Hail, Britannia
- Thread starter LeinadB93
- Start date
So I've had this sat on my computer for months, but I finally broke the writers block to get the background written up. I'm afraid updates are likely to slow from this point onwards as I go back to work today as a high school teacher. I will aim to post a set of wikiboxes or a map or some other infodump at least once a fortnight (hopefully once a week) but please bear with me
Oh God that Scottish Parliament building is real.
So begins the one-man quest to change the way Canadian schools teach the R.B. Bennett years.
And I hope you're starting to see a pattern here:
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First Ministers of the Free State of Scotland (1949–)
11. 1949–1958 Sir John Hope (Unionist majority)
12. 1958–1962 Sir Arthur Woodburn (Independent Labour majority)
13. 1962–1966 Gordon Campbell (Unionist majority) (1st)
14. 1966–1968 William Wolfe (National minority) (1st)
15. 1968–1971 Gordon Campbell (Unionist majority) (2nd)
16. 1971–1971 William Wolfe (National minority) (2nd)
15. 1971–1975 William Ross (Independent Labour majority)
16. 1975–1978 William Wolfe (National majority) (3rd)
16. 1978–1986 David Steel (Reform–Unionist majority coalition)
17. 1986–1994 John Smith† (Independent Labour majority)
18. 1994–2000 Donald Dewar† (Independent Labour majority)
19. 2000–2003 Jack McConnell (Independent Labour majority)
10. 2003–2007 Alex Salmond (National minority)
11. 2007–2013 Gordon Brown (Independent Labour minority)
12. 2013–2017 John Swinney (National minority)
13. 2017–2017 Jim Murphy (Independent Labour minority)
I assume "independence" in this case means leaving the UKE entirely, and that the National Party bangs on about as much as the SNP, despite having lost three referendums on the subject.
LeinadB93
Monthly Donor
Oh God that Scottish Parliament building is real.
Why thank you
Yes it is... Unfortunately.
So begins the one-man quest to change the way Canadian schools teach the R.B. Bennett years.
Haha
Yep, Scottish politics is very polarised unfortunately. And the fact that the Nationals have moderated their independence platform enough to still get elected to government and occassionally hold referendums should tell you something about the state of the relationship between the Scots and the rest of the Empire.
Of the three referendums, the first two were pretty narrow but both resulted in the National government collapsing. Whilst the 2006 one was similar to OTL, and the defeat in the 2017 election has largely but the idea of independence to bed for the foreseeable future.
Anyway time for a bit of news
Credit to @Wayside for the Secretary-General, and the last bit links to my job.
Prince and Princess of Appalachia expecting third child
LONDON - Kensington Palace has confirmed that the Prince and Princess of Appalachia are expecting their third child. The announcement came after the Princess was forced to cancel a public engagement yesterday at Hornsey Road Children's Centre due to suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a very acute form of morning sickness, as she did with her previous two pregnancies. The Queen-Empress is said to be delighted, as are members of both families. The child will become fifth in line to the throne regardless of gender, following the change in the succession law in 2013 to equal primogeniture.
UN Security Council Agrees Resolution on Haitian Conflict
GENEVA - The United Nations Security Council has unanimously passed a resolution condemining the breakdown of the ceasefire between government and rebel forces in South Haiti and authorising the creation of a peacekeeping and military force to intervene in the country in the face of the growing humanitarian crisis. There have been growing concerns international about the escalating violence in the country, which has been beset by conflict for over three decades, and the worsening humanitarian situation.
The UN Secretary-General, Zeid Raad Al-Hussein, has called on all sides in the conflict to end hostilities and return to the terms of the Havana Ceasefire Agreement. The peacekeeping force is expected to be deployed in the coming months, and will be mainly composed of British, Mexican and Brazilian solders, with Cuba, Texas, the EU and the Nordic Federation also pledging to contribute to the mission.
