Arransia since the 2006 General Election

The general election on Friday 26th May 2006 saw an extremely narrow victory for the Labour Party under Edward Douglas (b 1957), with an overall majority of only one seat, although in practice the number of independents meant that Labour would have a workable majority. Douglas was duly sworn in as Chancellor. His senior team of ministers only had one carry-over from Gordon Bell’s administration of 1998-2002, David Aitcheson (b 1952) as Finance Minister. The Foreign Ministry went to Athol Barr (b 1949), Arransia’s first “black” * cabinet minister, who had entered politics relatively late after a spell as a career diplomat. The other leading ministers were Bridget Mackenzie (b 1953) at Home Affairs, Stuart Logan (b 1960), Douglas’ right-hand man and a noted Labour right-winger, at Defence, William Galt (b 1958) at Transport and Marie Bannerman (b 1963) at Education.

To a limited extent part of Labour’s election platform had been that the Liberals under Lorna Bradshaw (b 1949) had allowed too many foreign (particularly Brunswickian) takeovers of Arransian businesses. However, Douglas quicky established a warm relationship with the recently-elected President of Brunswick, Simon D’Arcy and, although one or two measures were put forward to make foreign bidders provide more information, that aspect of Labour’s campaign seemed to rapidly disappear.

Indeed trade talks produced a very visible symbol of closer co-operation in the form of an agreement to unify the construction and use regulations for private motor vehicles used in Arransia and Brunswick, which would be of major benefit to all manufacturers, and also potentially to buyers through lower prices. In most aspects, this involved a rounding-up of Arransian legal standards to Brunswickian ones, although in practice virtually all vehicles sold in Arransia already met those standards. However, it included two highly visible elements – requiring all cars to have a speedometer calibrated in both mph and km/h (although with either as the major unit) and preventing the sale of vehicles with always-on daytime running lights, which only really affected one Skanian manufacturer. Arransian-market cars from October 2006 would also for the first time carry front number plates. While in reality it was nothing of the kind, this agreement was criticised in some quarters as a Brunswickian surrender to Arransian interests. Arransia had already undertaken to reduce tariffs on imported cars over a number of years, but it remained the case that apart from a few specialist high-end vehicles there was no trade in cars between the two countries.

The very hot summer of 2006 saw an embarrassing incident where the elderly lifting bridge connecting the mainland to Verne Island was jammed during the Arransian Open golf championship, which was held at the Royal Drumness course on Verne. This forced the hand of the government to approve the construction of a new combined road and rail swing bridge to Verne, which would include a 3-lane road, with the centre lane reversible. This project would cost over $80 million. The jamming of the bridge seemed to put many of the star foreign players off their stride, and the tournament was won by the cantankerous Arransian veteran Alex Doig (b 1961), the first Arransian to win a Major tournament for seven years.

It was the usual convention to delay any major policy and spending announcements until after the summer season. In September 2006, William Galt gave the go-ahead for a number of road schemes, including, as expected, the A25 western bypass of Danby and the upgrading of the A6 between Stainton and the Brunswickian border to 3-lane expressway standard. The latter received some funding from Brunswick as part of the “Ynysforgan-Stainton Route Development Programme” – of all Arransian roads, this is the one Brunswickian hauliers complain about most. Galt also approved the Expressway upgrade of the A5 between Owmby and Pentrich, removing the last non-Expressway section between the border and Hebburn.

Linked to the A25 scheme, Galt gave the green light for the widening of the A3 Expressway between Bowood and the A31 junction to three-lane standard. At Shorland, where the existing road negotiated a narrow concrete cutting through a residential area, the widening included an entirely new alignment about 1.5 miles long, which would result in a one-way loop around a built-up area unique in either Arransia or Brunswick. The pace of construction on the A3 "Porcupine Gap" section was stepped up, and Galt confidently expected that it would be completed in time for the 2007 summer season. Some Brunswickians commented that Arransia was now building new roads rather more enthusiastically than they were at home.

