Arransia in 2007

2007 was the first full year of Edward Douglas’ Labour government and the time when its policies should begin to make an impact for better or worse.. General economic performance was more subdued than in 2006, in line with global trends. In his budget, Finance Minister David Aitcheson put forward a modest increase in taxes across the board, but insisted the economy would continue to be stimulated by the investment in infrastructure and defence projects. New car sales, always regarded as a barometer of the economy, slumped by about 3% to 277,000, but some of this was attributed to buyers holding off buying the AMC100 model prior to its replacement by the much superior AMC200 in the Autumn – see below for more information about this.

Nevertheless, public opinion continued to be impressed by the government’s spending programme and they remained ahead in the opinion polls throughout the year, with Lorna Bradshaw’s insistence on fiscal rectitude coming across as somewhat mean-spirited. In a country such as the UK which did not have fixed-term Parliaments it is likely that Edward Douglas would have called another general election with a view to increasing his wafer-thin majority.

Arransian governments had always walked something of a tightrope between encouraging economic development by opening up the country’s economy and retaining control of what were seen as strategic economic assets. There was a widespread perception that if companies were allowed to pass into foreign (specifically Brunswickian) hands, high-level jobs would be lost and Arransian operations would be the first to be cut back in hard times. On the other hand, there was an equally widespread perception that too many domestic industries were dominated by cosy oligopolies that lacked a competitive spur and did not give the consumer good service. The previous Liberal government had attracted some criticism for opening up the economy too much to foreign takeovers.

Under Labour, a more systematic competition policy was developed which considered a range of criteria covering national strategic importance, the need to compete on the international stage, domestic competitiveness and national distinctiveness and character, when assessing the competitive situation of each industry. This was undoubtedly well-meaning and consumed a lot of academic effort but, when published in September 2007, was widely criticised for rigidity and over-complexity. One industry where old-fashioned practices and a lack of genuine competition was felt to be prevalent was insurance, and towards the end of the year the government attracted considerable criticism from economists for using the new policy to block a Brunswickian takeover of the Danby Provident insurance company, the second largest in Arransia, although it must be admitted that this decision was generally popular in the country.

The education reforms put in place by Education Minister Marie Bannerman first came into full effect with the September 2007 secondary school intake. The initial reaction was generally favourable with parents particularly liking the combined admissions procedure for County and voluntary aided schools. However, it remained far from clear how this would actually work to improve standards at the poorer performing schools, and concerns were expressed by some of the voluntary aided schools that it would erode their distinctive ethos. The opposition adopted a low-key “wait and see” approach on this issue but felt in the long term it would rebound to their advantage.

The economic regeneration of South Holburn continued apace, with the population of the area rising by over 10,000 during the year, and extensive new housebuilding, mainly on brownfield sites in Northcotes and Warcop. Substantial progress was made on the Warcop Moor power station which was beginning to tower over the surrounding area. Following successful test workings, limited commercial production started at the Gleadhill colliery near Northcotes towards the end of the year, and it was expected that within two years it would become the largest single colliery in Sabrantia, and also the deepest.

Trams started running in Northcotes in October 2007, with the first new line in Scaggleby expected to open the following Spring. Just before Christmas, the steeply-graded railway line between Northcotes and Holborough was reopened, allowing a regular through passenger service from Scaggleby. While this would be operated by diesel multiple units, there was of course an inaugural steam train which produced some spectacular effects climbing the gradients of up to 1 in 35 in places. The general economic boom and the large number of construction workers attracted to the Northcotes area gave it something of the atmosphere of a Wild West boom town and some public order problems were experienced on Friday and Saturday nights.

Work started on the electrification of the main railway lines between Holborough and Howick which would greatly reduce the scope of steam working in this area. However, for the first time, ANR made an official statement that they envisaged a limited amount of steam working continuing on the network indefinitely. They also took the opportunity to have sixteen brand-new steam locomotives built which, instead of being based on Brunswickian wartime standard designs, were an adaptation of the design principles of the famous Arransian locomotive engineer Bruce Watson. These comprised eight 2-8-2s of Class P4 and eight 2-6-4 tank engines of Class L3. The P4s especially were very elegant and impressive locomotives, and the introduction of this new fleet made 2007 a vintage summer for steam enthuisiasts. The P4s, somewhat controversially, were partly funded by sponsorship and carried names relating to commercial companies.

