August 2024 Unionist Party Conference
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The August 2024 Unionist Party Conference was the second Unionist Party Conference, and the second in a row to be convened at the Grand Brighton Hotel. It was held in the first two weeks of August, and coincided with the unexpected mid-term resignation of the incumbent Leader of the Party, Josephine Carew-Grey, The Baroness Wilton, resulting in a contested and highly controversial leadership election between James Forsyte, The Duke of Warwick (incumbent Deputy Prime Minister) and Owain Carew-Grey, Lord Knightstone (incumbent Foreign Secretary and Chief Whip of HM Government).
Lady Wilton had been elected with a significant mandate at the July 2024 General Election, but repeated spats between her and the Leader of the Opposition, Kathrine Grey, The Countess of Argyll meant that the mood was frosty going into the Conference. However, no sooner had the conference been convened that Wilton announced she no longer had the strength or will to continue as Prime Minister, owing to IRL restraints and the toll taken by the Opposition. Warwick was considered the bookie's favourite to succeed her, as Deputy Prime Minister, but other candidates included August Carew-Grey (First of Secretary of State and former Prime Minister himself) and Owain Carew-Grey. The former was not formally in the running, owing to his recent return to the region, while the latter was not expected to be an instant fix, since he was a Member of the House of Lords instead. Despite this, Carew-Grey announced his candidacy for the Leadership, with the unspoken assumption that an interim would be appointed or that he would run in a by-election. This was never considered, however, for voting opened and Forsyte quickly garnered four votes in favour: seeing as this constituted a majority, Wilton controversially went to the Palace and resigned, recommending Warwick as her successor, before voting had closed. This move angered some parts of the party, in particular the new Chair, August Carew-Grey, whose job was to ratify the election, and also Owain and his husband, Noa de Carteret.
Such an event was the catalyst for Thomas Carew to rewrite the lengthy Party Charter, codifying how contested elections could work. Despite this, several members of the party left, including Owain and de Carteret.
Warwick would later lead the Party into the August 2024 General Election, which resulted in a hung parliament.