Galt did, however, refer the issue of the upgrading of the A61 between Holborough and Sorbie to a commission of enquiry. This is a seriously overloaded road that negotiates the steep and highly scenic Shoulder of Mutton Pass. It has received some S2+1 sections on the steeper hills, but even so often sees cars overtaking lorries in the right-hand lane of the three, and has a poor accident record. Given that it traverses some of Arransia's most spectacular countryside, a straightforward upgrade to Expressway standard is highly controversial. One option under consideration is a mile-long bored tunnel under the top of the pass, but this obviously would be extremely expensive.

Galt also approved the electrification of the main railway lines between Holborough, Ferndale and Howick, currently the main stronghold of steam working, and the upgrade of the main line between Danby and Ormsby for 140 mph running, thus potentially allowing a 1½-hour express timing for the 174 miles between Danby and Chelsea. Environmental campaigners often complained about the fact that there were over 30 passenger flights a day between the two cities, half of them using wide-body jets. In addition, he approved the construction of a train ferry berth at Beadnell which would allow the operation of freight train ferries between Arransia and Mayenne, thus reducing the pressure on the roads. The projected ferry would carry up to 60 100-ton bogie wagons, the equivalent of three long freight trains. A study was also commissioned on the construction of the oft-discussed “Western Railway” which would provide a western rail bypass of Danby, thus relieving the congested Western Junction route through the city, and also linking the Laithby main line to the international main line to Sabden and Brunswick.

In July, the veteran 4-6-2 locomotive, No. 4 Countess of Hanwold, of the A1 class, built in 1940, was taken to the west of Brunswick, where on a quiet section of near-level track, she broke the official world steam speed record, achieving 115.2 mph along a measured mile westbound, and 113.7 mph eastbound, an average of 114.4 mph. Although Brunswickian, Colmarine and Mayonnaise locomotives had been recorded at faster speeds, none were achieved on level track under test conditions. This perhaps somewhat Quixotic achievement was obviously widely celebrated in Arransia, and served to underline the view that the locomotive’s designer, Bruce Watson, was the finest steam engineer of all time. Indeed the new train ferry to run between Arransia and Mayenne was, rather appropriately, named SS Bruce Watson. Some commentators in Brunswick saw this as evidence of Arransia’s unhealthy dwelling on the past, and pointed out that 114 mph could easily be accomplished by the typical modern family saloon car. The Arransians obviously responded that the surviving example of Brunswick’s crack pre-war passenger locomotive design was sitting in a museum doing nothing.

During the summer of 2006, Arransia also began possibly for the first time in her history to run the “world’s fastest scheduled steam train”, with the A6 class 4-6-2s taking a Danby-Howick express over the 39 miles from Whitcastle to Scaggleby in 35 minutes, an average speed of 67 mph, twice a day, something that naturally attracted the interest of steam enthusiasts from around the world and helped stimulated something of a tourist boom in South Holburn.

Before the election, a substantial amount of progress had been made on regenerating the economy of South Holburn, and this continued as a largely bipartisan policy. New bus fleets had been provided and the railway passenger services increased and integrated with the remainder of the Arransian network. Plans had been drawn up for the reintroduction of trams to Scaggleby and Northcotes, with the first line, in Northcotes, due to open in the Autumn of 2007. The new government also announced that they would reopen the steeply graded railway line between Northcotes and Holborough, which had been disused since the war.

Relaxed planning controls led to a number of companies relocating in the area, and by Christmas 2006 the population had risen by around 4,000, mainly from the occupation of empty housing stock. Substantial amounts of new housing were under construction in and around the main towns, with low property prices stimulating demand. Two of the existing four collieries were merged, and all three remaining received significant investment from the Holburn & Teviot coal syndicate.

