Keep Britain Great

Passing the Crown

2001: The latest Imperial Government Act grants limited representation in the Westminster Parliament to the colonies and removes the hereditary peers from the House of Lords have bringing equal representation here.

2004: The residency period for local rights is reduced to two years.

2007: The Commonwealth Citizenship Act automatically grants local citizenship after a five year residency period. It however removes the right to have multiple local citizenships. Despite the use of the word Commonwealth in the Act's title, the term Imperial citizen is retained.

2009: The Commonwealth Titles Act grants the title Empress of the Commonwealth to the Queen and removes her title of Empress of India. Despite this change common usage remains Queen Elizabeth.

2011: Prince William, next in line to the throne after his father Charles, marries Mrigananka Singh, granddaughter of the 2nd Duke of Kashmir and Jammu.

2012: The Royal and Noble Succession Act replaces male preference primogeniture with absolute primogeniture for all royal and noble titles.

2013: Prince William and Princess Mrigananka's first child Prince George Hari is born, putting an Anglo-Indian in direct line to the throne.

The former British Empire has evolved into a multicultural democratic global federation now commonly known as the Commonwealth. While the Commonwealth's heritage is obvious and it retains many features of the empire, it is clearly a successor state. The old white core still wields much power and influence but the real centre of the state are the former colonies in Africa and Asia. Despite it's federal nature however, constitutional convention holds the central government sovereign. Authority flows from London to the states, thus it may act to overrule local governments.

The Commonwealth is one of the three great powers along with the US and Russia. Racism is still present but now a much lesser issue and most citizens agree that efforts should continue to eliminate this. However colonial integration, remains a source of controversy. It is rejected by some within the remaining colonies and even newer Commonwealth States, calling for full independence instead. These feelings are particularly strong in the Middle East, a region critical to Commonwealth security.

There are a few who call for modernisation and a republic. The formal rejection of the old Imperial heritage. However there is little general support for this and it is mostly confined to the fringes. Popular opinion holds that these traditional forms provide an important stabilising influence. Despite scandals in the 1990s the Royal Family are well regarded and Queen Elizabeth is much respected. Life Peers of the Realm are appointed throughout the Commonwealth, and while they have rather fallen out of fashion since the 1960s new hereditary titles are still created occasionally. While many of the formalities of the Commonwealth are anachronistic, they are valued as a link to the past and seen as adding prestige.

Many Commonwealth citizens seem told hold the somewhat smug and perhaps arrogant attitude that republican forms common elsewhere are slightly "tacky." The attitude seems to be if you're going to have a powerless head of state you may as well call her Queen, and well, adding Royal or Imperial to an organisation's title just sounds better.

Internationally however, despite global peace since the end of the Second Great War, the world is becoming restless again in the face of the rising power of China and a remilitarising Japan in the east along with the Italian led European Union in the west. The original five nuclear armed states of the Commonwealth, US, Russia, Italy and China have been joined by Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Indonesia and Japan.
 
With the British Empire, you actually need a different way to choose your non-proportional House. What comes to mind is regional parliaments.

I think you need Regional Capitals

Hamilton, Bermuda for Canada, Newfoundland, and Caribbean (suggest incorporating Caribbean into Canada)

Glasgow (or Dublin if Irish issues are stable) for the British Isles.

Auckland for Australia, NZ, and Micronesia.

Calcutta for the Indian States (plural)

Karachi for Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan

Baghdad or Cairo for the Middle East

Singapore for Malaysia, Singapore, Burma

Not sure of the best choice for S. Africa, Rhodesia, and Kenya.

That way you get representation of interests based on geography to balance an Indian Empire.

However it is much easier if you let India go and incorporate everything else.
 
Winchester is a hilly mess (which I write living down the road from it). But an interesting alternative that no one explores is the Canberra option- I.E. build a city in the middle of England designed to house the Government.

I do agree strongly though with the latter half of this post, of course.
Milton Keynes as capital? That's certainly radical.
 
