The Federal Republic of Mercia (Mercia- UDI 1995)

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Overview
The Federal Republic of Greater Herefordshire and Worcestershire (AKA- Herefordshire and Worcestershire or The Federal Republic) is a state in the UK that declared UDI during 1996 after several decades of ATL miss-rule and harsh rule by the UK's government.

It covers the OTL regions of-
 * The Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell,
 * Worcestershire, Herefordshire,
 * The Metropolitan Borough of Dudley,
 * Longbridge,
 * Edgbaston,
 * Northfield,
 * King's Norton,
 * Selly Oak,
 * Pleck,
 * Hampsead in Birmingham,
 * Dymock,
 * Tewkesbury,
 * Knighton in Powys,
 * Chuchstoke in Powys,
 * The western portion of Handsworth, Birmingham
 * Southern Shropshire,
 * Pleck in the English West Midlands
 * Hay-on-Wye (Welsh: Y Gelli Gandryll) in Powys,
 * The south western part of the former Seisdon Rural District.

The Federal Republic is in some ways a bit eccentric or traumatised, but is on the whole like OTL version of the region.

There was a new era of glasnost and cross border co-operation between the UK and the federation beginning in 2005. The later détente that survived the floods 2007 lead to the de facto economic and transportation assimilation of the nation later that year.

As of June 2011, Ivan Barbalić and ex-Albanian president Sali Berisha have been negotiation the official separation of Hereford and Worcestershire from the UK. The UK’s Prime Minister, David Cameron had hinted to (according to the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper) Ivan Barbalić that formal recognition would occur in the March of 2012. This was amended when the UK, Turkmenistan and several other nations politically recognised the Federal Republic on January 1st, 2012. The rebel's president, Pieter Richard Smith, is planning not to stand for re-election in 2013 due to ill health.

Historical point of divergence


In this version of the world, the counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire, the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley and the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell became disgruntled and declared UDI from the UK in 1996.

There were 11 major turning points trough out their history which don't go as in our realty.

''
 * 1) A large mass of Carboniferous and Upper Carboniferous era trees grew in a valley, which was later to be home to Worcester several billion years later. They died, rotted and became anthracite coal.
 * 2) Josiah Steven Ball opened a minor coal mine in 1820 by the then town of Worcester.
 * 3) Worcester became rather politically left wing after about 1900 and saw its population grow by about 15%-20% more than it our time line.
 * 4) The Hereford bull that was led down past (our world’s) Whitehall on 6 April 1972, as part of a protest, in which a petition handed in at 10 Downing Street calling for the preservation of Herefordshire, died of a heart attack as the petition was handed over (in their world).
 * 5) Josiah's pit was closed in the run up to the 1984-85 miners’ strike (which ran pretty much was the same as in our reality).
 * 6) The station master at Hagley station was sacked on May 7th 1985, for officially complaining about the BR 3 letter station code reading "HAG". His counterpart at Sandwell and Dudley then resigned in disgust at both the sacking of the Hagley station master and Sandwell and Dudley's BR 3 letter station code reading "SAD"!
 * 7) A local worker tried to challenge the 1989 closure of the Dudley Freightliner Terminal, which was a major local employer, in the high court.
 * 8) The dreaded Poll Tax was tried out in Worcestershire, The Metropolitan Borough of Dudley and Herefordshire (not Scotland, as in our world) in 1989 due to concerns of a voter backlash, a year before the rest of the UK.
 * 9) A statue dedicated to the local Composer Sir Edward Elgar was destroyed in the 1990 Worcester Poll Tax Riot, 6 weeks after the notorious London Poll Tax Riot of our reality.
 * 10) The 1994-1996 Neil Hammitlon v. Mohamed Al-Fayed's cash for questions' scandal had also (wrongly) embroiled (in their reality) the Militant Labour MP for Worcester Josiah Colliery District after he had been falsely accused, by (in their reality) the right wing Conservative MP for Worcester Newfields, of taking cash for questions on behalf of the Ford Motor Company.
 * 11) Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Dudley councils symbolically declared UDI on August 1st, 1996, with Sandwell council joining in a day later. It was planed as a bit of a PR stunt, aimed at highlighting their plight, ''but it accidently became so much more!...

