No. 106 April 2014 IINSIDENSIDE FFalklandsalklands nnewsews ppeopleeople ppoliticsolitics ssportport eeventsvents Horse racing husband and wife team Arthur and Elaine Turner Falkland Islands Association CONTENTS Newsletter Published by: The Falkland Islands April 2014 No 11060606 Association, www.fiwww.fi aassociation.comss Falkland House, London Four page souvenir SW1H OBH Features coverage of the Tel 0845 260 4884 Stanley Sports history and the ISSN 0262-9399 Association celebratory 100th celebrate the meeting held on Edited by: 100th race December 26, 27 Sharon Jaf ray meeting. and 28, 2013. Stanley “Only war and Falkland Islands Picture: Paul Peck bad weather have with Baringa at his Tel 00 500 52739 ever stopped the [email protected] sports...” PPagesages 1166 - 1919 debut meeting. Editorial Committee Ms Cindy Buxton (Chair) Mr David Tatham CMG Page 23 Regulars >> Mr David Ainslie Mrs M Christie Mr Saul Pitaluga Page 4 - Election news Shackleton Page 11- Farewell Governor Advertising: Full page £250 Epic Haywood Half page £125 Quarter page £65 Book review Page 13 - The Secretary’s Eighth page £35 Desk with Colin Wright Short insert £3 per line WEBSITE Page 15 - Social events www.i association.com Page 21 - Sport Release of copyright Page 24-2524 25 - Parades The Editorial Committee releases all copyrights on the content of the Falkland Islands Tall PPageage 1122 Newsletter except on pictures, cartoons and Ships maps. Other publications are invited to quote visit freely. Stanleyy Howevever, we ask that quotations are made in context and the Falkand Page 27 - 30 - Obituaries Islands Newsletter births and marriages acknowledged as the source. For further information turn to the inside back The “Bill Hunter-Christie Memorial Prize” page or alternatively for Student of the Year was presented by contact the Editor Sharon the Falkland Islands Government’s UK Jaf ray (contact details representative Sukey Cameron, in the above). absence of Mrs Christie, to Miss Mhairi- Ann Eccles who is currently studying for a BSc (Honours) in Nursing Studies at Kings PRINTED BY: College, London. Platinum Press (UK) Ltd The presentation tool place at the FI Tel 0844 880 4722 Association AGM on December 7 www.PlatinumPressLimited.co.uk Turn to page 24 2 editorial byby FIAF Chair Alan Huckle emocracy continues to be vibrant of Falklands oil). And the Argentine Din the Falklands. The election of Government got egg on their faces a new Legislative Assembly in early when their attempts to exploit the November 2013 saw the return of six apparent results of a Daily Telegraph out of the eight MLAs and the election poll on the question of sovereignty of Michael Poole and Phyl Rendell were shown up on analysis to be a to replace Sharon Halford and Dick crude propaganda distortion or, at Sawle who did not stand (see page the least, inept diplomacy (see the 4). Islanders can only benefi t from the relevant article below). breadth and depth of experience of The FCO Minister, Mr Hugo Swire, their elected representatives, who face was right when he said, during his some important strategic decisions for visit in February (page7), that the the future of the Falklands. Argentine Government’s policies on The situation in Argentina bears the Falklands were counter-productive no comparison. President Kirchner and should be targeted more towards continues to be embattled by political the prosperity of their own people. and economic problems since her The Islanders, on the other hand, difference between the black market can rely on the sustained support of return to post following surgery late and offi cial rates of exchange remains last year. She seems to have lost the British Government and of British alarmingly wide. Public protests public opinion. political momentum and has become about rising prices, static wages and increasingly withdrawn, making fewer ***** problems in the energy, health and By the time this is published, the public appearances to the extent that social services are on the increase. observers talk increasingly of a power Islanders will have said farewell to The prognosis for stability is poor. Nigel Haywood and be welcoming vacuum at the top, which her new The risk in all this is that President Cabinet appointees have failed to Colin Roberts as the new Governor. Kirchner may once again raise the Colin has considerable experience address. With elections in 2015 and rhetoric levels over the Falklands in an no prospect of a third term, President as Director, Overseas Territories: we attempt to distract attention from her wish him well. Kirchner’s authority and popularity domestic problems. The appointment have been signifi cantly weakened. ***** in January of former Senator Daniel This year, the Battle Day ceremony Economically, Argentina is Filmus, a loyal Kirchnerite, to head a struggling against rising double-digit will take place in the RN church of new ‘Malvinas’ secretariat in the MFA St Martin’s-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar infl ation and increasing social unrest. may herald new activity but, so far, Argentina still has a strong economy Square on Monday, 8 December Argentine Government attempts to 2014 rather than at the Cenotaph the but its inherent structural problems persuade other S. American countries are showing through the cracks. previous Saturday. We thought it right, to replicate the measures passed by on the 100th anniversary of the naval Infl ation hit 27% in 2013 and has the Argentine Congress in November been in double fi gures since 2005. battles of Coronel and the Falklands, last to criminalise hydrocarbons activity to commemorate the huge loss of life Central Bank reserves have declined in the Falklands have not succeeded substantially, not eased by a massive on both sides with a special memorial (nor have they discouraged the service. The Association will need drawdown to halt the peso’s slide interest of the international oil industry against the US dollar. Even then, the your support (and attendance) to in the prospects for the development make this event a success. Skewed poll results make Argentina look foolish he Daily Telegraph in January But an analysis of the poll, better. Initially, they all reported the Tpublished the results of published by the Daily Telegraph, majority vote in favour of Argentine their on-line poll in English and showed that 68% of the 26,434 votes sovereignty, giving the implication Spanish on sovereignty choices cast had emanated from Argentina; that these were British voters. But for the Falklands. This suggested so it was not surprising that the when the analysis came out, most that nearly 74% of respondents majority had voted for Argentine failed to refl ect it: only La Nacion had voted in favour of Argentine sovereignty. And of the 4,853 votes and the English-language Buenos sovereignty and 24% in favour of cast in the UK, 4,520 were for British Aires Herald corrected the story. UK sovereignty. sovereignty with only 245 voting for TELAM, the Argentine wire service, The Argentine Government Argentina and they were probably all in particular, continued to give no immediately crowed that public Argentine nationals. indication that most of the votes had opinion in the UK was changing, The Argentine Government was, emanated from Argentina. particularly amongst “young therefore, either inept or duplicitous It is not clear what the purpose people” who wanted to break in trying to put a pro-Argentine of these Daily Telegraph polls with “British colonialism”. The spin on the results. This has left serve (there was a similar poll on Argentine Ambassador in London, the Argentine Government looking Gibraltar), except possibly as a Alicia Castro, claimed that “British foolish. They would have done circulation or marketing tool. But public opinion is changing” better to pay more attention to the unless the analysis is carried at and Daniel Filmus, the newly Falklands referendum results and the the same time as the result, they appointed Argentine Secretary continuing strong popular and cross- can be misrepresented by those for the Malvinas, called on the party political support in the UK for with a political agenda or, at best, British Government “to listen to the the Falkland Islanders. misconstrued. position of its people”. The Argentine media were little Alan Huckle 3 Politics - General Election Election brings landslide victory for Michael Poole ichael Poole, at just 29 years of age pulled off Ma landslide victory at the General Election on November 7, securing a massive 957 votes in his fi rst bid for Government Offi ce. While MLA Poole is not the youngest Islander ever to be elected, it is the fi rst time that someone born after the 1982 War has become a Member of the Legislative Assembly and marks the beginning of a new era for Falklands’ politics. MLA Poole joined MLAs from the previous Assembly, Barry Elsby, Gavin Short, Mike Summers and Jan Cheek for the Stanley constituency. Surrounded by enthusiastic supporters soon after the result had been announced, MLA Poole described how at the 2009 election Dick Sawle who received 770 votes had said he felt “humbled” when elected; “I didn’t really know how that would feel,” he said, adding, “but I know now it was an apt description.” He added that he was, “excited, frightened and generally delighted,” at the result . Results from the Camp constituency were just as exciting with Phyl Rendell picking up an impressive 204 votes, meaning a massive 84 per cent of Camp voters gave her one of their votes. Former MLAs Roger Edwards and Ian Hansen rejoined the Assembly also representing the Camp constituency. Newly elected and the youngest member of the current Legislative Assembly, Michael Poole celebrates his victory with his mum Nancy Mrs Rendell said she was relieved and overwhelmed in the face of the burden of responsibility the new role would bring.