A test shaft was also sunk near the site of the old Gleadhill colliery to the north of Northcotes, which in the 1900s had been the deepest coal mine in the world, but which had closed in 1913 after Arransia's worst mining accident in which 187 miners lost their lives. This had been made even more shocking by the fact that, after frantic efforts, a group of 23 miners had been rescued eleven days after the initial disaster, and it was known that some others had still been alive after that but it had not been possible to reach them. After this, the “deep seam” was regarded as somewhat cursed, but it was known to contain some of Arransia's best quality coal reserves and it was felt that, given the passage of time and improvements in mining technology, the time was ripe to revisit it.

No doubt much of its output would be taken up by the Warcop Moor power station that was to be built a short and mostly downhill train journey to the south. It was well known that the Arransian Power Corporation were planning to build a major new plant and it came as no surprise that it was to be located in South Holburn. At 3400 MW it would not be quite as big as Aizleby Moss, but would still be the second largest coal-fired power station in Sabrantia and Beruna and – the Arransians insisted - the cleanest of its kind in the world.

The government also announced it would approve the construction of a second nuclear power station at Thurness, as the existing one would have to go out of service by 2020 and it was important to ensure some diversity of supply. Until now, Arransia had tended to be very sceptical about the value of wind power, but approval was given to a large wind farm on the north-east Edirn coast a few miles south of Thurness. This was an extremely bleak and windswept location where it was felt a reasonable amount of power could be obtained all year round. Cynics suggested one reason behind this was to encourage the manufacture of wind turbines in Arransia to service what was clearly a growing global market.

In early September, Princess Fiona made an official visit to Brunswick which won her many new admirers, although the Brunswickians still found it hard to come to terms with the contrast between her tall frame and striking appearance, and her small high-pitched voice. She made a memorable speech at an official banquet which she controversially began by reeling off a series of the more innocuous “Arransian jokes” told in Brunswick – and added that the best Arransian jokes were those that Arransians told against themselves. She went on to urge the two countries to confine their historic rivalry to the sports field and a little gentle joshing, suggest that her own countrymen did themselves no favours by taking a “nobody loves us, we don’t care” stance, when in reality they generally were friendly, caring people, and make the very valid point that in the modern world Arransia’s famous tendency to try to get the most out of transport and industrial hardware could be regarded as very environmentally responsible. Comments were made in the media about the lack of time Fiona and Alex Morton seemed to spend together, especially as Lost Patrol had carried out a major tour over the summer months. However, in November, it was announced that Fiona was pregnant with her second child, the birth being expected in May 2007.

A Brunswickian artist produced a cartoon that soon became famous, showing a tiny apologetic wind turbine in front of a massive coal-fired power station with cooling towers and chimneys, with the caption “Arransia Goes Green”. Although this may have been seen in Brunswick as indicative of hypocrisy, it was enthusiatically taken up in Arransia and was often put up in pubs near the famous “Three Sisters” power stations, which of course soon would become the “Four Sisters”.

Stuart Logan, the Minister of Defence, announced what amounted to the largest defence programme ever in a single day in Arransia. Obviously pride of place went to the statement that he had instructed the naval design bureau to produce a detailed design for a replacement aircraft carrier for the Queen Margaret, with a view to placing a firm order with Caird’s shipyard at Elswick the following Autumn. No name for the ship was given as yet, but he said that the outline specification was for a vessel displacing around 33,000 tons, rather less than the Queen Maggie in her final incarnation, and using an adaptation of the agile and highly effective F-17 fighters as a strike aircraft. Entry into service was scheduled for Spring 2014. He said that the Navy had assured him that the Queen Maggie, given careful maintenance, would be capable of remaining as an effective unit of the fleet until then.Well aware of all the previous procrastination and delay, he said very forcefully “and make no mistake, this is going to happen!” His Liberal counterpart obviously replied “and I will make damn sure it does”. Knowing the tendency of designs to grow in the gestation period, more than one commentator said they would be amazed if the new carrier did not end up being at least as big as the one she was replacing. One or two of the most left-wing Labour backbenchers expressed the view that the carrier project was a piece of profligate national vainglory, but Douglas and Logan made it brutally clear to them that, without it, they would be sitting on the opposite side of the chamber.