Alternate History




Independence to 1997
See-Alternate History of the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire

After much acrimony and debate Hereford and Worcester council voted on declaring a symbolic week long declaration of UDI starting on August 1st, 1996. They knew the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley agreed with them and would soon join in and that the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell was sure to follow. The Hereford Times and Dudley News had been independently promoting such a protest for the last year or so. Once it was declared the people partied in the streets and Hagley’s BR Station Code was unofficially changed by the rebels from HAG to HGY!

The next day Sandwell joined the rebellion with a unanimous council vote. That night the Croatian ambassador offered his support, shortly followed by his Albanian counterpart. President Franjo Tuđman of Croatia recognized the Federal Republic by a presidential decree on the 3rd of August.

The 'rebel president', Worcester councillor Pieter Smith, told the ambassadors that it was only a week symbolic PR stunt, but neither the Croats or Albanians believed him since they thought the Federal Republic was being bullied by the UK in to folding up. The UK’s government in Whitehall did not believe the 'rebels' either and the Home sectary (interior minister) had outlawed the 'Federal Republic' within 3 days, ordering in the police with army back up if need be. The rebels had got a lot more than they had bargained for as the UDI seemed to become more real life than PR stunt with every passing hour, especially after what would later be called "The Tipton incident" the on August 8th

The 5 months long 'war of independence', starting at the The battle of King's Norton. The reluctant separatists knew it was the only way left open to them. As well as this, both sides sought to crush the localized 9 month rebellion by the Smethwick street-thug come 'warlord' "Hoodlum Johnny" (he was only ever identified by hi street name and his real name is still unknown). In all, 22 battles were fought by the Federal Republic against both sides at this time".

See- The armed forces of the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The borders were fully secured by January 1st, 1997, after the rebel victory at The battle of Dymock, and a long siege of the entire nation then issued. None the less June 6th, 1997 would witness the small border incursion known as The battle of Swan Village.

The defeat of "Hoodlem Johnny" in the April of 1997 at the The battle of Smethwick Galton Bridge railway station lead to Winson Green returning to UK rule and Smethwick joining the Federal Republic.

See-UN Security Council Resolutions on Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire

By the 10th of September, 1997, a American lead resolution on sending UN peace keepers to the UK in an effort to reconcile the UK’s and rebel government’s differences was put forth and the Netherlands, Monaco, Croatia, Albania and Algeria all chose to officially recognise the rebel Hereford and Worcestershire regime the year before.

The Gloucestershire Corridor was arranged for in mid-1999 as a humanitarian link to the outside world. The 2001 UK’s foot and mouth outbreak also hit Herefordshire and Knighton in Powys badly, as in reality.

2003-Today
In an attempt to reconcile their differences, the UK began diplomatic negotiations with Hereford and Worcestershire in the summer of 2003.

There was a new era of glasnost and cross border co-operation between the UK and the federation beginning in 2005. This included the removal of the customs check points at Tewkesbury and Ashchurch Railway Station, the B4080 B-road, the A491, A456, A449 A-roads and the M5 and M41 motorways.

As time passed, military expenditure fell, student exchanges took place and hostilities decline.

See- The 2007 Pan-Federation Flood Disaster

The 2007 United Kingdom floods of July 2007 flooded many areas in and around Ludlow, Sandwell, Ledbury, Tewkesbury, Ashchurch, Bredon, Evesham and Upton-upon-Severn were (as in reality) the most severe in the towns' recorded history. The area around Tewkesbury is a floodplain and thus frequently affected by varying amounts of flooding.

The federal fire and rescue services had been overwhelmed after 2 days. The UK's aid was gladly excepted. This hastened the pace of peace talks between both governments.

The 2007 restoration of Smethwick Galton Bridge railway station and the re-building of the former Galton Bridge was one of was one of the first of the many Anglo-Federal Reconstruction and Reconciliation Programs.

The credit crunch went pretty much as in reality, but the Federal Republic’s ailing currency did pick up due to the lack of major banks, corporate failure and state debt (most of the overseas aid was given by allies free of charge).

