BVI calls on UK parliament to support modern partnership with territories

British Virgin Islands Special Envoy Benito Wheatley has encouraged the United Kingdom Parliament to support the renewal of the modern partnership between the United Kingdom and British Virgin Islands and other Overseas Territories.

He made the call during a meeting at the House of Commons with Andrew Rosindell MP, Chairman of the Overseas Territories All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), on May 16.

The meeting follows the UK Government’s rejection of the use of Orders in Council against the Overseas Territories to impose several recommendations proposed by the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) in its report, Global Britain and the British Overseas Territories: Resetting the Relationship.

In comments on the importance of UK Parliament support for a modern partnership between the UK and Overseas Territories, Wheatley said.

“We welcome the UK Government’s position stated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in its response to the FAC report, that Orders in Council should not be used by the UK Parliament to force the Overseas Territories to adopt the proposals of the committee or to impose UK decisions on the Territories in areas of governance constitutionally devolved to them without their consent. It is now time for the UK Parliament to support a renewal of the modern partnership between the UK and Overseas Territories based on the principle of self-governance and we hope there will be no further parliamentary moves to undermine the UK Government position that rejects the use of Orders in Council against the Territories.”

Wheatley also praised Andrew Rosindell MP, Chair of the Overseas Territories All Party Parliamentary Group, for his long-standing commitment to the Overseas Territories and respect for their constitutions.

“Andrew Rosindelle MP has been a staunch supporter of a modern partnership between the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories and I thank him for his steadfast leadership as the Chair of the Overseas Territories APPG in sensitising the UK Parliament to the importance of upholding the principle of self-governance for the peoples of the Overseas Territories and respecting their constitutional arrangements and rights,” he said.