Rachel Baron

The Right Honourable Rachel Baron MP
Baron's official portrait.
Leader of the National Union Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 20th October 2017
Deputy	Vacant
Preceded by	Andrew Clarkson
Constituency	Eagle Creek (2003 - present)
Member of the House of Councilors for Idaho's 14th district (Eagle Creek)
Incumbent
Assumed office August 24, 2003
Preceded by	Michael Gillian
Personal details
Born	15th May 1967 (52) Portland, Rainier
Nationality	Rainian
Political party	National Union Party
Spouse(s)	Megan Baron
Children	3
Alma mater	University of British Columbia
Profession	Politician
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Rachel Joan Baron (born 15^th May 1967) is a Rainian politician who currently serves as the leader of the National Union Party being elected to the post in 2017. She is the first leader of the party not to serve as either Prime Minister or Leader of the Opposition.

Born in Portland, Baron was born into a religious family in the 1960s and was raised by two parents who were active members of the National Union Party with her father having served as the Chairman of the Oregon National Union Party from 1972 until his resignation in 1984. She eventually entered into politics in 2008 and worked for Andrew Clarkson's election campaign. She supported Clarkson and was part of his re-election campaign in 2017, but Clarkson lost. That same year, Baron ran for the position as Leader of the NUP and won Daniel Lee becoming party leader, though her election caused many moderate members of the party to break-off and form the Progressive Conservative Association preventing Baron from being the Leader of the Opposition.

Since becoming leader of the party, Baron has shifted the party's politics further to the right supporting neoconservative politics and social conservatives. Baron has been vocal in her criticism of Rainian leftism and liberalism and has vocally been opposed to the Labour Party and denounced them as "leftist delusional thugs" in 2018. Unlike opposition leader Wayne Faulkner she is not considered to be associated with the alt-right.

Political career

2017 leadership contest

Main article: National Union Party (Rainier) leadership election, 2017

Views

Baron is considered to support right-wing populist policies. She is seen to be on the right-wing of the National Union Party supporting economic liberalism, social conservatism and neoconservatism abroad stating he believes that Western values such as Judeo-Christian culture, free-market capitalism and small government should be enjoyed by all peoples. Baron has named Margaret Thatcher as her main political influence.

Some have accused Baron of supporting xenophobia due to her strongly anti-Asian and Islamophobic (calling Islam a "cancer").

Economy

Baron believes that the state has too large a role in the Rainian economy and that there needs to be more marketisation to encourage economic growth. Baron has pointed to Singapore, Hong Kong and Estonia as potential models for the Rainian economy and has talked of the need for substantial privatisation and deregulation in all sectors of the economy. In 2007 Baron wrote that "only by unleashing the forces of an untamed free market on Rainier can we see private enterprise, entrepreneurship and dynamism reach its peak.

In 2016 Baron called for the progressive income tax to be replaced with a flat tax of 15%, and has said that the priority of the NUP should be tax cuts and deficit reduction.

Immigration

Baron has called for a substantial reduction in immigration to "under 15,000 annually maximum, preferably lower". Baron believes that if stringent action is not taken Asians will be the dominant ethnic group by 2050, which he says could lead to "social division". Baron has stated that whilst she supports immigrants attempts to integrate into Rainian society, she has said that high levels of immigration makes this impossible under circumstances.

Baron has stated that it is the government's duty to keep Rainier Rainian and rejects multiculturalism. In 2014 Baron said if Rainier was to receive immigrants he would prefer they came from the Anglosphere as Anglo people are easier to integrate into Rainian society than any other immigrants due to Rainier's British heritage.

Social policy

Baron opposes the current abortion laws wherein it is illegal with exceptions in cases of maternal life, mental health, health, rape, and/or fetal defects, with Baron wishing to also make it illegal in cases regarding fetal defects. Baron identifies as pro-life and has stated she wishes to defund several hospitals that provide abortions. Baron also opposes same-sex marriage.

Foreign policy

Baron is commonly identified as a neoconservative in foreign affairs, stating she wants Rainier be at the forefront of promoting freedom abroad.

Baron has also called for military intervention against China, and has continually advocated for Rainier to recognise Taiwan as an independent sovereign country since the year 2000. Baron has praised Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's push to amend Article 9 of the Japanese constitution, stating Japan "needs a proper military to ward off Chinese aggression". Baron has strong links to Japanese neoconservatives.

Baron is strongly pro-Israeli, and has dismissed the idea of a Palestinian state. In 2010 Baron stated there is no such thing as a Palestinian people, and that Israel should be "a Jewish state with Jerusalem as the undivided capital, and its rightful sovereignty over Judea and Samaria". Baron is heavily in favour of invading Iran and was historically supportive of the Iraq War. In 2015, the Baron declared it wished for Rainier to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria as well as destroy the ISIS terrorist group. In 2020 she called the Trump peace plan "a damn good deal for Palestine".

Baron endorsed Brexit in 2016 and has called for Rainier to sign a trade deal with the UK.

Climate change

Baron has been a vocal critic of climate change accusing concern over it being "a manufactured crisis and mass hysteria promoted by the far left for the sake of gaining power" in a 2018 interview. In response to Llewellyn's call for federal action to address climate change, Baron accused the Prime Minister in a power grab and threatened to filibuster any attempt to pass legislation to support his agenda. Baron has generally denied climate change, though in December 2018 she said that she "reluctantly understood" and recognized man-made caused climate changed, but refused to support government action to address it saying that "the market will solve climate change, not the government. They'll just ruin it like they always do".