The UK, Turkmenistan and several other nations politically recognised the Federal Republic on January 1st, 2012.

Government and politics
{C}{C See- Politics in the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Constituent federal districts
The The Stourbridge and Pedmore question of 2002-03 was a political debacle that lead to the popular division of Dudley in to it's 4 semi-autonomous provinces. At one Point Sedgley had planned to cescied from Dudley and amalgamate it's self in to Seisdon (they were both (as in fact) part of Staffordshire until 1974).
 * The Independent county of Worcestershire (August 1st, 1996)
 * The Independent county of Herefordshire (August 1st, 1996)
 * The Metropolitan Republic of Dudley (August 1st, 1996)
 * The Metropolitan Republic of Sandwell (August 2nd, 1996)
 * Seisdon Sovereign Rural District (August 3rd, 1996)
 * The City state of Edgbaston, Longbridge, Northfield and King's Norton (August 5th, 1996)
 * The Freetown of Hay-on-Wye (September 1st, 1996)
 * The Freetown of Tewkesbury (December 1st, 1996)
 * Ludlow Sovereign Rural District (December 5th, 1996)

National politics
See- The current government ministries of the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The Federal President is elected every 4 years. The Federal General Assembly is elected every 4 years and uses the former (in their reality) Westminster constancies, split in two new constancies, were ever possible. County councillors are elected every 5 years. National political sentiment is generally of a right wing, conservative nature in the countryside and a left wing, socialist stance in urban places. There is a wide spread, but mild nationalist tinge to the politics of the republic. The government is, by necessity of it's small size, in a permanent state of coalition politics.

Voting system
The elections use the first past the post system and are open to nationals over the age of 17.

Foreign relations
Relations were tense, but stable and mutualy respectfull with the UK, Ireland and the EU before the period of D é tente of 2006-2010. Things have improved greatly since.

22 countries have given De jure recognition to Hereford and Worcestershire, 15 countries have given De facto recognition to Hereford and Worcestershire. and 1 countries is negotiating moving De facto to De jure recognition to Hereford and Worcestershire.

See- Terrorists vs. Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire

Religion
58% adhere to the Church of England Christianity, 25% are Secular Humanist non-beavers, 6% follow Sikhism (mostly in Dudley and Lye), 5% believe in Roman Catholic Christianity, 3% are in Hindus (mostly in Dudley), 2% are followers of Islam (primarily in Tipton and Lye) and 1% are deists. Small numbers of Jews, Rastafarians and Buddhists also occur in Dudley and Stourbridge. The 3 Mongolians living in Dymock also worship Ot, who is the Mongolian goddess of marriage.

Literacy
Literacy in English is 99.5% for both genders.

Literacy in Urdu, Kashmiri and Punjabi speakers is at 98.2% for men and 89.4% for women.

75% of Knighton, Chuchstoke, Hey-on Wye are bi-lingual in English and Welsh.

The 3 largest ethnic minority languages are Punjabi (in Dudley), (Kashmiri) in Lye and Urdu (in Tipton).

Life expectancy
Life expectancy is 77 for men and 78 for women of all races.

The infant mortality rate stands at 9.12 deaths per 1,000 live births for all races.

Povaty and jobs
There has been various attempts to rejuvenate both Rowley Regis, Lye, Old Hill and Cradely Health over the years. Worcester, Seisdon, Tewkesbury, Sedgley, Alvechurch and Bromsgrove are the most wealthy places in The Federation.

The unenployment rate has been at roughly 12% since 2008.

The number of homes without central heating and/or a private bathroom is 8.5% (2009).

Economy




Over view
See- Economics in the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire

The economy relies on 5 sources- retail, growing tourism, agriculture, mining and the limited and sporadic output from both the Longbridge car plant and Wednesbury light industrial estate.

Trade

 * The leading market for their goods is the Netherlands, Algeria, Croatia and the C.A.R.


 * Most of their imports are from Venezuela, Algeria, Croatia and the Netherlands.