In Other News
- Monsoon floodings have continued to affect large parts of South Asia, with nearly 1,300 people dead and more than 41 million affected by the widespread flooding across much of India and Nepal. UNICEF estimates the figure to include at least 16 million children. Although monsoons hit South Asia every year, the 2017 season has been worse than average on a scale unseen in previous years, and the International Centre for Climate Change and Development has asserted that the floods have been exarcerbated by climate change.
- Festivites, picnics and street parties have been taking place across the Empire today marking Labour Day, a public bank holiday held on the first monday in September marking the unofficial end of summer in the northern hemisphere. Labour Day has been celebrated as a bank holiday since the 1880s, and most schools across the dominions of the Empire north of equator resume tomorrow, with the Labour Day Weekend being the last event in the school summer holidays.
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So begins the one-man quest to change the way Canadian schools teach the R.B. Bennett years.
You're god damn right. The revolution starts now.
We have a better one over here in good ol' Ulster. No, it wasn't a botched job that ran over budget and was half completed when it was halted in the early thirties due to budgetary concerns...
This is a great update. Its nice to see how the map is similar in many ways to OTL, the border being pretty receptive to the centre-right, while the Nationalists do well in their traditional heartlands of the central Highlands. I am curious, is the National Party here (considering it is led by Swinney) more akin to the 'Tartan Tories' persona it had in the seventies, or is it roughly comparable to OTL SNP as being marginally left-of-centre?
Tremble before our fully operational assembly building, built on time and within budget. MWAHAHAHA!
And the previous building wasn't too bad either...
Tremble before our fully operational assembly building, built on time and within budget. MWAHAHAHA!
And the previous building wasn't too bad either...
Your one wasn't coated in manure during the war like ours.
Then again looking at the Scottish one, manure may actually make it look better. I'll try and get an update up about the hurricane before it hits me
Looking forward to it, and stay safe.
LeinadB93
Monthly Donor
Just wanted to say that I haven't forgotten you all!! But the first week back has been hectic and very busy, so this is really the first free time I've had to actually collect my thoughts. I'm afraid I don't have an update for you today But Oregon is holding an election on Tuesday so I will be able to show you the result of that. And I'm hoping that by next weekend I'll have an infodump about either British Television Networks or the Same-Sex Marriage Laws in the Empire. Or maybe I'll finish the first four PM infoboxes...
Thanks My assumption with Nationals ITTL is that they have essentially emerged as the broad centrist party in Scottish politics, opposing the centre-left ILP, the radical centre Reform and the centre-right Unionist. There is definitely a "Tartan Tory" element to the party, but it is more liberal conservatism than anything else, mixed with a Third Way mentality. I hope that makes sense.
Finland (and the subsequent Nordic Federation) acquired the autonomous region of East Karelia (OTL Karelian Republic & Murmansk Oblast) in the aftermath of the Winter War, the Finnish theatre of the Second World War. As I've elaborated on elsewhere, the existence of Axis China leads to a fiercer and longer lasting Far Eastern Front, sapping Soviet strength in conquering Eastern Europe. So the Finns eventually end up on the Allies side, and post-War end up a capitalist British-aligned nation, leading to the retention of the conquered territories as a buffer against the Soviets.
Although Finnish and Karelian are the official languages, Russian is widely spoken.
Turkey is probably not going to remain a Sultanate under the Ottomans (though never say never). Their history is much as OTL, although there has been no shift to a presidential republic. Kurdistan was a French protectorate after the First World War, whilst Syria and the Levant were joint Franco-British mandates, Iraq was a French mandate and Jordan and the Hejaz were both British protectorates. @Wayside has helped me a lot with mapping out the region, and we established that with the King of Hejaz claiming the Caliph title after the war, the country emerges as a less rabidly theocratic government, relatively neutral state exerting religious influence over Muslims worldwide but not political influence. Sort of like the Pope for Catholics.
The best analogue for Hejaz would be OTL Oman, a neutral nation with a pretty tolerant government (especially where gender equality is concerned), and which has served as a negotiator and interlocutor. Some of the religious tension in the region would be avoided, leading to a potentially more peaceful view of Islam. And the existence of the secular Levantine Union controlling the holy city of Jerusalem is definitely an improvement on the OTL situation.
