The South Holburn Issue
The ReferendumIn his election campaign for the Presidency of Brunswick, Simon D’Arcy of the Social Reform Party promised to hold a referendum on the question of the sovereignty of South Holburn, where a growing number of residents had been expressing a desire to return to Arransia. True to his word, he did not hesitate to do this, and the referendum was duly arranged for Sunday 15 January 2006. There was no official campaigning by the Brunswickian government, and the Arransian government remained silent on the issue too, simply saying that if the residents of South Holburn chose to return to Arransia, they would of course be very welcome. Each household was sent a simple factsheet explaining the background to the referendum, in wording that had been agreed with Arransia, and showing the boundaries of South Holburn on a map, as they did not coincide with Brunswickian administrative districts. The question was: “Should the sovereignty of the South Holburn district of Affenthwaite State be transferred from the Republic of Brunswick to the Kingdom of Arransia?” The “Yes” campaign was led by Allan Houston (b. 1954) who was the SRP Congressional representative for the western part of South Holburn and had long been a strong advocate of returning the territory to Arransia. Enough money was raised to send out a formal communication explaining South Holburn’s strong historical ties with Arransia and, while not saying explicitly that the area would be more prosperous as part of Arransia, arguing that its economy would integrate much better with that of Arransia than with Brunswick. There was no formal “No” campaign, but a group of mainly out-of-area businessmen funded an election leaflet arguing that in many respects Brunswick was a more prosperous and forward-looking country than Arransia, and to vote to go back would be a risky leap in the dark. However, in the event of a No vote the population of South Holburn would need to engage more constructively with the rest of Brunswick rather than thinking the grass was greener on the other side of the border. The area was absolutely plastered with posters simply displaying the Arransian flag and saying “Vote: Sunday January 15th” and it was difficult to find anyone who would argue against a return to Arransia. The local newspapers in Scaggleby and Northcotes both came out strongly in favour of the transfer. However, opinion polls suggested that the margin might be closer than many thought, with people expressing concerns about taking a risk and also worrying about their pension entitlements. In general, the inhabitants who remembered life before 1949, and the younger generation, were strongly in favour, but those who had grown up in the 1950s and 1960s, which had been a period of prosperity and stability, were more equivocal. Simon D’Arcy had deliberately not set any conditions for the referendum, beyond saying that a decisive result in favour of Arransia would certainly lead to a rapid transfer of power. But speculation began to mount about what would happen if there was a slender majority on a low turnout. It was rumoured that in such an eventuality, the Arransian Marine Corps might well move swiftly to seize the territory if Brunswick was seen to be dragging its feet. In the last few days of the campaign, substantial Brunswickian Army units were moved into South Holburn ostensibly to ensure order during the polls. A further rumour spread that an Arransian commando unit was lying low in Scaggleby and if given the order would take control of Scaggleby Castle and dare the Brunswickians to turf them out. Thus there was a strange and almost surreal military stand-off between two countries that ostensibly were very close allies. In the event, January 15th was a cold, crisp day, and polling was fairly brisk. There had been substantial snowfalls in the past week, as South Holburn tended to be the one of the snowiest parts of Sabrantia, and there was still a lot of lying snow which gave an added appeal to the television coverage. A reporter interviewing voters on the shabby streets of Northcotes brought it home to the rest of Brunswick that the inhabitants of that part of their country still spoke with very thick and sometimes almost impenetrable Arransian accents. The polls closed at 9 pm, but counting did not start for some time as the count was held not in South Holburn, but in Ynysforgan, the capital of Affenthwaite State, which was an hour or more away by road. Brunswick was noted for fast and efficient election counts, and it proceeded swiftly once it had got under way. The declaration was made at 11.45 pm (12.45 am Arransian time) by Geraldine Carson, the Governor of Affenthwaite State. The results were as follows:
