I have been researching the British Overseas Territories (BOTs) and their geopolitical relationships for over twenty years, and I cannot remember so much focus on them as there has been in recent days. The FIFA World Cup match between England and Argentina provoked heated discussions over the future of the Falkland Islands (or Malvinas if you are Argentinean). Gibraltar has received significant media coverage with the removal of the border infrastructure with Spain. The Caricom Reparations Committee has called for the British Virgin Islands (BVI) to be decolonised by the UK, and new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham will likely retain the government’s commitment to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. So, are we witnessing centrifugal forces that could fracture the BOTs’ relationship with the ‘UK family’?

Let us start with the Falkland Islands. It is not unusual for the Falklands to be the source of heated debate when England play Argentina, but there has certainly been a lot of rhetorical exchanges. Before the game, Argentina’s vice-president, Victoria Villarruel, called England ‘usurping pirates’, which The Sun newspaper called ‘a hate-filled tirade’. Then, after Argentina’s win, members of the team held up a banner exclaiming ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ (‘The Falklands are Argentine’). The response from the UK was swift, the government said: ‘The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are’, while Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch declared: ‘The Conservatives fought for them before; we will do so again if necessary’. And Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, called for the capacity of the Royal Navy to be boosted.

So, what can be discerned from all of this? First, nothing will change in the foreseeable future, but arguably the extent of diplomatic support for UK sovereignty is fraying. The Trump administration has hinted a more sympathetic position towards Argentina’s claim, and it defended the Argentina team’s right to unfurl the banner, while since Brexit the European Union has used ‘Malvinas’ in official communiqués. However, there is not a clear view at the United Nations or in international courts in relation to who has the strongest territorial claim, and the view of Falkland Islanders themselves is important when it comes to self-determination. It is also worth remembering that the Falklands has over 60........

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