In early September, the first two engines of the class, No. 821 Fordyce Distillery and No. 822 William Playfair (named after the founder of the eponymous tobacco company ) were used to work a special train between Aubourg and Danby, changing engines at Ynysforgan, which broke the existing steam speed record between the two cities, set in 1927, by over 10 mph. No. 821 was worked particularly hard over the in places steeply-graded line from Ynysforgan to Danby and, although nominally a mixed traffic rather than express locomotive, achieved an end-to-end average of 82 mph which was quicker than any timetable for scheduled electric-hauled expresses before the early 1980s.

There was a further recognition of Watson when the train ferry bearing his name entered service between Beadnell and La Hogue in November. Advance orders for the service had been so strong that a second vessel had already been ordered, named after Watson’s 1930s Mayonnaise counterpart Laurent Pelletier (although many Arransians would consider Pelletier’s designs to be a byword for fussy, overcomplicated Mayonnaise engineering).

Not surprisingly, the study into the construction of the “Western Railway” bypass of Danby came up with a strong positive recommendation and Transport Minister William Galt gave the go-ahead in September 2007. This, the first substantial stretch of new railway built in Arransia for a hundred years, would include new stretches of line between Thornley and Radway, which would basically be an alternative route for north-south freight trains, and an upgrade of the line from Dacre to Colden and a new link across to Goodshaw which would also allow through passenger trains to Laithby, Holborough and the North-West to avoid the busy main line through Dunsford and Petersburgh. The northern section was expected to open in 2010 and the southern section in 2011. The objective of avoiding any gradients steeper than 1 in 250 meant that this line would include substantial cuttings, embankments and viaducts and, while narrower than a four-lane Expressway, would have more of an impact on the landscape. Given that it would run through well-heeled commuter territory in Bucklow, it was likely to provoke significant opposition both from environmentalists and those concerned about property values. This appeared to be a prospect that the rather outspoken and combative Galt welcomed.

The main planks of the roads programme for this governmental term had been announced the previous year – the A25 western expressway bypass of Danby, the completion of the A5 Expressway between Hebburn and Howick, and the upgrading of the A6 between Stainton and the border at Regina to dual three-lane expressway. 2007 saw substantial work under way on all these projects, ramping up even further once construction plant and workers were released by the completion of the A1 upgrade. All three projects were in locations highly visible to visitors from Brunswick and many commented on the amount of major roadbuilding taking place in Arransia.

The notorious “Porcupine Gap” on the A3 was finally closed in April, eliminating the last stretch of single carriageway on the main route from the Tri-Cities to Danby. Later in the year, the upgrade of the main A1 Expressway between Danby and Stainton was completed in October, giving Arransia a central road spine that was up to the standard of anything in Brunswick. It was becoming ever more wide of the mark to characterise Arransia as a country of inadequate roads.

A study had been set up into upgrading the A61 over the Shoulder of Mutton Pass which was the main route west from Holborough towards Howick, and ran through the sensitive landscape area of the Black Mountains National Park. It concluded that simply driving a full-blown Expressway along this route would be too destructive, and instead proposed online dualling as an all-purpose road. Across the pass itself the route would be split, with a low-level two-lane tunnel almost two miles in length intended primarily for lorries, with light traffic continuing to be routed via the original road past the pub with its spectacular views. Obviously if the pass was blocked by snow, all traffic could use the tunnel provided volumes were not too high. This unusual scheme was given the go-ahead in principle by the government, but obviously boring the longest non-marine road tunnel in Sabrantia would be an expensive undertaking and because of funding constraints it was thought unlikely that work would start until 2009.

