First Premiership of the Viscount Sidmouth

This article is about the events of the Viscount Sidmouth's first Premiership. For the cabinet of his Premiership, see First Sidmouth Ministry.

First Premiership of the Viscount Sidmouth 27 August 2024 – 8 October 2024
Monarch	Charles III
Cabinet	First Sidmouth Ministry
Party	The Unionist Party
Seat	10 Downing Street
Coat of Arms of HM Government under Charles III

Thomas Carew, The Viscount Sidmouth's second tenure as Prime Minister of Great Britain began on the 27 August 2024 when he accepted an invitation from Charles III to form a Government, following the August 2024 General Election where no party or coalition acheived a working majority. It concluded on the 8 October 2024 following Lord Sidmouths' decision to call a snap election. His Premiership occured during the 34th Parliament of Great Britain. Seen as a stabilising but generally unproductive term in comparison to Carew's first Premiership, it nevertheless calmed tensions following the election that precipitated his assumption of the position of Prime Minister. During this time he also served as First Lord of the Treasury but unusually not as Leader of the Unionist Party. He was the unofficial head of the Unionist-Workers Coalition and the National Government, names for the various coalitions and states of Parliamentary majority he secured.

Carew's Premiership was characterised by stability and a dull return to form, though marred towards the end by the precursor to potential Government and legislative stagnation. Carew's most notable achievements included the continuation of Foreign Office communication with the region of Europeia, closing a chapter on what could be considered his long-term diplomatic vulnerabilities due to his hand in ending negotiations with them at the start of his first Premiership. He also drafted comprehensive reform to the Ministerial Code, the organisation of Government, and other Orders-in-Council with the Cabinet Office. The Home Office also began the building blocks of a recruitment rejuvenation. However, a steady decline in the activity of Parliament and Government and the stagnation of key Government policy prompted Carew to resign early in the hopes of reinvigorating regional institutions under new leadership.

Background

Premierships of Lady Wilton and Lord Warwick

For more information see: Premiership of the Baroness Wilton and Premiership of the Duke of Warwick

Carew had previously, during the 31st and 32nd Sessions of Parliament served as Prime Minister, but had stood aside in the run up to the July 2024 General Election, which saw his wife, Josephine Carew-Grey, The Baroness Wilton succeed him as Prime Minister and as Leader of the Unionist Party. Carew originally intended to serve as Leader of the House of Commons and as Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office, a culmination of what was effectively a high-profile advisory role and fourth-in-line to Lady Wilton's well-enforced line of succession in the case of her resignation or incapacity.

On the 2nd August 2024, Wilton resigned as Prime Minister, citing ill health, during the Second Unionist Party Conference. Controversy surrounded the resulting Leadership Election which saw James Forsyte, The Duke of Warwick succeed as Leader of the Party and as Prime Minister. Warwick was the sensible choice, since he was serving as Deputy Prime Minister and a natural successor in the eyes of many, though he faced opposition from Owain Carew-Grey, Lord Knightstone who was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and had been since the beginning of the Knightstone Premiership. Warwick's win despite the vote closing early caused a split in the party: Lord Sidmouth cofidied and clarified electoral procedures to avoid such problems in the future but the party saw, through both departure and ill health, it's active members dwindle, with some joining the newly reformed Heron Party. Carew later remarked privately that he had briefly considered entering his own name as a contender for temporary leadership until the end of the term, in hindsight believing such action would have quelled the subsequent disputes the party faced.

Sidmouth, on the condition that he was a placeholder until the next election, became Secretary of State for the Home Office for the second time in his career.

August 2024 General Election

Main Article: August 2024 General Election

The August 2024 General Election was held on the 24 August 2024, called early by The Duke of Warwick in response to dwindling numbers of active MPs in the Commons and the surrounding factors of the resignation of Lady Wilton. The election was framed by many with the key question of Unionist versus Heron, the incumbent Government facing a resurgent opposition. Notable statesmen and women declined to stand, most prominently of all former Prime Ministers, Josephine Carew-Grey, The Baroness Wilton and Kathrine Grey, The Countess of Argyll.

The campaign was marked by humour and anger in equal measure. For instance, Carew used the personal slogan of "Vote Security, Vote Success... Vote Sidmouth!", a clear callback to the slogan used by the Heron Party which he was formerly a part of. Discussion around personal integrity, attacks on the Unionist Party by various members of the Herons, and general misconduct on all sides marred the election cycle, though Carew was notably - but unsurprisingly - not dragged into any of the controversies.

Results

When the Polls closed on the 24 August at a later than anticipated time of 10:30pm BST, it revealed a Hung Parliament: the Heron Party, along with support from an Independent Candidate, had 5 seats, while the Unionist-Workers Coalition (3 Unionists, 1 BWP, 1 OWL) achieved the same figure. The Herons were the largest party by themselves but any compromise for Governance would be tough. The two Coalition Leaders, the aforementioned Duke of Warwick, and William Somerset, The Earl of Durham refused to concede to the other; the former believed that Government continuity was the way forward to ensure stability, while the latter pointed to the Herons' increased vote share. Several discussions were taking place: in public all MPs were discussing the results while all camps had internal meetings taking place to discuss their next steps, as well as personal, private correspondence between various people.

