Stephen Milbank
Stephen Milbank | |
|---|---|
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| Prime Minister of Delamaria | |
| In office 1990–1998 | |
| President | James Leckhampstead Sr. George Cafferty |
| Preceded by | John Carroway |
| Succeeded by | Position Abolished |
| Member of Parliament for Stretcham Newmarket | |
| In office 1982–2000 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 9, 1953 Holby, New Bedford |
| Political party | Liberal |
Stephen Milbank (Born April 9th, 1953) is a Delamarian former politician who served as Prime Minister of Delamaria from 1990 to 1998 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1988 to 1998. He was the delegate for Stretcham Newmarket from 1982 to 2000, and held various shadow cabinet positions until his election as leader of the liberal party.
Milbank was born in New Bedford in 1953, his family were upper-middle class as his father was a retired justice ministry official and lecturer. Milbank had a comfortable childhood, attending the William Smith School and later studying at the University of Westchester. At university he became involved with the local liberal party and campaigned for them during the by-election, to the dismay of his father who had become disallusioned with the party since it formed a coalition with Social Labour. After climbing up the ranks of the party after leaving university he was selected and elected to lead Widditch Council in Labrador in 1976. In 1978 he lost his seat on the council after the landslide United party victory. In 1982 Karl Ledder, the MP for Stretcham Newmarket, died, triggering a by-election. Milbank was chosen to run as the liberal candidate, however while campaigning he found that people didnt support the coalition policies of Liberal-Social, and therefore campaigned against some of the more left wing policies on the liberal manifesto. He won the seat with a majority of 2,392. The huge 12% swing to the liberals at a time of high United support impressed the party leadership, and he was made shadow under-secretary for the treasury.
Prior to 1990 the Liberal party relied on support from the Social Labour Party to form governments as the non-united vote was split between the two. In order to facilitate this coalition, the liberals put forward more socialist policies, such as nationalisation of energy and rail, and increasing welfare. These policies were a deal breaker for Social Labour, as they were very popular with their base, however very unpopular with the rest of the country. Milbank saw the Red folio agreement as dragging down the liberals' election prospects and when he was made leader of the liberals in 1988 he dissolved the agreement. Milbank benefited greatly from Elizabeth Grantham's resignation, gifting the liberals a polling advantage right up to the election. The 1990 election saw the liberals rebrand themselves as pro-market, distancing themselves from the socialist policies of the past. Milbank's liberals ultimately won the election outright, with a majority of 55. In his first term as prime minister, Milbank continued the Conover-Grantham economic policies, but increased indirect taxation, investing in education, infrastructure and economic incentives. Milbank is credited of bringing the liberals as far to the right as they had been in the early 1900s, leading to Social Labour's famous advertisement "Why does my lemon taste like blueberries?, the lemon representing the yellow brand of the liberals, and the blueberries representing the blue branded United party.
