UK bill proposes elected MPs to represent Overseas Territories in UK parliament
The draft legislation, which is entitled Representation of the People, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories Bill, was submitted to the UK Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson aka ‘Boris’ earlier this year and if passed by the UK Parliament would see a total of nine MPs from the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies being sent to sit in the House of Commons.
The bill was drafted by UK MPs John d. Penrose and Andrew R. Rosindell as well as a member of the Friends of the British Overseas Territories (FOTBOT) and former member of the States of Guernsey, Anthony Webber, who have been pushing the UK Parliament to give a voice to the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies who currently have no official representation in parliament which has ultimate power to legislate on their behalf, sometimes against their will.
Follow examples of France & Denmark- Webber to UK
Mr Webber has called for the UK to follow the example of countries such as France and Denmark, which allow members from their overseas dependent territories, even the most far flung, to sit in their national parliaments.
Mr Webber told Express.co.uk in February that "The UK is the only country in the world which does not provide UK Parliamentary representation for its dependent territories."
He also suggested that legislation could be passed to bring his proposals into effect before the next UK general election.
Six MPs for OTs proposed
The proposed bill calls for six MPs from the Overseas Territories, one for Gibraltar, including the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, and the British Indian Ocean Territory; one for St Helena and the Falkland Islands, including the UK’s southern Atlantic islands and Pitcairn in the Pacific and one for the [British] Virgin Islands, Anguilla and Montserrat; a single MP for the Cayman Islands, another for the Turks and Caicos Islands and one MP to represent Bermuda.
The proposal also calls for three MPs to represent the Crown Dependency islands of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man respectively, bringing a grand total of 9 MPs for the Territories and Crown Dependencies.
Elections of MPs will coincide with UK elections
The bill states that each of the 9 territories will be considered as a UK constituency and eligible voters from each island will vote for their MP at the same time of a UK general election, with the cost of the elections to be covered by the UK which would also pay for the salaries of the nine MPs.
Proponents of this bill stress that each of the MPS would have the same voting rights in the House of Commons just as any other British MP and that the election of these new MPs would not interfere with the current relationship between the UK and its Territories who would see no change to their constitutional status.
One stipulation in the proposed bill that could spark debate is who can vote for an MP to Westminster.
The Bill allows for any British or Commonwealth Citizen residing in the overseas territories the right to run for the office of MP to Westminster.
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15 Responses to “UK bill proposes elected MPs to represent Overseas Territories in UK parliament”
Our members have no discipline
Actual representation in the House of Commons, eh?
We are in need of such representation. Especially, during these times of global economic turmoil!
It is a win-win for us here in these UK Virgin Islands!
We should watch out for the danger of further integration with the UK and its tax system. That would kill us off at some speed.
Question? Can we choose any of the options laid out by the UN without first going independent?
Unfortunately most people think BVI is a crappy little backwater somewhere with nothing to offer but money laundering. Of course that’s not the complete picture. No doubt the beneficial ownership registers issue could have been handled better had we had competent representation over there both from here as well as from the government of the time. Even those (lunatics and crooks) who want near term independence should see we would have a better chance of achieving it with greater exposure over there.
WHEN earlier this year? Where can we view the Draft bill? At what stage of the process is it? Has it been before the House of Lords? Why is nothing more recent than the 2007-2008 version available to view at the UK Parliament website? Why does it feel like this is the first time we are hearing about this here?
2. "The bill states that each of the 9 territories will be considered as a UK constituency and eligible voters from each island will vote for their MP at the same time of a UK general election."
Will 'eligible voters from each island' be streamlined to meet the eligibility requirements for UK elections, especially given that there may be differences within each grouping? The last line of this article, "The Bill allows for any British or Commonwealth Citizen residing in the overseas territories the right to run for the office of MP to Westminster" suggests exactly this... Clarification would be welcome.
3. "One stipulation in the proposed bill that could spark debate is who can vote for an MP to Westminster."
Would it be possible to view the bill in full and to know what stage of the assent process it is currently at?