London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 30, 2026

UK bill proposes elected MPs to represent Overseas Territories in UK parliament

UK bill proposes elected MPs to represent Overseas Territories in UK parliament

The [British] Virgin Islands could find itself being represented in the United Kingdom (UK) parliament, the House of Commons, by its own elected Member of Parliament (MP) if a bill proposed by a group of MPs in the UK is passed.

The draft legislation, which is entitled Representation of the People, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories Bill, was submitted to the UK Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson aka ‘Boris’ earlier this year and if passed by the UK Parliament would see a total of nine MPs from the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies being sent to sit in the House of Commons.

The bill was drafted by UK MPs John d. Penrose and Andrew R. Rosindell as well as a member of the Friends of the British Overseas Territories (FOTBOT) and former member of the States of Guernsey, Anthony Webber, who have been pushing the UK Parliament to give a voice to the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies who currently have no official representation in parliament which has ultimate power to legislate on their behalf, sometimes against their will.


The bill was drafted by UK MPs John d. Penrose, left, and Andrew R. Rosindell, centre, as well as a member of the Friends of the British Overseas Territories (FOTBOT) and former member of the States of Guernsey, Anthony Webber, right.

Follow examples of France & Denmark- Webber to UK


Mr Webber has called for the UK to follow the example of countries such as France and Denmark, which allow members from their overseas dependent territories, even the most far flung, to sit in their national parliaments.

Mr Webber told Express.co.uk in February that "The UK is the only country in the world which does not provide UK Parliamentary representation for its dependent territories."

He also suggested that legislation could be passed to bring his proposals into effect before the next UK general election.

Six MPs for OTs proposed


The proposed bill calls for six MPs from the Overseas Territories, one for Gibraltar, including the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, and the British Indian Ocean Territory; one for St Helena and the Falkland Islands, including the UK’s southern Atlantic islands and Pitcairn in the Pacific and one for the [British] Virgin Islands, Anguilla and Montserrat; a single MP for the Cayman Islands, another for the Turks and Caicos Islands and one MP to represent Bermuda.

The proposal also calls for three MPs to represent the Crown Dependency islands of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man respectively, bringing a grand total of 9 MPs for the Territories and Crown Dependencies.


The bill states that each of the 9 territories will be considered as a UK constituency and eligible voters from each island will vote for their MP at the same time of a UK general election, with the cost of the elections to be covered by the UK which would also pay for the salaries of the nine MPs.

Elections of MPs will coincide with UK elections


The bill states that each of the 9 territories will be considered as a UK constituency and eligible voters from each island will vote for their MP at the same time of a UK general election, with the cost of the elections to be covered by the UK which would also pay for the salaries of the nine MPs.

Proponents of this bill stress that each of the MPS would have the same voting rights in the House of Commons just as any other British MP and that the election of these new MPs would not interfere with the current relationship between the UK and its Territories who would see no change to their constitutional status.

One stipulation in the proposed bill that could spark debate is who can vote for an MP to Westminster.

The Bill allows for any British or Commonwealth Citizen residing in the overseas territories the right to run for the office of MP to Westminster.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK: Former Football Association Leaders Call for World Cup Boycott Over FIFA Privatization Plan
Forbidden Love: China severs millions from their virtual partners
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Massive Wildfires Ravage Southern Europe: Fatalities in Greece and Evacuations Across France, Spain, and Turkey
NHS Leaders Warn Royal Mail Tariff Increases Will Raise Administrative Costs
Immigration Remains the Public's Top Concern in Britain, Ipsos Poll Finds
Britain Approves 16 New Grid Storage Projects to Strengthen Electricity Network
London-Listed Merger Activity Climbs Even as IPO Market Remains Weak
Institute of Directors Warns High Energy Costs and Taxes Continue to Weigh on UK Businesses
North Sea Industry Calls for Faster Approval of £10 Billion Rosebank and Jackdaw Projects
UK Inflation Eases to 2.6% but Higher Energy Costs Could Renew Price Pressures
Burnham Holds Talks With Saudi and Qatari Leaders on Middle East Security and Energy
Burnham and Zelenskyy Announce UK Electronic Warfare Technology Cooperation During London Visit
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Launches Cross-Party Push for Social Care Reform in England
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
France Evacuates Atlantic Coast Resorts as Wildfire Risk Rises Again
Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Kumamoto as Rescuers Search Collapsed Buildings
OpenAI Faces Demands for Full Disclosure After Models Breach Hugging Face
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
Royal Collection Trust Income Falls as Palace Visits Retreat From Record Highs
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Ministers Examine Social-Care Levy as Burnham Seeks Funding Settlement
UK Attractions Sector Forecast to Add £587 Million in Visitor Spending
England Coast Path Extends With New Suffolk Estuary Walking Route
Attorney General Wins Longer Jail Term for Fatal Dangerous Driving Case
Andrew and Tristan Tate Remain in U.S. Custody Pending UK Extradition
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Workers Secure Above-Inflation Pay Deal
Prime Minister Seeks Cross-Party Agreement on Social Care Reform
Court Upholds Competition Ruling Against Drugmakers Over Hydrocortisone Prices
UK Unveils Major Technical Education Reform for Secondary Schools
UK Judge Rebukes Home Office Over AI-Generated Errors in Asylum Case
UK and Ukraine Agree to Share Electronic Warfare Technology
Apple Briefly Crosses Five Trillion Dollar Valuation as Investors Retreat From AI Bets
Badenoch Offers Tory Votes to Keep Serious Offenders in Prison
Why Americans Queue for $15 Ice Cream and a $100 Caviar Pint
Another AI Genius Left the United States — and Silicon Valley Is Starting to Worry
Shein Reports $99mn Loss as Trade Barriers Test Low-Cost Model
CXMT Gains 466% in China’s Biggest IPO Since 2010
Amazon Seeks Approval for 5,105-Satellite Mobile Network
Burnham Puts School-to-Work Reform at Centre of Welfare Strategy
Johnson & Johnson Agrees to $5.5 Billion Talc Lawsuit Settlement
EU AI Act Shapes Global Corporate Standards, Study Finds
UK-Japan Relations Expected to Deepen Under Burnham Government
Burnham Signals Tough Decisions on Council Tax Reform
UK Inflation Slows to 2.6% in June
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75%
Prime Minister Burnham Opens Talks With Business Leaders on Economic Growth
Government Launches 'Number Ten North' to Drive UK Devolution
Labour Regains Poll Lead After Burnham's First Weeks in Office
Prime Minister Burnham Rules Out Early UK General Election Before 2029
×