MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falkland Islands Government attend Party Conferences

FIGO Representative to the UK and Europe Richard Hyslop – Peter Biggs MLA - Rt. Hon John Healey MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence -Roger Spink MLA – Deputy Representative, Michael Betts.

The Falkland Islands Government attended both the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester (1st to 4th October) and the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool (8th to 11th October) and met with a number of senior politicians from both parties, including Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet Ministers, to discuss issues of importance to the Islands, alongside welcoming MPs, Councillors and Party Members to the Falkland Islands stand.

 Members of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly, Roger Spink MLA and Peter Biggs MLA, Falkland Islands Representative to the UK & Europe, Richard Hyslop and Deputy Representative, Michael Betts, made up the Falklands contingent at both Party Conferences, speaking to Parliamentarians from the UK, Welsh and Scottish Parliaments, as well as members of both the Conservative and Labour Party.

At the Conservative Party Conference, the Foreign Secretary, the Rt. Hon James Cleverly MP; the Secretary of State for Defence, The Rt. Hon Grant Shapps MP; and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, The Rt. Hon Therese Coffey MP, were among those who visited the Falkland Islands stand to express their support for Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination.

At the Labour Party Conference, the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, The Rt. Hon John Healey MP; the Shadow Foreign Secretary, The Rt. Hon David Lammy MP; the Shadow Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, Wes Streeting MP; and the First Minister for Wales, Mark Drakeford MS, were just a few of the Parliamentarians who met with the Falklands team to discuss the Islands and Islanders’ right to determine their own future.

Roger Spink MLA said, “Attending both the Conservative and Labour Party Conferences were wonderful opportunities to raise issues of importance to Islanders. I was able to speak to politicians and the media about the closure of UK bank accounts that is impacting many people and businesses in the Falkland Islands. I was also pleased to discuss the challenges we are experiencing with the Airbridge flights with the Secretary of State for Defence and his Shadow counterpart, and to thank them for the work the UK Armed Forces do in keeping the Falklands safe. It was an honour too to meet Member of the Ukrainian Parliament, Lesia Vaskyleno, in order to reiterate the strong support the Falkland Islands have for Ukraine and to update her on the work Islanders’ are doing to support the people of Ukraine. Both the Conservative and Labour Party Conferences provided both Pete and I with valuable opportunities to thank Ministers, MPs, and others for their support for our right to self-determination. We are very pleased that the Falklands continues to enjoy widespread support from both parties”.

Richard Hyslop said, “I was delighted to join MLAs Spink and Biggs and the Deputy Representative in representing the Falkland Islands at this year’s Conservative and Labour Party Conferences. This Conference season was among the busiest yet for the Falkland Islands Government team, and we were honoured to host a number of Cabinet Ministers and Shadow Cabinet Ministers at our stand this year, including both the Secretary of State for Defence, his Shadow counterpart, the First Minister for Wales, and as well as the Foreign Secretary who used the Conservative Party Conference to announce his forthcoming visit to the Falkland Islands, which we are very much looking forward to. The Falkland Islands enjoyed a huge amount of support from Parliamentarians and Party Members at both Conferences, and we were very pleased that so many attendees voiced their strong support for the Falkland Islands and Islanders’ hugely important right to self-determination”.