MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

House of Commons Speaker will attend Goose Green Liberation service Sunday

Sir Hoyle congratulated the Falklands for securing Stanley city status, but would like to take back home photos of signs identifying Stanley as a city

Sir Lindsay Hoyle Speaker of the House of Commons, currently on a visit to the Falkland Islands announced he will attend Sunday's Goose Green Liberation commemoration, called on the Falklands Legislative to take advantage of his chairmanship to promote initiatives for the benefit of the Islands, and underlined that Islanders can only decide Islanders' self-determination and future.

The representative for Chorley spoke on Friday morning at the opening session of the Falklands Legislative Assembly pointing out how honored, privileged and humbled he was visiting the Islands on such a special anniversary, the 40th since the war. Sir Hoyle also referred that he was the first ever Speaker of the House of Commons to address the Falklands Legislative, but nevertheless underlined the close links of Chorley with the Falklands recalling that Clifford Kenyon, a farmer and preacher who was his constituency's MP since 1945 until the sixties had also visited the Islands, and a construction company which started as a simple stone mason and carver, but turned into an international construction company has been involved in the reconstruction of the Falklands after the war.

“When my first trip to the Falklands in 1999, sponsored by Sukey Cameron I remember seeing the orange vehicles and orange porta-cabins, and I recognized they were from my village, from that very successful company, so hundreds from Chorley had been living and working in the Falklands”, said the House of Commons Speaker.

Sir Hoyle also congratulated the Falklands for Stanley having secured the city status as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier in the week. And jokingly mentioned he would like to take back home pictures of signs identifying Stanley as a city, and called on the local Public Works Department to “get moving”.

More specifically on the anniversary of the war, the Liberation of the Falklands is part of an unforgettable history of the UK and the Islands, in which Islanders suffered, British and Argentine lives were lost in a fruitless conflict, “that should not have happened, but did happen”, adding “It is something we must not forget but we must also look forward to the future to continue developing these wonderful Islands.

This was followed by the announcement that on Sunday, Sir Hoyle will attend the liberation service at Goose Green, because despite the thousands of miles away from UK, the war was an important lesson which must be transmitted to children and grandchildren, like the defense of the values of democracy, and the sacrifices it demanded. ”And with the joy and relief of the Liberation after 74 days of occupation, stronger than ever self determination of the Falklands, which can only be decided by the people of the Falklands“.

”The sovereignty of the Falklands does not depend on UK, it's up to the people of the Falklands to decide. Finally the second visit 23 years later is also about the British Overseas Territories and their initiatives, and for you to take advantage of my speakership to promote them“.

”I am visiting all BOTs with this message and I believe in the Falklands there is an interest in amending the constitution. Let me know, I will help from my position”