Dal Riata & Eigg News

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QUEEN TO START PATH FOR EIGG INDEPENDENCE

Queen Aoife II of Eigg is a young monarch. At just 18 years of age she inherited the throne of the Kingdom of Eigg which is part of the Federation of Dál Riata. It stands as the largest of the 16 regions that make up the Federation after the 1798 agreement negotiated by King Lachlan IV to give the Kingdom some special status within Federation Laws. She is a Queen who, unlike many on Mundus, has limited powers that only allow her to appoint judges in the region, set a portion of some taxes, maintain infrastructure and oversee planning permission for construction among other minor duties. Eigg however is, in terms of population, the largest of the 16 regions with a population of 4.7million, the next largest being Campbellside with 4.5million people. This makes the Queen a significant voice within Federation politics, especially as the deeply religious region see's the Queen as a significant member of the religious life of the nation. As a young Queen now having recently celebrated her 20th birthday she is keen to begin taking more of an active role within the future of her Kingdom. With this in mind it is understood that she has recently used her royal privledge to try and arrange significant meetings with monarchs from several nations across Mundus, the identities of whom are yet to be confirmed. The Queen caused a stir however at a recent public appearence in the Federations capital, Dunadd, where the Queen attended a musical performance of choirs wearing pin of the Morrigan's carrying swords. The Morrigans are dieties seen as minor in the pantheon of paganism followed across the Federation however in the Kingdom of Eigg the three women are revered as leading figures and as such they have been in many circles called "The Goddesses of Eigg" they are not however usually paired with swords except by followers of the Eigg Restoration Society (ERS), a self described "Brotherhood" which seeks to maintain and in their words "Revive" Eigg's culture. The Queen was asked about the pin at a press event following the choir's show and stated.

Before anything else I am an Eiggite. I am then a Celt. I want to see my Kingdom and those in it thrive and that is economically, culturally, technologically, any measure that we can. The Morrigan's are our protectors, they are part of what makes us different to any other Celtic nation on Mundus. In Eigg every village has a shrine for them, every child prayers to them. I would be strange if I did not love the three sisters. Yes they are a symbol worn by the ERS and they are a group that I believe have done a fantastic job trying to keep us unique. At University they have arranged several events and I've attended, I'll keep attending. My dream would be to one day, maybe hundreds of years from now, see Eigg an independent nation sitting around two tables. The first is a Celtic table of friendship, a place where we can join with nations that a common thread runs. The second, and maybe more important, is a place on the table of Mundus with a voice that is uniquely mine. The time though is not yet right. We have untapped potential and I'm going to unlock that and set my children, when they arrive, on a path that will see them leading an independent Eigg on day.

The Queen's words saw the media ask Grand Marshall Idris Makgill, the equivalent of the Federation's President say, "Eigg has always enjoyed a special status within the Federation and it should be no surprise they maintain a proud nationalism. Eigg has always been a good partner in the Federation and I trust Queen Aoife to continue that. She is a young lady with a remarkable passion and I look forward to working with her as she grows into her position. Should one day any state within the Federation seek independence we'd have to look at how that would be examined, tested and if needed carried out. I personally would like to see the Federation grow until a day when all Celts can live under a banner united by our common bloodlines."

It is understood however that the Queen has already commissioned experts to look at a way for Eigg to in future send sports teams to international events independent of the Federation.

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FORMER KING'S TRIAL TO BEGIN

Former King of Eigg, Lucian Maitland, will today go on trial in Dunadd. He is charged with three cases of sexual assault, one of which is alleged to have been with a girl under the age of 16. The former monarch is accused of having got a girl who was a few weeks shy of her 16th birthday drunk and then taken advantage of her, meanwhile he is accused of using his royal rank to groom two other young women into sleeping with him. One of the accused, whose identity the media have been banned from revealing, was a classmate of his daughter, Queen Aoife.

In the lead up to the trial Lucian Maitland's defence team have tried to halt the trial by saying that the Federation's court system has no jurisdiction over the Eigg royal family however this was thrown out as a tactic when judges ruled that as he had abdicated he no longer enjoyed royal protection, furthermore Queen Aoife had also voiced her opinion that her father should stand trial. The prosecution have also not ruled out calling the Queen as a witness if required during the trial. If she is it would be the first time the Monarch of Eigg has been involved in a court case. Speaking on the matter the Federation's Minister of Justice Christopher McKee stated, "No one is beyond the law in the Federation. Lucian Maitland is accused of abusing his status and his position. That is as low as it comes if proven. If we require a member of nobility, the royal family of Eigg, even the Grand Marshall of the Federation then we will use that to ensure justice is done."