The détente survived that floods and lead to the de facto economic and transportation assimilation of the nation in 2007. The Mercian Pound was pegged to the £ between 2008 and 2010, but then broke its fiscal linkage and thus was re-floated during the European Economic Crisis of 2010-2012.

Energy
The principal power sources are small oil fired power station near Hereford and 7 wind turbines near Leominster and Worcester. Most people do not have a reliable supply and domestic power cuts are common place due to power shortages.

Telecommunications
The landline phone network is largely functional outside of Smethwick and Coseley. The internet is largely unviable in Smethwick and the countryside, but smart and wap phones can use the mobile phone system except on the rural Welsh borderlands. Mobile phones are now common place.

Satellite TV is not available in Smethwick or Coseley and is of limited availability in the rural Welsh borderlands.

The Minister for telecommunications and the internet is the Liberal Democrat for and the territory of Pleck, Steffi Anne Boyce.

Defence
See- The armed forces of the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The lightly armed forces consist of 24,000 recruits and 25,000 reservists. Most equipment consists of remaining former British and american army supplies augmented with some smuggled in Dutch, Croatian, Albanian and on occasion Bosnian Serb weaponry. Most of it is safely stored in the hidden and mostly subterranean Hay-on-Wye Hill Army Depot, 5km west of Hay-on-Wye.

They took part in 5 month long 1996-1997 war of idipendence, starting at the The battle of King's Norton. The reluctant sepratists knew it was the only way left open to them. As well as this both the rebels and the UK goverment sought to crush the localized 9 month rebelion by the Smethwick steet-thug come 'warlord' "Hoodlem Johnny" (he was only ever identifyed by his street name and his real name is still unknown). In all 22 battles were fought by the Federal Republic against either the UK or "Hoodlem Johnny"

The 2 army 'regiments' were named after the former 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot and 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot in the UK's army. A 15 strong Gurkha presidenial guard named the '25th Gurkha Rifles' (in honer of the former WW 2 colonial unit) was formed on July 1st, 1998.

RAF Madley is under joint UK/Hereford and Worcester control. This was done in exchange for the UK giving the rebels access to the sea via The Gloucestershire Corridor.

The defence and homeland security minister is the Federal Conservative MP for Halesowen, Steve Wells.

The joint cheif staffs is Marshal Philip Martston and his deputy is General Tammy Ajuwe.

National Parks


The local beauty spot and national park is situated in the sub-urban Wyre Forest. The Lickey Hills Country Park, The Clent Hills and Lower Bittell Reservoir are also protected areas. The River Wye at and around Hey on Wye was also decreed to be a national park and local beauty spot in 2002.

Clent Hill are popular for hillwalking and picnicking during the warmer weather. The hill lands are important for the survival wildlife including Fallow Deer and Common Buzzard, plus visiting Ring Ouzel and Common Crossbill.

The closed, but still water filled Wednesbury Old Canal was declared to be a Urban Park and nature reserve in 2010.

Green issues
The high nitrate, ammonia and lead levels in the River Stour are the leading rural environmental concern. The heavy air pollution that is primary created by motor vehicles is of most concern in the urban Wednesbury and Dudley Port districts. These issues were being addressed as of 2010, but not much has happened since due to the global economic crisis.

Droitwich Spa (AKA- Droitwich) is situated on massive deposits of salt that has been extracted there since at least Roman times. The naturally occurring Droitwich brine contains 2½ lbs. of salt per gallon (roughly 10 times stronger than sea water and similar to that of the Dead Sea). Resent small scale salt mining has caused a sharp rise in the salinity of the local River Salwarpe since 2004.

The federal republic has said it will co-operate with and help in force the CITES treaty (AkA-the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention).

The present housing, recycling, environmentalism and employment minister is the Labour MP for West Bromwich south, Rebekah Lease.

The present minister for ethnic minorities, social harmony and flood aviation is the independent MP for Cherchstoke, Llewellyn Gwilym Rees.

Transport


See- Transport in the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire

The former RAF air base come civil airport, RAF Shobdon, continued as such after its repair in 2005. The former air field at the once mothballed RAF Pershore become the nations second light airport in 2010.