IThe Genesis of Federation

1901: After the Boer War the British government recognises the critical future importance of the Empire's contribution in maintaining British power. Thus they begin to cash in their investments in the US and investing them on developing the Dominions and India's industrial base along with modernising British industry.

1911: The Irish Home Rule Act is passed into law granting Ireland near total domestic autonomy. An Irish civil war is avoided by a supposed temporary partition and home rule goes relatively smoothly despite the threat of serious unrest from both nationalists and loyalists.

1912: After the success of Irish home rule agitation for Scottish home rule becomes equally as intense. The Liberals lose a vote of no confidence after attempts to introduce a Scottish home rule bill. However they remain in power after the election with support of Irish and Scottish nationalists. With a mandate from the electorate, Scotland gains nearly identical devolved powers to Ireland in 1913. Calls for further provincial devolution becomes the foremost issue in British politics.

1913: The lease on Weihaiwei is surrendered in return of a permanent cessation of the New Territories of Hong Kong. This is the beginning of a long history of cooperation between the British and Chinese Republic.

1914: The Great War erupts, the BEF is dispatched to France and the conflict moves to static trench warfare. The devolution debate is shelved for the duration.

1915: Rather than trying to run both a full scale continental land and naval war, Britain scales back it's contribution to France and concentrates on Gallipoli and the Balkans. A well managed and resourced campaign opens the straits and keeps Bulgaria out of the war.

1916: Hardline Irish Republicans launch an uprising to separate Ireland from the UK. The rising is quickly crushed and the public backlash in Ireland ends support for radical nationalism for nearly fifty years. Due to significant Entente support the Brusilov offensive is a massive success, inflicting crippling casualties on both Germany and Austria-Hungary. The Romanians enter the war. Despite a poor performance and the loss of much territory, the vital oilfields stay out of Central Powers hands.

1917: In Russia, the enormous casualties suffered in 1916 results on the fall of the Tsar. But the new government stays in the war as Bolshevik agitation is temporarily contained with Entente support. The US remains neutral as lack of fuel halts submarine warfare. Nonetheless, the abrupt end of Entente war orders as they run out of cash causes a depression in the US. The French teeter on despite huge casualties, but war weariness leads to the Paris mob rioting and a coup the replaces the 3rd Republic with a military government led by Pétain. The war comes to a close with a negotiated Central Powers defeat at the end of the year.

1918: Egypt, formally declared a Protectorate in 1914 becomes a Crown Colony. It is followed by a number of others from former German and Ottoman possessions.

1919: In response to the to US and Japanese wartime building the UK launches a new naval program focused on fast battleships and naval aviation. Five battle cruisers of dubious value (Furious, Courageous, Glorious, Renown and Repulse starting conversation in 1925) are converted to fast fleet carriers along with several purpose built ships over the next twelve years. US Congress baulks at the cost of a naval arms race and all but halts construction until the 1930s. Meanwhile the weakness of the Japanese economy means are unable to complete their planned expansion. Thus British naval supremacy is restored. HMAS Australia and HMS New Zealand are also saved from the scrap yard to become light carriers for service in the Pacific.

~1920: An extensive and effective policy of Indianisation is introduced in the wake of the war. The prewar policy of industrialising the Empire is continued and expanded. In the UK the devolution debate resurfaces.

1921: The liberal lead minority government falls over the issue of devolution. The new Tory government rejects any further devolution.

1924: The Tory government attempts to begin a roll back of devolution by removing the Irish government's power over the post office (placing Irish home rule on the same level as Scottish). The government falls and a Labour lead coalition government comes to power.

1925: The Devolution of Government Bill is introduced. Government in the UK is to be divided into seven national assemblies. Ireland, Ulster (the supposed temporary partition after becoming permanent), Scotland, Wales, Northumbria (from the Mersey to the Scottish border), Cornwall and England. The Westminster Parliament will retain control of the County of London, matters affecting the UK as a whole, defence, Imperial and foreign affairs. Irish nationalists vocally oppose the Bill due to the partition of Ireland and MacDonald make the issue a confidence vote. The Bill is defeated and MacDonald goes to the polls.