A bypass was also approved for the town of Clive in Bucklow, where the main A7 road between Danby and Ellerdine still ran along the high street. This, however, would only be an all-purpose dual-carriageway, not a full-blown Expressway. A working party was set up to consider the creation of a national strategic road network, incorporating major A-roads as well as Expressways, which would improve signing and route-planning and allow road improvement funds to be focused on the most important routes.

Significant changes were made to the system of driving tuition, allowing young people to start learning with appropriate supervision at 17, as in Brunswick, rather than 18, but making it more difficult to obtain a licence at 16 for work-releated purposes, something that had in the past been liberally interpreted. These came into effect from the beginning of 2008.

October saw the launch of the AMC200, the first product of the joint venture between the Arransian Motor Corporation and the Mayonnaise Charnier car company. Available in four-door saloon and three and five-door hatchback form, with an estate to follow in the Spring, this was a replacement for the AMC100 but was a somewhat larger vehicle that could serve as a practical small family car. The Arransian designers and development engineers had done a good job in giving it a smartly-styled body very different from its Mayonnaise counterpart, and in tuning its suspension for Arransia’s well-surfaced but twisty roads, and it was widely praised by motoring journalists. Before too long a three-month waiting list had developed and an extra shift had to be put on at the Petersburgh factory. It was described in some quarters as the true spiritual successor to the famous AMC 35 “Ladybird”, but in reality even the base model was 50% heavier and well over twice as powerful. It was recognised that the true test of the joint venture would come with the medium-sized AMC400, the counterpart of the Charnier C303, which was due to be launched in the Autumn of 2008.

The Maitland car company, famous for their large, stately limousines, introduced a smaller model with a 3.7 litre straight-six engine, cut down from the traditional straight-eight, which was developed with extensive Colmarine input and had an elegantly styled body that still preserved the traditional diginity of the marque. With a starting price of $34,995, this proved surprisingly successful and by Christmas 2007 there was a lengthy waiting list. There was also a supercharged two-door coupé variant that rapidly proved popular with professional sportsmen.

Prince Peter, who was one year old in March, showed every sign of being a healthy and boisterous little boy who was walking and talking unusually early. Despite several press reports that Princess Fiona and Alex Morton did not seem to be spending much time together, on Thursday 24 May he gained a sister who was named Alexandra Margaret Emilia. It was notable that both children seemed to have inherited their thick black hair from their father. The Christmas broadcast given by King Malcolm showed extensive footage of both children and placed a strong emphasis on the values of family life.

The government had wasted little time in bringing in a law to allow civil partnerships between gay and lesbian couples, which had already been permitted in one or two other countries for some years. This officially came into effect on 1 April and attracted surprisingly little criticism. It is worth noting that the Arransian law also allowed siblings living in the same property to inherit each other’s property without incurring death duties. From the early 90s, the Navy had introduced full equality between the sexes in all roles apart from infantry and submarines, and had enjoyed an impressive record of success in promoting women to senior positions. Many of these had always been viewed as people too committed to their careers for long-term relationships, and so it was somewhat surprising how many chose to register civil partnerships. The most promiment was Captain Shirley Beaton, the recently-appointed commander of the iconic flying boat squadron, who chose to attend her ceremony in full dress uniform, which pointedly was attended in similar garb by Admirals Leslie and Smillie, the current and previous Admirals of the Fleet. Inevitably one or two Brunswickian comedians seized on this as further confirmation that most Arransian women were lesbians.

Between August and October the Navy, with assistance from units from Brunswick, Skania and Acadia, engaged in the largest military exercise ever carried out by Arransia. This had originally been proposed under the previous government but rejected on cost grounds. In co-operation with the Southern Hemisphere Republic of Barrozo, a long-standing friend of Arransia, they staged a full-blooded amphibious landing of five thousand troops on a hostile coast more than ten thousand miles from the home country. This involved the veteran aircraft carrier Queen Margaret steaming over 30,000 miles without anything untoward happening, although she was always kept to a sedate cruising speed of 15 or 16 knots. The logistical exercise in transporting the troops was accomplished with an efficiency that impressed all observers, but the Marines experienced more mixed fortunes once landed, and the official view was that it was “a useful and successful exercise from which many lessons can be learned”. While Barrozo as a nation bore Arransia no ill-will, her army had a very proud tradition of their own and there were a number of instances of the mock fighting become a little over-enthusiastic, although nobody was actually killed. On the return voyage, the assembled force of over 30 vessels became the largest fleet ever taken through the Flores Canal, to the annoyance of merchant shipping as the passage took the best part of a day. Under treaty arrangements, Brunswickian and Arransian warships were allowed priority passage through the canal, although of course the Brunswickian supercarriers were much too big for the locks.

