| |||
| Capital | no official capital | ||
| Largest city | Carlisle | ||
| Other cities | Keswick, Workington | ||
| Language official |
English (official) | ||
| others | Cumbric | ||
| Procurator | |||
| Area | 3,950 km2 (1,500 sq mi) km² | ||
| Population | 14,000 (Approx.) | ||
| Independence | 2001 | ||
| Currency | Cleveland Pound | ||
The Cumbria Co-Operative was a collective of independent townships based in the northern and eastern parts of the former English County of Cumbria.
In January 2011, the Cooperative split in two, with the southern part seceding under the name Westmorland and Furness Alliance and the northern part - the area known until 1974 as Cumberland - taking the name of the former county. But the new Cumberland Cooperative lasted only six months. On the 11th of March 2011 its people voted to become part of the Duchy of Northumberland, and the Cumberland Co-Operative ceased to exist.
History[]
Pre-Doomsday[]
The English County of Cumbria was formed in 1974 with the unification of the historic counties of Cumberland (in the north) and Westmorland (in the south) as well as the Furness Peninsula (North Lonsdale), an area formally part of Lancashire, and the Rural District of Sedbergh, an area formally part of the West Riding of Yorkshire.
Collapse[]
On doomsday in the south of the county the port of Barrow-in-Furness was hit by a ten-kilotonne tactical nuclear device. Even more damage came from the Sellafield Nuclear Facility, the largest nuclear site in Europe. It was subjected to heavy conventional bombing that induced major meltdowns in all four active reactors and caused great quantities of fuel and waste to leak into the surrounding environment. Sellafield would remain one of the worst post-Doomsday hazards in all of Britain, rivaling or surpassing even the worst-hit cities.
Radioactive material contaminated a long stretch of the Cumbrian coast. Still, the rugged terrain of the Cumbrian Mountains and the Lake District protected the most northerly and inland areas of the county from the worst of the effects. Nevertheless, some wind-borne contamination was inevitable and in the days and weeks after DD, chaos reigned in Cumbria. Law and order collapsed. Police officers abandoned their posts to protect their families, and many fled the area for other parts of England and Scotland perceived to be safer.
In the years after the attacks, much of the area was subjected to threats from roving bands of bandits and former military units, which became known as reavers. To protect themselves some survivors retreated to the main towns and barricaded themselves makeshift walls. Bands made runs out into the wilds to gather food and supplies. Fortified farms were appearing by the late 1980's to make the food supplies more reliable.
By the mid 1990's many of the attacks had diminished and the walled towns began to open up to the surrounding land, surprisingly even after over ten years many of the herds of sheep that had been on the fells were still there, a little wilder but they had actually increased in numbers since the abandonment of the upland farms. By this time, most of the people remaining in the area were giving up hope that the British government would ever be restored.
Forming the Cooperative[]
In 1998 a cooperative was set up from the townships of Workington, Keswick, Maryport and Cockermouth for the sake of mutual defense and better regional administration. In 2000 the townships of Carlisle, Windermere Town, Kendal and Whitehaven joined and in 2001 took the name Cumbria Co-Operative. In 2002 a new flag was introduced using the old county coat of arms, it can be flown over trading stations to show they are official Cumberland Co-Operative businesses.
Outside help came slowly to the region. The Celtic Alliance sponsored a few very rough containment projects in Sellafield from the late 90s, enough to cover the meltdown sites somewhat but not nearly enough to begin decontamination or even survey a full exclusion zone. More direct help came later, from northern England. In 2003 defence forces of the Kingdom of Cleveland began to patrol areas across the Pennine hills. They chased off reavers that had been harassing the township of Carlisle. In 2008 Cleveland provided Keswick, Workington, Maryport and Kendal with electric wind generators.
Tensions with Scotland[]
In the late 2000s, tension was rising along Cumbria's Scottish border. Just as the region was reaching a more settled state, the very young Scottish republic was becoming much more of a threat. Much of the difficulty came from its military: Scotland did not really have one, relying instead on allied militias, many of which had connections to armed factions, largely Unionist, that had been expelled from Northern Ireland. In the late 2000s, a Celtic Alliance military facility at Stranraer had been subjected to increasing attacks.