Stay safe!
But Oregon is holding an election on Tuesday so I will be able to show you the result of that. And I'm hoping that by next weekend I'll have an infodump about either British Television Networks or the Same-Sex Marriage Laws in the Empire. Or maybe I'll finish the first four PM infoboxes...Thanks
My assumption with Nationals ITTL is that they have essentially emerged as the broad centrist party in Scottish politics, opposing the centre-left ILP, the radical centre Reform and the centre-right Unionist. There is definitely a "Tartan Tory" element to the party, but it is more liberal conservatism than anything else, mixed with a Third Way mentality. I hope that makes sense.Just a couple of questions,
How did Finland / Scandinavia manage to get Karelia and the Kola peninsula?
And can we know more about Turkey (perhaps Ottoman?), Kurdistan, and the rest of the Middle East?
Cant wait for the next update
Finland (and the subsequent Nordic Federation) acquired the autonomous region of East Karelia (OTL Karelian Republic & Murmansk Oblast) in the aftermath of the Winter War, the Finnish theatre of the Second World War. As I've elaborated on elsewhere, the existence of Axis China leads to a fiercer and longer lasting Far Eastern Front, sapping Soviet strength in conquering Eastern Europe. So the Finns eventually end up on the Allies side, and post-War end up a capitalist British-aligned nation, leading to the retention of the conquered territories as a buffer against the Soviets.
Although Finnish and Karelian are the official languages, Russian is widely spoken.
Turkey is probably not going to remain a Sultanate under the Ottomans (though never say never). Their history is much as OTL, although there has been no shift to a presidential republic. Kurdistan was a French protectorate after the First World War, whilst Syria and the Levant were joint Franco-British mandates, Iraq was a French mandate and Jordan and the Hejaz were both British protectorates. @Wayside has helped me a lot with mapping out the region, and we established that with the King of Hejaz claiming the Caliph title after the war, the country emerges as a less rabidly theocratic government, relatively neutral state exerting religious influence over Muslims worldwide but not political influence. Sort of like the Pope for Catholics.
The best analogue for Hejaz would be OTL Oman, a neutral nation with a pretty tolerant government (especially where gender equality is concerned), and which has served as a negotiator and interlocutor. Some of the religious tension in the region would be avoided, leading to a potentially more peaceful view of Islam. And the existence of the secular Levantine Union controlling the holy city of Jerusalem is definitely an improvement on the OTL situation.
I'll try and get an update up about the hurricane before it hits me
Stay safe!
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Number 10; The Thirteen
LeinadB93
Monthly Donor
No worries, it'll come when it comes. I still owe you a response to your comments on TTLs British military and the Scotland update anyway
Yeah, unfortunately I'm still hitting a wall with the writing.
I'm afraid there won't be an Oregon update today as I haven't been able to finish the write-up. However I have got a couple of popular culture boxes that you will hopefully find interesting.
Number 10 is an award-winning British serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin which has been broadcast on BBC One since 22 September 1999. The series is primarily set in Number 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the prime minister, and the wider Downing Street Complex where the Oval Office and the senior staff of the Office of the Prime Minister are located. It is the longest-running political drama television series and the most enduring political drama shown on prime time television in the world.
Originally the series featured the fictitious Liberal governments of Josiah Bartlet (played by Martin Sheen) from 1999 to 2007, and Mateo Santos (played by Jimmy Smits) from 2007 to 2012. Following Smits decision to leave the show at the end of the fourteenth season, in 2011 the producers cast Alan Alda as leader of the Conservative opposition, and from 2012 to 2017 the series followed the fictitious Conservative government of his character, Sir Arnold Vinick. Alda's departure at the end of the eighteenth season led to the casting of Lucy Liu as Rachel Liang, the leader of the Social Democratic government formed after a shock election victory in the eighteenth season, with fan favourite Sam Seaborn (played by Rob Lowe) returning as leader of the Liberals and the new Deputy Prime Minister.
