United Republic (Fascist Britain)

The United Republic was a nation that existed briefly between 1993 and 1996, when it was declared a failed state due to ongoing civil war.

History
The United Kingdom had been occupied in some form since the end of the Second World War. However at the Osborne Conference, it was agreed that a British nation should be allowed to form by 1993 (fifty years afterwards).

In 1993 a referendum was held to decide the future of the country. Both the south and north voted to join together.

The problems started when the capital of England was moved to London. North Englanders protested that this was effectively favouring the south. They argued that years of being apart meant that the two countries had developed differences and these needed to be taken into account. These claims were dismissed.

Another point was re-instating the monarchy. Many people thought this was a sign of British tradition and a symbol of hope. This brought opposition, largely from the south and from France, who claimed it was a violation of the peace terms.

On April 15th and 20th, Scotland and Wales respectively both voted to rejoin with England. However, especially in Scotland, tensions were high. The north of the country favoured independence almost 80%, however the population of the south had outweighed this. Wales also experienced a similar result in the west.

By the time of the first free elections in the new United Republic, it had become also evident that it would not be a simple Conservative and Labour election. Although banned, fascism was popular amongst some very vocal people. Communism was similar in this respect.

After a short campaign from all candidates, the votes were counted and revealed on October 1st. 30% of the vote went to the Conservative party, 23% to Labour, 27% to the Workers Party (claiming to be socialist and not communist), 7% to the Monarchist Party, and 13% to other minor parties. It is estimated that had fascist and communist parties been allowed, they would have gained 5% and 32% respectively (taking votes off other parties). It is also thought about 20% of people were unable to or were blocked from voting.

A coalition was eventually formed between the Workers Party and Labour, who were marginally opposed to each other.

Worryingly to most politicians, the votes showed a clear geographical divide. Most socialist votes came from the south-east and Wales, whereas most conservative votes came from the south-west and north of England. Upon announcement of the coalition, riots sprang up in these areas. Lightning bolts were painted on government buildings. The riots were crushed but fears of more uprisings remained.

By 1995 the government had failed to improve the economy. Pro-independence movements were growing in strength quickly. Parliament had failed to pass any significant acts.

In March an MP campaigning for independence for the south was shot dead in suspicious circumstances. Terrorists from the north were blamed, and a rift was shown in parliament. In April, a referendum was approved for the north to leave the union. It was finished July and was successful.

Scotland too voted to leave the union, and by winter riots were springing up between rival factions. The police refused to fire on protesters in York and Liverpool. On December 15th, the seat of government in York was burnt down triggering virtual warfare between factions in the city. These events were mirrored in the rest of the country.

In 1998 France and Germany, with help from the US, Ireland and the Netherlands, agreed to intervene in Britain.

By 2002 the war was over, but it was decided that Britain was in not a good enough state to abandon so the country was occupied again. It has not been left to date.

Politics
The politics of the country was based largely on the United Kingdom. There was a House of Commons, and of Lords (although the Lordship system was no longer used, and a congress - style system was used). The country was fully democratic, using proportional representation.

Banned Parties
Both far right and left parties were banned and this caused significant agitation. Many people supported communism, especially in industrial areas. The Worker's Party claimed not to be communist and was allowed to run for parliament.

Monarchist Movement
There was also a strong monarchist movement from people who claimed that the British monarchy needed to be reinstated.