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Falklands’ active participation at forum on democracy and transparency
Making the democratic process more clear and transparent and parliamentary reform were among the main issues debated at the 57th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference CPA, held last week in London and where the Falklands were represented by Dick Sawle, Member of the Islands Legislative Assembly. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rules“ ... MLA Sawle also announced that the Falkland Islands will be hosting a regional CPA meeting in February 2013, saying that the preparations are well underway and that it’s always good to host these conferences because there is plenty of opportunity for getting messages across...”
Aug 01st, 2011 - 08:01 am - Link - Report abuse 0Hmmm ... messages, .... and recognition .... hmmm.
“ ... The branches are grouped into nine Commonwealth regions - Africa; Asia; Australia; British Islands and Mediterranean; Canada; Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic; India; Pacific, and South-East Asia....”
I wonder if Argentina will send an official complaint about the Falklands hosting this event?
Oh, hang on ... the CPA was previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association. Thought we'd lost that :-)
Redhoyt (#1): don't tease us, you know Argentina will complain and loves doing it when is about Falkland. It is, with soccer, our favorite sport.
Aug 01st, 2011 - 08:39 am - Link - Report abuse 0As argentine let me a question: why Falkland does not become an independent country and linked to the UK through being member of Commonwealth? Please, forgive my ignorance and try to answer. Thanks.
The main obstacle for complete independence is the threat posed by Argentina. The islands are too small to defend themselves.
Aug 01st, 2011 - 09:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0Otherwise, there is nothing, they have been moving in that direction for decades. And there is no obstacle in the UK either, the offical British position on BOT is to grant independence on request with the exception of Gibraltar.
In the case of Gibraltar, the British position is that independence would require Spanish consent under the Treaty of Utrecht. The GoG position is that there is not obstacle.
Rob....that is the intention as many islanders have said, independence however as with most small fledgling countries this will take time, there is also the tedious nuisance of Argentina not recognising anything Falklands down to their recent admission into the World Bowls association!
Aug 01st, 2011 - 09:14 am - Link - Report abuse 0A while yet, but give it time, my preferred option would be full integration with the UK (but retention of all their full autonomous powers) that way we no longer need to send a governor and the Falklands would elect an MP to represent them in the British parliament.
Or the other option could be they become a crown protectorate, which is full independence except in defence and foreign affairs but absolute autonomy in domestic policy and dealing with regional partners...
Justin, OK but, being member of Commonwealth perhaps they can agrre being protected by the UK. Is it possible under Commonwealth Treaty?
Aug 01st, 2011 - 09:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0Rob, you seem well answered. I don't think that Independence + a Defence Treaty with the UK is impossible. After all we stationed troops in what was British Guiana until recently. I believe that we even picked up the bill because of the training advantages.
Aug 01st, 2011 - 09:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0There are many possibilities, but the threat from Argentina remains the largest problem. Argentina says it is peaceful, but we don't believe them. I doubt the neighbours really believe it either!
Isn't it funny ... it's Argentina that is keeping the Falkland Islands British :-)
certainly ,your fearing is very normal
Aug 01st, 2011 - 09:44 am - Link - Report abuse 0to say about any independence ...
if you comment from a British Colony !
Thanks everyone answering my question. I hope the best for Falkland and islanders.
Aug 01st, 2011 - 10:07 am - Link - Report abuse 0#4 Rhaurie-Craughwell: “there is also the tedious nuisance of Argentina not recognising anything Falklands down to their recent admission into the World Bowls association!”
Aug 01st, 2011 - 10:49 am - Link - Report abuse 0A similar thing happened with Gibraltar when their FA applied to join UEFA. Spain essentially blocked it by threatening a boycott and they lobbied almost everyone into submission. This was in spite of a Court of Arbitartion for Sport ruling that Gibralatar should be allowed full membership of both UEFA and FIFA. The Gibraltar flag was not even allowed to fly during the recent Costa Blanca Cup Under-11 football club competition in Benidorm at which local team Lincoln Latinos took part. All other teams were allowed to fly their local flags, and there is some debate over whether the Spanish Governement might have been involed in the decision.
In terms of independence Gibralatar is totally different to the Falklands. The Treaty of Utrecht says that Britain has Gibralatar in perpetuity, but that Spain has first option on the territory if Briatain ever decises to give it up. So, Spain accepts British sovereignty (but debates the extent of that sovereignty) and indpendence is not an option unless Spain decides not to take up it's option. That of course doesn't mean that “decolonisation” isn't possible without Spain's consent. The Gibraltar Government already consider themsleves to be decolonised.
“I think we can thank our lucky stars that we are nowhere near in as bad a situation as most countries”
Aug 01st, 2011 - 03:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I think you should thank the millions of British unemployed instead for paying the bills for you.
Is good to see that Englishman Dick...Sawle back where he belongs.
“I think you should thank the millions of British unemployed instead for paying the bills for you.”
Aug 01st, 2011 - 09:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0the millions of unemployed don't contribute to the economy...
it does not matter if the argentine goverment does complain,
Aug 01st, 2011 - 10:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0the hand of god wont help then this time .lol.
10 Marcos Alejandro -------I think you should thank the millions of British unemployed instead for paying the bills for you. What size shoes do you take size 12s perhaps because most of the time your always putting your foot in your mouth
Aug 02nd, 2011 - 08:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Comment removed by the editor.
Aug 02nd, 2011 - 08:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 011 zethe “the millions of unemployed don't contribute to the economy...”
Aug 02nd, 2011 - 10:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Do they pay value added tax (VAT) and/or property taxes?
