Preparing his next hourly news report Tony wondered if Now: TV could really be described as a TV news network. Tony had always thought that it was the job of a television news channel to report the news. Now: TV always added a spin on the news, it gave its opinion. Guardian journalists always scoffed at the whole concept. “The Daily Mail on the Box”. In many ways they were very right. Though whatever Now: TV was viewers loved its no nonsense, common sense, right wing approach.
Several Months Later.
Now: TV Network Studio:
“Robbie Green who was convicted earlier today of armed robbery and grievously bodily harm has been given a 3 year suspended jail sentence.”
The Blackpond House Estate, Gloucestershire:
Nicholas wiped a tear away from his eye. Kicking the television screen in anger. How was this justice?
“Linda. I can’t change what’s happened. I can’t change that stupid judges soft sentence on the evil thing that scarred you physically and emotionally for life.”
Nicholas paused.
“Linda, for all the money I’ve got in the bank. I can’t do a damn thing.”
“Nicholas. You’ve been saying…You’ve said for years about going into politics.”
“I know, I was going to come onto that, kind of. Linda, I’m gonna do it. For real. For serious.
“Please change things.”
“I’ll call the press.”
A few hours later:
Now: TV Network Studio:
“We’re going live to the home of Nicholas and Linda Powell for an urgent press conference.”
The Blackpond House Estate, Gloucestershire:
Journalists and cameras jostled for a good spot outside the front door of the Powell’s mansion. As the lavish Oak front door opened and Nicholas Powell emerged amongst a mad, scurry of bright flashes of cameras random people shouted out questions.
“Sir Nick, is it true that you said you would personally kill Robbie Green for what he did to your wife”
“Nicholas Powell are you planning to…”
Nicholas dropped his head, refusing to comment or even acknowledge the barrage of press questions. He lifted his head and using his hands to indicate silence the flurry of questions and comments came to an end.
Dictation machines clicked, journalists eagerly waited.
“Members of the press. I sincerely, genuinely thank-you for joining me at such notice. What I am to announce here today is not just about what happened to my wife. But it is however, the last straw for me. Frankly, I fear greatly for our nation. What will become of our great nation in 20 years time? Or even 5 years time? Burglars suing their victims, violent thugs receiving ridiculously soft sentences, murderers getting 4 year jail sentences, terrorists claiming thousands in benefits, in fact loads of people getting loads in benefits while everyone else works long hours to pay for it, then there’s prison terms becoming degrees in crime, strikes after strikes, our armed forces receiving more and more budget cuts and our sovereignty being trampled over by Brussels. Our country is in ruins! And I for one will not stand by and do nothing as our society becomes uglier and British morals and values go down the drain. I, Nicholas Powell will do my very best to change Britain and get us out of this state and this almighty mess we are in. For make no mistake about it, we are in a very deep black hole.”
Nicholas paused. Everyone remained in silence. What next?
“For we are here today, to announce the foundation of my political party. The British People’s Party. My political party will work under the basic and great principles of restoring our nations common values and decency. Disillusioned Britons shall see light in basic, simple, common sense politics. Today is a great day for Britain, for from today there is a New Opposition to the politically correct lunacy. For I will bring the Great back into Great Britain and unite the United Kingdom!”
Reporters jaws dropped. Cameras clicked. Was this something revolutionary or a cheap publicity stunt?
10 Downing Street:
The Prime Minister watched the live Now: TV broadcast with great interest. The Prime Minister arrogantly considered Powell no threat to his power. In fact Powell had done the Prime Minister a favour. It would take the Press’s attention away from the news of yet more British casualties in the Middle East. As planes returned to Britain and America from the Middle East almost daily with body bags the Prime Minister was feeling his popularity gently slide.
A few weeks later.
Now: TV Network Studio:
“Good morning and thanks for joining us. Its 10:03. Welcome back to Daybreak, the UK’s Number 1 morning news show. I’m Anna Collins”
“And I’m Ricky Brown.”
“As promised we have a very special guest with us today. The name you have heard so much about over the past few weeks. Sir. Nicholas Powell!”
“Good morning Nicholas, thanks a lot for joining us today.”
