The small media event was being held outside the headquarters of the Leeds Worker's Party. The building, an impressive piece of architecture, was the backdrop for the event, with a large Bretonian flag draped from the top of the building and a smaller LWP flag set down below it. A man wearing a dark business suit stepped up to a podium and leaned into a microphone perched on top, speaking to the small crowd of seated news reporters with microvideo recorders.
"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen of the Bretonian press, and thank you for coming today. To move things along, here's Mr. Bannen to give his statement."
The man stepped away and took a seat toward the back of the stage area next to one that has just been vacated by a man who made his way to the lectern. He looked out at the crowd and began.
"These days are ones of hardship for the entirety of Bretonia. The miners, traders, and factory workers - the workforce of our Great Kingdom, often go unrecognized and without gratitude. Without these men and women, our industry would suffer, our military would not be what it is, and we would not have the quality of life we do. The pilots, soldiers, and support personnel – the protectors of our Great Kingdom often go nameless and faceless to protect us from the Kusari invaders so that we may enjoy our freedom. Hardship is spread around and no soul goes unaffected.
With this in mind, I, Nort Bannen, have decided to put my name in for election to Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bretonia under the flag of the Leeds Worker’s Party.
I, a middle-class man and former miner, do understand very well how exceedingly difficult times are, and while the pressure put on us by Kusari is great, there are still problems from within our borders that require attention as well.
First and foremost is the labor situation. With the demands of the war being felt by both civilian and military personnel alike, regulation has been abandoned in favor of speed and quality has been swapped for quantity. While there is strength in numbers to a certain extent, I feel that this has been taken too far by our large corporations and that it has put our safety in jeopardy, both at work and in battle. If elected, I would reinforce existing regulations with Parliamentary oversight to get labor conditions up to par with where we were before, including minimum wage limits and safety in our factories as well as our crewed ships. In doing so, not only will our laborers be able to make more and be able to support their families and loved ones more adequately, but they’ll in turn be able to put more back into our Kingdom’s economy and have more time to enjoy what they have, thereby pumping life back into local businesses and industries.
This solution helps two-fold. The quality of our military ships has slipped in an attempt to churn them out more quickly. The military demand is there, but the companies building our attack and assault craft have been fudging the lines in order to increase profit margins. While still meeting military specifications, this lack of quality has put an increasing number of our soldiers and pilots at risk of not returning home. With regulation of factory practices and material quality, we can produce better ships for which to both protect our defenders and by proxy protect ourselves.
Of course, while regulation must be placed and enforced, these policies are meant to strengthen our corporations and our citizens. Jobs are hard to find now, of that there is no doubt. If given the opportunity, I would like to be able to make a move to improve the unemployment situation. I propose the construction of multiple privately-run and government-owned facilities around Bretonia, including factories on Leeds and New London and farms on Cambridge, as well as multiple new stations in Bretonia-held space that will eventually be turned over completely to the private sector. The construction and eventual opening of the facilities will provide more work in first the construction industry and then those respective fields in which the structures are designed toward. Being government-owned regulations can be strictly monitored while the private sector still holds on to a good chunk of the profits and will eventually have full ownership – a subsidized lease of sorts where the government’s cut goes back to funding these projects.
Out major corporations, the source of many problems, are also our greatest strength. Our materials for construction come primarily from Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing, our imports and exports through from Borderworld Exports and Gateway Shipping. These corporations, with a little guidance, can begin our road to recovery via government-sponsored contracts.
Of course, anything we do today means nothing if we do not plan for our future. I propose a system of government aid be put into effect to allow for more Bretonian citizens to pursue higher education based on previous academic success and financial need. No citizen should be denied the chance to a bright future due to lack of funds.
Turning to the space around us, the Dublin and Kusari issues are the most pressing.
In Leeds, Kusari still holds the area from Stokes Mining Station to that Tau-31 Jump Gate. As has already been addressed, we have lost many good men to these invaders, and it’s time we sent them packing. The safety of Leeds and its citizens rely on support and supply from all of Bretonia.
In Dublin, there is good news for a change. The truce with the Molly Republic has worked – we’ve gotten good response from both sides. However, it is time that we work to a spirit of cooperation. Our Molly neighbors aren’t going anywhere, and with our forces stretched thin defending against Kusari, we do not possess the resources to adequately defend Dublin from Corsair and Indian intruders. By taking this truce and forming an alliance, we can more adequately ensure the safety of ours and their miners. By formalizing an agreement and officially recognizing the Molly government, we could also enter into diplomatic and business negotiations in order to make both sides content.
Farther out, we still have friends in Liberty and Rheinland. The Libertonians are our main source of imported goods and have always been there to support us, and we in return. This symbiotic relationship benefits everyone. Rheinland too has been working with us toward more peaceful relations and although their hostilities with Liberty has barred anything more at the moment, I am hopeful that we can advance farther as time progresses.
