Bradley: "The Straits fantasy is out of the question, our politicians will sink us nonetheless"

POLITICO | With nothing but months away from the independence referendum in December, Elissa Camille Bradley has addressed a huge unionist rally of over 30,000 people in the capital city of Nonambar. Her campaign, Let's Stay Together, has become the capital ship of the remain side after merging with former Socialist mayor Gordon Brown's Better Together campaign. Thousands of Hastigan flags, Falleen flags and banners bearing the campaign's slogan: "NO THANKS", littered Liberation Square in Central Nonambar.
"For years our political leaders in the Hastigan Parliament have sold the good people of this country the notion that separation would not be a tragic risk, a step into the dark. They lobbied for the Nonambar Agreement, ironically named considering the only ones who agreed to it were the nationalist Sturgeonites! Over the past years the Home Front has lost popularity, more people turn away from their message of fear, division and hate towards our brothers and sisters across the Empire. The last election the Home Front lose several seats, plummeting to a record low 28% of the votes after dominating Hastigan politics for many years. To them, the Nonambar Agreement was the crown jewel of their history as a party. An "agreement" that would model Hastiga's relation with the rest of the Empire to the current situation in the Straits. An agreement so unfair and one-sided that it could only be established after a bloody revolution and death by Straitian ultranationalists. After the utterly disastrous outcome of the Straits' dominionship, that continuously defy and alienate themselves from the rest of the Empire, that at some point even threatened war against Falleentium, against us as Hastigans, it was clear that such a model was simply not workable for an Empire which sought to protect the interests of all it's citizens. This was made clear last week by Darparian Prime Minister Alun Michael, a left-wing politician and for decades an ally of our progressive values as Hastigans. Prime Minister Michael ruled out any notion of passing the Nonambar Agreement through parliament, it being a crooked deal that was not fair, not fair for the rest of the Empire, and not fair for Hastiga. 
Chancellor Carney was dealt a fatal blow to his plans for the future of Hastiga. The rabbithole by which he wished to escape the Empire and convince hardworking people that separation would not pose as much of a threat as their opponents claimed. The Nonambar Agreement maintained our membership of the Empire outside the Federation, a nice compromise for those on the fence. Because of this, the Emperor was maintained as a Head of State. The Agreement further consolidated Hastigan access to Falleen markets, and as a member of the Empire, it's membership to the Nilira Alliance and all security and trade benefits attached to it. The Agreement maintained freedom of labour, services and capital with the rest of the Empire, guaranteeing the rights of Hastigans who live in the Empire, whether they were working or studying anywhere in Falleentium. This Agreement effectively let the nationalists cherry-pick all the good sides of Falleentium, while rejecting those they didn't like such as collective taxation, collective military structure, collective legislative authority, etc. This Agreement is abusive towards the rest of the Empire, and this is something the other states realise and fervently refuse to agree to, on the simple basis that doing so would be detrimental to THEIR citizens.
Now that the Agreement is off the table? What is left? How can Mr. Carney justify separation without the slightest idea of how to secure jobs, pensions, trade relations, our security and so much more? This is not a referendum on whether Hastiga should become a cosy dominion of the Empire, this notion has been duly rejected. This is a referendum on FULL INDEPENDENCE from the Empire and the uncountable risks attached to it. I shall tell you what is left: Our stubborn and vain political leaders shall make this situation into a political point. That whatever the risks, whatever the loss, whatever may happen --- separation must somehow compensate for this. That regardless of how many jobs are lost due to loss of trade with our major trading partners in the Empire and the Nilira Alliance, separation is still worth it. That regardless of how less secure we shall be without membership of the Empire and the Nilira Alliance, with rising tensions to the east and west, separation is still worth it. That regardless of the collapse of our economy due to uncertainty, instability and flight of capital and investment due to lack of confidence in the reliability of an isolated Hastiga, separation is still worth it. That regardless of the plummeting of the standard of living we enjoy by forfeiting the economic vibrance that being part of the largest economy and the largest market gives us, separation is still worth it. The Straits fantasy is out of the question, our politicians will sink us nonetheless, because to the separation is still worth more than the lives of regular people. Because it is not the politicians, the corporatists or those with power that suffer when the nation suffers. No, quite the opposite, they rejoice in the weakness of our institutions to make a profit. The greatest victim of Hastigan separation shall be the regular hardworking people who keep our country moving. It will be the craftsman who will have to take an extra job to keep bread on the table. It will be the nurse who shall see her wage cut to "balance the books". It will be YOU, who will pay the price if Mr. Carney and his cronies get his ways. Reject division, reject separation, reject economic suicide, vote remain."
Category:The Imperial Constitution