Lorna Bradshaw, the Chancellor of Arransia, immediately responded by saying it was a clear and decisive result and she looked forward to negotiating a rapid transfer of power. Simon D’Arcy looked somewhat uncomfortable and said he would be discussing the issue with the Arransian government. While there was a clear majority in favour of the transfer, it was not the overwhelming result the Yes campaign had been hoping for, and significantly the number who had voted Yes was less than 50% of the electorate. A number of NDP Congressmen expressed the view that nothing hasty should be done. The following morning, a motorcade took Mrs Bradshaw and her three senior ministers – Foreign Minister Donald McWhirter, Finance Minister Matthew Thomson, and Home Affairs Minister Andrew Gemmill – out to RNAS Skelmarsh to the east of Danby from where the VIP transport plane would take them to Aubourg. All four were tough and experienced politicans who had held senior roles in the Knox administration in the 1990s, and clearly they had some difficult negotiating to do. In the event, Mrs Bradshaw decided to be totally blunt about the situation, and announced to Simon D’Arcy “We have come here today to discuss a smooth and orderly transfer of power in South Holburn. If that’s not what you intend to discuss, then we’ll just have to turn that plane around again.” Simon D’Arcy retired to have a private meeting with his ministers. The prospect of the Arransians doing something rash did not appeal, even though it was hard to imagine the prim and serious Mrs Bradshaw donning the cloak of a revolutionary, and they had to accept that at the end of the day, South Holburn was a depressed and economically marginal place that wasn’t really worth making a stand over. So, two hours later, Simon D’Arcy and his team emerged again to meet the Arransians and said “OK then, let’s sort it out.” But it was a long, tough day’s negotiating and it was not until 6.30 at night that Simon D’Arcy and Lorna Bradshaw were able to emerge to make a statement to the waiting press. Both looked tired, but there was no doubt who looked the happier of the two. Simon D’Arcy announced that they had agreed to transfer South Holburn from Brunswick to Arransia, and the changeover would officially occur on Friday 24th February. It was nearly 9 o’clock before the Arransian delegation were able to return to Aubourg Airport and head back home. The Arransians had had to agree to give the government of Brunswick indemnity from any lawsuits relating to their actions in South Holburn between 1948 and 2006 and also, most controversially, Brunswick retained ownership of all the mineral rights in the area, which had been nationalised in 1948. In general, title of all private property would remain unchanged, and all government property that related to the administration of the area, from schools to fire engines, would be transferred free of charge. The Arransians also had to agree that the official changeover ceremony would be a sombre and low-key one, and that they would not declare the day a public holiday. Nevertheless, when Mrs Bradshaw announced the outcome of the negotations to Parliament the following day, it received a rapturous reception, with prolonged cheering and the National Anthem being sung. Even the Independent contingent, who were generally very critical of the government, welcomed the move, as they saw it as rescuing the honest working folk of South Holburn from the evil capitalist clutches of Brunswick. It remained to be seen whether this would make any difference to the Liberals’ prospects at the forthcoming general election, and Edward Douglas, the Labour leader, made the point that the return of South Holburn had always been a bipartisan policy, and generally speaking Labour had been more supportive of the people of South Holburn than the Liberals. Despite the hard negotiations the previous day, Mrs Bradshaw made a point of praising Simon D'Arcy for holding the referendum in the first place and being fair-minded and co-operative in discussing the transfer of sovereignty. A South Holburn Regeneration Agency was immediately set up, and Michael Horrocks, the Labour MP who had been very vocal over the issue, was made its Chairman. This was seen as a cunning way of making him back his words with actions – but in fact he was a capable and enthusiastic man who it was felt would do a good job. On Tuesday 17th January, the Brunswickian authorities removed all the “Arransia Irredenta” signs from the borders of South Holburn. This time, nobody attempted to put them back up. It would not be long now before the genuine signs appeared. Celebrations in South Holburn on the Monday evening were somewhat subdued, although there seemed to be a profound feeling of relief that the issue had at last been resolved. The only unsavoury incident was a group of drunken youths burning a Brunswickian flag in the main street of Northcotes. The transfer required special legislation to be rushed through the Brunswickian Congress. There was no outright opposition, but a number of comments were made that the action was rather hasty and that the Arransians, as usual, had grabbed everything they could get. Ironically, the government’s cause was helped by a rather sour intervention from former President Arnold Jackson, who pointed out that the strategic reason behind the acquisition of South Holburn had long since disappeared, and its inhabitants clearly didn’t want to be Brunswickians. It was somewhat run down and depressed, and good luck to the Arransians in sorting it out. He added that its economic misfortunes seemed to have much to do with the inhabitants cutting off their nose to spite their face and not wishing to be fully involved with Brunswick. Some comedian commented “the Arransians have been doing that for seven hundred years”.