In late August 2010, reports reached the Procurator's office from the Celtic Alliance of a military build up in Scotland. Militias were gaining direct control of land routes throughout Scotland's southwest, consolidating both the state's claims to the land and their own power. Until then, the Scots had hown no interest in Cumbria; but the CA's warning put the Cooperative on edge.
Cumbria's representatives approached both the Celtic Alliance and the Kingdom of Cleveland for assistance if the Scots tried to invade. The Alliance was unable to lend any support, needing to keep their available forces in Stranraer and also wanting to avoid provoking the Scots. Cleveland, however, committed 500 Territorial Army personnel and 40 heavy horse cavalry, while Northumberland agreed to send a further 100 militia.
By later September the Scottish militias had completed their operation without threatening Cumbria. In early October Northumberland withdrew its troops. Cleveland withdrew its cavalry and 200 TA personnel, leaving 300 TA to set up a secure border and run a telephone line back to Cleveland, and to train up several hundred local volunteers as the newly formed Cumbrian militia.
Partition and Annexation[]
In early 2011 representatives of the southern townships and parishes met with Mary Johnstone, the Procurator of Cumberland at her new offices in Carlisle.The Townships of Kendal, Windermere, Ambleside, Appleby, Kirkby Stephen and their surrounding Parishes wanted to secede from Cumberland and form a separate cooperative. This was agreed. On the 24th January 2011 this southern co-Operative took the name of the Westmorland and Furness Alliance. The rest of the Co-Operative now took the name of Cumberland, the former county that had constituted the northern part of Cumbria county.
The remaining townships changed the name of their cooperative from Cumbria to Cumberland, a better designation for the territory that it now occupied. Compared to the south, the north had a lower population and overall population density despite containing the biggest town, Carlisle. The region was also much more closely tied to Cleveland and Northumberland, especially after the military actions of the past year.
The secession sparked a political crisis and fear that the rump state in Cumberland was no longer viable. Six months later, the Cumberland Co-Operative voted to become part of the Duchy of Northumberland. Cumberland was granted the power to elect two new members of the Northumberland Witan. These elections took take place on the 6th of May and Cumberland became a full part of the Duchy on Monday 9th of May.
Economy[]
The Cumbria region continues to actively trade with southern Scotland, the Alliance nations of Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, and the states of northern England. In 2007 a rail link was established with the Kingdom of Cleveland, and in 2009 a safe overland route was established with the Duchy of Lancaster, supplementing the existing trade by sea.
The main exports of the region are roofing slate and wool.
The main towns are:
- Workington
- Cockermouth
- Maryport
- Carlisle
In 2008 the Cumbria Co-operative began using the Cleveland pound as its currency. After the partition, Westmorland and Furness adopted the Lancastrian pound in 2011. Cumberland is now part of Northumbria and uses the Northumberland pound.
The Cumbria Co-operative, and its successor in Cumberland, never had any centralised government. Each township managed itself separately and included a central town and surrounding area of land. Townships worked with each other to organise trade and build major works such as road systems, irrigation, water supplies and mining.
Many people in the area covered by the Co-operative did not consider themselves part of a country, and many did not wish to become part of the Kingdom of Cleveland or the Celtic Alliance as they saw these large countries as the major cause of wars.
Governmental organisation[]
Cumbria comprised 19 townships and surrounding parishes.
In order to coordinate trade co-operative and also to begin restoring basic utilities such as water, electricity, police, fire protection, health service, road repair and judicial service, there were monthly meetings (or more often if needed) of representatives in Keswick town hall. Each parish sent one representative elected by his or her parish council. Each township sent one representative elected by the citizens. Once every two years a head representative would be elected by his or her fellow representatives, he or she is known as the procurator.
In September 2010 the Procurator Mary Johnstone and leading representatives from the Cumbria Co-Operative approached the Organisation of British Nations with hope of increasing trade links with the members of the OBN with a possible membership application in the future.
In early 2011 the Office of the Procurator and the representatives meeting hall moved from Keswick to purpose built structure in Carlisle.
Many people in the south of Cumbria were unhappy at the move as they saw it as the seat of power moving away from the south, home of the majority of the population centres. Also there were rumours of the Kingdoms of Cleveland and Northumberlamd having too much influence in the north, due mainly to the fact that the new meeting hall was built by a Cleveish building firm and sponsored by the Northumberland Witan. Many citizens in the south were beginning to make links with the Duchy of Lancaster to the south - the south of Cumbria (The Furness Peninsula) was originally part of the historic county of Lancashire.
