United Commonwealth of Nations... without Britain

[MRegent]

Good day.
The ironic concept of a British Empire without the United Kingdom, Britain voluntarily staying apart, has long been a source of amusement for me.
I would like to know, given the proper POD, would it be possible to establish a federation between the former white dominons, possibly with some minor colonies, and have the UK or its' counterpart in this scenario voluntarily remain seperate?
This of course means that India and Africa would remain seperate, given population issues. Bonus points if the UK is an independent state as opposed to being swallowed by a United Europe as I imagine the other possibility would be.

Have a nice day.
-MRegent

 

[Kishan]

With all the former colonies of Britain in Asia and Africa keeping away from it, the only possible members of such a union are Canada,Australia and NewZealand. Whether these three countries can unite into one nation,despite their similar histories,is unlikely considering their geographic positions.With the largest ocean on Earth in between such a union is not easy to maintain.Of course an alliance of the three countries is possible.

 

[dropbearabroad]

A union between Australia and New Zealand at the time of Australian Federation is a popular what if, and the two countries are steadily reducing internal barriers. If that happened it's not too difficult to see Britain's Pacific island colonies such as Fiji, Tonga, PNG etc being incorporated if the Aus-NZ entity wanted to incorporate them.

But Canada is too far away and too different in history and culture. The only prospective union partner for Canada is the obvious one.

 

[Nietzsche]

A union between Australia and New Zealand at the time of Australian Federation is a popular what if, and the two countries are steadily reducing internal barriers. If that happened it's not too difficult to see Britain's Pacific island colonies such as Fiji, Tonga, PNG etc being incorporated if the Aus-NZ entity wanted to incorporate them.

But Canada is too far away and too different in history and culture. The only prospective union partner for Canada is the obvious one.

Ehhh, not quite. A Canada-UK union would be pretty easy to achieve & maintain. Too much in Canada has to flat out change to have any genuine union with their bigger, southern neighbor.

 

[dropbearabroad]

"Ehhh, not quite. A Canada-UK union would be pretty easy to achieve & maintain."

But that's outside the concept of the OP where Britain stays out of any Union. I don't think Britain is going to relinquish direct Imperial control of Canada to set up a Union between two equal governments, why would they do that? It's not in Britain's interests.

 

[Luath]

One way might be that GB dissolves the empire but encourages closer cooperation between its former domains, to ensure that decolonization proceeds smoothly

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

South africa got kicked out of the commonwealth over apartheid. If the uk went crazy nativist, white power theyCOULD have been kicked out. But that verges on asb.

 

[Magniac]

An international British Empire nation-state-thingy without Britain?

Only as a result of an alternate WWII (something like 'PM Halifax lives up to his detractors worst fears'), or a WWIII fought during the era when non-communist Europe is the one Western entity that gets it in the neck 100%.

 

[simonbp]

General Strike leads to (non-democratic) Communist takeover of Britain. Royal family and loyalist politicians flee to Canada. Some parts of the Empire declare independence (e.g. India), while the Dominions and the remainder of the colonies form an Imperial Federation. The British government-in-exile is a member of the Federation, but communist Britain itself is de facto not a member.