The HandoverThe handover ceremony duly went ahead in Scaggleby as planned on Friday 24th February. It had been deliberately designed as a joint effort by both countries to be fairly sombre and low-key, and to contain an element of remembrance for the Great War. It was not declared a public holiday in Arransia, but it was televised live, and most factories and offices in South Holburn were closed for the day. The Brunswickian official party arrived by the Presidential plane on the long but bumpy runway of Scaggleby Airport, which had served as a bomber base in the 1950s and was still occasionally used as a diversionary landing place, although it currently had no scheduled passenger flights. The Arransians, in contrast, mindful of Princess Fiona being eight months pregnant, came by train. The royal train was electrically hauled from Danby to Whitcastle, but was taken forward from there by the pair of preserved Class A1 4-6-2s, No. 1 Countess of Marchwood and No. 4 Countess of Hanwold, looking magnificent in their burnished royal blue livery. This was a very rare sight in what was still officially Brunswick, and substantial crowds turned out to watch them pass. A podium was set up in Scaggleby Market Place for the dignitaries, and a couple of banks of seating erected for invited guests, with the general public kept back behind a rope. In dress uniform, a company of Brunswickian guards and Arransian marines marched into the square and stood to attention, as usual the Arransians being noticeably inferior in their ability to march in step. A Brunswickian military band played the Brunswickian national anthem, which for once in South Holburn met with no boos. Simon D’Arcy then delivered a brief speech in which he referred to his father’s history as a political refugee from Mayenne, said that the strategic reasons behind the transfer of sovereignty in 1949 were now a thing of the past, acknowledged that the people of South Holburn had clearly demonstrated their continued identity with Arransia and expressed the hope that today would strengthen the bond between the two countries and they would go forward together to promote peace, prosperity, freedom and justice. He sounded rather happier about the whole thing than he had done six weeks earlier. A reply was then given by King Malcolm VII of Arransia who, although still a frail, elderly man, seemed in noticeably better health than he had at the previous Autumn’s royal wedding. He recalled the difficult days of 1949 when he had been a sixteen-year-old schoolboy, and said how pleased he was to have seen the wheel turn full circle. He expressed his gratitude to President D’Arcy for calling the referendum promptly, holding it in a transparently fair manner and abiding by the result. A wry smile flickered across Lorna Bradshaw’s face. The King then went on to assure the people of South Holburn of a warm welcome as citizens of Arransia, and ended by calling for two minutes’ silence in memory of those who had suffered and died in the Great War. This was so scrupulously observed that you could have heard a pin drop. Following this, a solitary Arransian piper played a lament. The Brunswickians usually struggled to understand the Arransians’ affection for the bagpipes (and indeed Patrick Scullion had famously hated them), but in this context it seemed very fitting. Then, with perfect timing, the tune came to an end, the Guildhall clock struck twelve, and the Brunswickian flag on its front was ceremonially hauled down to be replaced by the Arransian one. The band struck up the Arransian national anthem, restrained clapping and cheering broke out, and the clock on the Guildhall was formally stopped and wound forward by an hour to reflect the change in time zone. Not surprisingly, many Arransian newspapers chose to use a headline along the lines of “South Holburn turns the clock forward to a new era”, which caused a certain amount of spluttering in Brunswick. The ceremony was then poignantly rounded off with a side-by-side flypast by a Brunswickian bomber from the Great War alongside the last flying example in Sabrantia of the Mayonnaise bombers used by the Arransians, something that brought a tear to many eyes. The two aircraft then made a circuit of the other major towns in South Holburn and those who recognised them as something more than just two old planes certainly appreciated the significance. The official parties and selected guests then retired into the Guildhall for a formal celebratory dinner of South Holburn black pudding, lamb and gooseberry pie washed down with some of the finest Mayonnaise claret. Princess Fiona looked a picture of health and had been smiling like the cat who got the cream throughout the ceremony, but one or two Brunswickian tabloids commented on the substantial amount of weight she had put on during her pregnancy. It is doubtful whether she was remotely concerned by this. On the return journey, the King, perhaps emboldened by a glass or two of wine, suggested to the engine drivers that, since it was now his railway line, they might want to get their two old girls to stretch their legs a bit. Certainly the return journey was much brisker