The fourteen British Overseas Territories (BOT) are territories under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United Kingdom. They are those parts of the former British Empire that have not chosen independence or have voted to remain British territories. Most of the inhabited territories are internally self-governing, with the UK retaining responsibility for defence and foreign relations. The rest are either uninhabited or have a transitory population of military or scientific personnel. They share the British monarch as head of state.
Source: Wikipedia.
The fourteen British Overseas Territories are: Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands.
These are all frozen countries other than Bermuda and Gibraltar.
The British Overseas Territories produced a White Paper in 2012 entitled – Security, Success, and Sustainability. Mr. Cameron (Prime Minister at the time) had this to say:
“The United Kingdom’s 14 Overseas Territories are an integral part of Britain’s life and history. Today they include one of the world’s richest communities (Bermuda), and the most remote community (Tristan da Cunha). They include thousands of small islands, vast areas of ocean, but also, in Antarctica, land six times the size of the United Kingdom”.
William Hague, Foreign Secretary at this time, had this to say:
“No historian can fail to be intrigued by the stories which tell how the United Kingdom’s 14 Overseas Territories have been entwined in our national history and how they come to remain linked to Britain in the 21st Century. The Government believes that those living in the Territories have a right to expect the same high standards of governance as in the UK, including in the areas of human rights, rule of law and integrity in public life.”
The Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) will be meeting with UK Ministers in late 2016. In July 2016 had this to say:
“Other matters on the agenda focused on OT Leaders reaffirming their position for the UK Government to upgrade the pay index-linked pensions to all British Overseas Territories [BOT]. Bermuda is the only overseas territory that has a reciprocal arrangement in place, while in Gibraltar the UK applies EC Regulations.
It should be noted that in all other overseas territories there is no reciprocal arrangement with the UK Government to pay the increase to state pensions.
Leaders will be calling on the UK Government to ensure all rights are applied to those BOT citizens who were employed in the UK and have retired home to their Territory”
– BOT Spokesperson, Bermuda News
21-Mar-17: House of Lords: Hansard: Debate on Brexit: Gibraltar
21-Mar-17: Euroweekly News: The Gibraltar delegation meet with Dr. Fox
21-Feb-17: House of Lords: European Union Committee – Brexit-Gibraltar – full report
4-Nov-16: Cayman Compass: British Overseas Territories – Rules for British Pensioners Unfair
“We are not residing in some foreign land. The British Overseas Territories have been owned by Britain for hundreds of years.”
– Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin
4-Nov-16: Cayman News: JMC focuses on pensions for UK pensioners