Our Fair Country: The Commonwealth of New England
- Thread starter CosmicAsh
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Fair point, it's amusing since several people I've met over the decades assume I'm in New Englander via Delaware being tiny and maritime as well. It'll only become more common in TTL.
Oh god, I'm just trying to imagine how you'd handle election updates.
You know, if an election happens sooner rather than later.
You know, if an election happens sooner rather than later.
I'd be struggling to stop myself from transcending to a higher plane due to all the awesome it would generate.
New England elections historically last for two months and have an election night
Oh my, oh my, oh my!New England elections historically last for two months and have an election night
Easy now! Regan is still Prime Minister. There will be an election and I'll cover it in depth, but no one knows when Parliament will end! On or before mid August of 2020
MCPs are elected based on how each country divides it. Wales, for instance, does it on a country-wide basis. England allocates MCPs via a county and a specific number are elected per county. So Yorkshire had enough Empire Guardian voters for Brons to win a seat.
MCPs are elected based on how each country divides it. Wales, for instance, does it on a country-wide basis. England allocates MCPs via a county and a specific number are elected per county. So Yorkshire had enough Empire Guardian voters for Brons to win a seat.
History of the Commonwealth Parliament
The Commonwealth Parliament itself was an institution that was first born in the 1946 Imperial Conference. While the formal references to the British Empire still remained through this time, the informal "Commonwealth of Nations" had been around since the 1910s, and only referred to those countries of (supposed) equal standing. I/e the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, New England, and Canada. The 1946 Imperial Conference indicated that there should be a deliberative body to deal solely with the affairs of the Empire. To this end, the first meeting of the Imperial Parliament (as it was known) took place in 1947, and again in 1950. These were highly informal and had no real structure. It was also highly unbalanced, with the United Kingdom holding 54 seats, and the combined seating of South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, New England, and Canada was 33 in 1947, which dropped to 30 in 1950, as South Africa was ejected from the Commonwealth/Empire by this time for the imposition of radical apartheid policies.
It was South Africa that prompted the first beginnings of change. Britain was gearing up for an intervention into South Africa, specifically Natal, to stop the genocide of the native population promulgated by the Apartheid Government. At the 1953 Imperial Conference, the decision was made to formally begin the procedure of codifying the powers of the Imperial Parliament, how it was elected, and even the very nature of the British Empire, and how the various portions of it interacted with one another. While on paper fully sovereign, should there be any notifications to London about a new trade agreement signed between Canada and New Zealand? If there was a military aspect of it, could they use the Suez?
The political framework of Empire was forged by Prime Minister Clement Attlee (1943-1959). Eager to bring political representation to the masses, and to finance the needs of his own ambitious agenda, Attlee saw a chance to bind the Empire together indefinitely, and chartered a progressive, Labour-influenced Constitution of the Commonwealth of Nations. It abandoned the "Imperial Parliament" name, offered equal representation on the basis of population, and was the most progressive civil rights document of the era. By virtue of being a signatory, all men, women, and children anywhere under the Commonwealth flag would be treated the same, granting the right to vote, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of communication (specifically marked towards telecommunications, separate from speech), right to a fair trial, and most significantly, the ability to formally bring a case against the signatory government should one of these be breached, which would be submitted to the British House of Lords, the final court of appeal for the entire Commonwealth, which it remains today (The current controversy is over the establishment of a Commonwealth Supreme Court, which would further divest the United Kingdom from it's perceived Imperial position).
While this level of government was widely applauded, there was also taxes and revenue that needed to be accounted for. It was determined that the "economic advanced economies" of the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and New England would be the primary financiers of Commonwealth operations, which they remain today. Their funding gets used in the operation of the Commonwealth, including the Commonwealth games, aid operations, economic assistance, and some money is returned to the United Kingdom for defence maintenance. Notably, few of the Commonwealth countries have naval forces, instead they have a Royal Navy station in their country which operates at the request of the Commonwealth Parliament, itself which commands at the request of the local government authority. Given the fact that this is still the British navy, they can revoke this at any time and refuse to follow through the orders, but this has never happened.
Back to the Parliament. With the Constitution chartered and ratified by the "core" countries (again, UK, Aus, NZ, NE, Can) the Commonwealth Parliament sat on a provisional basis from 1957 to 1958, where it discussed and deliberated the rules of the chamber, remarkably similar to that of the U.S. Senate, as the Commonwealth Parliament did not have a function of "Government forming" nor early elections. All elections are done on a fixed term basis, although they can be held up to 4 months earlier should the planned election date clash with that of a Commonwealth member. The Parliament's first official session, held in London, was in May of 1960 after all self-governing colonies, dominions, ect. had formally adopted the Commonwealth Constitution (Sierra Leone was the last, in 1959). The Commonwealth Parliament was quick to formally adopt the naming "Commonwealth of Nations," and resounding passed a resolution that "dissolved" the British Empire. This truly was something only done on paper, and from that day forward the Commonwealth of Nations was the new official name for the British Empire, much to the ire of many politicians on the right, who to this day continue to call it the British Empire. Historians judge the British Empire as the largest, most powerful, and most successful Empire in human history, one that is still in place. While Britain can no longer be considered dominate, she still rules the waves, and her economic impact on the world stage places the Commonwealth as the world's second most powerful nation, behind that only of the United States. Only a brief period (1960s-1980s) did the Soviet Union truly rise to claim the #2 spot.
With Hawaii being an independent kingdom ITTL, does New Englander James Dole still have a career?
What's certain is that Dole Pineapple won't exist in its OTL form.
What's certain is that Dole Pineapple won't exist in its OTL form.
I gotta say, this whole timeline is mind-bogglingly impressive but alternate election coverage with videos might take the cake for pure awesomeness.
That or complete alternate wiki pages.
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