1926: The result of the 1925 election is the first majority Labour government with a clear mandate for the implementation of devolution. A new Devolution Bill, virtually identical to the previous one with the exception that the post office is also placed under central government, is introduced and passed into law. Dublin and Edinburgh remain the capitals of Ireland and Scotland. The capitals of the other nations are, Belfast, York, Cardiff, Truro and Birmingham.
 
A British Commonwealth

1927: The MacDonald declaration acknowledges the Dominions of Canada, Newfoundland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand as equal partners to the UK creating the British Commonwealth
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1931: The Statute of Westminster grants the Dominions representation in the Westminster Parliament transforming it into a Commonwealth Parliament. However, representation in Westminster is determined both by population and contribution to the Empire. This two tier system maintains British dominance of the Empire. The Dominions militaries are incorporated into the a unified Royal Navy and Commonwealth Army.

1932: India is granted a limited form of home rule as a federation, but is not given Dominion status.

~1933: The inconclusive Great War has done little to resolve tensions in Europe and the continent begins to move towards another in the wake of the Great Depression.

1935: The Commonwealth begins a large scale rearmament program in response to tension in Europe. The RFC is separated from the army to become the RAF. The RNAS remains under naval control but the Admiralty and War Office are unified into a single Ministry of Defence. Numerous 'shadow factories' for production of vital war materials in areas less vulnerable to attack are established throughout the Commonwealth.

1938: With a new European war seeming imminent and the need to secure Indian support, India is granted home rule equal to the Dominions as well as seats in Westminster as a Commonwealth State. However, to retain white domination of Commonwealth politics it is given representation in well below that of the Dominions.

1939: The Imperial Citizenship Act creates a two level citizenship. Citizens have both an imperial and local citizenship. This allows member governments to impose restrictions on internal migration and naturalisation.

1940: As expected a Second Great War erupts in Europe. The war pits the Paris-Berlin Axis of Nazi Germany, Pétain's French State, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania against the Allies of the Commonwealth, socialist Italy, Poland (which gained independence along with Finland and the Baltic states during the Russian Civil War) Serbia and the democratic rump Austro-Hungarian Empire. Over the next two years, the Axis overruns most of Europe and attacks Allied possessions in North Africa and the Middle East. The policy of widening the Commonwealth's industrial base beyond the UK now proves it's value as, unlike the First Great War, the Commonwealth is able to sustain it's war effort without reliance on US production and even give limited support to their allies without charge.

1941: The Axis invades Soviet Russia in an attempt to realise Nazi ambitions in the east. In the Far East the Japanese join the Axis and launch a campaign to replace the European colonial powers in Asia, bringing the US into the war on the side of the Allies. The US does not adopt the Commonwealth's policy of freely supplying their allies but charges for war materials.

1943: The Commonwealth agrees to join the US nuclear weapons program, pooling their knowledge and avoiding duplication of effort, in return for a guarantee of information sharing after the war.

1945: The war ends in Europe during spring but drags on in Asia as the Commonwealth drive the Japanese out of western China and Formosa, the Russians invade Manchuria and the US assaults Japan itself. This last phase is bloody, seeing the use of nuclear weapons in both tactical and strategic roles. The war is finally brought to a close in December with the total collapse of Japan.
 
The White Empire

~1945: After six years of war, the issues of racism and the gross under-representation of India the Westminster Parliament now come to the fore. A series Imperial Government Acts over the next forty years slowly increase Indian representation and gradually introduce a "nativisation" program similar to that of India for other Colonies. The policy of industrialisation and economic development throughout the Commonwealth is continued.

1946: The US refuses to share information gained during the development of nuclear weapons with the Commonwealth. This marks the start of the deterioration in Commonwealth-US relations. The Commonwealth begins it's own independent nuclear weapons program.

1947: The South East Asian Wars that will drag on for thirty years and result in the end of the western alliance that dominated the Second Great War start. The First Indochina War opens as the US backed new French 4th Republic attempts to regain control over it's Asian colonies despite Commonwealth objections.

