Introduction.
12th October 2018.
The results pouring in filled the inhabitants of Bute House with a feeling of foreboding. It felt like another world from the elation of just over two years ago when 51% of the Scottish people had voted, albeit narrowly for independence.
As in the song from the musical, Les Miserables, the Tigers had come at night.
Negotiations had gone poorly. The plan for keeping Sterling had fallen apart. The return of the Pound Scots had somehow been sold to the people. Being forced to reapply for the European Union had been accepted in the face of the anger of the Rejoiners.
The biggest sell had been Trident though. Although the United Kingdom agreed to pay, Faslane remaining a base for British Nuclear Submarines for a decade whilst a new base was built in England had been a tough sell.
Somehow the First Minister sold it. Somehow as promise through promise was altered or broken, the First Minister sold it.
Then Independence happened.
As the party of Independence, the SNP had won through. The flush of unity as Jim Wilson was swept into Bute House as the first Prime Minister of an independent Scotland with a majority government was a joy.
The elation was not to last though.
Massive budget cuts were required to ensure Scotland met the criteria for EU membership. Unemployment had trebled. The people were not happy.
All the while, the Scottish Conservatives had not even split from the UK Party. Following the defeat of the UK Party in the February 2015 General Election, the co-ordination was increasingly obvious. Their policy was one of rejoining the United Kingdom and it had been effective. Their UK Leader, Mary Dalton had even openly espoused it, with her Island wide “Let's make Britain Great Again” tour, gaining attendances from Bristol to Blairgowrie.
Labour had stressed unity and although the official split had happened, their elected members were known as a block to be full of rejoiners. The UK Labour Party remained officially neutral due to the position as the Government. In spite of this, the UK Prime Minister, David Smith had refused to rule out the possibility of Scotland rejoining.
It was this Rejoiner alliance which had pushed the referendum on the Republic forward. In spite of the reluctance of the Prime Minister, he had been driven to support the plebiscite.
It was seen as a way to secure the newly independent state. The removal of the Monarchy was the first big test of the new Scottish Democracy.
The Government had campaigned vigorously. Democratic arguments had been pushed. Nationalism had been pushed. Social Democracy had been pushed. On a lower level, the bogeymen of the Orange Order had even been raised.
In spite of this, the polls remained stubbornly low. Inside the past week, it had become increasingly obvious that the Monarchists were going to win. The Daily Record had even published a poll proclaiming 66% in favour of the Queen, something trumpeted on the newly formed SBC.
The mood was further tarnished two days before the vote when it was discovered out that the Chair of the Republic group, a Nationalist MP had been misappropriating funds that had been donated into her own Bank account.
Corruption hat the heart of the Republic campaign was hardly the desired image.
All the while, the campaign for the Monarchy had avoided the actual subject of monarchy itself, rather concentrating on the vote four years earlier for Independence. It was hammered home by many within the campaign that should Scotland vote for a Republic, the chances of the nation ever rejoining the United Kingdom would die forever.
In the face of the unemployment and the general dissatisfaction amongst many within the population, sadly this message gained traction. Two years of austerity budgets outside the European Union and with the Government seemingly impotent in Holyrood, the Union was becoming gradually more attractive.
And so it was. People went out to vote on the 11th October, and private Government polling was pessimistic over the chances of success., estimating a 58- 42 defeat. The rain had helped turnout somewhat. This was seen as a worry as almost everyone acknowledged most who had voted Yes were disillusioned and most who voted No were motivated.
The polling had been sadly accurate.
It was to this background that the referendum on the constitutional future of Scotland was to take place. Council after council, from Shetland to Orkney, from Fife to Perth and Kinross were coming back with strong results in favour of retaining the Queen as head of state.
Such was a result of the gloom.
Robespierre famously said that the King must die so the Nation could live. It struck many that the survival of the monarchy imperiled the nation.
The Prime Minister turned to his Director of Communications, Allan McIntyre and made his position clear. “We're not going to fuck this up. Call a meeting of the Cabinet tomorrow. We need to end the possibility of the rejoiners winning. This will be the sole matter of discussion.”
The fightback to save the new state was about to begin.