William Pelly

Quotes About The Man
“''He’s one of those chaps that you just hate, but at the same time really rather love. Like a cheeky schoolboy caught chasing girls with kisses. You may smack him, but at the same time you simply smile and think ‘What a cheeky little devil!’''”

- Harry Weldon, Liberal Party Leader 1878 - 1894



“Bill Pelly is certainly a great politician… but that wouldn’t stop me punching him in the head given half the chance.”

- Aubrey Potts, Chancellor of the Exchequer 1886 - 1889



“I sometimes wondered if declaring war on everyone would be a better Foreign Policy than sending him abroad as our representative.”

- Horace Previn, Former Speaker of The House

Overview
William Pelly is a Vjiayan politician who has held a number of positions within government, but is most famous for his sixteen-year reign as Prime Minister of Vjiay between 1882 and 1898.

Always in the headlines, he is somewhat of a polarizing figure, even within his own party. Extremely patriotic and individualist, his main focuses when in power were Welfare, Law and Order and what he once called “The Rightful Rise”, which analysts have defined as the belief that Vjiayan values are the right ones for Human Beings to live by.

Naturally his opinions and the boisterous ways he presented them caused friction between him and the leaders and representatives of other nations, perhaps most famously at the Conference discussing the building of the International Railroad in 1885.

As with most Vjiayan politicians he never professed any kind of religious belief and is a famous reader of works by evolutionists and social Darwinists. Critics have claimed that in private he held a specific distaste for Mishmahigian Christians, though his spokespeople vociferously deny those accusations.

Early Life
Pelly was born and raised in the industrial city of Attwell in Northern Vjiay. His upbringing was middle-class. Being an only child to loving parents meant that much of the money earned by the family went towards his education and well-being. His father, Samuel Pelly, worked upwards of sixty hour weeks in a steel mill, whilst his mother, Dorothy, worked in a local bakery. Their combined wages ensured he was able to go to school five days a week (the mandatory and state-sponsored requirement in those days was just three days) and that he remained well-fed.

Whilst his parents, according to him, just wanted him to succeed, it is well known that his father was very interested in Law and Social Policy. Analysts and Biographers of Pelly believe that is why he went into Law upon leaving school in 1861. He attended Fyars University to read the subject and, after five years study, successfully graduated.

Pelly practised Law for many years and was successful in a number of defence cases defending people accused of theft, which involved numerous lower-class individuals. He first became interested in a political career when, after having one of his clients cleared of the theft of bread and fruit, was told by the man “If only there were people like you in Urbaurum.”

He successfully ran for the safe Conservative seat of Fairywall in 1869 and gained a seat in the Lower House. He ran for more contentious seats in the subsequent years and, many say thanks to his charisma, was successful in all his endeavours.

Chancellor of The Exchequer
Pelly’s appointment as Chancellor of The Exchequer came as somewhat of a surprise. His expertise is matters regarding the Law had touted him the next Minister for Justice, whilst outside bets put him as a runner for Welfare Minister.

Nevertheless, in 1876 he was announced as Chancellor. He initially drew criticism from the opposition and national newspapers as he surrounded himself with wealthy factory owners and businessmen. He did this, according to a statement issued a few months after his appointment, so that, whilst he held the knowledge that would get Vjiay back on top, his financial shortcomings needed to be addressed and who better to do that than the people who were right on top within Vjiay?

His tactic worked. Within two years Vjiayan GDP had grown a number of percent but, most importantly to Pelly, social mobility had increased. More of the Lower Classes had the opportunity to rise the ranks in their workforce through incentives and company-funded training. The starting of small business, in particular local food and freight grew exponentially and Vjiay became a nation of entrepreneurs, with record numbers of new business being created.

During his tenure as Chancellor he also helped push through cut to the working week from a maximum of 60 hours to 52 in some more dangerous industries