In November 2007, Stuart Logan, the Minister of Defence, announced that the government had formally approved the construction of the replacement aircraft carrier for the Queen Margaret. After much speculation, the ship was to be named HMS Leviathan, an evocative historic name that had been borne by two sailing three-decker ships of the line but had not been used in the modern era. The ship would be built at the James Caird shipyard at Elswick and entry into service was scheduled for Spring 2014. The displacement of the ship was declared at 39,000 tons – somewhat less than the Queen Margaret’s final 45,000 tons – but in fact in terms of physical dimensions she would actually be slightly larger, and was not far short of the maximum size of ship that could squeeze through the Flores Canal.

The entire project – including buying new A-27B strike aircraft – would cost $1.4 billion, or about $140 for each adult in Arransia, making it by far Arransia’s most expensive single defence project. After Logan had announced this, over 5,000 people spontaneously sent in a cheque for “their” $140 contribution. Needless to say, these were gratefully declined and either returned to the senders or, in most cases, passed on to the Royal Naval Benevolent Fund*. Finance Minister David Aitcheson was at pains to point out that Arransia was a prosperous country and the sum, while a very substantial commitment, was well within what she could afford. Nevertheless, he took the opportunity to make a public offer of a specific 40-year bond to finance the ship. This was essentially a conventional long-term government security, but it ended up being three times oversubscribed, and it was relatively unusual in getting retail investors to buy government bonds.

Although there were a few grumbles from Independents and one or two of the more left-wing Labour MPs, the authorisation of the Leviathan was otherwise greeted with universal approval. Indeed it was widely regarded as a symbol of national renaissance and a demonstration that Arransia could once again look any other country firmly in the eye. In celebration of the announcement, the high command of the Arransian navy held a formal dinner in the wardroom of the Queen Margaret, with their Brunswickian counterparts as honoured guests, which attracted a certain amount of controversy in Brunswick when the lavish menu (and wine list) was leaked to the press, although nobody in Arransia was remotely concerned.

As a postscript, March 2008 saw the opening of the spectacular cable-stayed Golcar Viaduct taking the A6 Expressway across the steep-sided Derwent Valley and bypassing a stretch of the old road which involved a precipitous 1 in 8 descent into the town and climb out of it. While the town had become something of a stronghold of mainly Brunswickian hippie colonists who might not be expected to favour road-building, they were not in fact dogmatically opposed, as the viaduct relieved their town of much grinding of lorry gears and was in its own right a thing of stunning beauty that was oddly un-Arransian. Early in the morning of Sunday 20 April, the RNAS famously flew a B-39 bomber under the viaduct and then put it into a full-power climb over the town, which would have woken even the most stoned hippy. Videoed by aviation enthusiasts who had been tipped off, the footage was rapidly circulated around the world. It was dismissed in some quarters as an irresponsible stunt, but few seriously argued that it was dangerous, and the views of most Arransians were summed up by the Northern Echo newspaper of Barcaldine, well-known for banging the national drum, which said “one could not wish for a more emphatic demonstration of the skill and determination of Arransian pilots, and there can be no doubt that evil men around the world will be sleeping a little less soundly in their beds.” Within a few weeks, however, anti-aircraft netting was strung underneath the viaduct, in which more than one light aircraft was to become entangled.

* this was regarded in some quarters as providing further evidence of Arransians’ incorrigible stupidity, and was presented as such in a Brunswickian tabloid newspaper, but in fact those making a contribution, in many cases retired naval officers, were well aware that they were making a point of the importance they attached to the project, and indeed also where the money was likely to end up

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