In January 2011 several parishes and townships separated from the north to become the Westmorland and Furness Alliance.
News[]
18th November 2010
Representatives of the Peebles-based Scottish republic travel across the border with Cumbria to the Procurator's office. They ask for formal discussions for the development of a managed border between Scotland and Cumbria that can better regulate trade between the two nations. The Procurator's office welcomes the peaceful developments between the two nations; however, any change in relations will be taken slowly and carefully.
Initial reports from the Procurator's office are that the Scots would like a demilitarised zone running along the Scotland/England border with five miles either side of the border evacuated of civilians into their respective countries and a border crossing set up on the old M6 at the town of Gretna (all other crossing points will be closed). It is doubtful whether either state has the capacity to enforce such a measure as both southern Scotland and Cumbria are associations of largely independent communities; but the matter will be considered.
7th December 2010
In early 2011 the office of the Procurator will move from Keswick to a purpose-built structure in Carlisle. The building has been partly funded by Cleveland and Northumberland. Many people in Cumbria (particularly the south) are beginning to talk about the Procurator's administration being unduly influenced by the larger states east of the Pennines.
Many people in the south of Cumbria are more in favour of closer links with the Duchy of Lancaster to the south rather than the counties across the Pennines or with members of the OBN or the Celtic Alliance.
19th December 2010
After complaints in the south of Cumbria, the Procurator's office has announced that from 7th February a partially-devolved representative meeting will meet in Appleby's Moot Hall. The meeting will take place one week before the main meeting in Carlisle and be headed by the Deputy Procurator John Morrison. Representatives of Parishes and townships in the old historic counties of Furness and Westmorland will be present at the meeting in Keswick. The Deputy Procurator will bring the results of the meeting to the Carlisle meeting.
8th January 2011
The procurator's office has begun to transfer its operations from Keswick to Carlisle. The office will reopen in Carlisle on the 10th January. A group of citizens held a meeting in Keswick to protest the move to the north, asking why the procurator is leaving the more populated south for an empty north. They are also protesting that the Procurator is becoming too friendly with the countries on the east coast and putting their interests before that of the Cumbrian population.
10th January 2011
On the opening day of the new Procurator's office in Carlisle was greeted with larger protest meetings in Keswick, Appleby and some other southern towns. A large stone was thrown through the main entrance door of the new office building causing the main entrance to be closed before the Procurator opened the building (she had to use a side entrance to get to her office).
14th January 2011
News has reached the Procurator's new office in Carlisle that the Deputy Procurator, John Morrison, has begun to hold meetings at Appleby's Moot Hall. As the Procurator had agreed that the south's devolved meetings should start not earlier than the 7th of February, the Deputy Procurator has been told to report to the new office in Carlisle to give a reason for these meetings. He is expect to arrive in Carlisle on Monday 17th of January.
17th January 2011 Deputy Procurator John Morrison arrives at the Procurators office building in central Carlisle but refuses to go inside, insisting that he meet with the Procurator Mary Johnstone in the open at Carlisle Castle so that the Representatives that have come with him from the south of Cumbria can voice their protests publicly. They claim that Cumbria is effectively becoming a puppet state to Cleveland and Northumberland.
At Carlisle Castle a meeting is held between Procurator Mary Johnston, the Deputy Procurator, and representatives of Kendal, Windermere, Coniston, Ambleside, Appleby, and Kirkby Stephen.
The meeting at the Castle starts amicably but quickly deteriorates once it becomes known that Procurator has invited the envoys from both Cleveland and Northumberland. At one point the Representative of Kendal has to be restrained from attacking the Cleveland ambassador by his fellow representatives.
The meeting lasts over five hours and at the end of it the Procurator is asked to devolve further powers to the representatives of southern Cumbria. This she agrees to in principle pending a future meeting of the full representative assembly. It must be remembered that Cumbria is not governed as a unitary country but as a collection of nearly-independent townships. Per the agreement, the Townships of Kendal, Windermere, Ambleside, Appleby, and Kirkby Stephen, and their surrounding Parishes, will form a new cooperative for southern Cumbria with the Deputy Procurator John Morrison acceding to the title of Procurator.
It is planned for the first meeting of the South Cumbria Co-Operative will take place on the 24th January 2011 at Appleby's Moot Hall.
