Politics in the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Mercia- UDI 1995)

Government and politics
See:



The Nation's political sentiment is generaly of a right wing, conservative nature in the countryside and a left wing, socialist stance in urban places. The Welsh Valleys are largely left wing and working class by nature. There is a wide spread, but mild nationalist tinge to the politics of the republic. Voting in the former Welsh SSR was delayed until September 1997 for security reasons.

The turnout at elections is on average somewhere in the region of 75-85% of the electorate.

The Treaty of Merthyr Tydfil
The 1997 act of Federal-Welsh Union was finalised in the August of 1997, by the singing.

The Stourbridge and Pedmore question
The of 2002-03 was a political debacle that lead to the popular division of Dudley into its 4 semi-autonomous provinces. At one Point Sedgley had planned to secede from Dudley and amalgamate itself into Seisdon (they were both (as in fact) part of Staffordshire until 1974).

The Kidderminster Hospital Affair
See:

Dr. Richard Taylor would prove as influential in the ATL world as in the OTL world, not only saving the casualty unit at Kidderminster Hospital, but also in getting Cwmbrân Children’s Hospital opened in the early 2000's.

Voting system and age
The elections use the first past the post system, with a lead pencil cross placed secretly on a sheet of paper, by the chosen candidate's name. The elections are open to nationals over the age of 17.

Offical secrets
The UK's Official Secrets Act of 1911 was the main basis for the Federal Republic's Official Secrets Act of 1998.

Peerages
There is no honors system in the Federal Republic and all existing peerages are now rendered only of symbolic value. Toffs are fairly rare and the goverment has no honors list system either.

The constituent Federal Districts


The Independent county of Worcestershire

(August 1st, 1995)

Ludlow Sovereign Rural District

(December 5th, 1995)

The Independent county of Herefordshire

(August 1st, 1995)

The Freetown of Hay-on-Wye

(September 1st, 1995)

Radnorshire County Council 

(May 1st 1996)
 * The Autonomous Rural Cantref of Llandrindod Wells-Llanelwedd
 * The Autonomous Cantref of Rhayader-Cwmdauddwr

The Metropolitan Republic of Sandwell

(August 2nd, 1995)

The Metropolitan Republic of Dudley

(August 1st, 1995)

The Metropolitan Soviet of Blaenau Gwent 

(March 1st, 1997)
 * 1) The Autonamuse Metropolitan Soviet of Blaenau Gwent
 * 2) The Autonamuse Metropolitan Republic of Islwyn

The City state of Edgbaston, Longbridge, Northfield and King's Norton

(August 5th, 1995)

The Metropolitan Soviet of South Welsh Valleys

(August 1st, 1997)

The United Metropolitan Socialist Republic of Torfaen
 * 1) The Metropolitan Soviet of Merthyr Tydfil
 * 2) The Metropolitan Soviet of Caerphilly and the Rhymney Valley
 * 3) The Metropolitan Soviet of Rhondda Cynon Taf
 * 4) The Autonomous Metropolitan Republic of Ogmore, Glynneath and Banwen
 * 5) The Autonomous Metropolitan Soviet of Maesteg and Tondu


 * (August 1st, 1997)
 * (August 2nd, 1997)


 * (August 1st, 1996 as part of Worcestershire, but self governing on May 1st 1996)
 * (December 1st, 1995)
 * (August 3rd, 1995)
 * (March 1st, 1997)
 * (March 1st, 1996)
 * (September 1st, 1995)
 * (November 1st, 1997)

The Federal President
The Federal President is elected every 4 years. The rebel's president, Pieter Richard Smith, is planning not to stand for re-election in 2013 due to ill health. He is taking sulfadiazine, corticosteroids and Salicylates due to several years of rheumatic heart disease.

The leader of the house (PM) serves as a sucessor to the governorship if the president dies in office, becomes permanently incapacitated, resigns, is legaly removed from office or is formaly impeached.

National politics
is elected every 4 years and uses the former (in thier reality) Westminster constuancies, split in two new constuancies, were ever posible. The goverment is, by nessesity of it's small size, in a perminant state of coalition polatics. The goverment has managed to remain stabe due to the coheasive nature of national sentiment.

Local and regonal politics
See: All parish councils were abolished in the Welsh SSR, Shifnal and Codsall, and the Federal Republic in favour of unity and 2 tier local governments. This policy has continued all the territories of the Federal Republic after it became fully integrated in 1997. The former Worcester Town council has now become the Worcester Capital Territory in 1997 and thus a county and (arfter much lobbying) Federal District in its own right. Counties are subordinate to Federal Districts.

The Counties are similar to the UK's (OTL) unitry authraties, but also controle parish county type affairs. The Federal Districts have powers similar to those of the (OTL- 2010) Scottish Assembly. The Federal District Members are County Councillors are elected every 5 years.

The county and borough coucils are known as autonomous rural district, circels, cantref, autonomous county, autonomous metropolitan republic and autonomous urban district councils. The regonal councils are called Federal Distrcts.

