News

Another William Wallace sounds off

…and you know what happened to the last one.

A LEADING Liberal Democrat peer has called for the autonomy of the Crown Dependencies to be reviewed. On a visit to Guernsey, Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman Lord William Wallace of Saltaire said the dependencies’ right to self-government was no longer appropriate.

‘You cannot say that a promise given 800 years ago in different circumstances fits in any part today,’ he said.

Meanwhile a House of Commons committee investigating the UK Government’s management of its relationship with the Isle of Man and other Crown Dependencies has issued a call for evidence.

The inquiry will look at how the UK Government represents the Crown Dependencies internationally, the role of the Ministry of Justice in managing the UK’s relationship with them and what, if any, changes are required to improve the management of that relationship.

A spokesman for the Manx Government stressed that the Commons committee inquiry was not reviewing the autonomous position of the Crown Dependencies — only the management of the UK’s relationship with them.

The deadline for written evidence is October 2 and submissions should be sent by email to justicecommemo@parliament.uk