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Sweet Rockall

25 Jan 2012

Those old enough to remember the satirical TV show That Was the Week That Was will remember the concluding song which referred to… Malta, Gibraltar and sweet Rockall. The song reflected the decline in Britain's place in the world with these remaining red dots across the globe representing the last gasps of Empire. Annexed in 1955, Rockall is a largely inaccessible rock part way across the Atlantic. It is technically part of the Western Isles council area, though it is not clear whether there is a regular bin collection.The rock has become symbolic as the last act of British territorial ambition - and even had a sentry box on top.

As debate on Scottish independence rages, the Earl of Caithness has mounted a fightback to keep Rockall British. His proposed amendment to the Scotland Bill says that if Scotland ever becomes independent the rest of the UK gets to keep Rockall. He is also proposing that Orkney and Shetland stay with Britain too unless the majority of islanders vote for independence. With no resident population, he obviously accepts that a democratic mandate for Rockall is more difficult to achieve.

Along with Britain's claim to Rockall comes a right to territorial waters, and it is this which is disputed by  the Republic of Ireland, Iceland and the Faroes. Ireland argues that it has sovereignty over Rockall as it has the nearest inhabited land, whereas Britain's claim is based on the proximity of St Kilda, which only has a transient population. The problem is that if Scotland became independent, Britain couldn't easily resist the claims of the other countries, as they would then be nearer than the rest of the UK.

Of course the principle of proximity never bothered the Victorians as they planted flags on islets around the globe. So with that approach in mind,  we shall doubtless see gunboats dispatched to protect the final resting place of British imperial ambition.