1948: Under US pressure the Commonwealth withdraws from the territories it occupied in western China during the Second Great War. This withdrawal allows the Chinese communist forces to triumph in the Chinese Civil War and forces the Chinese nationalist government to withdraw to Commonwealth occupied Taiwan and Hainan Island.

1949: In an attempt to counter increased Indian representation in the Westminster Parliament, the second Imperial Government Act eliminates the differences in representation between the five Dominions and the seven Home Nations. White dominance is maintained by the lower value placed on the Indian contribution.

1950: Previous US political support of anti-Commonwealth guerillas in Malaya, Borneo and Burma moves to covert material support. The US policy of attempting to undermine the Commonwealth is now becoming clear.

1951: The Commonwealth detonate their first nuclear device joining the US and Russia as a nuclear power.

1952: The Nazi genocide of the Jews has led to wide support within the Commonwealth for Zionism. Despite opposition, sometimes violent, from the Arab population many European Jews have been allowed to migrate to Palestine. A sixth dominion is created in Palestine to deal with these calls for a Jewish homeland.

1954: Imperial citizens are guaranteed certain minimum rights regardless of where they reside. This places limits on local governments to discriminate against migrants. These rights will gradually be expanded.

1955: The Commonwealth detonate their first thermonuclear device, becoming the third thermonuclear power.

1961: In one of the last examples of Commonwealth-US cooperation, the two powers exchange manufacturing licences for the Blackburn Buccaneer and McDonald Phantom.

1962: The Imperial Government Act of this year creates a second Commonwealth State from the Colonies in the Caribbean. It also drops the term British from the Commonwealth's formal title, renaming it the Imperial Commonwealth.

1964: The Commonwealth becomes the third power to achieve manned spaceflight.

1965: A new generation of radical Irish nationalists reform the IRA and launch a terrorist campaign in both Ireland and Ulster aimed at an independent Ireland. Troops are deployed to assist the civil authorities in what will become known as the Troubles.

1967: Imperial citizens are granted the right to reside and work anywhere within the Commonwealth. Local governments may still impose other restrictions. The situation regarding holding multiple local citizenships is clarified in favour of multiple local citizenship.

~1970: The issues of racism and nativisation, now named colonial integration, dominate Commonwealth politics. Despite progress, there is still much discrimination against non-whites. Also indigenisation has become highly controversial, attracting much criticism not only for it's slow pace (unfavourable comparisons with the de-colonialisation of other European empires are frequent) but also widespread claims that it is in fact a policy of anglisation. These criticisms are usually countered by highlighting the often violent nature of de-colonialisation and pointing to corruption in former European colonies.

1971: The US backs a UN resolution transferring China's permanent seat on the Security Council from the Commonwealth backed Nationalist government in Taiwan to the Communist government on the China. The Commonwealth continues to refuse to recognise the Communist government.

1972: The Copenhagen Peace Conference between the three great powers of the Commonwealth, Russia and US regarding the situation in South East Asia ends with a ceasefire. US involvement has become deeply unpopular domestically and this brings the end of large scale US involvement in South East Asia. This marks final breakdown of the western alliance.

1974: The next Imperial Government Act grants the Colonies significant local autonomy. The Commonwealth launches Olympus, its first space station.

1975: The Second Indochina War ends with communist regimes in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. The Commonwealth recognises Communist regime as the legitimate government of China though the wording deliberately leaves the status of Taiwan vague.

1976: The English Electric Hermes spaceplane becomes the first operational resusable spacecraft.

1977: Commonwealth forces finally subdue Chinese backed guerillas in Burma, bringing the Burmese War and the South East Asian Wars to an end.

1978: Olympus, becomes the first permanently manned spacestation.

1979: General Sir Zaid Ibn Shaker is the first non-European appointed to the position of Chief of Staff in the Commonwealth defence forces.

1981: A series of scandals involving corruption and nepotism within the administration of a number the now autonomous Colonies leads to the Commonwealth Government reserving the right to suspend a Colony's autonomy in the event of mismanagement.
 