If found guilty Lucian Maitland could face up to 15 years in jail, however there are rumours that the case may prompt other victims to come forward which could see further cases and a much longer sentence.

The scandal has already seen the marriage between Lucian Maitland and his wife Susanna break down. During that time Aoife was kept under the custody of her father largely because of his position as King. However when further allegations hit and he was forced to abdicate the then 17 year old Aoife became Queen, with her mother as regent unti last year when Queen Aoife took the reigns.

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ROW OVER SCHOOL FUNDING

The Standing Council today passed a new formula for school funding which has lead to the representatives of Eigg calling it a "twisted form of educational discrimination." The new formula awards schools funding based on two criteria. Schools will now receive funding based on how many students they have plus a top up based on the schools catchment areas economic status. Previously schools had received larger sums per student with top ups being less generous. The Grand Marshall, Kenneth Macrae, presented the legislation saying "From time to time it is necessary to look at how we spend our Federations money and see if we can get better value. Education in the Federation see's a situation where those from more disadvantaged backgrounds produce significantly lower results, this then starts a vicious cycle of limiting oppurtunities for employment and then their children go through the same cycle. We need to refund education in a way to boost this."

The measure passed through the Standing Council with ease with only representatives from Eigg voting against. The passing of the new formula prompted Queen Aoife to say. "To the outsider this may seem a fair system however it fails to see the intricacies of Eigg's situation. Our nation has a much higher GDP per capita  than the rest of the Federation. This is largely due to us holding onto our clan based system closer than the others. We have significant wealth tied within the clan system in the form of investments in land, forestry, fishing etc. It also fails to recognise that the majority of our schools in rural areas with tricky public transport links. Our average school size is much much smaller but often its hard to recruit teachers in remote areas. We're in a difficult spot as it is and the schools will now lose funding."  The Queen is said to be exploring ways that she can bolster this spending gap in the coming days.

FORMER KING SENTENCED TO PRISON

Former King of Eigg, Lucian Maitland, has today been found guilty of sexual assault and has been sentenced to 7 years in prison. The father of the current Queen was found not guilty of a further charge of sexual assault on a minor as the jury believed that the girl had convinced the then King that she was 18. He will serve his sentence in the Dunadd Military Prison as the judge presiding the case said, "While it is clear that the defendent is guilty putting him among the general population would risk him being targeted. As is the case we risk assess every prisoner when their sentence is given and believe this is both fair and practical in terms of carrying out the punishment."

Queen Aofie was asked today about the verdict and said merely "The result of the courts deliberations must, as always, be respected."

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POLL SAYS 71% OF EIGGITES SUPPORT INDEPENDENCE

A poll conducted in the Kingdom of Eigg by the regional radio station has revealed that 71% of the public support the idea of independence for the Kingdom. The Poll conducted by Eigg Broadcasting Network (EBN) returned a significant swing towards independence as previous ones had seen a roughly equal result. The result now seems to reinforce the desire of Queen Aoife II to push towards independence. The result though was heavily criticsed by the Federations Grand Marshall Idris Makgill. "While EBN make a fine radio show they are not well known for their political content. They are an entertainment network and the poll was conducted in a way not really conducive to statistical analysis. Furthermore we have no real verification of who was asked. I think therefore we must take the result with a pinch of salt."

The Queen however was confident the result of any referendum would be similar saying, "The people of Eigg are getting tired of being treated as second class partners in the Federation. The last month or so has seen our thriving salmon fishing industry working extremely hard as we reach the best conditions. As always the Eigg Fisheries Institute conducted their surveys and found the fish contained higher trace amounts of pollution. This is because in recent months we have seen restrictions change on water companies treating water before releasing it back into the water course. Dál Riata have an abundance of Lochs and reserviors. We have fewer and industry relies on the river being in good health here. We are effectively being contaminated by the Federation. Add to that the fact they've messed up sending athletes to the Mundus Games. We are pushing to have just an Eigg team in the future to stop such mistakes happening again." The Queen is currently pushing for such a referendum to be carried out and has not ruled out doing one even without official sanction from the Federation.

The Queen also confirmed that a "Minor Nation Tournament" will be taking place with teams from Eigg, Kizad, the Water Nomads and the Odinist Republic of Hygelac taking part. The games will take place at Cappielow and feature a range of sports the Queen said, "The idea is not to replace the Mundus Games or overshadow them. We realise they will not be sanctioned and that if somehow a world record is set it wouldn't be recognised but the idea is that for a variety of reasons the citizens of the four teams involved feel the Mundus Games don't give them a true team to represent. We aim to promote sport, fun and friendship through giving these athletes a chance to compete in something."

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EIGG "REFERENDUM" CAUSES TENSION

Queen Aoife II of Eigg had today confirmed that on Thursday 1st September 2022 citizens of Eigg will have a chance to formally cast their vote in what she has described as an "Independence Referendum". The Eigg Royal Office has been distributing ballot boxes and voting slips across the Kingdom over the last two days with an expected full delivery to have been achieved by the end of the day. The ballot paper features a very simple but controversial question, "Should the Kingdom of Eigg become an independent nation by leaving the Federation of Dál Riata?" with the options being a simple "yes" or "no". The Queen has today issued invitations to several non-state independent media sources to cover the referendum to ensure "that the ballot is a clear representation of the wishes of the people of Eigg and it is conducted in a fair and open way." The fact the ballot boxes and voting papers have been issued so quickly is largely down to the small nature of Eigg, with a population of some 4.7million with around 3.5million being allowed to vote as they are over 18 years of age. Various polls have indicated that around 58-71% of Eiggites wish to gain independence however with around 1.3million Eiggites living spread throughout the rest of the Federation they have often been ignored by pollsters and will not have a vote in the coming "referendum"

The Federation government have refused to acknowledge this as an official ballot as it has not been voted on in the  Federations Standing Council. Grand Marshall Kenneth Macrae has issued a warning that if the "referendum" does go ahead it will face problems, "The Federal government will not recognise this result and anyone taking part in an official capacity as a returning officer, counter or even delivering ballot papers could face serious criminal charges. This is a move designed to cause disruption and disharmony in the Federation. We need to be focusing on working together even closer than we are now rather than splitting away. For any ballot to take place it must have due process in the Standing Council and this is the first we have heard of this ballot. Queen Aoife is walking on very thin ice and needs to step back from taking action that could very well spoil her reign."

Meanwhile the Queen urged her subjects to get out and vote. "Since becoming a teenager I've been fully committed to being behind the cause of independence. Culturally we are similar to the rest of Dal Riata but we are not of their clans. We are unique and while they push an agenda to eliminate the differences between clans, tribes and regions we have no interest. We are followers even of a slightly different religion, the rest of the Federation worship the Eight Gods, who choose Áine to lead them. In that way they have shaped the Federation, a council with an elected leader. Here in Eigg though we respect the seven Gods we know that their leader is The Morrígan, not through voting but by divine right. If the Gods wish us to follow them then the monarchy must have its place and the Federation turned its back on monarchies nearly 250 years ago. We haven't. The people of Eigg need to go out and tell us how they wish to be ruled. If it is from the Federation then I accept that result and I shall retire from public life. If they want independence then I accept that too and vow to the best of my ability to guide Eigg forward as a friend of the Federation not its minion."

Members of the Eigg National Militia, a force of 4,500 soldiers, sailors and airmen, held a series of votes of their own yesterday. 78% of its members voted to change the name of the force to the Royal Militia and adopt a new cap badge including a crown. The Kenridie Highland Regiment voted to finally formally accept the Royal Eigg Standard to parade alongside their own Regimental Colours and thus change their name to the Royal Kenridie Highland Regiment. Each of the forces three Frigates voted to change the name of their vessels. Now the FNS Constantine, Donald and Kenneth, all of which were named after nobles from the Federations history, will now be called HMS Badb, Macha, and Nemain, the three personas of The Morrigan. It is clear that Militia strongly support the notion of independence and we have seen an alleged official internal memo from their commander Field Marshall William McCart that the members should "stand ready to support security of electoral processes" however we have been unable to confirm whether this order has actually been given.