Many major roads and motorways cross the region including the B4080 B-road, the A38, A46, A438, A491, A456, A449 A-roads and the M5 and M41 motorways.

A complex network of bus routes that are both interurban and local in nature is also presnt in the Federal Republic.

There are several major railway lines which include the-
 * 1) Stourbridge Town Branch Line
 * 2) Welsh Marches Line
 * 3) Hereford-Dorridge Line
 * 4) Birmingham-Worcester via Kidderminster Line
 * 5) Cotswold Line

The Midland Metro route was competed in 2003, 4 years later than in reality and passes through customs check points at Wednesfield, Swan Village and Dudley, Gunn’s Village.

Several other canal and rail development plans are underway.

See-Railway and canal projects the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire

Tourism and some light freight use the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, the Dudley No. 1 Canal and Stourbridge Canal. The touristic use of canal boats and canoes has become a major event since 2010.

The transport, energy and infrastructure minister is the South Wychavon and Throockmorton MP, (our time line's) Peter James Luff of the Federal Conservatives.

Health
The Hereford County Hospital, Dudley Guest Hospital and Russells Hall Hospital are the republic's leading hospitals.

The incumbent pensions, health and home-help is the independent come UK-Reunionist MP for Ludlow, Ian Lee Fisher.

Education
The University of Worcester was granted university status in May 2006 and is the federation's leading seat of learning.

Kates Hill Primary School and Pedmore Technology College are the leading schools in the nation.

As in reality, on 15th March 1999, Sedgley's Dormston Secondary School made national headlines when more than 40 girls at the school were either sent home or withdrawn from lessons as punishment for wearing inappropriately short skirts.

Since the improvements in relations with the UK several schools have exchanged students for a 2 week stint each year since 2005.
 * Hagley
 * Barnt Green
 * Bloxwich
 * Abbot's Salford
 * Ashchurch
 * Derby
 * Alcester
 * Coventry
 * Derby
 * Wolverhampton
 * Sedgley
 * Cardiff
 * Gornal Wood
 * Hereford

The incumbent colages, trainig and education minister is the independent MP for Seisdon, Billy Hinks.

Media
The local radio stations are Wyvern FM which broadcasted on 97.6FM, Smooth Radio on 105.7 FM and Sunshine Radio 106.2 FM and 954 kHz Am are the 3 privately run national radio stations. The Federal Press Bureau took over the non-evacuated assets and studios of the defunct BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester which started rebroadcasting in the November of 1998 on its old frequency of 94.7FM.

The Worcester News, the Stourbridge, Stourbridge Chronicle, Express & Star, Dudley News, and the Black Country Bugle, and The Hereford Times are the 7 privately held national weekly newspapers.

The Federal Press Bureau also censor out most of the news that is even mildly critical of the president and the Federal General Assembly out of the national media.

10 overseas channels are available in the Federal Republic. The Channels are- the BBC, ITV, Sky News, RTE, Euronews, CNN, UKTV Gold, S4/C, TCM Movies and Sangat TV.

The current Culture, media and sport minister is the Federal Labour MP for West Bromwich East, (OTL) Tom Watson.

Sports
See- Sport in the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The republic possesses several football, cricket and rugby teams. It also has a basketball team and plays host to the National Hunt horse race.

The legal system
See- The legal system in the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire

Murderers, sex predators, rapists, child molesters, traitors and enemy spies are executed with the hangman’s rope. The last execution was of a murderer in 1998. It is due to be abolished, along with school caning in mid-2012. The right to remain silent upon arrest and the right to a loyer have been upheld. The Double Jeopardy rule is under review. Both the UK's West Midlands Police and the Federal Police Force Sandwell Borough Division’s fought it out in a joint operation against the hoodlums during the West Midlands riots of August 2011.

The Minister for the courts, the justice system and prisons is the Federal Conservative for Dudley town, Micheál Pádraig Blaney.

The Minister for incumbent interior, vice and policing is the Federal Conservative for Stourbridge Angela Lucie Benson.

Also see

 * 1) The Gloucestershire Corridor
 * 2) The evacuation of Coseley
 * 3) The Tipton incident
 * 4) The battle of Smethwick Galton Bridge