Ascension : More Support for Ascension’s Residents
Submitted by The Islander (Nathan Prince) 23.02.2006 (Article Archived on 09.03.2006)
I don't normally get angry after reading about debates in the House of Commons, or most other things for that matter, but I was this morning after finishing reading the transcript of Vince Cable's debate about Ascension in Westminster Hall
More Support for Ascension’s Residents
Read on to hear how previous Islanders continue to support the place they love…
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I don't normally get angry after reading about debates in the House of Commons, or most other things for that matter, but I was this morning after finishing reading the transcript of Vince Cable's debate about Ascension in Westminster Hall. The last couple of pages of the transcript have the response to the debate given by Douglas Alexander, the Minister for Europe who acted as Lord Triesman's representative in the Commons. I was reading these pages on the train going in to work. I think my snorts and other expressions of disbelief worried the man sitting across the table from me.
There are many contentious points made in the government's response. For the sake of brevity I will concentrate on one. The word confusion is used eight times in the closing speech. The following short extract shows the way in which Alexander used this word:-
'.. a very clear distinction can be drawn between confusion [and] expectation. I have been scrupulous in my language today, making it clear that there may have been confusion. We accept that there may have been confusion, but that is an entirely separate matter.'
Georgetown in 2001 [I think] held by a consultant on constitutional and legal matters as part of his fact finding mission. This consultant was visiting all or most of the British Overseas Territories on the same mission. The reason for his activity was a United Nations report which found that most of Britain's Overseas Territories had inadequate democratic systems and little in the way of safeguards for human rights. At this meeting the three steps to making the changes on Ascension were mentioned, personal tax, voting rights, property rights with right of abode. I do not recall any clear distinction being made between these steps or any indication that one step did not necessarily lead to another. I am certain everyone at that meeting came away with the impression that the steps were inter-linked parts of the whole transition. I also do not recall any subsequent press releases or statements to indicate anything to the contrary.
I remember in a letter I wrote to the St Helena Herald around that time I suggested the order of the stepped changes was the wrong way around. I thought voting rights and the right of abode should precede the imposition of income tax. Now the islanders have paid the piper but the piper has disappeared without playing the promised tune.
There is confusion Mr Douglas Alexander. The confusion is caused by the UK government changing direction on what was a logical and clear course and then trying to cover their embarrassment by attempting to rewrite the history of events. The confusion is caused by UK government machinations. As Mr Blair himself often says 'let us be clear about this'.
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