New Sunrise was a long-term plan developed by the Coalition Government between 2034 and 2036. It was publicly released in January of 2037 and gained huge coverage both nationally and internationally.
Initially, the plan encountered criticism. This was led by several countries that were still pushing for a return to international cooperation. The United Kingdom had been the last major economy to call out for international cooperation but as other powerful countries became more insular the UK followed, isolating itself from much of the international community. This was a final blow for those who hoped for cooperation.
On the other hand, those countries whose governments had already taken the isolationist route saw it as something they too could strive for. Although there was no public comment on whether they thought it would be a success, behind closed doors they tried to recreate their own version of the plan.
New Sunrise was the first long-term inter-party plan the British Government had ever created that covered many key services in the country. It was ambitious and was designed to stand the test of time. Factoring for future changes such as, population growth, the potential of new technology, trade and transport requirements the plan was more akin to how Victorian era Britain would look forward, a skill lost in more recent decades.
New Sunrise was a multi-pronged approach to improving the UK across almost all sectors. It was to be coordinated in two simultaneous parts, Phase 1 and Phase 2. Phase 1 sectors were considered the most critical, areas that would need immediate action and be most costly. Phase 2 sectors were considered to be necessary, but complementary to those of Phase 1.
Phase 1 Projects
Health and Social Care was a key aspect of the New Sunrise plan. Life expectancy had been slowly decreasing over the previous few years and the social care sector had been neglected, causing a great strain on hospitals in the NHS. The plan was to reverse this downtrend and create an NHS that would rival any other healthcare system on the planet.
Education was always a core aspect of government agenda with many governments putting through reforms and changing those previous governments had made. New Sunrise was designed to increase funding to education and give more power back to institutions to take control.
Climate Change was and is the greatest global challenge to overcome. Many countries were too stubborn to admit climate change was a significant issue or even existed. The UK wanted to seize the opportunity to help reverse its effects but also to get ahead of the curve in renewable energy and technology related to the sector.
Defence is another area that had been in steady decline. If the UK was to defend itself and its interests in the newly divided world it would need to invest and innovate in the defence and military sectors. New Sunrise would fund new naval ships and weaponry, more automated, drone and robot technology, as well as a significant investment in space related weaponry and exploration for resources.
Phase 2 projects
Infrastructure improvements and projects would be a by-product of Phase 1, but they would also be key stand-alone projects to help the UK develop, grow and increase its capacity for future trade and transportation.
Technology Investment was to be a major feature of the New Sunrise plan. To prevent external investment and take-overs of UK businesses the Government would run a heavy investment program for start-ups and new technologies. It was hoped this would keep advanced UK technology in the country.
Sunsets on Britannia 