Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom (UK) Government have taken the stern position that Overseas Territories (OTs) should be at the helm of the decision-making process when it comes to deciding on self-determination.
The views were shared during a debate in the House of Commons on Thursday, May 11, as members discussed a motion entitled “Future of Overseas Territories”.
Member of Parliament (MP) Alicia Kearns moved the motion and said that the UK Government should not blindly accept the status quo but instead challenge itself to provide the best possible support for what each of the OTs wants for themselves.
The Conservative member also called on the UK government to drastically change how OTs are treated and to update the policies guiding strategy, which she said are presently decades old.
Also sharing a similar view on the subject was Conservative MP Sir Robert Neill who said the onus is on the people of the respective Overseas Territory to decide on their future.
Meanwhile, Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle said the present manner of how the various UK Government departments treat Overseas Territories is wrong and recommended the establishment of a department specific to Overseas Territories with a Secretary of State designated for each of the Overseas Territories.