2031 The Special Relationship Ends: 2021

As the economic fallout from COVID-19 drags on, insularisation is the go-to term for governments. Refusing to honour overseas energy contracts, one leader sums it up: ‘If the pandemic taught us anything, it was to pull the ladder up early.’ Aspiring politicians have to play the nationalist card or be a distant memory. It is no surprise, in November 2028, when a Trump clone sweeps to power. John Harris promises to put America first, and put the us back in the USA. While Russia and Islamic countries are in his sights, he reserves his main criticism for the “sneaky Chinese” whom he claims have stolen America’s technology and jobs. A month after Harris’s inauguration, billionaire Peter Smith establishes a new party to contest the 2030 British election. He plans to run the UK like a business, enter new trade deals with China, and heal old wounds with countries the UK once stood against, shoulder to shoulder with America. When Smith announces he will withdraw Britain from NATO and Aukus, hardliners close to Harris plot to assassinate him before the election. In April 2030, the British secret service foils a CIA-sponsored attempt on Smith’s life. A month later, he becomes prime minister with the largest majority in British history. As details of the assassination plot leak, the two leaders’ ongoing dispute takes centre stage. Within months, there are few countries that haven’t supported Britain’s stance. NATO starts to crack, and Harris looks to former Soviet countries to build a new alliance. China’s President Huang and the general who built the People’s Liberation Army to be the world’s foremost military power use the rift between the old allies to achieve Mao’s ultimate goal. For decades, world events have been the touchpaper for violence in the Middle East. In October 2031, a devastating attack on Israel leads to a conflict that will redefine the political world map. This is 2031 ...