féin), Nathan Pembroke (Ecumene), Anna Carling (Centre), Lucas Nye (Ecology)
2018-: Frances Clifford (Unionist)
2018 (Minority supported by Ecumene): Niall Ferris (Sinn Féin), Tim Conner (Radical), Nathan Pembroke (Ecumene), Craig Turnbull (Centre)

Chief Ministers of Southern Ireland (1995-)

1994-1999: Garrett Knox (Sinn Féin)
1994 (Minority): Frank Mitchel (Irish Reform), Ada MacNaughton (Democratic Left-Ecology Alliance), Lee Flaherty (Radical), Martin Ferrell (Clann na Talmhan), Eugene Murphy (Centre)
1998 (Majority): Frank Mitchel (Irish Reform), Jon Ronan (Radical), Donal Ó Cadhla (Democratic Left-Ecology Alliance), Martin Ferrell (Clann na Talmhan), Keith Wayne (Centre)
1999 Independence Referendum (Southern Ireland): Yes 49%, No 51%

1999-2002: Aidan Gwynne (Sinn Féin)
2002-2003: Rian Jamieson (Sinn Féin)
2003-2007: Jon Ronan (Radical)

2003 (Alliance '99 Coalition): Joshua Woseley (Irish Reform), Rian Jamieson (Sinn Féin), Pat Beetham (Clann na Talmhan), Donal Ó Cadhla (Ecology-Alliance '99), Paul Harney (Centre-Alliance '99), Collective Leadership (Solidarity 4 Independence)
2006 (Coalition with Sinn Féin): Eamon Guinness (Sinn Féin), Pat Beetham (Clann na Talmhan), Joshua Woseley (Irish Reform), Donal Ó Cadhla (Ecology)

2007-2010: Sinéad Mulley (Sinn Féin-Radical Coalition)
2010-2017: Brian Brennan (Irish Reform)

2010 (Minority): Sinéad Mulley (Sinn Féin), Daniel Kelly (Radical), Jerry Keogh (Ecology), Donagh Maguire (Centre), Collective Leadership (Solidarity 4 Independence), James Galvin (Clann na Talmhan),
2012 (Minority): Sinéad Mulley (Sinn Féin), Daniel Kelly (Radical), Donagh Maguire (Centre), Elena Regan (Ecology), Philip Kyle (Clann na Talmhan), Collective Leadership (Solidarity 4 Independence)

2017-: Roy Burgess (Sinn Féin)
2017 (Coalition with Ecologists): Mary Kinsella (Radical), Brian Brennan (Irish Reform), Georgia Breen (Ecology), Mike Bodkin (Clann na Talmhan), Brian Milligan (Centre), Collective Leadership (Solidarity 4 Independence)
 
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@Callan this is more in relation to your London mayoral map above, but have you considered doing some form of London electoral map/wikibox using the rejected proposed Herbert Commission London boroughs? That might be a similar good example of 'wait, what' to still having Municipal Reform in 1992.

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Sorry to quote such an old post, but where did you find this, Thande?
 
The Department of Intergovernmental Affairs is a ministerial department of the British Government headed by the Secretary of State for Intergovernmental Affairs. The Department has a wide remit, covering the administration of local governments, regional development programmes, and relations between the British Government and Home Rule Administrations of Scotland, Wales, Northern and Southern Ireland, Malta and Yorkshire. The department is often known as the "Department of Everything Else" for it's bloated, unwieldy remit and tendency to overlap and interfere with the remits of other government departments.

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The House of Councillors is the upper house of the Parliament of the Commonwealth. Unlike the House of Commons, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by various methods. Its powers are much weaker than those of the Commons and it can only delay laws with which it disagrees, rather than veto them outright. While National Councillors may also take on roles as government ministers, high-ranking officials such as cabinet ministers are usually drawn from the Commons. It has been located, since its establishment in 1933, in the Palace of Westminster.

150 National Councillors are elected via party lists by regional panels of MPs, members of Home Rule Parliaments, Mayors and certain councillors for six-year terms. Another 150 come from "technical panels"; some of whom are appointed by Nomination Commissions, made up of organisations that are connected to the particular vocation. For instance, Trades Union Congress is a member of Labour Panel, and the Royal Society is a member of the Arts and Education Panel. In addition, several technical seats are reserved for "individuals of public prominence" such as generals, union leaders and captains of industry. Certain institutions, such as the Commonwealth Broadcasting Service, are guaranteed a seat. National Councillors appointed by technical panels also serve six-year terms.

The final fifty are appointed. 25 are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister, and are nominated at the beginning of each parliamentary term. These nominations allow the government to reach a majority in the House, or for smaller parties in coalition or supporting the government to achieve more significant representation, and for the appointment of Independent members to represent particular interests. An additional 25 are "Life Councillors", appointed by the President to serve as ex officio National Councillors for life.


House of Councillors.png
 
Regional Seats (100)

Anglia (8)

East Midlands (6)

London (12):

Malta (1)

North East (4)

North West (8)

Scotland (8):

South East (12)

South West (8)

Ireland (11):

Wales (6):

West Midlands (8)

Yorkshire and Humber (8)


Technical Seats (100)

Administrative (24):

Agriculture (12):

Arts and Education (22):

Industry (22):

Labour (22):

Nominated Seats (48)

On the advice of the Prime Minister (24)

Life Councillors (24)
 
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