London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 08, 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
Australian Crew Evacuates Seriously Ill American From Antarctica in Midwinter Darkness
Trump’s Top General Seeks an Exit Strategy From Iran War, Report Says
Brock Lesnar Retires From Wrestling, Closing a Career of Rare Athletic Range and Lasting Controversy
Trump-Era Policy Shifts Test the Boundaries of U.S. Institutions
UK Drought Cuts Harvests and Raises Food-Security Fears
UFO: Pentagon Releases Video of Unidentified Object Tracked Over Middle East
US Health Secretary: “I’m Not Afraid of Germs — I Used to Snort Cocaine Off Toilet Seats”
Ukraine Tells Senate Republicans Its Drone War Offers a Blueprint for America
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Trump Keeps Hegseth at Pentagon While Leaving Door Open for DeSantis
UK Clears Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery Deal, but US Trial Looms
UK Prosecutors Add 38 Charges Against Andrew and Tristan Tate
Taiwan’s President Joins Wartime Command Drill as China Pressure Grows
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Mutual-Defence Pact
Government Orders Review of Prison Release Rules After Concerns Over Grooming Gang Offenders
Rail Disruption Continues Across North-West England Amid Infrastructure Problems and Engineering Closures
UK Tax Authority Proposes Broad Changes to Rules Governing Company Distributions
UK Government Moves to Protect Standing Areas Outside Pubs From Local Restrictions
Extreme Right-Wing Referrals Under UK Prevent Programme Rise 42 Percent
EU Citizens in UK Warned That Some Residency Rights May Have Been Granted in Error
Every Monitored Body of Water in England Fails Chemical Purity Standards, Government Data Shows
UK Scientists Create First Artificial Intelligence-Designed Viruses
England Orders Primary Schools to Identify Children at Risk of Becoming Disengaged From Education or Work
Government Moves to Close Prison Release Loophole Amid Concern Over Grooming Gang Offenders
UK Economy Shows Modest Growth Despite Energy Volatility and Global Supply Pressures
Police and Prosecutors Failed to Stop Sex Offender Who Later Murdered Two Women, Review Finds
Millions in England Face Longer Mental Health Waiting Times as NHS Providers Cut Spending
Met Office Warns of Heatwave as Temperatures Across England and Wales Could Reach 36 Degrees Celsius
HMRC’s 2029 Tax Shift Could Overlap Old and New Self-Assessment Bills
Thetford Disorder Prompts Expanded Police Powers Amid Asylum-Housing Protests
Cambridge Faces Calls for Independent Review of Jason Arday Appointment
Scotland’s ‘Cock of the North’ Woodland Is Being Felled After Wind Damage
Reform UK and Greens Unite Against Vast Solar Plans for Kent Marshland
New Zealand Draws Wealthy Americans With Revamped Investor Visa
Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt After Fifth Amendment Testimony
Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Resigns as University Opens Inquiry Into His Credentials
Manchester Power Failure Disrupts Trains Across North West Into Friday
UK Fashion and Tourism Sectors Prepare for Strong Summer and Autumn Activity
London Residents Seek Appeal Against Approval for Chinese Super-Embassy Development
UK Environment Officials Issue Biosecurity Alert Over Rising Bluetongue Cases in Livestock
UK Charity Regulator Opens Investigations Into Donations Linked to Israeli Settlements
Gatwick Expansion and Chinese Embassy Plans Highlight Growing UK Infrastructure Disputes
UK Agriculture Authorities Warn of Rising Bluetongue Virus Cases Among Sheep Farms
UK Watchdog Finds Electronic Monitoring Failures Leaving Some Offenders Without Timely Alerts
Metropolitan Police Investigate Covent Garden Knife Attack That Injured Four Men
UK Government Confirms Severe Terror Threat Level as Prevent Programme Expands
Diageo Plans Guinness Expansion While Cutting Jobs Through Global Restructuring Programme
Bank of England Keeps UK Borrowing Costs Stable While Markets Await Future Rate Cuts
Gatwick Airport Wins Approval for Second Runway Expansion After Legal Challenges Fail
Apple Challenges UK Government Over Demand for Access to Encrypted iCloud Data
×