[War] UK: Burning the Midnight Oil

[Michael Brittain]

"UK:  Burning the Midnight Oil"
Prime Minister Jonathon Campbell
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
20 January 2013
------------------------------------------

"Prime Minister."

Pause.

"Mr Campbell."

Pause.

"Jonathon!" Jonathon nearly jumped out of his skin and opened his eyes,
looking up to see the figure of a slim, thirty something woman with long
dark hair looking down toward him. As his eyes adjusted to the now bright
lights of his office, the blur of a messy, paper-laden desk became clearer -
as did the figure at the end of the desk he recognised as Elizabeth Kerr.

"You're up late," said the 46 year old, dark haired, slightly greying Prime
Minister as he began to sift through the papers on his desk, pretending as
though he hadn't had his head glued to them for the past 15 minutes.

Elizabeth took a step back in disgust in jest, placing her hands in the air.
"Am I indeed? I assume you're in need of glasses then, because those MoD
acquisition orders were very close to your face when I walked in." She
walked over to the coffee table and began pouring a cup of coffee. "You were
sleeping," said the PM's personal aide.

Jonathon looked at her with a cheeky grin. "I've been working on the final
draft of Her Majesty's speech for next Friday, and on top of that the
Strategic Defence Review papers have landed on my desk from the MoD. And not
to mention."

Elizabeth waved her hands to cut him off as she placed a cup of coffee on
his desk "Let me guess, the public services review."

"How'd you know that? They were a day earlier than expected" Jonathon took
the coffee, looking slightly bemused.

"I caught a glimpse before I left for Edinburgh this morning, I left you a
message on your email." She gave him a matter-of-factly look. "Another one
arrived from the ministry of Health this morning as well just as I was
leaving."

"Ah," he glanced at the computer blankly, tapping the space bar repeatedly.
"Damn thing. I, erm."

"Don't know how to use it, clearly," she interjected. "Really Jonathon, 
it's been nearly 2 week since the new system was installed." She leant over and
displayed the email programme.

"I know how to use a computer, thank you very much. But this new system is uncessarily complicated.," he moved back away from the desk as she tapped into the computer. "But try telling that to the civil service. Besides, it's the first time you've been away all day since it was installed and I've been all over Westminster these past two weeks - I haven't the time to bother with it. If it's important that's what the phone is for." He gave his good friend and aide a cheeky grin.

Elizabeth was a close friend of Jonathon's. The two of them worked together
when Campbell was a junior treasury minister in Brown's government in 2009.
A former MP herself, Elizabeth lost her seat at the election before last and
was recruited into the Labour fold once again by Jonathon, the then leader
of the opposition in 2011.

"Anyway," he reached across his desk and picked up a blue folder. "I don't
suppose you could get these off to the foreign office before you head home?"

Elizabeth looked at her watch. "It's quarter past 12, they'll be long gone
now if I know civil servants."

Jonathon laughed. "Not tonight I'm afraid, David has them under strict
orders. They are working hard tonight in preparation for the European
elections. You know how he likes his house in order." he referred to the
Foreign Secretary, David Ashworth. "And then there is the new American
administration, but then you know how desperately hard it is to get any air
time with all the countries flooding in with their requests. And of course,
then there are the Russians, Chinese, and Italians. The world is changing
governments quicker than." He paused. ". Something that changes a lot." The
incredibly early 2AM start had the Prime Minister noticeably devoid of any
wit.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, sipping her coffee. "Don't forget the Canadians."

"Of course," he looked across smiling while holding up a folder.

Elizabeth sighed. "Fine, I'll drop it off," she glanced in side the folder.
"Ah," she looked up realising what was contained in the document. "The
estimated effect on Sustainable agriculture in the North East of England and
Scottish borders by newly proposed European subsidies legislation. No wonder
you were glued to your desk when I walked in." She slipped away into her
office.

