George Heywood

Sir George Heywood, Crown Prince of Bertia, 1st Baronet of Geywood, Lower Stevenshous is a Hilltopper politician who was the Vice-Leader of the Dictator Party under his friend Harrison Bert from its foundation in 2019 until his resignation on 17 June 2021. He was deputy Leader of Harrison Bert’s next party, UnITE and served as its deputy Leader from 17 June 2021 until Bert was restored as King of Bertia in the 2022 Bertia constitutional referendum. Since then he has served as Interim Leader.

He was MP for Bertia from the 2021 Hilltop general election until Bertia's semi-independence on 17 June 2021. He has served as MP for West Bertia for UnITE since 3 January 2022.

Bertia

From 2014-2018 he served as Prime Minister and Crown Prince of Bertia under Harrison I until the nation's annexation by Max I. Despite increasing Bertian nationalism, the former hasn’t rebelled against Max I and the Dictator Party - which he is leader of - doesn’t have a policy on Bertian independence.

In the 2021 New Years Honours of Max I, Harrison Bert was created Duke of Bertia by Max I and George was made heir apparent to the title. The Duchy of Bertia was abolished on 17 June 2021 when Bertia achieved semi-independence but him and Harrison Bert were created Baronets. He also resigned as Vice-Leader of the Dictator Party, and was succeeded by Princess Linda, Duchess of Shaftesbury, who reformed the party with Prince Christopher, Duke of Winterbourne into the Hilltop Salvation Party.

He was Deputy Leader of Harrison Bert’s next party, UnITE, which rallied up Harrisonians and people in favour of Hilltop-Bertia unionism. Heywood was elected as MP for West Bertia on 3 January 2022, succeeding Abby Collop, Duchess of Iwerne, who had resigned in December. He served in the position of Deputy Leader until the 2022 Bertia constitutional referendum on 10 January 2022, where Harrison Bert was restored to the throne of Bertia. Heywood has since served as Interim Leader and is Leader of the Opposition in Bertian Parliament and was appointed Crown Prince of Bertia, a position he hadn’t held since 2019.

Prince Jack controversy

After the 2021 Hilltopper general election, a vote was held on Jackobitism, an ideology which had grown since the First Civil War; the ideology supported Max I abdicating in favour of Prince Jack, Duke of Gillingham and Princess Lisa, Countess of Stourpaine. A vote was held on the same day which ended in a draw, which, under the Hilltopper constitution, would mean that a referendum would be held.

Shortly before the referendum, it came out that George Heywood actually voted against Jackobitism and the referendum was temporarily called off. Allegations of voter fraud against Prince Jack, Duke of Gillingham surfaced soon after and a trial was held on 7 April 2021 with Joseph Young removing him from parliament resulting in the 2021 Mere by-election.