British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies

The British referendum dated 23 June 2016 included Gibraltar. On balance of probability, the other 13 British Overseas Countries and Territories and the Crown Dependencies should have been allowed their own referendem with additional choices and local dialogue.

British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies discussed. Aernout Fabius shares his knowledge and experience as a immigrant BeNeLux citizen and Tax Resident of the United Kingdom since 1971

Dissolution Netherlands Antilles

The Netherlands Antilles was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was dissolved on 10 October 2010.

Dissolution of theNetherlands Antilles

The Netherlands Antilles before its complete dissolution in 2010
Date	1 January 1986 (Aruba), 10 October 2010
Location	Netherlands Antilles
Participants	Governments of the island territories of the Netherlands Antilles Government of the Netherlands Antilles Government of the Netherlands
Outcome	Separation of Arubain 1986, complete dissolution in 2010

Map of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Netherlands and the Caribbean islands are to the same scale.

After dissolution, the "BES islands" of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba became special municipalities of the Netherlands proper, while Curaçao and Sint Maarten became constituent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along the lines of Aruba, which previously separated from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986.

Status in the European UnionEdit

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is the Sovereign Nation and a member of the European Union.

However, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten have the status of overseas countries and territories (OCTs) and are not part of the EU. Nevertheless, only one type of citizenship exists within the Kingdom (Dutch), and all Dutch citizens are EU citizens (including those in the OCTs).

The Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands agreed not to change the status of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba with regard to the EU in the first five years of integration of these islands into the Netherlands, after which a re-evaluation of the islands' EU status is to take place. The islands thus will remain OCTs at least until 2015.^[14]

The Netherlands secured a provision in the Treaty of Lisbon that says that any Caribbean part of the Netherlands can opt for a change of status to Outermost Region (OMR) if it so wishes, without having to change the Treaties of the European Union.

Ed

Editorial comment:

The participant territorial governments used a combination of Referendum and Round Table Conferences to conclude the way forward, which was duly ratified by the individual islands in 2010.

Aruba referendum 1977

Aruba is a tiny Carribean island off the coast of Venezuela and a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
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In 1976 the Estates (Aruban Parliament) had approved a referendum on the island's status.  An independence referendum was held in Aruba on 25 March 1977.

Voters were given the choice of independence or remaining in the Netherlands Antilles, with over 95% voting in favour of the former.

In 1983 the Treaty of The Hague agreed independence for Aruba by 1996, and the island seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986. However, in 1994 the plan for full independence was scrapped.

Editorial observation

~~dated 14th December 2018~~

The research time used was minimal and relevant information copy pasted from Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia.

EU Referendum Act 2015

This act required a referendum to be held on the question of the UK's continued membership of the European Union before the end of 2017.

The bill did not contain any requirement for the UK Government to implement the results of the referendum, nor set a time limit by which a vote to leave the EU should be implemented.

Instead, this is a type of referendum known as pre-legislative or consultative, which enables the electorate to voice an opinion which then influences the Government in its policy decisions.

The referendums held in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 1997 and 1998 are examples of this type, where opinion was tested before legislation was introduced.

The UK does not have constitutional provisions which would require the results of a referendum to be implemented, unlike, for example, the Republic of Ireland, where the circumstances in which a binding referendum should be held are set out in its constitution.

Reference:
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The Supremacy of Parliament
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The New British Constition

Reality Check A21

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#Dear_Member_of_Parliament
  ☆ 123 days and counting ☆ 
This is a singular appeal on behalf of:

• the British Electorate
• Non-Electing EU nationals, resident in the UK
• Our children - the next generation
• NOT-FOR-PROFIT Business Community Leaders representing 100s of generic, trade and professional membership organisations

We are in your hands and ask you to cast aside all political activity; concentrate your/our common focus on #building_an_honest_level_of_trust between you and the people of the United Kingdom.
☆☆☆☆
☆ Parliament has the authority ☆
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The new British Constitution by Prof Vernon Bogdanor
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You, our House of Commons representatives, are the guardians of the United Kingdom's future and what we need most, is a period of calm and rational effort to find a genuine way forward.

Sir Winston Churchill quotes
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Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.

For the common good of young and old
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A good point to start is to admit we could have done a lot better during the period of negotiation.  NOW IS THE TIME TO STAND UNITED!