At a meeting with the Falkland Islands Government in the Houses of Parliament, Dame Rebecca Harris, Castle Point MP, pledged her support for Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination. 

They gave her the latest news and updates from the area and to learn more about Islanders’ right to self-determination - a fundamental right enshrined in Article 1, Paragraph 2 of the United Nations Charter. 

The Falkland Islands are an internally self-governing UK Overseas Territory. Strategically placed at the gateway to Antarctica, the Islands are home to over 3,600 people and of over 70 different nationalities. Last year, the Falklands celebrated the tenth anniversary of the 2013 Falkland Islands Sovereignty Referendum in which 99.8% of the electorate voted to remain British on a 92% turnout. 

Speaking after the event, Dame Rebecca said, “I have been concerned that since the Labour Government announced they are handing the Chagos Islands, another overseas territory, to Mauritius that Argentina may be hopeful of staking their claim to the Falklands. 

I have always been proud to support the Falklands, their strategic importance to our country and will defend their right to remain British”.  

Falkland Islands Government Representative to the UK & Europe, Richard Hyslop, added, “It was a pleasure to meet with Rebecca and we are very grateful for her support for Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination. The modern Falkland Islands are incredibly proud of our internal self-governance and our membership of the UK family”.