What if: No Restoration of the British Monarchy

So, basically, what if after the English civil war their was no restoration of the monarchy? What would have been the effect of a permanent Anglo-Scottish republic, and what could cause it? Maybe Cromwell chooses a better successor, or power never consolidates in his (or any other single politicians) hands and remains with a more pluralistic body. I imagine that the fact that the "republic" still amounted to one man rule made it much easier to swallow a returning king.

What would be the effect on the American colonies?
 
An English Republic? That's intriguing. As to it remaining a united Britain, well, what's the incentive? There's nothing tying the two together if the kings whose line dates back to both titles are all dead.
 
The economy continues to collapse, Scotland eventually goes its own way, and anarchy probably breaks out in England at xromwells ineffextiveness
 
So another civil war? The Commonwealth/Protectorate was intrinsically unstable and only lasted as long as it's strongman did. The extreme taxation would eventually cause either another civil war or collapse the economy completely. The NMA was already divided into multiple factions, led by generals who wanted to take control of the state. Effectively, the Commonwealth-Protectorate could never outlast Cromwell for more than a few years, like OTL. Sooner or later the monarchy would be restored.

Though as to Scotland, yeah it was under military occupation, so the union would last as long as the army did.
 
What English Republic?

The Protectorate wasn't a republic, but a monarchy in which the monarch was called "Protector" instead of King. [1] No one ever came up with an alternative.

[1] Try translating "Government by a single person" into Greek.
 
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