BBC - Defence Bill Passed In Major Vote

[The Kingdom of Bretonia]

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Defence Bill Passed In Major Vote

NEW LONDON - As the month of April comes closer, so does the Crown Royalist prospect of seeing Bretonian society reinvigorated by the common interest and popular moves to rally support once more for the national rebuilding effort, spearheaded by not only Crown Corporations, but also foreign partners, in a policy shift to remove over-reliance on other Houses in matters of equipment purchases. This government effort to push through changes that will see usually war-time measures being implemented in times of peace also comes after the recent diplomatic failures in the Independent Worlds, sparking concerns across all departments of the government that the military may not be ready to respond to a potential attack – or even defend against one. Nevertheless, hawkish individuals in the Ministry of Defence, led by the Secretary of Defence himself, do not relent and instead have pledged to 'do everything possible'. This comment arrives after last week closed the voting on a highly controversial defence bill, that, according to the Liberal Party, seeks to give the Ministry of Defence almost 'unlimited power'. Despite these tense exchanges between different members of the government, Downing Street has stated that the move to implement this national defence bill is done not to 'transfer power to other actors of state', but to 'defend everything the Kingdom stands for'. How did voting end? - Though details were scarce beyond the public information provided shortly after the end of the vote, a press conference held on Monday, the BBC has pieced together all data shared thus far, and can confirm that the motion has passed in a landslide victory for the Crown Royalists. With the majority of the Whig Party abstaining or voting in favor, the only opposition to the defence bill was presented by the Liberal Party and the SDF, both of whom were quickly labelled as 'anti-Bretonian' in nature due to this turnout. However, despite opposition, the path for the introduction of national service now lays clear, and the Ministry of Defence has announced that it will seek to bring about the changes in a 'timely and professional manner'. What other changes does this defence bill bring? - As we have discussed during last week's coverage on the motion, the return of national service also brings about a large increase in defence expenditure, announced by the MoD's spokespersons to be at 2% of GDP, therefore now moving the total % of GPD spent on the military budget to 4%, from the post-invasion 2%. Though it will take significant amounts of time to rebuild and repair available vessels, the Armed Forces Admiralty have been quick to praise the government and MoD for this substantial increase, promising to increase the safety of commerce across Bretonia but also that of other civilian traffic, as losses mount in the fringe worlds due to a lack of patrols. Still, while words continue to echo across news channels, it is estimated that the efforts to restructure the Armed Forces appropriately will not be completed until well into the decade and beyond, depending on the changing political landscape and available materiel. Defence Secretary Vernon Mortimer has also spoken earlier today of plans to invite Kusari corporations, designated as 'keirestu' by New Tokyo, to construct several armament facilities in Bretonia, as well as to further increase the partnership in the defence sector, despite concerns risen by Bowex and BMM representatives that this may prove costly in the long term. No comment has been given on these concerns by the Ministry of Defence until this moment, but it is not expected that they will be responded to over public channels or in press conferences that are to come, as both the MoD and the parliament now move to implement the measures of the passed motion. The BBC will bring more updates on the topic as it develops. Stay with us!

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