Imperial Superpower

1982: After years of Commonwealth pressure to democratise, the Nationalist government in Taiwan hold free elections. Fearful of a pro-independence government, the Communist Chinese engage in missile tests and amphibious exercises aimed at Taiwan. The Commonwealth responds with an unprecedented show of military force. This marks the emergence of the Commonwealth as a truly independent superpower as the economic and industrial output of the Commonwealth now exceeds that of the US.

1984: Imperial citizens are now entitled to all the rights and obligations of a local citizen except local voting rights after a ten year residency. All local governments are also now required to have a clear pathway to the acquisition of local citizenship.

1985: While the US and Russia have both significantly scaled back their space programs, the Commonwealth introduces the English Electric Aphrodite spaceplane into service, capable of lifting 26 tons into low earth orbit.

1986: Hong Kong becomes a Commonwealth State.

1987: Using the spacestation Olympus as a base, the Commonwealth begins the assembly of the first Unahiroa class spaceship. The intention is to begin regular manned lunar missions using a fleet of these ships.

1988: Major reform of the House of Commons finally places representation of the Commonwealth States on the same basis as the Home Nations and Dominions. Each member state is guaranteed a minimum level of representation but the overwhelming population of the Commonwealth States has resulted in clear dominance of Westminster. Though the differing terms of Home Nation of the United Kingdom, Dominion and Commonwealth State are retained, there is no effective difference between them in the lower house. House of Lords however remains dominated by the white states due to the inclusion of hereditary peers and this continues to be a point of tension.

1989: Despite Communist warnings that they will respond with force, the government in Taiwan introduces a bill calling for a referendum on independence. The Fourth Taiwan Straits Crisis develops as the communists impose a blockade on Taiwan. The crisis worsens as pro-democracy protests become widespread throughout China. In April a Commonwealth merchant ship is sunk by Chinese forces. The Commonwealth respond by dispatching naval forces to monitor the situation. In May a Chinese submarine attempts to penetrate the task force's screen. The Commonwealth authorises force for self-defence. Next day the Chinese attempt to shoot down a Commonwealth carrier plane. In the naval battle that follows, a number of Chinese vessels are sunk and aircraft destroyed. The Chinese are forced into a humiliating back down, lifting the blockade. The crisis results in an independent Taiwan and a total Chinese land blockade of Hong Kong along with a harsh crack down on political dissent in China.

1991: The Anglican church is disestablished as the state religion of the Commonwealth.

1992: The residency period for local rights is reduce to five years.

1993: The Huìxing, third Unahiroa class spaceship is declared fully operational. Three months later the Almudhannab makes the first manned lunar landing since 1972.

1995: The HAL Mitra spaceplane with a Rolls-Royce Swallow hybrid ramjet/rocket engine is introduced. This dramatically reduces the cost of achieving orbit and greatly accelerates the Commonwealth space program.

1997: The Democratic Socialist party, led by Margaret Nasha, wins a majority in the Westminster Parliament. She becomes the first non-European prime minister of the Commonwealth.

1998: After a terrorist campaign lasting over thirty years, the IRA sign the Rome Accords and agree to disarm bringing an end to the Troubles.
 
Passing the Crown

2001: The Commonwealth Constitution Act divides the members of the Commonwealth into five categories: Full Members, consisting of the Home Nations, Dominions and Commonwealth States; Associates with local autonomy and limited representation in Westminster; Dependencies with local autonomy but without representation in Westminster; the County of London, with representation in but also fully administered by Westminster; and finally Territories, fully under the administration of Westminster. It also removes the hereditary peers from the House of Lords bringing equal representation here.

2004: The residency period for local rights is reduced to two years.

2005: The Kometa and Unomgca have joined the Unahiroa, Almudhannab and Huìxing bringing the fleet to five. The Commonwealth opens Copernicus base establishing a permanent presence on the Moon. Olympus station now has a normal population of over 400 men and women. Construction of a new class of spaceship intended for interplanetary missions begins.