“Good morning Anna and Ricky, it’s a pleasure”
“So are you truly serious about this venture into politics? Newspapers are showing that you have absolutely huge popularity”
“Yes Anna, I’m more than serious about this. I’m fed up of the madness that is going on in our country. I’m not saying that I will make everything perfect but I’ll change a lot of things in this country. For one, I am fed up with this country being ran by Liberals with absolutely no basis of the real world.”
“Nicholas, some of these Liberals are branding your politics a gimmick. They are also criticizing you for using your vast fortune to gain popularity. You have spent gigantic amounts of money on advertising for your political party and you have even used your vast fortune to buy several newspapers and even Channel 5”
“Yes Ricky I have. I now own The Daily Mail, The Daily Express, The Daily Star and The Independent. But I am not going to use these newspapers as propaganda machines. And I had being trying to purchase Channel 5 for a considerable amount of time now. Its unrelated to politics. My party is not a gimmick, my party represents common sense.
“So what do you plan to do if you gain power Nicholas?”
“Firstly I will reintroduce the death penalty. If somebody kills someone else they have taken away the most valuable thing from that person – life. Bring them real justice. Secondly I will abolish Unions, I’m fed up with greedy workers bringing this country to a standstill with strikes. I’ll also bring back true British morals and values, I am becoming fed up with the amount of awfully tasteless television. I represent the views of the common British man! To join my party please visit VoteCommonSense.com”
“One last thing Nicholas”
“In the up-and-coming elections next year in 2006 will the British People’s Party have people running for election in every constituency?”
“Of course Anna. We have thousands of support and members already. We really can make a difference.”
“Okay, Nicholas. Thanks a lot for joining us today. Me and Ricky will certainly be voting for you next year!”
The Blackpond House Estate, Gloucestershire:
“Sir. Nicholas Powell is nothing short of a fascist. Of course he has his millions and his proud honourable British image. But the fact that the man is already working his way through trying to buy out half the British media to get his right wing point across represents nothing short of fascism. Whereas the Nazis achieved and kept power through violence, fear and intimidation Nicholas Powell is using his money to make Britain the place he wants.
Nobody ever said Britain was perfect but Powell is exploiting the few weaknesses that this country has and is exploiting them by scare mongering the British people into supporting his “moral values”. How can a man who has made obscene amounts of money off the backs of the poor claim to have moral values?
Sadly Sir. Nicholas Powell and his party may achieve their goals through money. Public support already is indicating that if there should be an election tomorrow Powell would win.”
Nicholas tore the article up in rage. He grabbed the telephone and angrily demanded to speak to the editor of the Daily Mirror.
“What is that article about?! How dare you compare to me a Nazi? My cause is genuine!”
“Now Nick, calm down. You want all this printed in tomorrows paper?”
Nicholas slammed the phone.
He hated the Daily Mirror. It questioned him, whereas the rest of the media bowed down and supported him. Even the media he didn’t own. Nicholas was the most popular politician. Yet the Daily Mirror was trying to ruin it. It was trying to ruin the British people’s chance of getting their values and morals back.
“You can’t legislate morality. Nicholas Powell seems to believe that values and morals can be legislated. Isn’t that the system that’s in place in Saudi Arabia? Is it any coincidence that the country with that system in place – Saudi Arabia has extremely limited civil liberties? Personally I think not. Powell wants to be a dictator, his media empire is already trying to brainwash every British citizen into voting for him.”
After just reading half of the article in the Guardian Nicholas tore the article up. Reading these negative reports of his great character were depressing Nicholas. He turned to different paper. Nicholas picked up The Sun.
“Lets face it. Britain isn’t working. We need someone new. Someone to lead our country and get it back on the straight and narrow so to speak. Powell is just the man. He talks common sense, he has the ideas and values that all decent Brits share. His views are common sense. Hang paedophiles, murderers, get us out the EU, make criminals suffer – Powell is the only chance this country has of getting a good leader who will do the things that we really want. So on August, 19th 2006 mark your X next to the British People’s Party. Forget the others.”
Nicholas beamed with pride, it was almost like reading a British People’s Party manifesto. He hadn’t even bribed The Sun.
