AH Challenge: Breakup of the UK

Xen

Banned
I've been pondering this. How can we get the United Kingdom to break apart peacefully where Scotland, and England are entirely independent of one another. Bonus points if Wales and Northern Ireland gain independence as well. Northern Ireland can be united with Ireland if you so wish.

England must remain a constitutional monarchy with the current Royal Dynasty at the helm, while Scotland can be either a constitutional monarchy or a republic, but must be a liberal democracy. The POD can be no earlier than World War I and no later than the Falklands War.
 
In the aftermath of World War Two when all the major British colonies were either granted independence (India, Pakistan) or already self-governing Dominions (Australia, Canada etc) it would be quite feasible for this to be taken a step further.

Here is my small little timeline to show the lead up to the break up of the UK. The POD is that there is no Marshall Plan assistance for the UK.

1946 - With the break down of the British economy following the exhaustion suffered in World War Two, Scottish, Welsh and Irish nationalism is on the rise, with some political parties formed.
1947 - The Labour government of Atlee falls after its failure to pass the annual budget through the houses of Parliament.
1948 - Coalition government of Conservatives, Tories and the Nationalists is formed. A motion to repeal the Act of Union (1701) falls short by a handful of votes. However plans are formed for greater Scottish autonomy.
1949 - 52 Nationalist sentiment in all countries of the United Kingdom continues to build. King George VI.
1952 - Queen Elizabeth II is coronated and uses the occasion to call for greater co-operation from 'all nations of the Commonwealth' This is interperated as covert support of Scottish, Welsh and Irish aspirations.
1953 - The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish National Parliaments Act is passed by the Coalition government. This gives control over internal affairs to these political bodies.
1955 - All the new national parliaments pass the Act of Westminster (1932) which fully seperates these parliaments from British polical control at Westminster effectivley making them Dominions.
1956 - Act of Union dissolution Act is passed through British houses of parliament and given Queen Elizabeth's consent. She will remain the Head of State and Monarch of the new Commonwealth Realms. (along the same lines that she is the Australian or Canadian Head of State)
The Melbourne Olympics would also be the last Olympics that a UK team would attend instead of seperate teams for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.


Of course there would be some backlash and violence from these moves, particularly in Northern Ireland. Ultimatley they would remain part of the British Commonwealth, but would be independent nations.
 
I've been pondering this. How can we get the United Kingdom to break apart peacefully where Scotland, and England are entirely independent of one another. Bonus points if Wales and Northern Ireland gain independence as well. Northern Ireland can be united with Ireland if you so wish.

England must remain a constitutional monarchy with the current Royal Dynasty at the helm, while Scotland can be either a constitutional monarchy or a republic, but must be a liberal democracy. The POD can be no earlier than World War I and no later than the Falklands War.

I think this is somewhat tricky, and it gets trickier the farther back you go. Scottish nationalism is fairly new, IIRC only gaining true momentum in the early twentieth century. The same could be said with Welsh advocacy for independence, which could be said to have begun with the establishment of Plaid Cymru in 1925. I know of no Northern Irish movement that specifically advocates Northern Ireland becoming a separate nation of its own.

Other than directly after WWII or after the Suez Crisis, I can't see any Scottish independence movement gaining any steam IOTL. Furthermore, in order to get something like this to get strong public support after WWII or the Suez Crisis, I think you'd have to make either situation much worse. My personal favorite is the Suez Crisis--perhaps have France and England lose much more face, to the point where Scotland politically secedes from the UK and eventually is recognized by the English Parliament?

When it comes to Wales, I can't see any independence movement truly making any headway. AFAIK Wales is way too heavily tied in to the English economy, so any secession movement that does not recognize that fact is doomed to either failure or a poor Welsh state. Furthermore, Welsh independence only has the support of 12% of the Welsh electorate. I think the closest you could get to having Wales be independent would be to have it a weak dominion.

Northern Ireland becoming a truly independent nation is ASB, IMHO. If it splits away from the UK, there would be absolutely no reason for it not to join Ireland. I doubt Northern Ireland could economically sustain itself in any case, or that its population would want that to happen.
 

boredatwork

Banned
to be cynical, wait a few more years - if present trends continue - you'll get there.

Of course, history being the tricksy wee beotch that she is...
 
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