2007: The Commonwealth Citizenship Act automatically grants local citizenship upon application after a five year residency period. It however removes the right to have multiple local citizenships. Despite the use of the word Commonwealth in the Act's title, the term Imperial citizen is retained.

2009: The Commonwealth Titles Act grants the title Empress of the Commonwealth to the Queen and removes her title of Empress of India. Despite this change common usage remains Queen Elizabeth.

2011: Prince William, next in line to the throne after his father Charles, marries Mrigananka Singh, granddaughter of the 2nd Duke of Kashmir and Jammu.

2012: The Royal and Noble Succession Act replaces male preference primogeniture with absolute primogeniture for all royal and noble titles. The Commonwealth begins construction of Lothal base at the lunar south pole. Lothal is intended to ultimately be a self-supporting colony with a population of thousands.

2013: Prince William and Princess Mrigananka's first child Prince George Hari is born, putting an Anglo-Indian in direct line to the throne.

2018: The Lord Ernest Rutherford, Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman and Dame Sameera Moussa are launched together on a Crocco Grand Tour to Mars and Venus. This is the first manned interplanetary mission.

The former British Empire has evolved into a multicultural democratic global devolved state now commonly known as the Commonwealth. While the Commonwealth's heritage is obvious and it retains many features of the Empire, it is clearly a successor state. The old white core still wields much power and influence but the real centre of the state are the former Colonies in Africa and Asia. Despite it's federal nature however, constitutional convention holds the central government sovereign. Authority flows from Westminster to the states. Thus it may act to overrule or even change the status of local governments. A power it has proven willing to use even against full members of the Commonwealth, such as ending apartheid in South Africa or breaking up the West African Federation into its constituent units. It is unusual amongst federal states in that some of constituent entities, such as Canada, Australia, Malaysia are themselves federations; creating a three tier system in some cases. At one point, with the West African Federation, this was a four tier system as Nigeria itself is a federal state.

The Commonwealth is one of the three great powers along with the US and Russia. Racism is still present but now a much lesser issue and most citizens agree that efforts should continue to eliminate this. However colonial integration, remains a source of controversy. It is rejected by some within the remaining Colonies and even newer Commonwealth States, calling for full independence instead. These feelings are particularly strong in the Middle East, a region critical to Commonwealth security. Indeed the largest remaining Dependency is the former Colony of Egypt, where strong, though minority, sentiment for full independence has thwarted all attempts to move them to a Full Member or even Associate status.

There are a few who call for modernisation and a republic. The formal rejection of the old Imperial heritage. However there is little general support for this and it is mostly confined to the fringes. Popular opinion holds that these traditional forms provide an important stabilising influence. Despite scandals in the 1990s the Royal Family are well regarded and Queen Elizabeth is much respected. Life Peers of the Realm are appointed throughout the Commonwealth, and while they have rather fallen out of fashion since the 1960s new hereditary titles are still created occasionally. While many of the formalities of the Commonwealth are anachronistic, they are valued as a link to the past and seen as adding prestige.

Many Commonwealth citizens seem told hold the somewhat smug and perhaps arrogant attitude that republican forms common elsewhere are slightly "tacky." The attitude seems to be if you're going to have a powerless head of state you may as well call her Queen, and well, adding Royal or Imperial to an organisation's title just sounds better.

Internationally however, despite global peace since the end of the Second Great War, the world is becoming restless again as it divides into two competing ideologies. On one side are the conservative nationalist states such as the US, which has been slowly slipping away from its democratic traditions since the social upheavals of 1960s, post Soviet Russia and the Franco-German North European Confederation. On the other are the liberal socialist nations characterised by the Commonwealth, the Italian led South European Union and Japan. The original five nuclear armed states of the Commonwealth, US, Russia, Italy and China have been joined by Argentina, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan and Mexico. Space remains officially demilitarized and as yet only the Commonwealth has a permanent presence beyond low earth orbit. However virtually all believe the three superpowers have some form of military presence in orbit, if not beyond and that the minor space capable states (China, France, Italy and Japan) will soon follow. Many in the world are apprehensive once more at the prospect of a thermonuclear Third Great War.
 
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