The Prince of Wales hosted a special lunch for Speakers from the UK House of Commons and the British Overseas Territories at Clarence House. 

The group, which included Sir Lindsay Hoyle and his counterparts from Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands, and a representative from Gibraltar –  spent time chatting with His Royal Highness and toured the gardens during the two-hour visit.

The Overseas Territories contingent are in London taking part in their inaugural Speaker-led conference, instigated by Sir Lindsay.  

A range of topics are being discussed at the three-day event, with a focus on how the British Overseas Territories can get their voices heard in the UK Parliament. 

Speaker Charliena White is hopeful the gathering will draw attention to the plight of her island of Montserrat after two thirds of its land mass and the country’s Parliament was destroyed by volcanic eruptions between 1995 and 1997. 

‘Without a Parliament we are having to meet in a theatre, but the lighting is poor so often I have to use the flashlight on my phone to read documents,’ she said. 

‘We don’t have security and we have anything from iguanas wandering in, to people also wanting to use the building, and even one person who came in upset and started shouting.’ 

Sir Lindsay said the visit to Clarence House had been a highlight of the conference, which he hopes will become an annual fixture for the British Overseas Territories. 

‘We are ever so grateful to HRH The Prince of Wales for inviting us to lunch, as I know he is particularly keen to engage with the Overseas Territories and to make them feel welcome,’ he said. 

‘From my perspective, the OTs have been overlooked for too long, yet many of the decisions we make here in the UK have a huge impact on their futures. 

‘They are important to me – they are part of our United Kingdom family – and I want to provide them with a platform on which to speak, to air their concerns, to share experiences and to enable us to learn from each other. 

‘After all, there is a Commonwealth Speakers’ Conference, a G7 Speakers’ Conference – so why not a British Overseas Territories Conference?’ 

Notes:  

 Sir Lindsay Hoyle aims to use his Speakership to give a voice to the 14 British Overseas Territories, which are located from the Pitcairn Islands in the Southern Pacific Ocean to the British Indian Ocean Territory almost 10,000 miles away.  

Last summer he held an inaugural virtual meeting of the Commons and Overseas Territories Speakers’ Conference with a pledge to host a face-to-face conference as soon as it was possible.  

 A Joint Ministerial Council is already in existence to promote security and good governance of the British Overseas Territories and their sustainable economic and social development.   

Speakers attending the conference include:  

Hon Barbara Webster-Bourne – Speaker of the Anguilla House of Assembly  

Hon Dennis P. Lister JP, MP –Speaker of the House of Assembly, Bermuda  

Dr Hon W. McKeeva Bush, JP, MSc, MP – Speaker of the Cayman Islands Parliament  

Hon Charliena White – Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Montserrat  

Hon Cyril Gunnell – Speaker of the St Helena Legislative Council  

Hon Gordon Burton – Speaker of the House of Assembly, Turks and Caicos Islands  

Hon Steven E. Linares, CEd (Hons), LLB (Hons), BVC – Minister for Housing, Employment, Youth and Sport, Gibraltar.  

Clerks, staff, and representatives from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association are also joining the conference.