Dickson C. Igwe. Photo: VINO/File

OK. Virgin Islands General Elections on Monday, February 25, 2019, are as unpredictable as the Brexit matter. The UK House of Commons is the Sovereign lawmaking body in the UK. Brexit will be decided by Westminster and Members of Parliament: also known as the House of Commons. 

How Brexit will turn out after March 29, 2019, is anyone’s guess.

And before this Old Boy offers his point of view on a ‘’hot topic,’’ he was given the opposite side of the story by a very close buddy and friend from the UK. His friend asserted that the idea of belongership was totally unfair. He further asserted that the demand for a change from Belongership to a much more equitable and widely acquired voting and residence status in the OTs was not based on any perverse culture within the FCO, but on a tendency to equity and fairness that undergirds the way the FCO operates. That was the Great Man’s view.

This Old Boy begged to differ, somewhat

Now, one matter the new post-February 25, Virgin Islands Government will have to keep front and centre is the fact that elements in the UK establishment want the status of Belongership removed, a date for legalizing same-sex marriages, and the implementation of beneficial ownership registries as quickly as possible.

These are huge proposed changes to the Overseas Territories and their way of life.

OTs such as the Virgin Islands, are religious and traditional communities, with great Old World Charm, that is especially a feature of residents that are over age 60. 

These ‘’big’’ changes to the OTs are being demanded by a powerful Parliamentary Affairs Committee. That committee is looking into the future of the UK/ Overseas Territories relationship.

For example, the UK parliamentary committee is calling on the Theresa May led government to set a date for all Overseas Territories to legalize same-sex marriage. The report goes further to state that, if it’s not adhered to, it should be imposed by Order in Council.

Furthermore, a report from the committee asserts that ‘’ While we recognize that the OTs are small communities with unique cultural identities, we do not accept that there is any justification to deny legally-resident British Overseas Territory and UK citizens the right to vote and to hold elected office.

Belongership elevates one group of British people over another and risks undermining the ties that bind the UK and the OTs together into one global British family. There must be a pathway for all resident UK and British Overseas Territory citizens to be able to vote and hold elected office in the territory.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office- FCO- should lay out a timetable for this consultation process, and set a deadline for phasing out discriminatory elements of belongership, or its territory-specific equivalents.”

Now, this is a seismic development from a Whitehall that for years has kept the OTs at arm's length, with a culture of detachment, allowing OTs to run their own internal and economic affairs.

One can only scratch one’s head at the sudden interest in the affairs of OTs by a number of powerful politicians and bureaucrats in the UK.

Self-determination, and allowing OTs to manage their own affairs within the context of the Rule of Law has worked well, as long as local politicians have not broken the law.

So what is driving this?

There is one clear observation: that this is a proposal being demanded by a UK that is under huge pressure and that is being pulled apart by the Brexit Civil War. OTs must understand that this whole matter is being driven by an undercurrent called BREXIT. Altruism and the welfare of OTs is the last thing on the minds of that parliamentary committee.

This matter appears to be simply, another unnecessary imposition of UK mainland values on the OTs: OTs with varied and very different cultures and values sets. The motives, therefore, are suspect.

And on the matter of Brexit, the OTs must understand that today the UK is paralyzed and polarized. Consequently, these decisions on the future of the OTs are being made under a massive cloud called Brexit.

There is gross hypocrisy in telling OTs to take the horrible medicine of acquiescence to create a level playing field by getting rid of the little rights they may have. And this is coming from a UK Mainland that is a bastion of privilege, social class, with a history of colonialism, going back to the days of slavery.

Belongership is simply allowing the natives of various OTs by heritage, to maintain control over their own cultures, communities, and values sets that are very different from the values sets of mainland UK.

And even within mainland UK, various societies in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales share differing values sets.

Brexit is proving to be tasteless and very difficult to stomach in the countries of Britain, outside of England.  

That is the reason residents of OTs should be very suspicious of this ‘’report.’’

The OTs should wait for the outcome of this ‘’Brexit mess’’ and then make a ‘’cold, hard, assessment’’ of the interests of the people of the OTs, before making their ‘’united response.’’

And then ask: why was Gibraltar invited to vote on Brexit and not the rest of the OTs?

Bear in mind that for all the hyperbole on equity and fairness made in this report, the reality is that Brexit is driven by xenophobia, and the fear of migrants, first and foremost. Brexit is also driven by the dislike of half of Britain, to rules written and laid down by Brussels.

But now, the OTs must stomach rules and conditions laid down by a committee of the UK Parliament?

Please! Where is the democracy in that!

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