The popularity of the show has led to two successful spin-offs:
The F.D. is set in Texas, in the Federal District of Austin, during the fictitious Christian Democratic ministry of John Hoynes (played by Tim Matheson) from 2004 to 2008, and then his presidency from 2008 to 2014. The show aired from 2004 to 2014 on BBC Worldwide and TBS[1].
Society Hill takes place in Philadelphia and is primarily set in Powel House and the Society Hill area of the city, which is the residence of the Columbian First Minister and where the offices of the first minister's senior staff are located. Society Hill first aired on 17 September 2009 on BBC Columbia and features the fictitious Progressive Liberal government of Camille Marshall (played by Laura Linney).
Plans are also rumoured to be underway by BBC Australia to produce a pilot for an Australian-based spin-off, to be titled "The Lodge", to air in 2018 or 2019.
Society Hill takes place in Philadelphia and is primarily set in Powel House and the Society Hill area of the city, which is the residence of the Columbian First Minister and where the offices of the first minister's senior staff are located. Society Hill first aired on 17 September 2009 on BBC Columbia and features the fictitious Progressive Liberal government of Camille Marshall (played by Laura Linney).
Plans are also rumoured to be underway by BBC Australia to produce a pilot for an Australian-based spin-off, to be titled "The Lodge", to air in 2018 or 2019.
Fictional Prime Ministers in Number 10
1988–1992 D. Wire Newman (Columbia) (Liberal–Social Democratic majority coalition)
1992–1998 Owen Lassiter (Louisiana) (Conservative–Libertarian majority coalition)
1998–2007 Josiah Bartlet (New England) (Liberal–Progressive Conservative majority coalition, then Liberal majority)
2007–2012 Mateo Santos (Florida) (Liberal majority)
2012–2017 Sir Arnold Vinick (Oregon) (Conservative–Libertarian majority coalition)
2017–2018 Rachel Liang (Columbia) (Social Democratic–Liberal majority coalition)
1992–1998 Owen Lassiter (Louisiana) (Conservative–Libertarian majority coalition)
1998–2007 Josiah Bartlet (New England) (Liberal–Progressive Conservative majority coalition, then Liberal majority)
2007–2012 Mateo Santos (Florida) (Liberal majority)
2012–2017 Sir Arnold Vinick (Oregon) (Conservative–Libertarian majority coalition)
2017–2018 Rachel Liang (Columbia) (Social Democratic–Liberal majority coalition)
Fictional Deputy Prime Ministers in Number 10
1988–1992 Callum Pardey (Australia) (Social Democratic)
1992–1998 Matt Hunt (Ohio County) (Libertarian)
1998–2002 Glen Allen Walken (Missouri) (Progressive Conservative)
2002–2007 Robert Russell (Missouri) (Liberal)
2007–2012 Eric Baker (Columbia) (Liberal)
2012–2017 Matt Hunt (Ohio Country) (Libertarian)
2017–2018 Sam Seaborn (Virginia) (Liberal)
1992–1998 Matt Hunt (Ohio County) (Libertarian)
1998–2002 Glen Allen Walken (Missouri) (Progressive Conservative)
2002–2007 Robert Russell (Missouri) (Liberal)
2007–2012 Eric Baker (Columbia) (Liberal)
2012–2017 Matt Hunt (Ohio Country) (Libertarian)
2017–2018 Sam Seaborn (Virginia) (Liberal)
[1] – The Texan Broadcasting Service.
The Thirteen is a British dystopian alternative history television series produced by Lionsgate Television, CBS Television Studios and Scott Free Productions, that first aired on both CBS and HBO in September 2014.
The series takes place in an alternate version of modern day Britain-in-America, where a failed uprising in the late 18th century (the First American Revolt) by the Thirteen Colonies[2] led to Britain placing the colonies under martial law. A later uprising in the mid to late 19th century (the Second American Revolt) leads to Florida returning to the Spanish Empire and the territories of Carolina, Virginia and the Ohio Country left as lawless regions dominated by constant fighting between various warlords. The series follows characters on both sides of the British occupation whose destinies are changed as they become involved in plans for a Third American Revolt.
