As NRL defaults on coalition talks, King is forced to "pull a Carver" yet again
The new Formateur, Teddy Donan MP (right), waiting to be received by His Majesty
Good evening and welcome to the MPR's news at six. Tonight's top story: the Navaron Royalist League have failed to respond to an invitation by informateur Lord Crawford of Olmdale to the preparatory government formation talks, prompting the former Lord Chancellor to advise the King to, as Teddy Donan put it, "pull a Carver" and ask the Christian Democrats' Teddy Donan to form a government. The origin of the expression 'pulling a Carver' lies in the formation of the Second Carver Ministry after the NRL, the largest party in Parliament at the time, failed to get around the table with other parties on forming a government, whereupon Donan's predecessor as Tory Leader, outgoing Lord Chancellor Malka Carver, was asked to form a government.
James Nicholson reports.
James Nicholson - MPR Political Editor
First Lord Crawford came to the Palace to explain the situation as he saw it to His Majesty. According to a statement made earlier by the former Lord Chancellor, the parties in the talks - only the Tories, Liberals and Labour were present - had expressed willingness to form a government together, and concluded that as the deadline for the others to join up had passed, the right course of action was to invite the new Leader of the Christian Democrats to form a government.
Informateur Lord Crawford of Olmdale (CD) on his way to report to His Majesty
The Mt Hon. the Lord Crawford MP RA KCAC (CD) - Informateur
"All present then concluded that the best course of action was to form a government with those parties ready to commence talks, being those present, and govern with eachother. I shall therefore be going to the Palace to advise His Majesty to ask Mr Theodore Donan to form a new government. It is not a step taken lightly to disqualify the largest party in the House, but it is not unprecedented and in this complex situation, it is a step to be expected. (lots of shouted questions; Lord Crawford smiles patronisingly) Let's leave the rest to His Majesty and Mr Donan, shall we?"
A bare half hour after Lord Crawford returned from the Palace, the summons came to Teddy Donan, who then set out for the Palace, where he was sworn into the Privy Council and asked to form a new government by His Majesty. Mr Donan accepted the commission, but due to the complex political situation, he requested to assume the office of Formateur until he had ensured an arrangement with sufficient support. Even then, he has to navigate a difficult coalition formation: the three parties represented around the information table that declared their willingness to talk to eachother do not command a majority of parliament, and some arrangement will be required to get legislation, and more importantly confidence and supply motions, through.
The Tory Leader remains optimistic, though, as his plan suggests:
The Rt Hon. Theodore Donan MP (CD) - Formateur
"His Majesty the King has asked me to form a new government, and I have accepted. However, seeing the complexity of the situation we are in, I shall not yet go to Number 10 and leave it, at least for a while longer, in the capable hands of Malka Carver. I wish to immediately commence talks with the Liberals and Labour. Even though I know we do not command a majority, I do know I can depend on those two parties to come to the negotiating table and forge a core policy agreement. Once we've got that, we'll see what party is willing to help us obtain the required majority.
I am optimistic that, in the end, I can justify His Majesty's faith in me and the difficult decision to pull a Carver yet again, and provide Meiru with the stable majority coalition it needs. I can't wait to get to work, so I thank you for listening. God Save the King and Meiru."
And with that, Donan set off to talk to his fellow party leaders. Robin Nicholson, MPR News, Halldale.