independence, he gambled on an independence initiative of his own. The independence referendum was held in August 1995 and despite a PLP boycott, attracted over 58 per cent of the electorate. Over 73 per cent rejected independence and only 25 per cent voted in favour. This miscalculation led to Sir John’s resignation and split the UBP resulting in a sweeping loss at the 1998 general election.
Pros and cons This is the context in which we must examine the attractiveness of independence to Bermudians. It so happens that I made my first public political speech in 1977 as a young barrister of 23. I referred to the proposal of independence discussed in the green paper as “a cruel joke” as quoted in the local newspaper headline. A trifle dramatic perhaps but I have seen nothing to change my view since that time especially having served in parliament since 1993. It is clear that independence
offers no solutions for the various social and political ills that face Bermuda nor does it offer any advantages. This view is shared by the public as in the two most recently published opinion polls over 70 per cent of Bermudians still oppose independence with only about 15 per cent in favour. In fact, with every poll since 1995 showing an overwhelming opposition to independence, what is behind this substantial and consistent opposition?
One reason is that Bermuda
has experienced a long and sustained period of prosperity and opportunity. We are not perfect but social and educational strides have been made over the years. We also boast the highest Gross Domestic Product per capita in the world with low unemployment and healthy economic growth.
However there was a long period of discontent over the fact that our citizenship rights were eroded during the 1960s by the
passage in Britain of the Commonwealth Immigrants Acts of 1962 and 1968 followed by the Immigration Act 1971. There was a further erosion when the rights to British citizenship by descent (patriality) was further restricted, from grandparent to parent, by the British Nationality Act 1981. In March 1999, the British government published a White Paper entitled Partnership for Progress and Prosperity, Britain and the Overseas Territories. This paper addressed the desire by the remaining overseas territories in obtaining full British citizenship. Three years later, this was fulfilled by the enactment of the British Overseas Territories Act 2002, which granted full British citizenship to all the remaining overseas territories. This removed the complaint of being treated as second-class citizens and opened an array of advantages including the lower home fees at universities in the U.K. and the freedom to reside and work anywhere in the European Union without let or hindrance. The PLP government appointed a Bermuda
Independence Commission with the aim of “educating” Bermudians and it reported in August 2005. Bermudians listened to the discussions and read the report but remained unconvinced and are still opposed to independence. There are issues of governance raised in terms of independence but these are issues that we should be getting to grips with in any case. It was my privilege to lead the charge for the establishment of our Register of Members’ Interests in 1996 but that was just a start and lags far behind the standards of scrutiny which need to be applied. I wrote about this in The Parliamentarian in 2002/Issue Three under the title ‘Reform in Bermuda, Creating a Register of Members’ Interests.’
Recommendations In that article I recommended
entrenching the register in our constitution with independent oversight through an Ombudsman mechanism. We also need Freedom of Information legislation and anti- corruption legislation but these should be established in any case. Furthermore, as an international financial centre we know that international business clients are
Independence... would not instil any greater pride than we already feel nor would it correct any injustice or offer any opportunity.
more secure and confident when small jurisdictions are attached to larger ones. This is true of our competitors such as, the Cayman Islands, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. The British government has
always acknowledged that it will listen to a clear expression of the will of the majority of Bermudians. So there is no denial of self- determination, no case of us being held against our collective will. Also
external relations and internal security together with some non- political appointments, do not inhibit us in any way and there is generous delegation and broad consultation. In addition help from the British government on a consulting level is always available. We do not bear the expense of
external relations, meaning that while some local political figures no doubt would relish appointments to the United Nations, the Court of St. James’s and Washington DC but the rest of us would have to pay heavily for their privileges. Although Bermuda has
international business and tourism industries, we have no natural resources to fall back on if they fail or fade. Often the false analogy is used of a nation “growing up and cutting the apron strings”, but Bermuda will always be a small island in the mid-Atlantic. The large majority of us are content with our present situation and our connection to Britain is beneficial and only strengthens and protects us. In conclusion, it is clear that independence would not improve our economic position and may indeed jeopardise our economic wellbeing. It would not instil any greater pride than we already feel nor would it correct any injustice or offer any opportunity. To put it simply, we Bermudians simply do not want independence.
the few reserved powers of the Governor, including defence,
Above: The Bermudian flag next to the Union Jack.
The Parliamentarian | 2009: Issue One - Bermuda | 31