Premiership of the Baron Calder

This article is about the events of the Baron Calder's Premiership. For the cabinet of his Premiership, see Calder Ministry.

Premiership of the Baron Calder 8 October 2024 – 9 November 2024
Monarch	Charles III
Cabinet	Calder Ministry
Party	The Unionist Party
Seat	10 Downing Street
Coat of Arms of HM Government under Charles III

August Carew-Grey, The Baron Calder & Wilton was invited on the 8 October 2024 by Charles III to form a Government in his name, and to serve as Prime Minister of Great Britain, following the acclaimed conclusion of the October 2024 General Election. The election saw Carew-Grey's Unionist Party and its coalition allies secure a three out of five majority in the House of Commons. He was the sixth Prime Minister of King Charles III, and the fourth Prime Minister to be elected from the Unionists. During his time in 10 Downing Street, Carew-Grey also served as First Lord of the Treasury and as Leader of the Unionist Party. He is the third member of the Carew-Grey Family to become Prime Minister, following both his parents. It is Carew-Greys second Premiership and once again the second Premiership secured via an acclaimed election where polling was not necessary (the first Premiership being Carew-Grey's first).

The Premiership of the Baron Calder may also be referred to as The Premiership of the Baron Calder and Wilton, in reference to the dual titles August Carew-Grey holds. More often than not, he is referred to by his senior title of The Baron Calder as opposed to the additional Barony he inherited upon the death of his mother.

Premiership

Economic Policy

Economic Ideology

The economic policy during the Calder Premiership was largely shaped by the Baron Huntingdon, who authored the economic section of the Unionist Party’s manifesto. The Baron Huntingdon had previously collaborated with the Baron Calder when Calder, serving as First Secretary of State, oversaw His Majesty's Treasury, where Huntingdon held the position of Chief Secretary to the Treasury. This professional relationship allowed for a shared understanding of their economic perspectives.

Almost all economic proposals included in the manifesto originated from the manifesto of the British Workers' Party for the July 2024 General Election, titled "Prosperity for All: Access to Wealth, Land, and Means of Production." In this manifesto, Huntingdon described his economic philosophy as "socialist distributist," emphasizing the creation of a fair society where every citizen has the means to participate actively. He is cited stating the following:

Embracing socialist distributism, I am committed to creating a fair society where every citizen can truly experience freedom. I believe it is the duty of His Majesty's Government to use its authority to protect working-class citizens from monopolies, exploitation, and dependency. Running as your candidate for the British Workers' Party, my primary objective is to ensure that all individuals who wish to actively engage in society have the means to do so.

Huntingdon's socialist distributist approach was evident in his proposals to increase the tax-free allowance and simplify the tax system into two brackets: one for exempt individuals and one for high earners. He also advocated for reducing barriers to economic engagement, proposing that a first property, including businesses, be granted free of charge. His policies aimed to shift the tax burden toward luxury goods, such as additional property boards. These plans were included in the Unionist Party's manifesto on which the Baron Calder ran.

Wright faced criticism for introducing an estate development scheme, which critics argued would benefit wealthier citizens by enabling passive income generation, which some argued to be in opposition to the socialist distributist principles. Huntingdon defended the policy by stating that it would replace the central interest rate, offer quicker returns on investment for the poor, and include mechanisms to cap passive income.

Legislative Agenda

In the first week of the Calder Premiership, during his inaugural address, the Baron Huntingdon introduced three key legislative measures the Calder Premiership would seek to enact: the Estate Development Act 2024, the National Commerce Act 2024, and the October 2024 Budget. All three were submitted to the House of Commons the same day.

In his address, the Baron Huntingdon explained that the National Commerce Act would establish a national shop where users could purchase items for display on mini-profiles. The Estate Development Act, meanwhile, would enable citizens to develop their estates by purchasing buildings that would generate passive income.

For the October 2024 Budget, Wright outlined plans to reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies, including the elimination of separate business taxes, multiple tax brackets, trading licenses, and the need for monthly manual tax payments. He emphasized a focus on reducing barriers to participation by offering exemptions for the first property a citizen acquires. Additionally, the budget would introduce new incentives, such as increased posting income and financial support for obtaining educational degrees.