than the outward one, with 80 mph being touched on a couple of occasions. Those steam enthusiasts who had hung around were rewarded with a stirring sight and sound as the two locomotives thundered through Morthen and Warcop*. That evening, there were many parties and barbecues all across South Holburn, but most people reported that they didn’t drink too much and the general mood was one of quiet but profound satisfaction. Arransian police officers from Holburn proper made brief patrols through the central areas of Scaggleby and Northcotes and were cheered and often shaken by the hand. The Brunswickian officers who wanted to transfer to Arransia and had passed a basic check would don the uniform within the coming week. Over the following weekend, special parties of Arransian Marines replaced all the border signs with the correct ones, and then over the following week went on to install Arransian speed limit signs throughout the area. With very few exceptions, the Brunswickian limits were converted straight across. The first significant change that local residents witnessed was that the Brunswickian banks rapidly moved to replace their BN$ cash dispensers with ones giving out AA$, provided by the Arransian banks. As South Holburn had largely become a cash economy using AA$, this led to an immediate change for ordinary people. Tuesday 28th February was a public holiday in Arransia for Shrove Tuesday, so the people of South Holburn felt an immediate benefit from the handover. On the morning of Wednesday 1st March, a Royal Marine recruitment office opened up in Northcotes, and there was a queue of over 100 people outside at opening time. The Arransians also offered to allow any Brunswickian service personnel born in South Holburn to transfer to their forces – something that was taken up by precisely five individuals. In contrast, the Marine Corps bought out 47 people of South Holburn origin serving in the Mayonnaise Foreign Legion. The agreement between Arransia and Brunswick laid down no show of force or triumphalism on the Arransian side, something that the government duly adhered to. But other Arransian citizens had different ideas. On the morning of Sunday 5th March, a dull rumble was heard approaching the border north of Regina. It turned out to be a convoy of over 3,000 motorcyclists, some wearing Viking helmets, badger masks or even full badger suits, many flying Arransian flags. They swept over the border, then came to an abrupt halt at the first sparkling new pair of 30-limit signs. It was a superb photo-opportunity for Keith Laidlaw, President of the Arransian Motorcycle Guild. “Because we have this” – pointing at the unrestricted sign – “we respect this” – pointing at the 30 sign. The convoy cruised on and gathered in the market square at Scaggleby. The local residents were initially alarmed but soon realised the intent was entirely benign. Keith Laidlaw then gave a distinctly rabble-rousing speech. “It’s great to be standing here today in Arransia. The government agreed that the Marine Corps wouldn’t march in en masse, and the Naval Air Service wouldn’t do a multiple flypast. So we, the bikers of Arransia, thought we would step into the breach. Now, a lot of us may look like a bunch of evil, hairy bastards, but once you get to know us you’ll realise we love puppies and kittens and only turn the wick up once past the unrestricted sign. Which is another nice thing you get in Arransia.” “Now, we are here in force because we believe in Arransia and want to give you a really warm welcome. In many ways, Brunswick is a fine country, but Arransia is beyond doubt the finest country in the world. It’s the best country for biking and also, by far, the safest. And it’s more fun. So get on your bikes and enjoy!” By this time, a substantial crowd had gathered, and this was greeted by sustained cheering and whooping. Some of the bikers melted away to try to get some lunch in Scaggleby, while others headed out to the bypass and enjoyed themselves doing 250 km/h repeat passes. After lunch, the convoy headed north to Hoyland and then across the Wolfkill Pass to Northcotes. The word had spread and it seemed as if the entire population of the town turned out to cheer them on their way. The whole event was obviously closely watched by the world’s press. One newspaper in Brunswick commented “just as you start to think the Arransians may at heart be sensible, level-headed people much like us, they always come up with strong evidence that they’re on a totally different wavelength that seems to be beamed from another planet.” * This was far from a case of abusing historic locomotives. Although they were 66 years old, the two engines had not been heavily used prior to their withdrawal from service in 1960, and were kept in peak mechanical condition. Indeed, in the summer of 2006, Countess of Hanwold, which was privately owned by the Bruce Watson Trust, was to be taken to western Brunswick, with a view to attempting to break the Arransian steam speed record. This was not feasible within Arransia, as there was nowhere very high speeds could be approached without closing off a heavily-used main line. Return to Home Page
|