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REFERENDUM EVE CHECKPOINTS

Federal Police have today established checkpoints on every major road entering the Kingdom of Eigg as many speculate the Federal government seek to halt tomorrows referendum. Utilising the Road Traffic Act of 1987 the Police, in many cases supported by Federal military staff, have been stopping cars entering Eigg and in accordance with the act "ensuring those operating a motor vehicle do so in accordance with their issued licence." the Act gives the Police the right to request anyone operating a motor vehicle to present a valid permit on demand. The Act is generally however only used once Police stop the vehicle for another matter, for example a vehicle defect or speeding. It was generally accepted after several harassment cases against the Federal Police in the 1990's that the practice would not be used without an additional reason to stop a vehicle. The move today however seems intent on causing disruption of any Eiggite who is crossing the border. At the Barrowfur Bridge which leads into the Federation one motorist was told by the Police that if Eigg went independent they'd have to have someone checking licences every day leading many to reach the conclusion that this is a last minute attempt at scaring the public into voting against independence.

Tailbacks of around 2 miles were found at some checkpoints with irrate drivers from Eigg voicing that the measure was only more likely to make them vote for independence. We spoke to one driver who said "This is another example of how the Grand Marshall views us as just a small add on to the Federation. We are targeted for police harassment today rather than presenting an argument about why the Federation benefits us we have the Police sent to intimidate us." At one checkpoint 28 year old Duncan Gallows, a 8 year veteran of the Police and an Eiggite, simply began waving cars through with no checks and was publically reprimanded by the Sergeant in charge of the Checkpoint. Mr. Gallows removed his uniform and resigned on the spot stripping down to just his boxer shorts and throwing them at his former colleagues.

At 2pm the Royal Kenridie Highland Regiment crossed the border at Fairmont Bridge utilising their "Brass Right" which is a 1965 established Military Law regarding the nearby Kingallows firing range. The range goes off towards the river which forms the border between Eigg and the Federation and the Regiment are entitled to three times a year cross the border to sweep the area on the Federation side of the river for spent rounds for recycling and environmental clean up. 180 soldiers crossed the border unmolested by the Police and returned three hours later and despite being asked for licences the drivers refused leading to a stand of under which the Military Police confirmed that the Highlanders were exempt while on official duty from the Road Traffic Act of 1987.

With tensions increasing between Cappielow and Dunadd tomorrows referendum is still scheduled to begin at 7am. Polling stations will be open until 6pm with the result expected by 10pm unless recounts are expected. Queen Aoife has urged everyone to get out and vote saying, "My feelings are on record for everyone to see. I believe independence is our best step forward. If you disagree then tomorrow you must say so. I serve my people and as far as I can tell I serve them best pushing for independence. If I am out of touch, if I have been mislead then let me know and I will change our path."

 

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FEDERAL POLICE ATTEMPT TO ARREST RETURNING OFFICERS

As the referendum opened across Eigg today the Federal Police force arrived at polling stations in various locations with warrants to arrest those acting as Returning Officers. With the Grand Marshall of the Federation, Kenneth Macrae, having obtained warrants for their arrest on charges of "Impersonating a Federal Offical" and "Election Fraud" the Federal Police managed to make six arrests at towns and villages close to the border however by the time they reached the capital of Cappielow streets around the Polling Stations had been barricaded by members of the public using industrial size waste bins and parked cars. Riot Police were deployed and attempted to approach two Polling Stations in Cappielow but were meet with a crowd of around 300 youths who refused to let them pass. This resulted in a further 28 arrests and two Police officers were hospitalised.