Logan announced the immediate approval of the second pair of new-generation guided missile destroyers, which would form the escort for the new carrier. These were to be named Henderson and Lawson after two of the most distinguished admirals of the Great War and the immediate aftermath. Arransia would take part in the Brunswickian programme to “remanufacture” the B-39 long-range strategic bombers, which effectively meant building new aircraft using a few fuselage parts from the old ones. This would, in the first instance, cover 14 of Arransia’s 22 existing aircraft. Logan also said that the RNAS were in advanced negotiations with the Brunswickian Curtiss aircraft company about producing a modern turboprop replacement for the elderly R-16 flying boats which provided Arransia’s maritime reconnaissance capability. This caused a number of raised eyebrows, especially as the Brunswickians had a very serviceable landplane design, the R-19, which had put in sterling service with their own air force and had also been widely exported. However, the Arransians were very attached to the go-anywhere ability of the flying boats, and Admiral Hewitt, the commander of the RNAS, said he believed the new aircraft would confound all the doubters and achieve a number of export sales.

In early September the Queen Margaret was floated out of dry dock at Beadnell and returned to service. Admiral Moncrieffe, the fleet C-in-C, made it clear that every detail of the engines and other systems had been thoroughly checked and the veteran carrier was fully fit to serve anywhere in the world. She had also acquired a new commander in Captain Brodie McLean who had been born in the Terrapin Islands and was the first “black” * man to achieve such high rank in the Arransian Navy.

All of these announcements met with widespread approval, and Lorna Bradshaw was regarded as being somewhat negative when she raised the issue of how it was all going to be paid for. Too often in the past, ambitious government expenditure in Arransia had led to the need to increase taxes and an economic downturn. Obviously Douglas responded by asking her what she wouldn’t have given the go-ahead for, a question to which it was impossible to give a simple answer. But many Arransians did have a sneaking feeling that she did have a point, and that the government might be storing up problems for the future. This did not help the Liberals’ opinion poll ratings, and by the end of 2006 Labour had a 12-point lead over the Liberals in the polls. Mrs Bradshaw made it clear she had no intention of resigning as Liberal leader, had been defeated extremely narrowly, and believed she could win the next election.

The most controversial measures from the new government were the proposals put forward by Education Minister Marie Bannerman (b 1963) for reform of the school system. The forthright, diminutive, redheaded Ms Bannerman had served as a teacher in a tough secondary school in Hebburn, so could claim a good knowledge of the subject. Arransia’s secondary education system was a prime example of the country’s characteristic haphazard nature and lack of standardisation. Arransia had never experienced a British or Napoleonic style dissolution of monasteries, but the increasing unpopularity of monastic life had led to more and more church funds being diverted to education ¶. It also had large endowments from both landowning nobles and wealthy industrialists which, unlike in Brunswick, had not been slashed by a period of hyper-inflation. The result was a very varied system in which about 35% of secondary school pupils enjoyed some degree of non-State support, but their alumni accounted for 85% of MPs. At the top end, Arransia had some of the finest schools in the world, the network of five very demanding scientific and technical high schools endowed by dyestuffs magnate Alexander McKechnie often being regarded as the jewel in its crown. Many of the County schools, especially in the more rural areas, were also very good. But in most areas it was relatively easy for middle-class parents with one or both of money or initiative to get their children into a “good” school, while there was a long tail of poor-quality “comprehensive” schools which in effect had all their more able or prosperous children sucked away elsewhere. They weren’t as bad as some of the worst “sink schools” in the UK, but some came depressingly close, and Starkmires High School, on a working-class estate in the rough east coast seaport town of Lemingore, was widely highlighted as “worst-performing school in Arransia”.

