G20 Summit

Michael Ellis Excerpts

Monday 25th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Mr Ellis. [Interruption.]

[Michael Ellis (Northampton North) (Con)]

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I did not want to hurry the hon. Gentleman, but we can hear his question when he has calmed down and when he is ready.

[Michael Ellis]

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the rather ridiculous posturing by the Argentines at the G20 summit tries to hide the fact that it is they who are the real colonialists, because they wish to ignore the democratic wishes of the Falkland Islands people themselves?

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is entirely right. At the heart of the UN charter is the concept of self-determination, which is why I think that the referendum is important. In many ways, we do not need it to happen in order to know the wishes of the Falkland islanders, which have always been clear, but none the less I think that it will underline that and people will be able to see that it is not Britain that is behaving in a colonialist way but that we are simply doing what the Falkland islanders want us to do.