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The Pulse of the Empire, Delivered to You

Lord William Wilson elected Prime Minister

Lord William Wilson, Count of Oribrazos, has been elected the sixth Prime Minister of Austenasia. Precise figures are yet to be confirmed, but the preliminary count indicates that Lord Wilson has received 76.6% of the vote whereas his rival candidate, Lady Addison Dillon, received 23.4% of the vote. This translates to thirty six and eleven votes respectively from the forty seven Austenasian subjects who voted yesterday. With seventy three of Austenasia’s population eligible to vote, this was a 64.4% turnout. Lady Addison campaigned on a platform of electoral and governmental reform and environmentalism, whereas Lord Wilson campaigned to promote Austenasian culture and government activity and accessibility. The past several weeks saw Wilson’s campaign dominate the news. Although Lady Addison published a campaign website, Lord Wilson also released weekly campaign videos in which he explained his policies and positions. Lord Wilson is expected to release his first Prime Minister’s Broadcast later today. Wilson’s predecessor, Lord John Gordon, was thanked and congratulated in the House of Representatives yesterday by the Monarch and other Representatives for his time in office as the Empire’s head of government. Lord Wilson’s first involvement with Austenasia came in April 2019, when he was appointed the Empire’s diplomatic Consul to Texas. Wilson became an Austenasian national in January 2020 upon founding the Town of Nahona, which he represents to this day as Representative. He was further instrumental in arranging the annexation of the Town of North Nahona in June and the March of Campo de Jonatán and Territory of Jackson in August late that year. Appointed Deputy Prime Minister on 1 June last year, Lord Wilson also served as Home Secretary from August 2020 to February earlier this year, and has held the office of Chief Herald since 3 June 2020.

Lord Wilson and Lady Dillon confirmed as general election candidates

Emperor Jonathan I yesterday confirmed two candidates for next month’s general election. Lady Addison Dillon, Representative of Blue Ridge, will be running against Lord William Wilson, Representative of Nahona. Both candidates have recently founded political parties to organise their supporters: Lady Dillon the Alliance Party and Lord Wilson the Arete (Excellence) Party. The Alliance Party describes itself as “syncretic” and “endorses civil rights, equality before the law, Athenian direct democracy, and broad technological and social reform.” Lady Dillon has noted that it “focuses on social issues rather than ideological economic specifics.” Lord Wilson has stated that the aim of the Arete Party “is to bring about the best of cultural, economic, and political life in Austenasia through the application of the 11 moral virtues described in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics.” The Arete Party held a party conference earlier today, in which incumbent Prime Minister Lord John Gordon was elected party secretary. Two other Representatives have also joined. The general election will take place on 17 September, and will elect the country’s sixth Prime Minister. The winner of the election will come into office the following day, 18 September, which this year as the third Saturday in September will also be Austenasian Independence Day. The incumbent Prime Minister, Lord John Gordon, has been in office since June last year, but is stepping down as head of government due to increasing demands on his time, as well as the fact that despite enjoying broad popular support he was not directly elected. Lady Addison Dillon became an Austenasian governor in July 2020 upon claiming the then Territory of Blue Ridge. This was expanded into a Town in December with the annexation of her adjoining residence, of which she was elected Representative in February. She currently serves as one of Austenasia’s three delegates to the Grand Unified Micronational. Lord William Wilson joined Austenasia with the creation of the Town of Nahona in January 2020. He currently holds office as Deputy Prime Minister and Chief Herald, and also served as Home Secretary from August 2020 to February 2021.

Two new Austenasian Towns founded

Sunday 20th December saw two new Towns formed in the Empire of Austenasia. Blue Ridge, which was founded in July as an uninhabited Territory, became a Town after it expanded to claim a neighbouring residential property. The second new town is New Flat Rock, a property claimed from North Carolina for Austenasia by its residents and owner. Both new towns have a population of five, and so have boosted Austenasia’s population by ten to one hundred and nineteen, a new record. Lady Addison Dillon, governor of Blue Ridge while it was a territory, has been appointed its Acting Representative now it is a town. The now Lord Hunter Prater, who led the initiative of claiming New Flat Rock for Austenasia, has been made its Acting Representative and granted the title Count of Henderson.