At home, though, in the face of adversity, we must remember that we are all Bretonians at heart - fellow countrymen. It will take effort and it will not be easy, but with your help - the citizens of the great Kingdom of Bretonia - we can return our space to its former greatness and even further. We can fight adversity and we can come together. It is time for change, and with your help and support, I can be the agent to usher in a new era for Bretonia. I thank you for your time and attention. May every citizen have a good day, and good luck to our troops."
Bannen waved, turned and walked inside the building. His aide stepped up to the podium.
"Mr. Bannen is unable to take questions at this time, but our secretaries have been instructed to take messages from interested parties, to whom he will respond within a few days. As you can understand, this news has kept us very busy, and we appreciate your time. You will be informed of the next date Mr. Bannen will be speaking."
The rest of Bannen's staff followed likewise into the building, and a work crew began disassembling the media area while the reporters filed away.
A reporter in the crowd of other reporters waves her hand at the aide on the podium.
'Sir if you don't mind, I have a few questions for the secretaries.
First off, we've heard rumors that the Kusari forces might be pulling back due to the new threat from Gallia, do you know if these rumors hold any truth, has there been any less Kusari military activity in Leeds? If the Kusari are pulling back, does the government intend to reclaim the lost areas of Leeds system or maintain its current defensive stance in this system?
Second, what would our stance be to this new threat emerging from Gallia? I believe Gallic type scout ships have been seen in Dublin, Edinburgh and Leeds. How does the government intend to withstand an assault from yet another invading force as our resources are continually attacked and plundered?
Third, the hostile system of Dublin, I believe you have touched a bit on that issue. The Corsairs have increased their activities in Dublin lately as well as some sightings of SCRA ships. The pirate group commonly referred to as 'the Indians' are very active in this system as well as other pirates and even Gaian's. How does the government intend to help the beleaguered miner's in this system? More police or military patrols, maybe an additional capital ship somewhere near Graves station as the jump hole located somewhere around there seems to be an entrance way into the system for hostile marauders. I have heard a lot of reports from government ships attempting to help in this system, but I believe the problem is that the hostile ships usually outnumber our defensive ships allotted to this system. There's just too many of them for the local forces to contain.
That is all for now, thank you for your time and if I have any more questions, I'll direct them to your office secretaries.'
With that she blends back into the crowd.
Bannen sat at his desk, filling out more paperwork. Letters, requests, piles upon piles of paperwork to fill out. The tedium was cut with a knock at his doorframe, one of his aides standing in the open doorway.
"Come in, please, madam. What is it?" Bannen said. The interruption was quite welcome.
"Mr. Bannen, I have a note taken by one of our secretaries following yesterday's press conference." The aide handed over a data pad with the note on it.
"Thank you." Bannen replied. the aide nodded and walked out. He read over the letter and pulled up a new file on his vi-doc recorder.
Greetings, and thank you for submitting your questions. Let's get right to the point.
Our military goal, ever since Kusari first made its advance, has been the protection and reclamation of our territory in the Leeds system. As far as I am aware, and mind you I'm not involved too much in the military's operation, this is still the goal. As to whether Kusari will be withdrawing or is in a state of withdrawal, I have heard no indication of such a move. Regardless, we will not rest until the Kusari threat has been removed from Leeds completely.
From Gallia, we have had no sign of a hostile intent. We really don't know much in the way of their plans, other than that they have contacted the governments of the four Houses. I'm certain if talks had been hostile that we would have heard about it. We have much greater worries within our borders and from Kusari that I feel any time speculating on Gallic actions at this point are a poor use of energy.
As far as the Dublin matter goes, the truce with the Mollies certainly relieved a lot of the pressure that was on the BAF and BPA. Unfortunately, the BAF still rarely has the resources to counter any sizable attack in Dublin, being focused mainly on the Leeds front. The BPA are doing their best, but it isn't always enough. I truly believe that our best bet to counter the Corsair and Indian pests are an alliance with the Mollies. It would take some compromises and certainly some time, but if we could get the Molly Republic and Bretonia Police Authority working together, I'm positive it would be enough to make a big impact on the safety of the system, and would lead to future cooperation.
I do hope I have answered your questions to your satisfaction. My goal is to facilitate open and honest communication. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Thanks, and good day.
Bannen reviewed the recording and, satisfied with it, had it sent out to the reporter.
![[Image: leedsworkers.png]](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1779281/fldocs/screens/leedsworkers.png)
![[Image: bannen1.jpg]](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1779281/fldocs/screens/Nort%20Bannen%20Images/bannen1.jpg)