Foreign relations
See:

Relations were tense, but stable and mutually respectfull with the UK, Ireland and the EU before the period of Détente of 2006-2010. Things have improved greatly since. UK, Turkmenistan and several other nations politicaly reconised the Federal Republic on January 1st, 2012. 24 countries have given De jure recognition to Hereford and Worcestershire.
 * 1) (1995)
 * 2) The DRC (1999)
 * 3) The CAR(1999)
 * 4) The R. of Congo(1999)
 * 5) Zimbabwe(1999)
 * 6) The TNC (1997)
 * 7) Albania (1995)
 * 8) Croatia (1995)
 * 9) The Netherlands (1995)
 * 10) Serpska (1997)
 * 11) Serbia (1997)
 * 12) Haiti (1998)
 * 13) Monaco (1995)
 * 14) Algeria (1995)
 * 15) Palestine (1997)
 * 16) Thailand (January 1st, 2012)
 * 17) UK (January 1st, 2012)
 * 18) Libya (January 1st, 2012)
 * 19) Turkmenistan (January 1st, 2012)
 * 20) Puntland (January 1st, 2012)
 * 21) Narau (January 1st, 2012)
 * 22) Latvia (January 6th, 2012)
 * 23) Guatamala (January 6th, 2012)
 * 24) Kosovo (Febuary 13th, 2012)
 * 25) Austria (Febuary 13th, 2012)
 * 26) Egypt (May 1, 2012)
 * 27) N.Sudan (May 1, 2012)
 * 28) S. Sudanm (May 2, 2012)
 * 29) Romania (May 2, 2012)
 * 30) Jordan (May 3, 2012)

Planned De jure recognition.
 * 1) The Vatican
 * 2) The Syrian opposition
 * 3) Vanutu

1 countries are negotiating moving De facto to De jure recognition to Hereford and Worcestershire.
 * 1) Venezuela (1999)

20 countries have given De facto recognition to Hereford and Worcestershire.
 * 1) Cuba (1995)
 * 2) Azerbaijan (January 1st, 2012)
 * 3) North Korea (1997)
 * 4) Angola (1999)
 * 5) East Timor (2008)
 * 6) Peru (1998)
 * 7) Chad (January 1st, 2012)
 * 8) Fiji (January 1st, 2012)
 * 9) Benin (January 1st, 2012)
 * 10) Togo (January 1st, 2012)
 * 11) Andorra (January 1st, 2012)
 * 12) Nicaragua (January 6th, 2012)
 * 13) Mongolia (January 6th, 2012)
 * 14) Estonia (January 6th, 2012)
 * 15) Lithuania (January 6th, 2012)
 * 16) Byeloruss (January 6th, 2012)
 * 17) Zambia (January 24th, 2012)
 * 18) Uzbekistan (Febuary 13th, 2012)
 * 19) France (May 9, 2012)
 * 20) Belgium (May 9, 2012)

Planned De facto recognition.
 * 1) North Sudan
 * 2) South Sudan
 * 3) Grenada
 * 4) Nicaragua
 * 5) Egypt
 * 6) Somaliland
 * 7) Vietnam
 * 8) Japan
 * 9) Bosnia

The Reuters- 1/1/12~02.00.05. telex
Reuters- 1/1/12~02.00.05.

Latest news-

De facto Political recognition has arrived from Chad, Togo, Andorra, Azerbijan, Fiji and Benin.

De Jure political recognition has arrived from Turkmenistan, Puntland, Libya and Nauru.

Both Thailand and the UK have upgraded their recognition from De facto to De jure.

Japan and Bosnia have initiated parliamentary debates, which are scheduled for February the 1st and 5th respectively on giving Hereford and Worcestershire De facto recognition.

Turkmenistan and Hereford and Worcestershire will swap ambassadors on February 3rd, 2012.

A Boko Moran’s bomb attack in Joss has killed 1 UK and 1 Hereford and Worcestershire national. 2 Nigerians are also badly injured.

End of Telex.

Hostile nations
Relations are appallingly bad with Central Somalia, Asdadite Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Germany, France and Russia.

Relations are still poor with Canada, Nigeria, Australia, Kenya, Myamar, New Zealand, Turkey, Kuwait, Israel, America, India, China and Ukraine.

Somalia
See: 

Relations inproved with Central Somalia's goverment, but not the Islamic Courts regime. Relations are apaulingly bad with Habyo, but rival Puntland is a alie of Hereford and Worcestershire.

Foreign issues
See: 

The Canadian annual seal cull (by clubbing), Australia's draconian views on immigration, Syria's response to the Arab Spring, Somalia's piracy craze, the arrest of Yuliya Tymoshenko and the increasingly authoritarian government Vladimir Putin have all alienated the rebel regime that is in charge of Hereford and Worcestershire. Relations with the Kuwait and New Zealand, Kenya, Turkey and Ireland are steadily improving, now the Détente with the UK has become virtually unstoppable.

Terrorism
See: 

Hamas (Arabic: حماس‎ Ḥamās, "enthusiasm", an acronym of حركة المقاومة الاسلامية Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamah al-ʾIslāmiyyah, "Islamic Resistance Movement") is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. a Hereford and Worcestershire regards it as a terrorist regime. The Government only recognizes Fata’s rule in Palestine.