24th January 2011- Birth of the Westmorland and Furness Alliance
At their first meeting at Appleby Moot Hall, the devolved assembly for southern Cumbria votes almost immediately to fully secede from Cumbria under a new name: the Westmorland and Furness Alliance or WFA. They decide to pursue the issue of access to ports in the Duchy of Lancaster to the south, as access to the ports of Whitehaven, Maryport and Workington are expected to be made difficult by Cumbria's Procurator Mary Johnstone.
26th January 2011
Procurator Mary Johnstone announces that a tariff will be introduced for any WFA goods using Cumbria's ports of Whitehaven, Maryport and Workington.
However the Procurator had not discussed this new tax with the Representatives of the three port townships and all three Representatives declare that it will hit their townships businesses very hard. The Representative of Whitehaven is particularly incensed as the majority of the trade of its port is transporting slate from the mines (which are now in the WFA) to the Celtic Alliance.
The Representatives of Whitehaven, Penrith and Keswick walk out of the Procurator's meeting in protest at her handling of the southern townships' secession. Rumours now swirl that the Representatives of Whitehaven, Penrith and Keswick may also seek to leave the Cumbria Cooperative and join the WFA.
2nd February 2011
The representatives of Penrith and Whitehaven formally ask their towns to initiate votes of secession from the Cumbria Cooperative.
4th February 2011
Following Penrith and Whitehaven announcing plans to leave the Cumbria Cooperative and join the WFA, the representative of Keswick voices support and proposes that her town do the same. Procurator Mary Johnstone calls a meeting with the remaining eight Cumbrian representatives, who reassure her that they have no intention of seceding.
If Penrith, Whitehaven and Keswick leave the Co-Operative, Cumbria will have only 8 townships with their surrounding parishes. They are:
- Carlisle - seat of the Procurators office.
- Workington
- Maryport
- Cockermouth
- Wigton
- Brampton
- Bowness-on-Solway
- Castle Sowerby
21st February 2011
Representatives of five townships have asked for a vote of no confidence in the Procurator after her handling of the collapse of the Cumbria Cooperative and the secession of the Westmorland and Furness Alliance townships. The towns of Penrith, Whitehaven and Keswick postpone plans to secede.
22nd February 2011 - End of Cumbria?
The vote of no confidence against the Procurator Mary Johnstone took place at 1pm. The vote is 9 - no confidence and 1 - confidence. Due to the 9-1 vote the Procurator Mary Johnstone offers her resignation to the representatives, which they accept.
After the resignation of Mary Johnstone the remaining representatives meet to decide the future of the Cumbria Co-Operative. They first approve a change from Cumbria to Cumberland, since the Cooperative now closely reflects the borders of the former county.
Other possibilities are then put forward, including trying to reunite with the WFA, staying independent, and looking to form permanent links with the Duchy of Northumberland. Of the possibilities, joining Northumberland has the most support in the assembly. After discussions with the duchy's envoy in Carlisle, the representatives call a referendum on joining Northumberland. The vote will be held on March 11th 2011. A two-thirds majority vote will give a positive result and Cumberland will join Northumberland.
A message is dispatched to the Northumberland Witan and to each of Cumberland's townships. The decision is likely to be controversial in the more southerly towns of Keswick and Penrith. While the towns are generally favourable toward the Duchy, they may be unwilling to give up their independence.
4th March 2011
One week before the referendum to join the Duchy of Northumberland a poll of voters in the centre of Carlisle showed that out of 327 people asked about how they expected to vote, nearly two thirds (196) would vote 'yes' to joining Northumberland.
11th March 2011
The referendum vote to join the Duchy of Northumberland began at 7am this morning, polling booths will shut at 7pm and the result will be known at sometime during the 12th of March.
12th March 2011, 11am : Referendum results announced in Cumberland.
The results have been announced: of a population 12,000 people in Cumberland and 8,426 people registered to vote, the vote is as follows:
Do you wish for the Cumberland Co-Operative to become part of the Duchy of Northumberland:
- Yes - 5,972
- No - 2,365
- Spoiled ballot papers - 89
The referendum is passed with over 70% of votes coming back Yes it is planned that Cumberland will become part of Northumberland by mid May 2011. The yes vote gained at least a majority in each of the Cooperative's townships, stifling talk of any of them abandoning Cumberland before the unification.
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