#15 Marcos Alejandro: ”Do they pay value added tax (VAT) and/or property taxes?”
Aug 03rd, 2011 - 12:34 am - Link - Report abuse 0Obviously they do, but where do you think the money that they pay for those things comes from? Unemployment benefit from the government, of course. So, no they don't contribute to the economy while they are unemployed.
Hello - the loony FlipFlop is back!
Aug 03rd, 2011 - 12:49 am - Link - Report abuse 0182 years? I know that time flies, but did I lose something there? hey, maybe he's talking about the British sanctioned Luis Vernett? Maybe FlipFlop's not so daft after all!
Eradiated maybe! If they try to get a nuclear sub, but 'eradicated'? You been looking up big words again FlipFlop?
Ok, maybe he/she/it IS as daft as ever :-)
16 Crackpot, Thanks for the answer, if they pay VAT(value added tax) and/or property taxes the British unemployed contribute to their economy putting that money back, and I am sure they are using money from their savings account as well.
Aug 03rd, 2011 - 01:36 am - Link - Report abuse 0Do workers in Britain get a deduction from their paychecks to cover unemployment insurance?
Thanks in advance.
#18 Marcos Alejandro:
Aug 03rd, 2011 - 08:55 am - Link - Report abuse 0Unfortunately, the UK is not a nation of savers compared to many other European nations, so I would imagine that very few unemeployed people are supporting themseleves via their savings, except for possibly the very short-term unemployed. Yes, some of the money goes back into the system though VAT etc, but most of it does not.
Yes, workers do pay national insurance contributions, but employment is only one of the things that they are meant to cover (they also covers pensions, etc). If you are unemployed for any significant amout of time, then you are certainly going to be a net recipient of governement funds, especialy once you add all the other benefits that you can get, such as housing benefit, etc. Some families have been receiving more that the average wage in benefits, although the government is meant to be introducing a benefits cap.
Good luck with your treatment Filippo. I hope they fix your problems...
Aug 03rd, 2011 - 11:20 am - Link - Report abuse 0”pay VAT(value added tax) and/or property taxes the British unemployed contribute to their economy”
Aug 03rd, 2011 - 03:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0ROFL, Economics 101 with marcos! Haha!
19 Crackpot, Thanks.
Aug 03rd, 2011 - 05:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 021 zethe, I am sure that the British unemployed are not laughing at your comment, and I am not so sure they are aware all the money they have to pay every year to a few hundred British rich elite in Malvinas.
Marcos, good to see you are learning a bit about how unemployment benefit etc works in Uk - but now you go back into fantasyland!
Aug 03rd, 2011 - 06:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Nobody living in the Islands - rich or poor , born there or not receives ONE PENNY from the UK taxpayer!!
All the UK taxpayer pays for is a few million pounds of Defence Costs - money which they would be paying to the UK military anyway as wether in the Falklands or anywhere else in the world those personnel still need to be paid, fed and trained etc! The real cost is just transportation up and down the Atlantic - and a fair part of that gets ticked off as training also.The military also receive several million pounds ayear for the air passages they sell to people here as well and tourists etc.
“They” are given money by the government. And “They” would hardly care much about 70 million a year, barely dents the defence budget. Wouldn't even get a JSF for it.
Aug 03rd, 2011 - 06:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Fair enough you don't believe me, however the British Broadcasting Corporation seems to agree with me. Should I believe Islander1, zethe or the BBC?
Aug 03rd, 2011 - 08:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“UK can't afford the Falklands”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11999601
“British Broadcasting Corporation seems to agree with me”
Aug 03rd, 2011 - 08:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0No, someone who was on a BBC story agreed with you, not the BBC itself. Preston doesn't even get the facts right in his video.
bbc itv itv2 channel 4 channel 5,
Aug 03rd, 2011 - 09:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0all about ratings old boy, all about ratings,
but to be fair, with the money the BBC recieve from the taxpayer,
they could pay for the falklands, and not even notice it,
This is a film I love it shows how our heroic leaders led our Army in the Malvinas and how they were let down by campesinos cowards interested only in keeping warm and eating -
Aug 05th, 2011 - 12:23 am - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP4SBPtzPGk
they had little will to die, we must ask why we have such people in our military when it is thought of everyone to die for Las Malvinas, the sandy beaches, the sea, the wind, the rain, snow, fog, driving rain, rolling sea, the bitting cold, the pubs, the habour and the old peoples home, I want to live there so much. I want to die for Las Malvinas because it is in my heart and in my sole. I love the islands, but not the people who live there. THEY HAVE NO RIGHT!
Are you hoping to join up when you get passed puberty ?
Aug 05th, 2011 - 09:05 am - Link - Report abuse 0#28 Filippo: “I want to die for Las Malvinas because it is in my heart and in my SOLE.”
Aug 05th, 2011 - 09:39 am - Link - Report abuse 0Looks like he's got a pet fish, as well as the Llama!
Ailing? Are you likely to show up on this thread?
Aug 06th, 2011 - 12:21 am - Link - Report abuse 0I'd just completed a section on the other when it got chopped and I can't be bothered to write it all again, but I would just like to pick up on the one point about Jewett. Your National Archives have been searched and there is no evidence that Jewett had any instructions to take possession of the Falkland Islands.
Now I cannot produce what doesn't exist so its up to you to prove me wrong. Although I did notice that you chose your words carefully, and did not actually say that there was anything in the archives.
Perhaps Mercopress could set a limit on the comments - say 400. At least then we'll know when they are about to die :-)
Morning all. Falklands still British ...? Yes! Magnificent :-)
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