October Budget Act

First Joint Session

The October Budget 2024 Act was introduced on 13 October 2024, with the intent to replace the July Budget Act 2024. The Baron Huntingdon, who presented the budget to Parliament, argued that a new budget was necessary for two main reasons: first, the previous government had failed to enact a budget in accordance with legal requirements, and second, the July Budget Act 2024 had led to excessive spending. According to Huntingdon’s calculations, the previous budget resulted in spending double the amount of revenue, creating a significant deficit.

To address the deficit, the Baron Huntingdon proposed several key measures. These included raising income taxes for those above the newly doubled tax-free allowance and significantly increasing fees for additional boards beyond the first, targeting wealthier citizens. The budget also aimed to completely abolish the Sovereign's Grant and implement cuts to the budgets of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the Home Office, and the Department of Justice. Furthermore, it sought to eliminate additional salaries for the Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Secretaries of State.

Huntingdon also highlighted that the Estate Development Act 2024 and the National Commerce Act 2024 would help increase Treasury revenues. Additionally, the budget aimed to raise posting income to incentivize activity and generate new sources of income outside of government printing.

Despite the October Budget receiving unanimous support from the Members of the House of Commons, it did not gain approval from any Lords of Parliament, with one Lord voting against it. Criticism came from the Lord Bishop of St. Albans and the Duke of Westminster, particularly regarding the abolishment of the central interest rate. The Baron Huntingdon defended this move, stating that passive income from estate development would replace the interest rate, offering more equitable benefits for poorer citizens and capping wealthier individuals' earnings.

The budget also faced opposition over the inclusion of subsidies for private media organizations, a provision that had already been part of the July Budget Act. The strongest criticism came from the previous Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Speaker the Earl of Durham, who defended the budgetary preparations he had put in place during his term. In response, the Baron Huntingdon pointed to the substantial deficit overseen by Durham and the growing wealth disparity during his tenure. The Earl of Durham specifically criticized the doubling of the tax-free allowance and the increased taxation on those earning above it, arguing that these measures would reduce revenue, despite the Baron Huntingdon’s assertion that they would increase it. Durham also suggested that reducing public salaries would be a more effective approach to addressing the deficit. He further expressed surprise at the introduction of new incentives, such as financial rewards for obtaining educational degrees, given the current fiscal shortfall. Summarizing the differences in their political approaches, the Earl of Durham remarked:

The fact is to fix an issue like this we need a small c conservative approach, not a mishmash of productive efforts that are somewhat needlessly harsh, immediately offset by senseless handouts and reductions in tax.

The Baron Huntingdon responded by highlighting the differences between the two economic approaches in his own way, and remarked:

The previous Chancellor of the Exchequer and I might have differing perspectives on what is effective. For one, I do not intend to run a budget in which we spend twice the amount of what we collect. Second, I do not intend to run a budget in which the wealth gaps continue to expand drastically. Third, I do not intend to run a budget in which we require funds from the neediest citizens in our community, while the huge differences in wealth enable us to cut off a bit from the income of those who have much and to tax a bit more of those that own much. Fourth, I will not trouble businesses to purchase an expensive license fee, while we barely have businesses that turn over a profit and while this needlessly limits the ability of desired entrepreneurs to start a business to foster engagement and add to opportunities in our economy. Fifth, I will not cut public salaries while these are one of the few means to gain a reasonable source of income for those who are active to catch up in this society in which the wealth gap is larger than it should be, simply to avoid the wealthiest from having a higher tax levied on their excess amount of boards and income. Sixth, I don't intend to prevent those who save money up from turning in a tidy passive income, but I do wish to ensure that this income is capped, a relative benefit is given to the people who have less to invest, and its maximum is at a reasonable level.

Following the debate, the Earl of Durham expressed his dissatisfaction with the confrontational "green-bench" style of parliamentary debate. After further questioning on press subsidies and educational incentives, the budget was put to a vote. It passed during the Joint Session with five Members of Parliament voting in favor, four Lords abstaining, and one Lord of Parliament voting against the budget.

Despite its passage in Parliament, the October Budget 2024 Act ultimately failed to receive Royal Assent. King Charles III withheld his assent, citing concerns about the government's capacity to effectively enforce tax collection.