On our first day of our annual parliamentary trip, after the hustle and bustle of taking the tube to Westminster and dipping in and out of Parliament, our group took a short stroll to the Falkland Islands Government London Office, otherwise known as Falkland House. At the beginning, I did not know what to expect from the admittedly small building that I did not notice until I saw the Falkland Islands flag flying proudly above the door. Like most people in my group, I did not know much about this British Overseas Territory, outside the fact it lay off the coast of Argentina, that Margaret Thatcher went to war over it, and that there were lots of penguins. After meeting Michael Betts, Deputy Representative of the Falkland Islands Government, I can safely say that we all left with a newfound appreciation of the Islands, their history, and their right to preserve their current legal and political status.
The small foyer of Falkland House welcomed us with many leaflets and pamphlets about all aspects of the Islands, such as history, tourism, fishing and wildlife, as well as a full-scale map. Mr Betts who is a Falkland Islander himself, with British and Chilean heritage, was extremely welcoming to our questions. He explained that his role was to function as a mediator between the United Kingdom Government and the Falklands Government. Our chat revolved around the attractions of the main city of Stanley, where the majority of Falkland Islanders live and work, the occupations found on the Island, as well as what skills are sought after, as the Islands are actively recruiting people willing to move to the Falklands. There were some lighter topics discussed – such as the Islands’ flora and fauna, an approximation of the human to penguin ratio and how the Representative reacted to the controversial Top Gear Patagonia Special.
As Politics students we were naturally interested in the heavier topics too, such as how the Falklands War has impacted the relations between the United Kingdom and Argentina, as well as the constant struggles and obstacles the Islands currently face. These include having the opening of new airports potentially blocked by the Argentinian Government’s interference, or the harassment Islanders face when Argentinian tourists visit. Other interesting topics included how Margaret Thatcher was viewed on the Islands and how the Falklands can be an excellent point of access for the UK towards research on Antarctica. The rights and powers the Falklands have as an Overseas Territory, were also touched upon.
Overall, I can confidently say that our group was pleasantly surprised by the sheer richness of the Falkland Islands, from their past to current legal arrangements as a British Overseas Territory and welcomed the visit as an unexpected highlight of the trip.