Main Cast
Meagan Good as Mariah Kenney, a young mixed-race woman from New York who is outwardly happy living under British control.
Robert Hoffman as Adrian Tidwell, Mariah's boyfriend, who is arrested following his brother's suicide bombing. His experience with the authorities causes him to become a new recruit to the underground Free American Army.
Pascale Bussières as Émilie Dampier, a Québécois nationalist living in secret in exile in New York.
Daniel Sharman as Lord Reginald Anderson, outwardly the inept younger son of a British peer on his "Grand Tour" trip to America, but secretly an undercover member of the Loyal Sons, the British secret police.
Jonathan Bailey as Edmund Hall, the squire and valet to Lord Anderson who accompanies him to the Colonies.
Jeff Hephner as Dylan Brewster, a Colonel in the Free American Army and leader of a group of insurgents in the Appalachia region.
Elsa Pataky as Ivonne López-Cosio, a native to Spanish Florida travelling north through "Free America" to her arranged marriage.
Rachael Ancheril as Elizabeth, an escaped "servant" from a plantaton in Georgia who finds an ally in Ivonne.
Joanna Miles as Martha Lee, Dowager Countess of Philadelphia, a Virginian by birth who now resides in New York and employs Mariah as a companion. A very mysterious individual who hides many secrets in her basement vault.
Cameron Daddo as Sir Jonathan Maynard, the Australian-born British Resident Commissioner in New York who is investigating the growing resistance in the city.
Robert Hoffman as Adrian Tidwell, Mariah's boyfriend, who is arrested following his brother's suicide bombing. His experience with the authorities causes him to become a new recruit to the underground Free American Army.
Pascale Bussières as Émilie Dampier, a Québécois nationalist living in secret in exile in New York.
Daniel Sharman as Lord Reginald Anderson, outwardly the inept younger son of a British peer on his "Grand Tour" trip to America, but secretly an undercover member of the Loyal Sons, the British secret police.
Jonathan Bailey as Edmund Hall, the squire and valet to Lord Anderson who accompanies him to the Colonies.
Jeff Hephner as Dylan Brewster, a Colonel in the Free American Army and leader of a group of insurgents in the Appalachia region.
Elsa Pataky as Ivonne López-Cosio, a native to Spanish Florida travelling north through "Free America" to her arranged marriage.
Rachael Ancheril as Elizabeth, an escaped "servant" from a plantaton in Georgia who finds an ally in Ivonne.
Joanna Miles as Martha Lee, Dowager Countess of Philadelphia, a Virginian by birth who now resides in New York and employs Mariah as a companion. A very mysterious individual who hides many secrets in her basement vault.
Cameron Daddo as Sir Jonathan Maynard, the Australian-born British Resident Commissioner in New York who is investigating the growing resistance in the city.
The Thirteen has been part of the recent mainstrem surge in interest in the alternative history genre, including TV shows such as Amazon's The Man in the High Castle and Black America, ITV's SS GB and HBO's Confederate.
[2] – Here this refers to Massachusetts, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
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Some kind of independent Virginia-Carolina-Georgia-Florida-Louisiana?
-Ah, mea culpa then as I thought there were other standing military operations ongoing (might've confused "past concurrent" deployments with "current day" ones). Good to see the Commonwealth pulling together for joint operations. Out of curiosity, are we going to see a comprehensive list of just who is in the Commonwealth in the future? I figure the Empire and Common Travel Area states, along with India, the Nordic Union, and Hanover, are members but not sure who else would be.
-Interesting, I imagine there isn't any "Vietnam"-esque quagmire that discredited conscription like with OTL's U.S. If you have a need for developing a more detailed force structure across the Branches, I'd like to lend a hand (with your final approval of course), as I'm a bit of an OOB fan. And I like the idea of mandating some form of National Service, even if not in a field or combat capacity; I feel that makes the average citizen perceive having "skin in the game" in terms of national policy.