Lincoln's Inn Reception Report and Speech

More than three hundred guests attended the Falkland Islands Government Annual Reception on a balmy June evening at the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn. Amongst their number were Islanders visiting the UK, Falkland Islands students, former Governors and CBFs, FCO and MOD personnel and representatives from Falkland Islands groups.

A smattering of Peers were in attendance and, despite a three line whip in the House, a number of MPs managed to make the latter part of the evening.

Following the address by the Falkland Islands Government Representative, Sukey Cameron, Sir Rex Hunt read a message from Her Majesty the Queen, and then proposed the Loyal Toast.

The Band of the Scots Guards closed the evening with a wonderful performance of Beating Retreat, with the salute taken by former CBFFI Major General Sir Iain Mackay-Dick.

My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you once more, to our annual reception.

Last year we commemorated the twentieth anniversary of our Liberation. This year we celebrate the "coming of age", so to speak, of the post-war Falkland Islands - and look forward to the future.

We have much to be grateful for. Without the bravery of those who fought for our freedom, the future would be bleak. We were gratified that the South Atlantic Medal Association’s pilgrimage to the Islands in November had such a positive effect on all those involved. Fittingly, it coincided with the visit of HRH the Duke of York for Remembrance Sunday - a memorable climax to our year of commemoration.

We can never adequately repay those who gave us back our freedom. We can only strive to secure our future through increasing self-sufficiency and self-determination. And we are making progress.

Over the last twelve months our economy has shown signs of recovery. Fish catches have improved from the low levels of the previous season, including an increase in the illex catch of nearly ninety thousand tonnes.

We have secured EU approval for the new abattoir and have begun exporting. The first Falkland’s meat arrived in the UK in April and we are selling fresh meat to the cruise ships, sixty one vessels visited the Islands over the last year. Tourism continues to grow steadily, with more than 1600 land-based visitors last season - an 800 per cent increase in five years – and nearly 28000 cruise ship passengers.

All this bodes well for our economic self-sufficiency and the fulfillment of our three-year plan.

We have also welcomed other visitors to the Islands, most notably a group of British MPs. This has been a regular event since 1988. Each visit increases understanding and support in Westminster for the principle of self-determination and I am delighted to see a number of our Parliamentary friends here this evening.

So much for the immediate past; we have much to look forward to as well.

The Falkland Islands will again be represented at the Royal Show where we shall be presenting new machine washable Falklands wool and updating visitors on developments in agriculture.

Fresh from the Commonwealth Games last year, our sportsmen and women will soon be competing at the lsland Games in Guernsey. To highlight our presence there, we shall be mounting an exhibition of photographs, depicting the beauty of the Islands, immediately before the start of the Games. A similar exhibition is planned to coincide with the Commonwealth Education Ministers Conference in Edinburgh in October.

We are proud of our education system and encouraged that our young people continue to return to the Islands following tertiary education in Britain. This promises well for our future. It is a particular pleasure to report the success of our student choir, which has recently received international recognition.

On the diplomatic front, we wish the new Argentine President well in his difficult task of restoring the economy of his country. We shall watch with interest the development of his foreign policy. We hope he will take the opportunity to initiate a new era of co-operation with the Falkland Islands, based on the recognition of our fundamental right to self-determination and our firm desire to remain British - and drop his country’s sovereignty claim. Then we can live as neighbours should do.

Finally, this year marks the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Falkland Islands Government Office in London. I take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed their time and effort to work with us – and particularly our staff, past and present. I would especially like to mention Jenny Smith and Debbie Ford who are leaving us next month, after many years in FIGO, to take up jobs in the Islands – I wish them every success for the future. We have all worked together to establish FIGO as a strong voice for the people of the Falkland Islands in the United Kingdom. Long may our voice continue to be heard.

Thank you again for your company this evening.