Election Day:
Now: TV Network Studio:
The studio was draped in Union Jack flags and large signs proclaiming “VOTE POWELL”. News reader Tony really did start to think that Now: TV was not a news network. It had turned from a news channel with a biased right wing slant to a British People’s Party television Channel. Almost overnight. Still Tony, was just paid to look smart and read the news. Back in the studio meanwhile Ricky and Anna were giving viewers pre-election advise.
“People died to give you the chance to vote. So use the right given to you by this wonderful nation. Be patriotic, be proud. Vote for the British People’s Party. When the polls open, make sure to cast your vote.
Less than a day later:
Britain had a new Prime Minister. A Parliament full of new MP’s who just sprung up from somewhere, most through Powell’s gigantic business corporation.
The traditional political parties slumped. Labour and the Conservatives were horrified. The majority of Britons were of course extremely happy. Flags were waved up and down the country. It would be so un-British People’s Party not to fly the Union Jack. It was like the World Cup all over again. Things had changed. Singing Rule Britannia was no longer horribly naff.
The more sensible people who didn’t get charmed by the smooth Nicholas Powell were shocked. They were in disbelief. Nobody knew what to expect.
1 year later:
Charlotte Osborne had got pregnant at 16 years old. She admitted it was her fault. She got drunk, had sex and 9 months later little Tommy was born. Tommy’s father ran off, and refused to have anything to do with Charlotte. Charlotte couldn’t have an abortion, she just couldn’t bring herself to doing it. She didn’t want to kill something inside her, she didn’t want to wonder in 20 years time what that thing growing inside of her would have became.
Charlotte’s parents kicked her out of the family home after finding out she was pregnant. All alone, Charlotte had no choice but to go on benefits. Nobody could support Charlotte, no job could support her. She couldn’t leave Tommy alone. She wouldn’t leave the one thing in the world she loved more than anything alone.
Charlotte’s life wasn’t great. The only money she got was in benefits, almost all of it went on caring for Tommy. Upon the election of Nicholas Powell Charlotte’s life took a terrible turn for the worse. As did the lives of almost every other individual who wasn’t fortunate enough to be middle class and able to earn a decent income.
Overnight the amount in benefits given to single parents was cut by 90%. Nicholas Powell and his government put a spin on the cut by stating that single parents could in fact get up to 240% more in benefits on the brand new work for benefit programme. So would Charlotte stay home and look after Tommy or go on the work for benefit programme where she would have to work to see any money to help support Tommy.
Sue Benson had always been a hippie type. In her late 40’s Sue regularly smoked cannabis. Sat in her tatty rundown flat Sue lay down smoking a joint remembering the 60’s humming along to Bob Dylan’s The Times They Are A Changing when there was a great bang on the front door.
5 heavily armed police entered Sue’s flat, arresting her for possession of an illegal drug. The next day Sue was swiftly sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. Sir. Nicholas Powell’s tough law and order programme was working well. Criminals were truly punished and sentenced swiftly.
A new law was passed through Parliament. Thanks to The British People’s Party’s majority the law received no opposition from MP’s.
The National Stability & Security Act:
“Any person who threatens the governance of government shall be in breach of British Law and liable to a fine or prison term”
A Guardian journalist raged at the new law,
“What was a threat to governance? Blowing up a naval port? Or protesting against the reintroduction of capital punishment? Protesting at the illegality of unions…”
The journalist was arrested within hours.
Then I turned on the television. How far had common decency and morals gone? There was no swearing, no violence, no sex, no drugs, no gambling. Had I awoke in some nightmarish Puritan state?
Britain had became boring. It had been ruined. The freedoms taken for granted for so long disappeared in a flash as a fascist took power proving the theory that money may equal power.
As Anna and Ricky left the Now: TV “News” Network Studios Ricky softly spoke.
“What have we done? Were we really a part of this?”
Aghast and appalled Anna and Ricky walked out of the studios into the streets of New Britain.
The sleazy area of sex shops outside the studio was gone. The bookmakers disappeared. The advert with the attractive blonde wearing skimpy clothing had gone. The crying homeless man had gone – imprisoned for begging.
Something had gone terribly wrong.