Ms Bannerman announced a package of measures including giving local communities more say over how schools were run, tightening the rules under which selective public schools had to be in "cohorts" with schools of a similar standard of funding and provision, requiring voluntary aided schools to do more to serve poorer pupils from their immediate communities and, most crucially, seeking to bring in common admissions procedures that would include voluntary aided schools offering free places in an area. All too often, even though some free places were available, poorer parents would simply not make the effort to apply for them. She made the point that it seemed wrong that charitable trusts established for educational purposes predominantly gave their funds to the most well-off and privileged sections of the community. To this, Dr Robin Gartside, Principal of the prestigious Stainton Academy, who was the current President of the Arransian Academical Association, replied that the purpose of the endowments which supported his school was to promote academic excellence, not social engineering. Undoubtedly there was a widespread feeling in the country that the less well off and less bright pupils often received an inferior education, and there was a considerable amount of support for the plans. The Liberal Party obviously made the point that you did not make bad schools better by making good schools worse, although one of their backbenchers rather undermined their case by suggesting that the problem was “not so much sink schools as sink people.”

Christmas saw a royal broadcast given almost entirely by King Malcolm, with only a brief cameo from Princess Fiona. He looked much better than he had done even six months ago, and Arransians were very happy that he seemed to have made a good recovery from life-threatening cancer surgery the previous year. It was a very personal message in which he referred to his pleasure in seeing South Holburn, which had been ceded to the Brunswickians when he had been a seventeen-year-old schoolboy, at last being able to return to Arransia. He also pointedly said that he felt this removed the final outstanding baggage from the Great War and hoped it would usher in an era of closer friendship and co-operation between the two countries. The broadcast also broke with tradition by showing brief footage of the tanks and self-propelled guns of Number 3 Regiment (Armoured) rumbling through Northcotes on Ugglesby Head Day, with the soldiers grinning and waving at the flag-waving crowds lining the streets. This was criticised in some quarters as being a touch militaristic, but Malcolm was known as the most unmilitaristic of men, and others felt it gave long overdue exposure to the much-maligned Marine Corps.

Late January 2007 saw some of the most severe winter weather Arransia had experienced for over a decade, with a foot of snow blanketing most of the country, and much more over the uplands. However, a major effort was put in to keep the roads and railways clear, and to keep the major canals free of ice, with spectacular pictures of traffic continuing to run over the Bowstones and Shoulder of Mutton passes north of Holborough between twelve-foot walls of piled-up snow. Edward Douglas, when praising the efforts of the emergency workers in Parliament, wryly made the comment that the eyes of the world had been on Arransia when one lifting bridge had been jammed for a couple of days, but her success in keeping her transport networks running in very adverse conditions was ignored.

* Although never intensively settled by Arransians, they left their mark on the local population, and in the 21st century it was estimated that less than 10% of the Terrapin Islands’ people were of pure black blood, the rest being of mixed race to some extent. The islands’ successive Prime Ministers since independence had all been creoles of noticeably pale colouring. Both Athol Barr, and Captain Brodie McLean, a very well respected officer, obviously had some black blood, but probably well under 50%.

The commander of the Queen Margaret, although always referred to as “Captain” in fact held the formal rank of Commodore, as commanding a carrier was a task of a different order of magnitude from any other ship in the Arransian navy. Interestingly, his Brunswickian counterparts, although commanding even larger warships, were still officially Captains, although they received pay increments for special duties taking them above an Arransian Rear-Admiral.

¶ Arransians had never been very enthusiastic in taking up the monastic life, partly due to the requirement of celibacy. A number of former monasteries had been closed and either transferred to private ownership or put in the care of the county authorities. However, in 2007, Arransia still had a couple of monastic orders occupying magnificent mediaeval premises of the type of Fountains and Rievaulx Abbeys. Also, a small number of abbeys had relocated from Brunswick and Mayenne following anti-clerical policies in those countries.

Return to Home Page