the lesser of far too many evils | renly & mance | september 28th
He'd made a promise to Stannis. He would remain in the Labour Party and support his brother in exchange for getting his seat in Parliament back. However, he had no intention on making good with said promise. As far as Renly was concerned, Stannis lost all rights to his "word" when he tried to have him killed. He'd gotten what he wanted out of his brother, from here on out he was operating on his own accord.
This first step in that plan involved getting as far away from the Labour Party as possible. He'd considered a break from the party months ago, before Robert had lost his leadership position, before Stannis had taken control, before his life had fallen apart. He had stopped believing in the party years earlier when it became clear they no longer stood for the tenants of their platform. But when it became clear he could win the leadership contest himself he thought it might be possible to change things from within. Now, once again from the outside looking in, he knew better.
It was time for a revolution. Or at the very least, it was time to see Stannis burn. He hoped he'd find likeminded individuals at this latest meeting, but knowing his history with this particular group, it was going to take a lot of convincing.
He had a good rapport with labor unions and a nearly spotless voting record on the issues they championed. He always spoke in favor of collective bargaining, fair wages, and worker's rights, but it seemed most of that was overlooked in favor of focusing on his surname. Baratheons were bourgeois career politicians who had no idea what an honest day's work felt like, so how could he possibly have their best interests in mind? He was lumped in with Stannis and Robert, and no one saw him for what he really was...a true progressive that really did care about the plight of the working class.
Knowing the fight that was ahead of him, he let go of his pride and walked into the headquarters of the People's Initiative Party. It was not what he was used to from a major party headquarters, but it was exactly what he'd expected from the group. The older re-purposed office building was cluttered with old campaign posters, mismatched furniture, and the general youthfulness of all the staffers gave the place a vibrant homey feel. It seemed the exact opposite of Labour's headquarters, which was everything Renly was hoping for. He didn't want more of the same. The status quo dressed up with a different name wasn't going to save the country from certain ruin.
"Hello, I'm Renly Tyrell...I'd hoped to speak with Mr. Rayder. I'd called yesterday about setting up a meeting?" he asked the group gathered around what appeared to be the receptionist's desk.