By Anthony Webber

Further to the report on this in various BOT media, including Caribbean News Now and Cayman Island News, this is an update:

If the BOT’s and CD’s had UK Parliamentary representation, the Cayman Islands, with a population of approx. 61,000, would be likely to qualify for an MP in its own right, as this is in line with average constituency sizes in the UK.

Based on population sizes ( with some flexibility allowed ), with a total of approximately 250,000 for the total of the BOT’s, the number of BOT MP’s would be about five, with a further three/five for the CD’s ( population of 250,000 also).

The total number of UK MP’s is 650, made up of 533 English, 59 Scottish, 40 Welsh and 18 Northern Ireland MP’s. There would be a further eight to ten BOT/CD MP’s with this proposal.

The average constituency size in England is 72,400, for Scotland 69,000, for Northern Ireland 66,800 and for Wales 56,800.

Gibraltar has an MEP, why not an MP, now Brexit is proceeding, and why not for all British Territories…the idea has been taken forward by a prominent UK MP…..
( The Falklands would probably have to share an MP with some other territories, but a logical constituency could be the Falklands, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territories, and the St. Helena islands group )

For the Editorial News Team, Report on speech by Andrew Rosindell, MP, last week:

An influential Tory MP has said that increased devolution powers to the Home countries has made lack of Westminster representation for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories a great unfairness.
It was time, he said, to end the outdated system of treating them like Colonies.

Speaking at the annual reception of the Friends of the British Overseas Territories
( FOTBOT) in London on 19th July, Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell, spoke about the progress of the organisation and the political changes which needed to be considered for the future of the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies ( a total of 17 jurisdictions all over the world).

Andrew Rosindell is MP for Romford and is recognised and respected as the main UK Parliamentary supporter of the fourteen British Overseas Territories and the three British Crown Dependencies. He holds several key positions in UK All party Parliamentary Groups, including Chairman of that for UK Overseas Territories, for the Channel Islands and also for the Isle of Man ( Manx) ones. He is also a Member or Vice Chairman of many others.
His knowledge of the British Overseas Territories ( BOT’s) and Crown Dependencies ( CD’s) is extensive, having visited most of them and met many of their politicians and citizens.

In 2012 he proposed that the CD’s and BOT’s should be represented in the UK Parliament, like Dependencies of Australia, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and others, are in their national Parliaments.
He further expanded on his proposal at last week’s reception held by FOTBOT, at which the former Director of Gibraltar House in London, Albert Poggio, also spoke.

Andrew Rosindell said that the increased powers given to devolved administrations in the UK, particularly in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, had further changed the political landscape, and made it more necessary to ensure all members of the British family were treated equally in terms of democratic representation.

He said in was unfair for those of the British family living in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have full representation at Westminster, but those of the British family living in the BOT’s and CD’s to have absolutely none.
It was, he said, an outdated type of colonialism, to perpetuate this unfairness, and there was an urgent need to review the issue of achieving such overdue representation.

It was wrong he said, for the BOT’s and CD’s to have no say on crucial matters such as Foreign Affairs and Defence, and indeed to not be able to speak up on their own jurisdictional interests in the national Parliament.

He went further to state that many politicians in the BOT’s and CD’s were of exceptional calibre, well able to be excellent Parliamentarians and a credit to their constituents. There was no reason, he said, why they should not hold Ministerial office in a future UK government, particularly when coalition type government was not uncommon. He also said that such MP’s should be in a position to vote on and influence who would be the Prime Minister, which was also important because Prime Ministers often engage in international negotiations which affect the future of the various individual British jurisdictions.

He re-iterated that having UK Parliamentary representation, would not affect in any way the autonomy and decision making of the BOT’s and CD’s, that their status would not change, and they would simply be given representational rights they should have had a long time ago.
He pointed out that having Parliamentary representation would solidify the British family status of the BOT’s and CD’s and help ward off any claims on their sovereignty by other countries.
He said he preferred the Danish type system for the BOT’s and CD’s, where Greenland and the Faroes were autonomous and not part of Denmark, but entitled to send representatives to the Danish Parliament.
This was in contrast to the French system, where most Overseas Territories are considered to be part of France.
He added that whilst the process of achieving House of Commons representation for the BOT’s and CD’s could not happen immediately, there was no reason why they could not have Members of the House of Lords straight away, having the same rights as others in the British family.
His proposals were warmly applauded by those attending, which included citizens from many of the BOT’s and CD’s.
Albert Poggio from Gibraltar, agreed the ideas should be considered, even though he was not as enthusiastic for them as Andrew Rosindell.
However, his open mindedness was welcome because it is seen that many in political and public service in the BOT’s and CD’s have wrongly believed their own authority and influence could be diminished if such Parliamentary representation comes about. It is therefore important that the UK government takes the lead in bringing about this proposed improvement in democracy and does not allow it to be stalled in any way.

If this is simply put to the individual British jurisdiction governments for their consideration, it is unlikely to progress.
It is something the British government should state they are going to do and they should get on with it. There could be referendums on the subject but should people be asked about being give the same rights as other British citizens ? No, the British government has a duty to just get on with it, in line with their overall responsibilities for good governance in the BOT’s and CD’s.

END

FURTHER EXPANATORY FOOTNOTE:

The annual FOTBOT reception and meeting was held at the Farmers Club, Whitehall Court, London.
The three Crown Dependencies are Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man
(Guernsey Bailiwick includes Guernsey and the Islands of Alderney, Sark, Brecqhou, Herm, Jethou and Lihou)
The fourteen British Overseas Territories are:
Anguilla
Bermuda
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar
Montserrat
Pitcairn Islands
Saint Helena including Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands

The combined populations of the BOT’are approximately 250,000 people in any area of 667,018 square miles (although 660,00 square miles are in the British Antarctic Territory )
The combined populations of the CD’s are approximately 251,000 people in an area of approximately 297 square miles.

IMAGES:
Photo attached of Anthony Webber with Andrew Rosindell, MP, and Albert Poggio from Gibraltar

From Anthony Webber
Political Commentator
Elected Member of Guernsey Parliament, 1991-2004
Member of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
Member of FOTBOT ( For British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies)