Comrad Corbyn wants to share Falklands with Argentina

Jeremy Corbyn has told Argentine diplomats that he wants a Northern Ireland-style power sharing deal with Argentina for the Falkland Islands.

Labour Party policy is currently to respect the wishes of the people of the Falklands Islands but Corbyn wants to give the islands to Argentina against the wishes of the islanders.

A referendum held on the islands in 2013 resulted in a 99.8% vote to remain an Overseas Territory of the UK with a 91.94% turnout. Falkland Islanders have made their wishes very clear but Comrade Corbyn isn't interested in democracy.

The Labour Party is already split so many ways they surely can't afford any more division and especially not on something that has already been decided for at least a generation through the ballot box.

EU doesn't recognise UK's claim to the Falklands

The Spanish head of an EU delegation to Argentina, Yañez Barnuevo MEP, has told the Argentinian government that as far as the EU Parliament is concerned the UK's sovereignty over the Falklands "is not accepted".

The Lisbon Treaty explicitly recognises the Falklands as a British Overseas Territory so Barnuevo's statement is strange given that failure of the EU Parliament to recognise the UK's sovereignty over the Falklands would be illegal under EU law.  It's not surprising in the slightest though - the Spaniards would see forcing the UK to cede sovereignty of the Falklands despite the 99.8% vote to retain its status as a UK overseas territory in a referendum this year as a precedent to do the same in Gibraltar where 98.48% rejected the principal of Spain sharing sovereignty of the territory in a referendum in 2002.

30th anniversary of the invasion of the Falklands

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Argentinian invasion of the Falkland Islands.

It was marked here by remembrance services and in Argentina by sabre rattling speeches by politicians pledging to uphold their illegitimate claim to the islands.

Cast Iron Dave has given a Cast Iron Guarantee™ to uphold the right of Falkland Islanders to decide whether they want to belong to the UK or Argentina – a promise he’s going to struggle to keep now that we’ve decommissioned our last aircraft carrier and we’re reliant on the French for military support.

The closest friendly country (if you can call it friendly) to the Falklands is French Guiana. The closest British Overseas Territory is the Pitcairn Islands which has no facilities that could be used for a military excursion. The closest friendly countries capable of being used as a launchpad for military action are South Africa and New Zealand. Our closest military base is 2,400 away at Tristan da Cunha. The US is siding with Argentina, as is most of South America.

A spangly new destroyer, HMS Dauntless, is on its way to the Falklands and defences on the islands have been bolstered but that won’t stop the continued harassment of Falkland Islanders in non-military ways: threats of legal action against companies doing business in the Falklands, banning Falklands flagged boats from ports and enlisting the help of their neighbours to harass the islanders.

Of course we should defend the right of the Falkland Islanders to choose whether they want to remain a British Overseas Territory or not and everyone has the right to live without harassment or fear but if we are going to make a promise to the Falkland Islanders to protect them then we need to be able to back up that promise with some action. Right now we’re not in a position to do that thanks to the criminally irresponsible behaviour of successive British governments who have run down our military and over-extended our forces fighting illegal and unwinnable wars.

Cross-posted from: Wonko's World

Argentina threans legal action against Falklands companies

Argentina is stepping up its (currently) non-violent attacks on the Falkland Islands with a threat of legal sanctions against oil exploration companies operating in Falklands waters.

Argentina signed up to the 4th Geneva Convention in 1956 which bans collective punishment in times of war, where war has not yet been declared and during occupation. In blocking Falklands flagged ships from ports in South America, harassing Falklands flagged boats and now threatening spurious legal actions against the lawful activities of companies in the Falklands' sovereign territory, Argentina is conducting war against the Falklands and by extension, the UK. The Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip is considered an illegal collective punishment, the Argentine blockade of the Falklands is surely equally so?

It's time the British government grew a pair and told Argentina to make a move and reap the consequences or stop trying to bully the Falkland Islanders.