Compromise

Carews' official campaign portrait for the August Election.

With no leader willing to concede, the consensus began to turn to a compromise candidate who could unite across the aisle and serve as a bi-partisan Prime Minister. Two names appeared: the first was Llywellyn Evans-Jones, The Baron St Brides, who had been elected to his seventh session in Parliament and was the incumbent Speaker of the House of Commons, having served in the position for a total of three terms across two stints. He also had experience as a former Secretary of State for Culture & Development, though to some he failed to have the appropiate high-level experience in Government. The other name was Carew himself, who was the only man to have served as Prime Minister while in the Herons and the Unionists (having left the former to found the latter during his Premiership).

Further arguments followed but the preliminary path was towards a compromise candidate. Both Evans-Jones and Carew expressed reservations but a willingness to accept the position if circumstances allowed. Ultimately, following cyclical debate, Evans-Jones in a meeting declared to Carew "would you want to do it?", with regards to serving as PM. Carew pondered for a few moments before saying "Yes", and as such Evans-Jones supported Carew as Prime Minister. The Independent Candidate who had originally supported the Herons, James Spencer, also switched to support Carew in a deal negotiated with Charles Wright, The Baron Huntingdon in return for the portfolio of the Home Office.

Aftermath

On the 27th August 2024, Carew was invited to Buckingham Palace to accept his third invitation to form a Government by Charles III. The Duke of Warwick had run a caretaker ministry for the first four days of the term to keep the business of Government in order.

In his opening statement to the region, Carew referred to his Ministry as "The National Government" to present the unprecedented times they were in, as well as to project unity.

Premiership

Cabinet

Main Article: Sidmouth Ministry

Carew seemingly made it a point of appointing a cross-party composition of Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries of State to his Government, in an attempt to resolve opened wounds caused by the election. Carew had experience in dealing with multiple-party Governments, for during the First Term of the Knightstone Premiership, the First Knightstone Ministry contained members of the Heron Party and the British Liberal Party. However, the Sidmouth Cabinet had to combat political divides, not a convenient political coalition.

The high-profile position of Deputy Prime Minister went to Llywellyn Evans-Jones, The Baron St Brides, whom Carew had worked with previously during his early days as Home Secretary (Evans-Jones was Culture Secretary at the same time). Evans-Jones was also Secretary of State for Culture once again, though originally this position was offered to Christian Carleton: he accepted but rescinded his acceptance soon after and Carew combined this portfolio with what the DPM was already doing. Outgoing Prime Minister, James Forsyte, The Duke of Warwick, was made First Secretary of State, traditionally a role Carew preferred to avoid due to his dislike of large Government, but it showed a level of seniority Carew thought fitting. Charles Wright, The Baron Huntingdon was Carew's immediate successor in the Cabinet Office, becoming Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office. These three individuals made up the senior leadership of Cabinet, and while no official line of succession was ever published by Carew, he did leave instructions that this was the order he would prefer (in reality, Carew's advice in the event of his incapacitation was an immediate snap election, not a take-over of Government).

August Carew-Grey, The Baron Calder remained in his post as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, meaning that of the two Foreign Secretaries Carew had working under him in his terms as PM, both were his children. William Somerset, The Earl of Durham served yet another term as Chancellor of the Exchequer, while James Spencer, The Baron Scarborough duly served as Secretary of State for the Home Office.

Carew's cabinet also saw the return of "Special Advisors", or an intimate group of three or four individuals who Carew consulted with mainly on affairs prior to taking them to cabinet as a whole. The Sidmouth Ministry originally only had three, these being Lord Durham, Lord St. Brides, and Lord Warwick, though within a few days of the Premiership starting, Lord Huntingdon was also added. This meant all parties bar OWL (whom declined to have a role in Government) were represented in this inner council of advisors.

Assessments and Legacy

Thomas Carew's second tenure was noticeably shorter, less impactful, and by far less active than his first: while the Knightstone Premiership was the culmination of Carew's first three terms in office and oversaw mass cultural and domestic reform, the Sidmouth Premierships' sole focus was the return of stability and a semblance of bi-partisan sensibility following the fallout of the August General Election. To that end, the Sidmouth Premiership was considered successful: stability had been achieved and Government continued its work, though Carew soon realised that this stability could lead to stagnation and he felt it appropiate to resign before it fell to that.

Polling taken from the BBC at the tail-end of the Premiership reveals general dissatisfaction with the Sidmouth Government and other legislative institutions such as Parliament, but sustained and in fact improved support for Carew personally, who was the only Minister and Member of Parliament who had positive ratings.