Jonathon ignored the comment, and continued to work on drafting the speech
for the state opening of parliament. Elizabeth's office joined the PM's in
Downing Street, and was a mere metre or two down the corridor. Scribbling
away, he did not notice Elizabeth enter the room again.

"How is the speech going?" she asked, tidying his office a little and
placing documents away.

"Okay," he looked up. "It just gets a little repetitive. It's hard to get
across a true meaning without going into too much detail about the
forthcoming white papers, but I don't really have the details of those until
the reviews come to an end. It's all terribly vague." He paused. "But then,
so are all these things."

Elizabeth nodded. "Making mention of the EU?"

Jonathon nodded "Fleetingly. There is very little I wish to put in the
public domain until I have spoken with other European leaders." He leaned
back in his chair, placing down his pen. "Speaking of which, I would very
much like to push ahead with a meeting with prominent EU leaders of the
future of the EU. Too little has been done of late."

"Far from easy task. I'd caution you from taking it on as a crusade,"
Elizabeth shrugged. "Because ultimately it'll make little difference."

"I don't want any crusades at the minute. I just want the public services
reviews over and then we can look at introducing them to Parliament - one
battle at a time, strong and united as a party for a change. Anyway, I
intend on seeing what the general consensus is on Europe among the EU
leaders before pushing ahead any of my own thoughts first."

Elizabeth walked toward him. "Which would be?"

He smiled at Elizabeth's question. "Whatever I want them to be," He grinned
cheekily.

Campbell was traditionally a typical left wing politician. He favoured
higher public spending and more liberal laws having been elected by Labour
as a man that could broker two warring sides. The left, supported by the
unions and main source of finance for the financially perilous Labour party,
and the centrists - proponents of the third way and former Blairites that
are considered to be more 'elect able' and less 'extreme' that still held
prominent positions in the party. Jonathon was well aware that in the near
future he would have a limited number of lives in which to do battle with
both sides and keep control of the party. He wasn't intending on making the
EU one of them.

Despite being very open, charismatic and approachable, often described as a
'real character' by those that worked with him, he had the sense not to pick
futile battles that would damage him politically despite his present good
fortunes. A trait many recent Prime Ministers noticeably lacked,
particularly when a shoestring was seemingly holding each party in
Westminster together as of late.

"I'm not going to upset the establishment over the EU, particularly with the
reforms I want to bring to parliament that are likely to cause a stir."
Jonathon paused from scribbling away and sipped his coffee.

"That reminds me," Elizabeth jumped up and quickly disappeared into her
office in search of something. She returned, placing down a folder entitled
'NHS: Policy review, final version'.
 "The Health secretary would like a final answer by next Monday to go before
Parliament the following week. I'll organise a meeting with the Health
ministry tomorrow for Saturday." She turned to face him as she stood in the
doorway. "It was in the email that you managed to lose," she motioned to the 
computer, smiling. "If only the press knew." she grinned, winding him up.

"Despite my workload I did catch a glimpse of Match of the Day earlier.
Shame West Brom lost." He sniggered over his coffee to a less than impressed
Elizabeth. "Five nil was it. I suppose that -."

"Don't you have a speech to draft."? She interjected before turning and
walking out of the office, stopping in the doorway she turned back around to
say something. "And by the way, it rained in Edinburgh, my flight was 
delayed and Hollyrood
is fine, thanks for asking." She began to walk away down the corridor. "And
yes, they lost. I'm going to bed."

As she began to walk away, Jonathon stood up in an attempt to catch her up
and grab her attention "Just a sec, don't forge - " he spoke but before he
could finish his sentence or even reach his office door Elizabeth held a
blue folder in the air. "Via the foreign office of course," she shouted
along the corridor.

Jonathon stopped in his tracks, letting out a small laugh. He pulled his
office door shut, returning to his desk.

ACTIONS
1. Introduce the character, and the numerous public reform review committees that are going on (basically, for pretty much any and all public services).
2. Let it be known that Campbell would quite like to get the ball rolling with a discussion on the EU.
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