Eiggite members of the Federal Police resigned en-mass with a total of 128 in Cappielow handing their badges and warrant cards to former colleagues. One was John Stannmuir who said, "The job of the Police should be to keep the peace. Today the only people breaching the peace are the Federal Police. They are causing harassment an alarm by turning up looking like black clad stormtroopers when all anyone wants to do is stand in line and peacefully vote."  Despite the disruption by the Federal Police Eiggites remained peaceful with members of the Eigg Royal Militia acting as observers to the Police actions with video cameras. This did lead to a stand off in Stranburgh where an overzealous Police Officer tried to seize one Militia members camera. The Polling Stations largely stayed open though and by the time they closed at 6pm it was estimated that around 68% of Eiggites eligible to vote had done so. Queen Aoife voted at Swithin School's Polling Station in Cappielow despite Federal Police trying to reach the Station to arrest its Returning Officer. Even once Polling Stations had closed Federal Police attempted to seize ballot boxes as "evidence of Election Fraud and Impersonating Federal Officials." Each ballot box was taken to a regional centre for counting and was escorted by members of the Royal Militia to ensure it was not tampered with. In Bregnall this saw a brief scuffle between Federal Police and members of the Eigg Air Wing acting as escorts. Police retreated from the scene on orders of their Chief Inspector.

Speaking following closing the Polls the Queen of Eigg said, "Today shows the desire we have for our voices to be heard. I do not know whether people have voted for independence or to remain part of the Federation. I am only saddened that around 10% of those eligible to vote have either been prevented from doing so by the Federal Police or their votes now sit in the back of Police vans. I therefore vow that should the result be by a margin of less than 10% we shall re-run the referendum. The Federal Police and Federal Grand Marshall have shown themselves to be bullies and we do not bow down to bullies in Eigg."

As counts are being undertaken several "Watchman" groups have arrived at the centres to ensure the count is not interrupted. Most of these seem to be young people aged between 18-30 and a large number in rural areas were carrying Shotguns. One was Sheamus Fergal who told us, "We've seen the Police act brutally in Cappielow, you don't come to our county and throw your weight around. We'll stand our ground." The Queen appeared on radio shortly after this was reported and said, "I do not want Celt shooting Celt. We're brothers and Sisters and we shall overcome this without a shot being fired." Despite the appeal Sheamus and his comrades were still around the counting centre at 9pm as they awaited the result.

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QUEEN AOIFE ARRESTED

At 10:05pm this evening it was confirmed that Federal Police had arrested Queen Aoife and 16 others during the announcement of the "referendum" result from within Eigg. Members of the Federal Police's Tactical Support Group managed to enter the Guild Hall in Cappielow and placed the 21 year old Queen under arrest for "Election Fraud", "Sedition" and "Inciting Violence", other people in attendance were arrested for assaulting Police officers, criminal damage and similar offences as the Queen.

Head of the Tactical Support Group said, "We had been issued a warrant that gave us permission to arrest Queen Aoife if the results were read out and having managed to secure entrance to the Guild Hall we observed that happening. As such we have placed her under arrest and taken her into custody in Dunadd. She will be interviewed under caution and then if neceessary taken in front of a Federal Judge. While the Queen may have significant power and influence in Eigg she is still a citizen of the Federation and as such not above its laws." Eye witnesses say members of the Eigg Militia were preparing to open fire on the Tactical Support Ground but were ordered to stand down by the Queen who according to one witness "passively resisted by simply becoming a dead weight." Images and video later emerged of six members of the Tactical Support Group carrying the Queen horizontally into a waiting Police car which sped away under an armed escort.

Despite the efforts of the Police and the Tactical Support Group the results were still read out with 61% of the votes cast supporting independence for Eigg. Grand Marshall of the Federation, Kenneth Macrae, said "The supposed referendum proves nothing. Many who wish to remain in the Federation did not recognise the legitimacy of the vote, rightly so, and as such did not vote. Yes 61% voted for independence but in a one sided scenario. We will be ignoring this and ensuring the rabble roousers who have sought to undermine the Federation are prevented from doing so. We now need to move forward to make the Federation stronger for all its members." 

Turnout however was around 66% with a further 10% suspected of being prevented from being permitted or able to cast their vote because of Federal Police action. Thane Rupert Gorman spoke on behalf of the Queen of Eigg and said, "Between stopping people getting back to Eigg to vote, closing voting stations and trying to seize ballot boxes it is clear that the 61% figure would have been much higher had the Federal repression not taken place. We now face a situation where a nation is kept under the yoke of an unwanted master and has seen its sovereign kidnapped on pretence that we must recognise their authority over her. Queen Aoife has urged us to remain peaceful and we shall seek to remain so but the Queen must be released immediately and returned to her Kingdom."

If found guilty of sedition the Queen could face up to 25 years in prison.